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Lydia smiled softly, believing that they understood what Connor meant, even if she didn’t have the same experience or even the same sort of business that brought joy like this to others. They did understand feeling proud of making others feel better though. She had became extremely good at that over her years. “Oh– no, I– sorry,” she gave her head a little shake. “I was actually just feeling like getting some coffee or something…did you want to grab something with me? Or I can always bring you something?”

{ - }

“Coffee,” Connor echoed, rather uselessly. There was a lull of a good few seconds before he spoke again as the cogs whirred - offers like those did not come his way too often, and took him by surprise without fail. “I–” the options weighed out quickly; he’d be mortified to think of a volunteer spending their time fetching him drinks, and in retrospect, he’d been at it for hours. “If it’s okay, I’ll… join you?” he decided, tentative as it was. “I’m probably overdue a break…”

Talia listened intently as she scooped up the second pup into her arms. “Whoa! That’s nice of you. I mean it seems so obvious — like duh! Of course employees have lives and stuff to do. But trust, I’ve had so many bosses that were like ‘if you cared about your job then you’d work overtime’ and it’s like, okay, easy for you to say when you clock out at five on the dot,” she rambled as she carefully maneuvered over the baby gate that Connor had entered from. “Long story short, what I’m trying to say is that it’s nice of you to take on stuff so your staff don’t have to.” 

She paused for a second. “Well, not nice that you have to do more stuff. But still nice that you find it calming, and nice that you have a job you like! That probably makes being an adult suck much less.” As she followed Connor down the hall towards the kennels, one of the puppies in her arms started to squirm ever so slightly. “It’s okay little dude, we’re almost there,” she said in a hushed tone, using her thumb to rub soothing circles into its fur. “So, how did you come across all these animals? Like, do you find them all and take them in?”

{ - }

It all made him sound a touch more virtuous than he really was. If Connor wasn’t at his shelter, where else would he be? Giving his staff and volunteers extra breathing room was a fortunate byproduct of a life lived in tunnel-vision. “Thank you,” he said regardless, “I’ve definitely… I’ve had bosses like that too. Well, one boss, but–” he shook his head a little, and turned to lead the way to the kennels. Shitty bosses were one thing, and criminal negligence was another - one that he wouldn’t sour the mood of an already-stressed college student with.

Despite such things, he was indeed a lucky adult in many ways. “That’s true– that’s the great thing about it… all my time goes into something, uh, bigger, you know?” His lips quirked into an easy smile at the sound of the pup behind him, and the subsequent soothing. “All of them? There are a lot of different ways they wind up here. People who know we’re here already sometimes bring strays in, or… well– if something happens in their lives and people can’t keep their pets anymore, we can take them in. It’s sad, but better than them getting abandoned somewhere, which is… that’s how these little guys got here, kind of,” he explained, raising the little bundle in his arms as though to demonstrate.

“Well if you closed your eyes for ten-fifteen minutes, you can pretend like it never happened,” he retaliated, his tone equally as playful. He was much too comfortable now, though he had a feeling mopping wouldn’t be a terrible way to warm himself up after the storm outside. “Though you’ve got me curious, which radio play has her so caught up that she’s able to step away from this gem for so long?” He couldn’t help but question. 

“Seems to me luck has been in my favor since I entered the vicinity, what’s the secret her? Who’s blood did you have to sacrifice?” Kai joked, but flashed a grin her way. “I’m glad, even more so to not hear any judgments, really, it’s a great combo.” He spoke in almost a defensive manner, not toward her, but toward those that had mocked him for it. “You’re a great saleswoman, I think I will, maybe you can even join me? You don’t have to have a pineapple bun, of course, but some company would be nice and unfortunately, the streets haven’t been all that crowded today..” Not that that would be a shock to anyone, especially with the ability to order delivery. “It might even help me resist the urge to mop.” 

