ADORN .

“Ah, you two are saviours!” Ajita said, her face - despite her frustration - lighting up because she always felt like she should be happier when a child was present. She opened the bag back up and hunched down to hand the seven year old the gum drop. “They’re completely vegan, and still sugary even though they’re without sugar, good for the belly and good for the soul,” she said, handing one over. And also reaching out with one to the child’s parent.

「 ✧ 」

“C’mon, mom!” The little girl said, turning around to look at Averie. Averie let her go ahead as Drew clearly was in need of a sugar-free gum drop more than she was. Drew practically skipped to the girl, excitedly grabbing the treat and plopping it in her mouth. “Thank you!” The little girl said and Averie nodded, grabbing her own and eating it. Her eyes widened as she tasted it– pretty good. “Those are really yummy,” Averie said, and Drew bounced in her spot giving them a thumbs up. “Wait, so, you made those?”

-

“The worst poison out there.” Chase stuck to her words, grinning at her sister’s shock. She absolutely loved teasing her, she loved trying to get on Averie’s nerves. It reminded her of the good old times, of times when things were so much more simple. Of times, when neither of the sisters had gone through all of their messes.

Hearing Averie describe wine, Chase made a face, making it as dramatic as possible. “All of that sounds like an awful way to describe poison.” She continued to stick to her opinion, a smile never once leaving her face. “I would much rather stick to my zesty, light-bodied white wine. At least it taste heavenly.” Chase was this close to sticking her tongue out, as if that childish action would somehow make her point all the more valid.

“You’re still older than me. By a loooot.” She drew out the last word, sitting up more comfortably on the couch now that the shots were presented. “No no, you go first. Cause there’s always a good reason to go straight for the strong liquor, and you suggested it first.”

「 ✧ 」

Averie stared at Chase with a dull expression, listening to her words go through one ear and out the other. She knew she was just doing what she did best– be an annoying little sister. Chase pushed and it was a good thing, because that meant Averie taught her well growing up. “You’re cancelled, done, banned, finished!” She said, bringing the glass to her lips to indulge in the very same wine she went into detail about. “Chase, all you have to say is that you have a limited and dull palette, that’s it,” she teased with a laugh to follow. As much as she pushed her buttons, she would push them right back. 

“At least I don’t look it,“ she said with a smile. She shrugged, grabbing the glass between her fingers and looked at the harmless crystal clear liquid. Harmless so far, at least. Averie toasted it her way and took it down at once, letting out a little breath as the bitterness hit her. “Well, it’s been a day,” she said and leaned back onto the couch, looking at the candles flickering on the table. “Drew’s father has gone AWOL again. I seriously don’t understand what is going through his head.” 

WHERE: random street WHEN: day before halloween WITH @averiealbyslater​

“These are just as good as the candy you’re giving out, but they’re more healthy for the kids,” Ajita said, holding the bag of sugar free gum drops in their hands. The lady closed the door on her and with a huge sigh Ajita backed up the driveway back to the street. “I’m handing out free food and NOBODY is taking it because….” She threw her arms up in frustration. “This town, I swear!”  She noted someone staring and smiled apologetically - while her arms were still in the air. “Sorry.”

「 ✧ 」

Averie looked over at the brunette with a soft grin, holding Drew’s hand as she was doing the same thing. She almost didn’t know what to say, until Drew took over. “I’ll try!” The seven year old girl said, jumping up and down in her spot. “I’ll take one too,” Averie said, agreeing and they approached Ajita with open hands. As much as they wanted a good sweet candy like Starburst or something, Ajita’s offerings were something they couldn’t deny. They weren’t like that. 

“Yeah. Let’s... have a sugar free gum drop!” Averie said. 

He’s pretty much done with Drew’s hair, so he hoists himself up on the couch to allow the mother and daughter a moment to greet each other. “Taco Bell is real food, right?” Jordan smiles at his niece. The eight-year old had zero complaints about his choice of cuisine, but her mother might have a different opinion. “Then we had PB&J for snacks.” He grins proudly, like feeding a child on his own had been an impossible feat he’d successfully conquered. Now the real adult was home bearing free sushi. How could he ever say no to that?

“Heck yeah, I’m in.” He springs to his feet and takes it upon himself to bring spread to the kitchen so he can unwrap it. He finds some chopsticks ( his is a blue-colored lightsaber one he’d left a few months ago that he’d never bothered taking back for such occasions ) and a sauce plate to pour some Kikkoman in. “You know, I can’t believe grandpa actually lets you work all day,” he calls out from behind the island. “Isn’t the whole point of nepotism so you can get paid money you don’t deserve by your relatives who’ll let you have it without working a day in your life?” He grins and  takes their dinner to the living room for them to enjoy around the coffee table.

