for the hope of it all.

despite her saccharine promise of positive tides ahead, he could tell nadya was left in unprecedented and unpleasant circumstances. the inkling of hesitance that she tried so desperately to conceal became vik's cue to push his offer further. "you sure? i mean right now it's pretty dead in here, but wouldn't it be overwhelming if more folks came in?" he asked innocently, though retracting a bit to not project his intrusive thoughts onto her, "not that i doubt you could handle it, you know crowd control best. i'm just offering to make things a little easier for you."

nadya's determination wavered slightly at his insistence, admitting to herself that his assistance really would take some of this weight off her shoulders. she bit her bottom lip, opening and closing her mouth a few times before answering hesistantly, "i mean, if you're absolutely sure i'm not keeping you from anything... i suppose the help would be nice." she immediately felt the warring emotions of guilt and relief, rushing to add, "it would only be for an hour, tops. i really just need to finish a few orders that are going out today and then it won't be quite so hectic." nadya waved off her apology, shaking her head, "please, these walls have heard much worse. besides, it's a pretty accurate analogy, at least for my experience. i like to call middle school my ugly duckling days." she could cringe just picturing what she looked like back then, all braces and untamable hair. she snorted slightly, hoping he didn't notice the horribly unattractive sound it made, "if only it actually worked like that; this encounter would probably be going much smoother. not that i'm not enjoying talking to you, of course." she hoped her smile looked confident and composed, even though she was decidedly feeling neither of those things.

"Sometimes I just like to suffer so I eat the sour candy." She admitted with a laugh and looked at him. "I don't even know yet. I always do something last minute. One year I was Gwen Stacey's Ghost Spider and I loved it so I might do that again if I can't think of anything." She laughed. "How about you?"

"i don't usually dress up," he shrugged. "maybe some vampire fangs or something while i'm handing out candy just so i can feel in the spirit of things but that's about it. when i was younger, i did dress up as wolverine, claws and all. that was probably my favorite. sorta feels like nowadays the costumes are much more elaborate."

"Last year someone was failing because they hadn't turned in any projects or done any homework and their parents blamed me. I had called them, tried to schedule a meet up with them and did everything I could to try to help the student and the student didn't care. He told his parents he didn't need school because he was going to be famous." She shook her head. "Do you get a lot of orders before the start of the school year?"

nadya huffed out a laugh, shaking her head, "it seems like all kids want these days is to be famous. i can't even count the amount of times i've heard a kid say they want to be an 'influencer' when they grow up even though i'm pretty sure they don't actually know what that means." she sighed quietly, reminded of the stack of orders she still had to finish, "actually, i get a lot of birthday cupcake orders within the first month or so after school starts back up. it's like every child was born in september."

"I wouldn't say every call is like that. I mean we see our fair share of saving kitties from trees or kitchen fires from microwaving metal. Even occasionally super quiet days. But yeah, there are plenty of exciting and dangerous jobs too. Part of the reason I love it," the blonde replied honestly, setting her beer down on the table and returning to her wings. A long day at work always left her starving. "Really? Well looks like you got the strength at least, but trust me it's not all about the muscles. One of the guys is like a string bean but he's basically the Flash. But don't worry. It's hard to be as brave and reckless as me. Or so I've been told."

"yeah, i guess i never really thought about all the mundane stuff you'd have to deal with. do a lot of people really microwave metal, though? because that seems like a very obvious bad idea," he replied. "strength was never really the issue, as i'm sure you could tell," he half joked, gesturing at himself. "oh, i've got the reckless thing down, trust me. i'm just lacking in the bravery department, so you got me there."

"Okay so, the guy is freaking out and the other firefighters are trying to talk him down off the literal ledge. And I am on the roof in my harness, getting ready to repel down. They sent me up with the probie and he was just all tangled up in his gear and taking way too long. So I just take off without him and go down the building taking the guy by surprise as I basically tackle him back into his apartment." As CJ finishes telling the story, she takes another swig of her beer. "My captain was all pissed that I left the probie behind but if I had waited on him, it would have been a disaster." @sapphirestarters

ezra hung on cj's every word as she spoke, practically about to fall off of his chair in anticipation as the story progressed. though he loved his job and wouldn't trade it for the world, he had to admit it wasn't quite as exciting as saving someone's life. "wow, that sounds intense but also incredibly badass. is it like that every day?" he wondered. "you know, i actually thought about being a firefighter once, a long time ago. chickened out, though. guess i'm not as brave as you."

"Milk chocolate is so good though, so I don't blame you. I used to love sour candy, like war heads and sour skittles were my favorite thing ever, but now I can only have a few because I used to eat them so often."

"sour stuff usually makes my jaw hurt, so i tend to stray away from it. sour skittles are pretty good, though," he admitted. "what about this year, are you dressing up or anything? i saw they're already putting out decorations to buy, so i guess it's time to start thinking about it. seems a little early to me, though."

"Come sit and talk, I mean, I am the only customer right now." Everleigh pointed out witha smile. She mostly wanted to get Nadya off her feet and for her friend to relax for at least a few minutes. "The assholes are going to be assholes any day, but at least the good outweigh the bad." She added with a smile. "It is, yeah and I haven't had to deal with too many parents who put the blame on teachers instead of their children if the child fails."