{ - }

“In the middle of a working day? I couldn’t dream of it,” Lucia chuckled quietly; she had a feeling that she ultimately wouldn’t turn down the help, but she definitely wouldn’t cajole him into it if he happened to change his mind. She brought the tongs down to one of the buns, bringing it up onto a saucer before her focus turned to the drink again. “It’s called The Archers… It was all the rage with her friends back when we lived in England apparently, they got her completely hooked on it. Luckily she can still listen in online here… It’s all about this little farming village with all these families that get into all sorts of drama with each other. It’s quite jarring sometimes– one minute they’re talking about their crop yields, and the next, somebody’s having an affair while their wife is comatose,” her rambling went on with some amused disbelief as she finished the coffee, coconut milk and a generous dusting of cinnamon included.

“The secret? Well, you know what they say about blood, sweat, and tears… Keep it all a great distance from your baked goods,” she joked. Staring at the drink alone was enough to convince her that a little caffeine boost wouldn’t be too much of a distraction, and in truth, she was due a short break. “I might just do that,” she concluded as she rounded the corner, setting the orders carefully down on the table. “Here you go! If anything’s going to distract you from mopping, I imagine it’ll be that,” she added with that same playful lilt, pointing down towards the bun. “Or at least, that’s the goal when I make them.”

Vanna’s day had been long and tiring, beginning with the bombshell discovery of an affair mid-session, continuing with bi-hourly calls to her billing company, and ending with an emergency session with a distraught husband. The only thing that could make her feel better, she decided mid-drive home, would be a heart to heart with her favorite baker/bottle of sunshine/local cutie, Lucia Yu.

The lights were off, but the “OPEN!” sign was on, so Vanna decided that she’d try, even if there were no baked goods to be bought. She opened the door and stepped in, the lack of light in Māma’s casting everything with an eerie energy. Then, Lucia, and Vanna’s smile turned relieved, half at her presence and half at the fact that she managed to avoid breaking-and-entering.

“The longest.” She looked around, some concern growing. “I figured you might be here, and I have a craving for some baked goods and positivity.”

{ - }

Lucia watched with a discerning stare, though even with more lacking judgement the stress Vanna carried in with her would have been obvious. She took a moment to think on the atmosphere, and the things she could afford to break out of their storage for the night, before an almost mischievous smile lit up on her face. “I know just the thing,” she said, holding a finger in the air between them as if to freeze Vanna in place.

She flicked on the counter lights as she passed by them to light the space just enough to welcome those already within it, but nobody without, and returned a minute or so later after a short flurry of clinks and clanks. “Now, this one’s still in its trial-and-error phase, but the error is more presentation related than anything else,” Lucia declared, gently setting a plate on the counter between them. A few brownie squares rested atop, fudgy and glistening, with a few red jewell-like pieces nestled throughout. “They’re black forest brownies, basically designed to soothe the woes of a stressful day… because I soaked those cherries in kirsch for an absurdly long time. So– please, dig in, and dig out while you’re at it. What was it… Stubborn clients?”

Pia pulled her glare away from the people walking a little too close for comfort toward a row of plants resting on the ground. “Unfortunately,” she grumbled, “One of my employees insists it’s probably an accident but to walk away afterwards? That’s no accident,” she declared. “Not this time, luckily.”

{ - }

The threat of a broader plant-kicking conspiracy was enough to leave Connor with a frown. “That’s the sort of– sad thing about having an open-house policy… People forget somebody has to actually… You know, set everything up,” Connor carefully crouched himself down, adjusting a few pots that seemed like they’d been misaligned, as if that would make it all right again. “Or that plants are just– kind of fragile, sometimes… Maybe a sign would help? Just a simple… ‘Don’t kick the plants please’ might do the trick? Even if you shouldn’t have to say it...”