「 ✧ 」

Averie looked down at her daughter practically bouncing in her spot and she wondered just how much fun she had tonight with her uncle. Drew talked about Jordan more than he could imagine, mentioning moments between their time together from time to time. “This all sounds absolutely delicious!” She said, the little girl erupting into giggles as she looked over at her uncle with a look of approval.  They cracked her up most of the time, but sometimes she felt guilty. The guilt harbored from her messy divorce but she was working on moving forward, progressing for the future of her daughter and herself. She couldn’t hold onto the past that no longer served her. 

“Do you not want to get paid? I can go take that direct deposit right back,” she said to him, helping Drew with her chopsticks and plate. She gave her an assortment of options, handing her her bright turquoise chopsticks. “Don’t tell me you didn’t have fun all day playing with Drew. Sometimes, it’s good to come out of your cave, Jordy,” she teased him, grabbing a sushi right off the platter with a smile. 

“Have you seen grandpa recently?” She asked him, handing him his own plate. 

-

”That’s because fermented juice is something absolutely riddiculous!” Chase argued back, yet a light smile remained on her face. It was almost too easy to get lost in this childish banter when she was with her siblings, and, to be completely honest, she loved. She loved that she could just joke around, tht she could just forget everything when she was in her sister’s presence. “Don’t tell me you react flawlessly to it! Red wine is secretly poison, and I will not accept any other explanation.” She stated, taking a sip out of her glass, as if to really drive her point home.

Chase watched curiously as her sister moved to the cabinet, only to select something far stronger. Would it have been old and silly of her to think that she’d just end up with a hangover the next day? Or was it something that she genuinely needed- getting drunk with her sister, pretending that they were back in the old days? “Definitely clear. I’m feeling like getting drunk on vodka tonight.” She could definitely try.

「 ✧ 」

“Poison?” Averie repeated loudly. She was a little in shock her little sister was just now admitting her hardships with red wine. Averie’s favorite. “How dare you?” She said, her jaw dramatically dropping as she shook her head at her. She would voice her disapproval, for sure, in her usual theatrical ways.

“I’m never giving you– not even another sip of my red wine! Since you feel like death after drinking my full-bodied, balanced, fruity, earthy, delectable rich collection of reds,” Averie let out in one breath. And scene.

She pulled the clear handle from the cabinet, along with two shot glasses and joined her back on the couch, dropping the bottle off in front of Chase with a smile. 

“So, tell me, how was your day, miss 80 proof and up?”

“I can’t,” Jamie tells her at the prompt, finding it difficult to picture a situation where anyone would get crushed by a vending machine. “Did you push it on them?” he jokes. That would probably make more sense than the damned thing just randomly falling on someone. Despite her blade-sharp and cunning nature, he doesn’t really think she could do something like that… on purpose.

「 ✧ 」

Averie shook her head, wagging a finger at him. ‘Tsk, tsk, tsk,’ the sound of her tongue clicking. “I’m sure they couldn’t imagine it, too,” she morbidly added. Averie had a way of processing horrible events like that. Near death experiences can change a person, even if it wasn’t yourself. “Oh, c’mon!” She said, bringing a hand to her chest. Her eyes meeting his and a smile spread across her features. 

“Do you really think I could do something like that?” She asked him. “I’m a fighter, not a quitter.” 

—

He wouldn’t push and try to solve the case of the mystery phone cord. He would, had she wanted him to, but it wasn’t his business to push his nose where it didn’t belong - not without reasonable suspicion or a warrant. He wanted to help people. He didn’t want to become a threat or an annoyance. “Anybody ever tell you that you’ve got the best smile when you’re tryin’ to sprout bullshit?” he asked, following along in her footsteps. “I mean, you’ve got the look for the business, and I’m sure that you’ll be the first person I call when there’s a crisis in town and I need someone who can calm everyone down. But uh…y’know, it doesn’t have to be a business meetin’ between you an’ me. Unless you need it to be an’ then…” he raised his hands in surrender, prepared to step back.

