𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐍𝐄 &. 𝐹𝐴𝑀𝐸.

𝚃𝙷𝙴     𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂     𝚃𝙷𝙴     𝙱𝙰𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙴𝙴     notices     is     quite     astonishing     despite     ones     own     head     space     being     a     familiar     hangout     ,     she     could     write     a     book     on     some     of     the     peculiar     habits     the     residents     of     watermount     possess     .     and     ,     well     ,     one     wouldn’t     have     room     to     talk     considering     she     probably     makes     half     the     novel     .     but     ,     alas     ,     the     suspicion     waved     off     like     the     lollipop     resting     in     her     hand     ,     occasionally     making     its     way     from     grip     to     lips     then     back     to     fingertips     once     more     .          ❝          whatever     says     i’m     sorry     for     standing     you     up     because     i     had     essays     to     proofread     and     send     back     out     .     y’know     ,     my     name     may     be     love     ,     but     dang     if     i     don’t     suck     at     it     ,     too     .          ❞

❝              𝙻𝚄𝙲𝙺𝙸𝙻𝚈     𝙸     𝙳𝙾𝙽’𝚃     𝙽𝙴𝙴𝙳     your     permission     for     a     choice     until     your     sitting     on     a     judicial     throne     with     a     gavel     in     hand     .     unless     ,     of     course     ,     you     have     something     you     would     like     to     share     with     the     class     ?          ❞

❝          𝙶𝙾𝙾𝙳     𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶     𝚆𝙴     𝙰𝚁𝙴𝙽’𝚃     discussing     what     i     have     and     haven’t     dabbled     in     ,     orion     .     while     fireworks     are     lovely     ,     the     sparks     that     they     give     off     can     cause     a     hell     storm     to     take     flight     ——     especially     in     obscure     places     like     the     one     you’re     trying     to     fiddle     in     .     creative     choice     ,     though     ,     i     wouldn’t     have     thought     of     it     .          ❞

❝            𝚈𝙴𝙰𝙷     𝙸𝙵     𝚈𝙾𝚄’𝚁𝙴     𝙰     richy     -     rich     ,     it     is     .     ’m     more     of     a     cosmopolitan     fan     ,     myself     ,     despite     what     all     the     lousy     critics     say     .     ‘nd     yes     i     actually     do     —     i     tend     to     blab     ‘bout     stuff     nobody     gives     a     hoot     about     in     scenarios     like     that     .     what’s     somethin’     you     wanna     know     ?     pick     ‘ya     poison     .          ❞          the     joke     might     have     been     a     dried     one     aged     to     utter     disaster     ,     but     alas     ,     telling     terrible     tokens     of     funny     -     bone     ticklers     seemed     to     be     a     forte     picked     up     like     habit     .     the     supernatural     had     been     something     the     raven     -     haired     beauty     had     little     experience     with     ,     weirdly     so     considering     she     had     been     labeled     on     herself     ,     and     the     only     evidence     of     their     being     had     been     a     gut     feeling     lingering     along     intestines     for     decades     on     end     .     though     ,     something     told     her     the     one     before     her     had     been     cut     from     the     same     gifted     cloth     no     matter     the     fabric     ,     and     for     that     she     somehow     felt     more     at     ease     .          ❝           as     much     fun     as     a     night     of     grading     papers     can     give     ‘ya     ,     i     suppose     .     is     the     option     for     both     available     ?     who’s     to     say     my     eyes     and     tongue     can’t     both     seek     pleasures     .          ❞

❝          𝙸𝙵     𝙱𝙴𝙸𝙽𝙶     𝙽𝙾     𝙵𝚄𝙽     means     keeping     you     safe     and     free     ,     then     no     -     fun     -     franny     i     will     be     .          ❞

❝          𝚈𝙾𝚄     𝙺𝙴𝙴𝙿     𝚄𝙿     𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂     behavior     and     you     might     end     up     getting     demoted     from     my     favorite     son     to     my     tolerable     one     .     now     about     these     flowers     ——     bluff     or     no     bluff     ?          ❞

❝     𝙿𝙰𝙿𝙰́     𝙸     𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙻𝙻     𝙷𝙰𝚅𝙴     plenty     left     from     the     last     gift     you     blessed     me     with     for     being     the     favorite     ,          ❞          jocular     statement     was     followed     by     vivacious     laughter     ,     fingers     frolicking     along     the     edge     of     wooden     desktop     ,          ❝          —     so     i     think     we     already     know     the     answer     to     this     one     .     nothing     major     -     ish     ,     for     the     most     part     .     both     of     us     know     i     have     never     been     the     subtle     type     .          ❞    