Somehow in the events of the afternoon, the remote had been misplaced. Silas was searching for it and had been for at least five minutes, glancing at his watch to keep aware of the time– he didn’t want the program to start before he could find the thing. He was on his hands and knees, peering under any and all surfaces when he heard the door to MJ’s home open, heard the chatter that followed. Aha! Silas reached, pulling out the remote that must have been accidentally tossed aside at one point, clicking the buttons to turn the tv to channel for the Deadliest Catch. 

“I would love some, MJ!” he called, standing up and brushing himself off, knowing that he was likely a little disheveled from his search. After setting up her father, Silas made his way to the kitchen, offering Harley a smile as he entered the room. “We’re all set up with the show now,” he told MJ, “And aside from a missing remote for awhile, it was a pretty good afternoon.”

{ - }

MJ craned her neck to catch Silas making his way over, with a relieved smile. “That’s perfect,” she said, as she tugged the fridge door open. With the juice out, and an excited Roscoe content to hop on the spot in excitement until he got a hold of it, she was closer than ever to a short bout of peace. “And I’m very glad to hear it… especially the remote part. I’m pretty sure I might have fallen asleep on it last night,” she confessed with a wince, “sorry!”

Still, she had the chance to make up for her blunder. With the cup now in Roscoe’s hand and being cheerily sipped, she moved towards their coffee maker instead. “You want your usual, yeah?” she asked, before straightening out over the machine with a crinkle in her nose. The sudden slow in her momentum finally gave her tiredness a chance to seep in to her posture. “...I sound like I’m still at work,” she murmured, letting out a quiet sigh to follow it, “this feels like the first time I’ve stopped moving all day, actually… Whew! Here’s to the both of us getting a little break, I suppose.”

“no.” uzel said, shaking his head. “i don’t really like beer. it’s disgusting. most alcohol is.” he said. in his younger self had liked it, but now with his daughter and job he was trying to get himself straight. “i like rum and coke but i don’t know what you’re looking for. fruity or not?” he asked.

{ - }

Missing the mark not once, but twice, was enough to put Alyona in a slightly less agreeable state. She liked to be right, and when she wasn’t, she didn’t like to consider that being her own fault. “Right now? No. I’m not feeling so fruity,” she answered, head turning towards the bar in a lazy swivel. “Hey– can I get two rum and cokes? Thanks,” she told the bartender, with a quiet sigh, “and you’re welcome,” she told the man by her side as she fished out her card. Screw it - if she was stuck in a dead-end town until she had more cash to blow, there was no use to fret so much about keeping what she had left.

“You should know by now that you’re never a bother, I always look forward to seeing what you have for me,” Stella assured Monica, looking up from the papers on her desk before pushing them to the side. “You definitely can, would you like anything to drink first? I can put on the kettle and warm up some tea or I’ve recently purchased a mini fridge,” she remarked, pointing in its direction with a sliver of pride. “And it’s a life saver and stocked with anything you might need including cold water. Sorry, I didn’t mean to ramble about that, but it’s made me more excited than I realized and I wanted to boast for a second.”

{ - }

Monica clocked the new mini-fridge with a little chuckle. “Well now, that’s just fantastic… I might just have to take a little looksie!” she said, as she made sure the door shut gently behind herself. “Must be a handy little thing…” She carefully adjusted the pages she held, before setting them down across the desk from Stella. “Now, if you want to take a little skim through these, I might grab us both some chilled water! I feel like I’ve been staring at my screen since this morning, I’ve barely had a sip all day.”

It had been a long night for Bea, barely getting any sleep in before she heard one of the doctors come into the room. They took a deep breath, well as much of one as she could without causing too much pain, ready to have a conversation without getting too agitated. “Depends what stable means,” she replied, only really half joking. It was a word she had used herself many times while working, but stable in her situation would mean out of this hospital bed and at her house. “Definitely still drowsy,” they agreed, even if they really didn’t need to. “I think I can answer some questions though.” 