There was a bit more honesty in her face in the moment. “Yeah, I heard of your kid - seems like you two are settin’ up a good life here. An’ soccer club - that’s real good. They play against the neighborin’ town and there’s high hopes that they’ll trounce ‘em.” He liked talking about sports, or the weather, or literally anything without depth. Better to stay being neighborly without deep engagement or relationships. “Ah … y’know, all is the same. Cabin just needs windows and I can start workin’ on wirin’ - hopin’ to get in before winter hits.” He’d been working on that cabin for years. Somehow, he never finished it. “Just tryin’ to keep people happy an’ safe. Same as always. I’m borin’ an’ my life never changes.”

「 ✧ 」

The eldest Alby-Slater girl blinked up at him, her nose scrunching as he spoke. “I’m just sayin’ the truth, aren’t I?” She said, in hopes his esteem wouldn’t take such a hard hit. What was going on? She didn’t know if he was reading the room wrong– scratch that, he was reading the room wrong. The small town’s casual attitudes came at a cost for someone like Averie. She was used to having to prove herself in a board room and her rigid ways could rub people the wrong way. But he was a grown man so he could figure it out for himself. “Business is good,” she said with a smile. “It’s what we what, right?” Averie added, waving a hand over the establishment before them. Her grandfather didn’t build this place for fun and games, well, maybe some. 

“Drew is definitely already out there making waves,” Averie informed him, a small laugh escaping her. “Just the other week, I got spoken to. Apparently she’s giving kids concussions,” she told him. “N–not like crazy, violent... she’s just... passionate,” she said. She could talk about her mini-me for days, still in awe she got lucky with a girl like her. 

“Boring?” She said, shaking her head. “Sounds like your life’s set to me,” she added with a shrug. Averie’s life flipped upside down within the past few years and lately, she dreamed about security. 

“Speaking of cabins, you got any ideas on places I can take Drew camping? I feel like you’d know a thing or two. But nothing too crazy, I’m a city girl.”

-

“I so do not.” Chase argued, despite knowing that her argument was absolutely weak. Maybe she was complaining a little too much; yet, more often than not she found herself to be a mere ghost of her past self. Any other day, she would have argued that she had every right to be this way, that she had the right to lounge around and lose herself in her sorrows. Yet, at the same time, she had a child to look after, and she had made the intial step of moving back to a place that would help her out the most- and be surrounded by people she could rely on the most.

“Just one shot?” Instead, she opted to tease her oldest sibling, getting more comfortable on the couch. “And you’re calling me a grandma?” Chase nudged her sister, lightly, careful not to spill the precious wine. “I know you’ve gotten old and rusty, but I never thought that you would settle for just that, Averie.” It was easy to focus on something this trivial around Averie, and she couldn’t be more thankful for her sister and her generosity; to this day, it worried her to think where she and Desmond would be if it wasn’t for Averie.

「 ✧ 」

Her eyes narrowed, shaking her head as her younger sister spoke. Her mouth curved into a small grin as she let out a little laugh hearing her words. Chase had a way with words and Averie would always listen, just like she did with most. She liked hearing what others had to say and how they viewed the world and most of her life was listening to her little siblings. “Oh, really? Because you just said fermented fruit gave you a head ache for years,” she teased her and pushed herself up to avoid any more spills. The past few months had been filled with one too many accidents that Averie got professionally got cleaned up every time. She was a neat freak and stains of wine had no place in her household. 

She placed the glass down on the table, getting up and opening the liquor cabinet in the dining room. Her eyes floating amongst the options and she looked back at Chase. “What are we feelin’?” She asked her. “Brown or clear liquor?” Averie wasn’t too picky. But she had already made a choice for them in her head anyways. 

CLOSED STARTER FOR @averiealbyslater​ averie’s house, 7pm.

Averie never has to ask twice for Jordan to come over and babysit for her whenever she has to work late or do single mom things on a Saturday night. His schedule is a lot more flexible than hers and doesn’t require him to be at the hotel for the entire working day.

And he really does enjoy spending time with his niece and nephew despite knowing that he probably isn’t dad material to any extent. He’d long since resigned himself to the role of cool, somewhat detached uncle who’s your go-to for all things fun that have nothing to do with actually raising children to be upstanding citizens. 

Like sitting on the floor in front of the TV watching Carmen Sandigeo, eating the marshmallows out of a Lucky Charms box while he braids Drew’s hair. Which is exactly how Averie finds them.

“Hey, sis…” Jordan greets Averie distractedly as he focuses on getting the braids nice and tight. “How was work?”