❝            𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻     𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃𝙻𝚈     𝙲𝙰𝙻𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶     𝙼𝙴     in     these     matters     should     be     top     priority     ,     at     least     give     me     a     heads     up     before     doing     anything     like     this     so     i     can     pull     some     strings     .     all     things     aside     ,     we     do     have     a     pretty     good     case     here     ——     and     i’m     sure     we     can     both     sway     jury     and     judge     in     our     justifiable     favor     .          ❞          gleam     is     far     too     present     while     looking     over     at     the     other     ,     another     bite     taken     from     the     spicy     chicken     wrap     in     hand     with     half     -     assed     chews     .    

𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴     𝙷𝙰𝙳     𝙱𝙴𝙴𝙽     𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴𝚂     in     the     older     woman’s     life     were     tangling     in     the     borders     of     good     and     bad     ,     justifiable     and     foolhardy     ,     had     become     an     every     day     thing     .     surely     those     events     had     surpassed     her     in     time     ,     but     ,     sometimes     one     must     take     a     couple     steps     back     to     move     a     few     steps     forward     .          ❝          now     while     i     do     not     condone     this     on     a     regular     basis     ,     if     you     leave     absolutely     no     trace     and     make     sure     no     one     sees     you     ,     i     don’t     see     any     harm     in     it     .     if     you     don’t     get     caught     ,     how     can     someone     say     you     trespassed     ?     also     ,     wear     shoes     a     size     or     two     bigger     —     to     throw     them     off     your     trail     just     in     case     .          ❞

❝          𝙳𝙸𝙳     𝚃𝙷𝙴     𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳     𝙽𝙾     fall     out     of     your     vocabulary     after     a     certain     age     and     you     never     tell     me     ?          ❞     words     spoken     in     an     amused     huff     ,     urge     not     to     applaud     retort     of     former     statement     washed     over     silhouette     greatly     .

𝙼𝙰𝚁𝚁𝙸𝙰𝙶𝙴     𝙷𝙰𝙳     𝙸𝚃’𝚂     𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙳𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿𝚂     and     committing     to     a     species     outside     of     yours     would     make     that     ten     times     greater     .     but     that     was     the     price     of     love     ,     wasn’t     it     ?     to     deal     with     bitter     blows     to     have     your     fill     of     the     thrill     ;     finding     stability     in     the     one     she     gave     her     all     to     proven     to     be     worth     every     obstacle     that     needed     to     be     jumped     over     .     being     in     her     position     she     had     to     be     careful     with     handling     situations     ,     both     personal     and     professional     ,     for     maintaining     peace     and     justice     had     been     the     stool     used     as     a     booster     seat     in     troubling     times     like     these     .     thumb     would     rub     soothing     circles     on     the     opposite     side     of     his     palm     ,     though     sights     would     never     leave     him     .     words     of     comfort     would     get     few     and     few     with     each     passing     second     ,     nothing     the     human     could     offer     the     wolf     would     fill     the     void     .     that     was     understood     at     least     .          ❝          no     one     would     blame     them     for     staying     on     their     toes     for     now     .     ‘like     to     say     i’m     on     their     good     sides     for     now     after     throwing     a     few     extra     infamous     sandwiches     their     way     .           ❞          cooking     never     had     been     a     strong     suit     ,     though     lack     of     trying     wasn’t     the     cause     .     silent     notes     are     taking     of     his     behavior     ,     sympathetic     features     wash     over     like     a     flood     gifted     from     god     .          ❝          after     constant     nagging     i     actually     did     .     and     from     daphne     ,     shockingly     ,     samuel     must     be     drooling     over     some     starbucks     cashier     to     answer     his     mother’s     twenty     -     three     calls     .     but     regardless     ——     they     are     perfectly     fine     .          ❞

❝          𝙰𝚂     𝙼𝚄𝙲𝙷     𝙾𝙵     𝙰     sound     plan     as     it     is     ,     i’m     afraid     the     twenty     -     first     century     circle     of     life’s     laws     sadly     say     that     what     you     think     is     fair     ——     well     ,     is     illegal     .          ❞