{ - }

The sound of Bea’s voice was telling, and he knew he’d have to be concise to avoid irritating her sensitive throat anymore than he strictly had to. “Good. I’ll try not to take too long,” he began, tugging a pen from his pocket. “Our biggest concern at the moment is smoke inhalation, and any respiratory issues that could follow from that. Of course you’ve been unconscious, and we’ve been monitoring you consistently, but these things take a while to develop. Anything you can remember about that night may be helpful. More specifically… How long you spent exposed to the fire, and its smoke.” Julio’s pen drew closer to the page, and he watched her with a studious eye. “I understand it won’t be… enjoyable to think about, and I won’t ask for details, but the more information we have the better.”

Taking a seat at the table, Eden didn’t know why he was surprised to see Dayo do the same — he had offered for them to join him, after all. Maybe he was just surprised that the other was going to willingly spend their morning with their ex, but then again, wasn’t he doing the same? Eden’s brows furrowed — whatever, he was overthinking it. This wasn’t important right now.

Turning his attention to across the table, Eden’s gaze landed on Dayo just as they took a sip from their clearly hot drink. At the other’s frown, Eden let out a quiet snort. “Careful,” he found himself saying out of habit. Taking a sip from his own drink, he took a second to process Dayo’s question before answering. “My work answer is that I own a photo studio a few blocks down. I mean, it’s not like I had to open a photo studio here of all places, but I wanted somewhere quieter, you know? And I apparently had some family here…uh, family that was never really into the whole “fame” thing so I thought it’d be okay to give them a chance…” Eden trailed off. It wasn’t like his complicated family dynamic would be news to Dayo — it definitely came up in the past more than once. Still, maybe five minutes into reconnecting with your ex wasn’t the best time to get into it again.

Shaking his head, Eden distracted himself with the condensation on his cup. “Enough about me. You said a sabbatical, right? Like…from the group? Or from music?”

{ - }

Dayo was sort of all over the place, and although the reminder to watch himself came after the slight scalding of their tongue, it shocked them a little because of how familiar it was. Wasn’t that how they’d always operated? With Dayo goofing around with their head in the clouds until something snapped them out of it, and Eden watching close by, pretending not to enjoy the process of dusting him off and setting him right. It brought another smug grin to their face, one they at least had the decency to mask with a brief glance down at the table between them.

“You own it, huh?” When Dayo looked up again, it was with genuine admiration. Clearly, Eden had spent the time they spent out of touch with one another effectively and, hopefully, happily. They remembered all too well the stories of Eden’s family, spoken quietly between discussions of the pitfalls of fame and quiet stretches of affection - although thinking on those too heavily probably wouldn’t do Dayo, or Eden, much good. There was a flicker of recognition in their eyes, paired with a momentary pause in their fidgeting, before it resumed, fingers drumming lightly over the mug in their hands. “That’s pretty amazing, right? You’re out here doing your thing… meeting your people.” It felt like the simplest, most comfortable way to address the heavy issue of their family.

“I’d personally disagree in saying that was enough about you– but I can take a hint,” Dayo settled on, instead of any more prying. That was how he had always been - calling Eden out for their indirectness, without ever really chastising them for it. Before, that was Dayo’s preferred way of making Eden feel seen - although he wasn’t entirely sure he had the right to do that anymore. With a little shrug, they moved on accordingly. “Let’s call it… A legally encouraged sabbatical from music. And a, uh,” they scratched the back of their neck, “permanent end for the group. Or at least of me being in it– guess they can do what they want now.”

Leo simply nodded, before adding, “Ah yes, can’t forget about that aspect of Hollywood that just loves to dissect every aspect of one’s life in hopes they’ll find the next big scoop. I think that’s why towns like Huntsville are so charming, nobody seems to give a damn and the most beloved person in town seems to be an old man that runs a deli.” Leo remarked with a small shrug. “Not that I can blame them, nor do I want to be praised just for having a show, but it’s such a drastic difference.” Admittedly, though, Leo hadn’t spent much time in Hollywood, but any time he did, he couldn’t wait to get out. 