「 ✧ 」

Averie had a way of balancing her many roles in life. Most recently the most prominent ones were being a good mother, remaining a successful woman in her career and remaining true to herself as an individual. She had moments where she found herself reaching her maximum but she would always find a way to make it work. Being CFO of their family hotel was no easy feat. While it was no booming chain business, it still brought in money that required hard work from her. Today was pay day, everyone’s favorite day and her most tedious one. 

Taking the whole day for work wasn’t something she typically did but on days like these, it was necessary. Once Averie began with the finances and monies, there was no stopping. Everyone had their own methods and routines in roles like these. After a long day filled with numbers, she drove home in silence wondering what her brother could’ve possibly been doing with Drew. The two were a good duo, one she expected since the moment she told Jordan she was expecting. 

Picking up a sushi spread on the way home, she was slugging through the front door relieved to finally be in her humble abode. She dropped her bag, kicked her shoes off and walked into the sight of Jordan and Drew being them. “Hey, you goofs,” she greeted them with a soft smile on her features. “Did you eat real food? Like... real food?” She asked, approaching them, wrapping her arms around Drew. 

“It’s sushi Saturday! You in or you in?” She questioned them. 

— He chuckled as he dipped his head as he was told to follow after him. He knew that his ma’am might get her goat, but he couldn’t help but try to see how much the Alby-Slater daughter had changed. After all, Santa Monica was a far cry from Pleasance and who knew what people learned there. No, he didn’t know what Santa Monica looked like or even where it was. ”To be fair –,” he paused and let the ma’am go unsaid with the same little smile, “I’ve been called for a whole host of things. You remember how small towns operate, don’t you?” he teased her. He noted that one of the phones was unplugged from the wall, and he picked up the cord to show her. “You in the business of pretendin’ phones are toys an’ not needin’ ‘em connected?” he asked, turning the cord in his hand before he set it back down. Averie did have a daughter, so maybe she used the phone to keep her daughter occupied. ”Hey Av…” he called to her, “all jokin’ aside. How are you doin’? How’ve you been? I know Pleasance hasn’t always been the best thing for you, an’ I should have checked in sooner. That’s… wrong of me. You and your sister …” he sighed. “You know that if you need anythin’ - … don’t let the town give you a hard time ‘cause of your family or none of that. Not that you need my permission. Just – wanted to put it out there. Figured it needed sayin’.”

「 ✧ 」

Averie’s life had been complicated since she was a little girl. She had been exposed to the life of the big city and the small town secrets. Pleasance was a form of escaping her world in California. It wasn’t that she was a different person, she just had a different life there. The way the city worked was different in thousands of ways. But, a big city didn’t have the same offerings as somewhere like Pleasance. Things in Pleasance couldn’t compare to Santa Monica, vice versa. Both were so different and right now– she was feeling relieved to be away from California. 

 Her eyes squinted at the phone cord, holding back her true expression: wide eyes and her jaw hitting the ground. What the hell? She did not have time for this shit. Her lips turned into a thin line as she inhaled sharply and exhaled her disappointment. “You know, I wish I could tell you what that was about but...” she said, grabbing the cord from the desk and shoving it back into the wall. “All we can do is fix the mistakes we come across,” she said, putting her best business smile on. She was good at that. 

As she was about to head off back into her hunts, his concerned tone took her aback. Averie wasn’t one to dwell on any emotions that didn’t provide happiness or euphoria from success. God. Did he feel bad for her right now? This was a new low for Averie in her book. She cleared her throat and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, we all have lives,” she said, trying to comfort his conscience. “I’ve been great. My daughter, Drew, has been loving the past year in Pleasance actually, she’s even joined a soccer club,” she told him. “We’ve been good, thankfully. How about you? How’s it been on your side of town?”

Title: A Garbled Message Location: Nouveau Resort & Hotels, 9am For: Averie Alby-Slater | @averiealbyslater​ — Now, when Q thought about how he wanted to spend his days, he often thought of the idyllic routine: wake up, run with the dogs, coffee, breakfast while reading the delivered paper, drive to work – and then whatever work brought to him. Today, his routine went: wake up, run with Kane and trip over Hogan, run out of coffee, the puppy ate the newspaper, get into work and find that there was a message for him on the machine from the proprietor of Nouveau Resort and Hotels asking for assistance. At least, he thought it was assistance as the message itself sounded like it was coming from underwater. So, into his patrol car he went, dogs alongside, and he drove to the resort where he stepped up to the front desk and found it empty. Not completely strange as Pleasance wasn’t known for being a well-known tourist location. “Ah, pardon,” he said, raising a hand in greeting before he realized he was looking at the Alby-Slater daughter. “Hello ma’am,” he said politely as if he hadn’t seen her through the years. “Got a call askin’ for assistance… I think. Somethin’s strange with the call. D’you know if there’s somethin’ needin’ looked at or …?”