“Maybe there’s something to be said about tackling this before it gets out,” he remarked. “At least then I can do my best to get all the facts out rather than letting them paint the story for me. I just don’t know how I’d address it, and I know my agent has told me to not think about it. I’m sorry, though, I never meant to drag this on and take up your day over this. It’s just rare you bump into someone that can relate.” 

{ - }

It made sense to Lucia that Leo shared that sentiment given the similarities in their work, but there was still a surprising sense of relief in hearing somebody else say it. “That’s exactly why I wound up here,” she said, before her nose scrunched a little, and she added, “or at least that’s a significant part of it. I’ve always heard that everyone knows everyone in small towns, and I feared it’d be exactly the same, but it’s just so much less… vicious, here.” Even though Lucia’s public image had never gone under a direct attack, the relentless prying and invasive nature of it all left her rattled to think of.

Lucia took another sip, slow and contemplative - her advice was earnest, but she could only hope it was the right course of action if he chose to act on it. “If I were you… I’d write it all down. Not necessarily to send it anywhere, just to have everything you might want to say concretely laid out in front of you. I always find that quite helpful… like jotting down a recipe,” she mused, with a smile only slightly dampened by concern. “But, please, don’t be sorry. You’re in quite the pickle… Even if all I can ultimately do is listen, I’m happy to help that way.”

“Well, now I want a Sunday Roast Sundae,” Molly exclaimed, pounding on the glass to emphasize her disappointment. “What do you need to pursue this? Money? We can make a KickStarter or ask people on TikTok to give you money! How hard can that be?”

{ - }

“Right? It’s a great idea!” Lysander was glad to have his enthusiasm met in kind, and he set his scoop down, ready to talk business. “Oh, TikTok is the place to go! And people love ice cream places on there! I get those satisfying scoop videos on my FYP all the time…” Sandy blinked, eyeing the woman over the counter quizzically. “Do you use TikTok yourself? Am I serving a bonafide influencer right now?”

Bea’s brows knitted together as Lysander spoke, trying to keep up with what he was suggesting. While it all sounded absolutely crazy, she had heard much crazier. “No, no, I think it’s an amazing name and a great idea.” They promised, holding their good arm up in defense as they chuckled a bit. “Could probably put it together similar to a banana split,” she suggested. “Maybe just something other than a banana? Not sure how that would taste with roast beef and potatoes,” they made a sour face before shaking their head. “Oh, um,” they looked over the flavors quickly, tilting her head. “Sorry, it’s been a bit since I’ve been in here,” they attempted to lift their casted arm a bit, but had no luck. “Trying to remember everything I’ve already tried. What’s your favorite?”

{ - }

Lysander’s tendency to ramble was very much a hit or a miss in most cases, but thankfully, the most frequent patrons of Fortier’s (whether that was for the ice cream, or Charlie and Caspian’s company) tended to take it in stride. “Thank you! And you know what? That’s a great pitch, I’ll keep it in mind… Maybe it’d be best with bread, or something…” Lysander paused, his eyes flitting a little awkwardly towards Bea’s cast and away from it again, until even he realised he wasn’t being subtle. “Sorry, I– I figured I probably shouldn’t bring it up, ‘cause you’re probably sick of talking about everything, but uh… it’s pretty great that you’re holding up alright. At least– alright enough to be here.” Another pause followed, as his focus clicked back together once again. “Now– my favourite? Definitely the earl grey flavour. Maybe I’m just biased because it takes me right back to Llandudno, but it just tastes so smooth! Like, if you could taste moonlight? That’s what it’d taste like.”

Eugene had just walked into the bar and in no time at all, he caught glimpse of Alyona at the bar leaning over to another patron. A small wave of jealousy washed over him momentarily before he stepped forward, interrupting the two before giving the other a chance to reply. “You drive a Mazda? Pretty sure I noticed some kids trying to hijack it on my way in,” he remarked, suppressing a small smirk as the man nearly jumped from his stool and ran toward the door, nearly tripping on his way out. “A real shame, he looked like great company, looks like you’ll have to make due with me instead,” he told her, his smirk slipping out. “Hey Rami,” he called out to the bartender, the man ushering over to take his order. “I’ll take a Tom Collins, my friend Alyona here will have a Mai Tai.”

{ - }

Usually, Alyona would have shut an interloper down for interfering with her games, but the spark of recognition as Eugene entered the picture stopped her in her tracks. That, and the amusement that came with watching her previous target bolt like a fire had started in his seat. The handsome smirk didn’t hurt, either. She ducked her head to hid an immediate splutter of laughter, composing herself out of that unsightly display before she gave her response. “Did you see the look on his face?” Alyona scoffed, with a soft tut, “he couldn’t have handled my company. Wouldn’t have even gotten the chance to try… but I’m still getting my free drink, so,” she shrugged, entirely smug as she watched Rami get to work. “Always a pleasure to see you, Eugene…” She let her eyes roam a little with that - just enough to make it clear to him if he chose to look into it, “especially when it gets me out of riding home in a Mazda.”

status: closed for @clxser​ | cadance ft alyona location: buzz house

          cadance had put this meeting off long enough but the triplets had taken up all her time. but they were with zane for the day and with bennett at work, she finally had a day to herself. this was not how she wanted to be spending it but if it got alyona out of her hair for at least a little bit then she would have deemed it worth it. walking into the coffee shop, cade quickly scanned the room before she spotted the other and headed start for the table - not even bothering to order something first. “alyona,” she greeted as she sat down, pulling the sunglasses off her face and setting them down in front of her. “you shouldn’t be here.”

{ - }

Finally, the moment Alyona had been waiting for since her unfortunate arrival in Huntsville was upon her, and she was all too ready for it. Her face held little more than a cool, collected smile as Cadance approached - after all that waiting, the least she could do was start the much-needed conversation. At her first words, Alyona tilted her head slightly, that same smile turning downright icy. “You know what? I’ll agree with you there, Cadance. I shouldn’t be here - and yet I have to be,” she replied, letting her fingernails drum idly over the tabletop, just loudly enough to betray her impatience. She glanced out of the nearest window, giving herself a brief moment of pause. “I can see why you ran away here, of all places. It’s not for me, mind you, but I’ll admit it’s got pretty scenery… if you’re into trees, or whatever. Quiet, too. Not so many distractions,” she took in Cadance again, with a slight narrowing of her eyes, “or at least, there shouldn’t be.”

Tavi pressed her lips together for a moment, their gaze falling to the table between the two. “It’s not that I want him to leave or anything,” they promised, because they most definitely didn’t. They had missed Nate and it was kind of nice to have him back, even if she was planning on leaving soon. “It’s just, when we were kids, we were all so close, us and our cousins, but even since he was even a teenager; his whole attitude changed.” Their gaze returned to the other. “Basically, he was becoming more and more like my parents everyday.” The words surprised her a bit, being one of the first times she really admitted out loud how terrible they really were. It was true though, right?

{ - }

As allergic as Alyona was to random acts of kindness, there was something else to be said when she saw parts of herself out there in the world. She looked after number one first, no matter where she showed up, and so she shifted in her seat, giving the conundrum a moment of serious thought. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about having siblings, it’s that they suck,” Alyona gave a brief pause, before begrudgingly clarifying, “because they’ll either do one of two things. They’ll soak up whatever garbage your parents want to pass down and make that their whole personality, or they’ll waste it rebelling so hard they become the worst possible version of the opposite.” She shrugged - whether it was a universal truth or not, she’d seen proof of it. “Sounds like Nate’s done the former… and from what I remember about your parents? They’re worth avoiding. Maybe it’s sad that he’s not the sweet little boy you might remember,” she had to roll her eyes, just to offset the sentimentality of the words, “but that doesn’t mean you have to stick around to watch him turn out rotten.”