「 ✧ 」

As much as she loved her family, sometimes working with them grew a bit interesting. Her role was more behind the scenes; rather than being upfront and personal with their audience. The Alby’s took great pride in their businesses, considering her grandfather had grown so much in Pleasance. Today, she was in for meetings regarding the budget of Nouveau Resort & Hotels. Numbers were her favorite thing, since they were so straight forward. But, the more she worked with her family, the more she found herself critiquing their ways of running a business. Maybe it was just the natural born judgmental ways in her, but sometimes she wanted to throw her hands in the air.

Her attention focusing on finding lunch, she walked through the halls giving smiles and waves to those who inhabited their space. His nearing presence catching her eyes, and as excited she was to see him– it was quickly depleted. “Oh, hi... Sheriff,” She said, pushing her hair behind her shoulder. “Ma’am?” Fuck. Were other 38 year olds hearing these kinds of things? She looked around and shook her head. 

“Unless there’s a fight at one of the bars, not to my knowledge... but maybe I should go check the bar,” she said, ushering him towards the area that got the rowdiest at Nouveau Resort & Hotels. “C’mon now,” she said. 

where: Averie’s home with: @averiealbyslater​

The month spent in Pleasance was still chaotic, yet, Chase knew it would be so much worse if she didn’t have her siblings around. She couldn’t even imagine how she could ever thank Averie for letting her and Desmond crash in her house; Chase could afford to rent a place on her own, she could always ask their grandfather’s help, but there was something so comforting about being close to her oldest sister. They’ve gone through so much over the recent years, done even more, and it was oddly comforting to be around someone who could actually understand Chase even a little bit.

While there was only so much that she could do to thank Averie, one of the little things that Chase was more than willing to do was bring her wine. Their children were in one of the rooms, playing and bonding as cousins do, and so the sisters were left to themselves, actually able to talk about things that didn’t have to be censored.

“We’re going with white wine, the last time I had red, the headache lasted for days.” Chase spoke as she poured a glass for each of them, handing Averie hers before settling down on the couch. “And I’m not about to spend hours and hours selling tickets or cleaning after obnoxious people while having an awful headache.”

「 ✧ 」

To think she’d be sitting inside her own home in a place she’d never imagine still had her in shock. Averie didn’t look back on Pleasance ever since the Alby-Slater children were condemned from going back. As much as she loved her grandfather, it was easy to forget about the small town when you were raised in California. She had pushed her roots aside, indulging in the big city of Santa Monica. As much as she climbed to the top, she would be kicked down just as hard. She never imagined she would be a divorced single mother, navigating her and her daughters life at the same time. She was grateful to have Drew by her side,  the little girl had made such an impact on her life. 

Being able to share these moments with her little sister were even better. Sure, she wished it were under different circumstances but having her family by her side made it all better. She swiped through her phone, deleting notifications that brought her no purpose. Her hand out as she grabbed onto the stem and brought it to her lips for her first sip. 

“Are you serious?” She questioned her, tilting her head. “You sound like you belong in a retirement home, Chase,” Averie teased her, laughing away. She inhaled sharply, tossing her phone across the couch. “Could you spare me one shot this evening, grandma?” 

𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐛𝐲-𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫.

‎“What, did it eat him?” He scoffs incredulously at her story. Averie can be so full of shit sometimes. Well, most of the time. And growing up, he’d always sort of pictured her becoming a writer, some kind of storyteller. She would’ve thrived on something like that, he’s sure. “And people say that all the time. They know someone. Just say you know someone who knows someone who told them about this person who may or may not be real.”

「 ✧ 」

She pursed her lips, shaking her head. As much as Averie liked to dabble in her theatrics– this time it was true. “No, many forget the true dangers of bending machines... their weight,” she said. Taking a small breath, “It fell on them,” she revealed the cause of their death. “Imagine...” she mused. 

OPEN STARTER. anywhere!

“you’re joking.” jamie insists, concern etched across his strained features. “tell me that’s not actually true.”

「 ✦ 」

“It’s 100% true, I’m serious!” she insisted, a hand waving his doubt away. “I know a person who got killed by a vending machine.”