"well, if you insist," she smiled, grateful for the excuse to rest for a few moments and get off her aching feet. coming out from behind the counter, she joined everleigh at one of the tables, already feeling the relief that came from sitting down. "yeah, you're right. for every asshole, there's at least ten nice customers. not a bad ratio when you look at it that way." she took her phone out of her apron, taking note of the time to make sure she wan't running too behind. "that's good, i've heard of way too many parents that constantly make excuses for their kids. never helps them in the long run."

vik watched the poor sweet woman slouch, his empathetic mind leading him to feel the evident weight resting on her shoulders. he could tell she was swamped, and felt the immediate need to grab an apron and pitch in. would that be strange to suggest to practically a stranger? he had a few hours to kill, and all of it would be time wasted on worrying about what he could've done to help if he left without at least leaving the offer on the table. "could you use a hand? i don't know much, i help my mom bake sometimes, but i know i can work a cash register," he suggested. his eyes showed his sincerity and his smirk acknowledged the humor in the situation.

nadya appreciated the offer for help more than she could even express, especially coming from a near stranger. she could even tell he actually meant it and wasn't just saying it to be polite without any intention to follow through. "that is so sweet of you, but i think i'll be okay," she replied. she always had a hard time accepting help, determined that she could do it on her own. perhaps she'd regret turning him down later, with everything she still had left to do, but that was a problem for future her. "wow, 7th grade, huh? that was a pretty rough year for me but maybe it would've been better if i had a teacher like you," she paused for a moment, her cheeks warming. she hadn't meant for that to come out so flirty, but it'd probably be even worse if she tried to backtrack. trying to brush past it instead, she rushed to say, "i'm glad you liked the cupcakes! you wouldn't believe how many orders we get like that during the school year" she cringed internally at herself, feeling flustered. at his explanation, she relaxed slightly; at least she wasn't the only awkward one. "well, in case you can't tell, you're not the only one who's awkward. although, i'm usually not this bad. i guess you bring it out in me," her mouth shut with a click; she needed to stop talking before she made it worse.

"Yeah I had that same issue, and I know a lot of people struggle with that too so I wanted to make it a fun and easy day for the kids." She said. "Oh the candy is always a plus, is there a favorite candy you like or do you just have a massive sweet tooth?"

"i mostly have a major sweet tooth, but i do have a special affinity for anything with milk chocolate. every year, i always buy at least one extra bag of candy that i keep for myself. it's usually gone a few weeks later," he admitted, laughing. "it's a problem, i can admit it."

"Exactly, you should always treat yourself at least once a day." She said and paid and took the goodies. "Hectic is better than people being rude, right?" She nodded. "I am, yes. I love teaching so much."

"an excellent philosophy to have," nadya agreed, shifting slightly on her feet. "i suppose so," she hummed, "though i'm sure i'll get a rude one or two before the day is over. people love to come right before close and complain that we're sold out of things." she shrugged in a 'what can you do?' sort of way. "it's always nice to have a job you love. makes it not feel so much like work."

with nadya's initial reaction, vik felt a bit defeated — not by her inability to remember but his inability to be memorable. though he did notice something that sparked once their eyes met, and that was enough to give him a sliver of hope. "oh, no need to be sorry! nothing offensive about frosting on the face," he assured with a laugh, biting his tongue to not reveal his inner thoughts on the matter like how cute the dash of frosting looked on her classically beautiful features. "i'm sure it happens all the time right? i can't imagine how hard it is to escape unscathed," he assumed aloud, pointing to the kitchen from whence she came, "though, i am surprised to see you up front and not back there. you're not operating this whole place by yourself, are you?"

nadya laughed at his assumption and how accurate it actually was, nodding her head in agreement, "i'm sure it happens more often that even i realize." her gaze followed the direction in which he pointed, her shoulders drooping slightly at the reminder of all the work she still had to do. "oh, only for a few more hours. i had an employee call out sick," she explained with a shrug, trying to seem nonchalant. she tilted her head slightly as she listened to him, a soft smile on her face. "oh, you're a teacher?" she inquired. for a reason she couldn't quite explain, she wanted to learn more about this man and was therefore quietly eager to soak up any information he wanted to share. a confused wrinkle formed between her eyebrows as she heard his confession, "nervous? why would you be nervous?" she could only hope it hadn't been because of something she did or said in their initial meeting. to be fair, the encounter wasn't super clear in her mind but she was pretty sure it had been perfectly pleasant, if slightly awkward.

status:  open. ( @sapphirestarters ) location:  the  reading  corner. when:  surprise  me.

ezra didn't visit the reading corner often, having never been much of a reader, but there was a particular photography he'd been wanting to get his hands on for months with no such luck. it was either sold out or marked up to a truly ridiculous price, so sapphire cove's local bookstore was his last hope. he wandered the aisles for a few minutes before realizing he had no idea where to look. deciding to ask someone, he walked up to a nearby employee, wincing slightly as he realized he basically snuck up on her. "sorry! didn't mean to startle you," he held his hands out in a placating manner for a moment before reaching for his phone. "actually, i am looking for something specific. but perhaps i could keep you company afterwards," he said with a cheeky grin.

"Honestly, the first day I just kinda have a lazier day, we do all the boring introducing ourselves, but instead of doing the same old ice breakers, I do a beach ball toss and whoever catches the ball can either say a fun fact about themself or pass it off to someone else." She said. "It's kinda fun and the students always seem to love it." She added. "Oh yes Halloween is such a fun holiday, and I say that as someone who was born near Christmas." She laughed.

"nice of you to give them that option. i always hated when someone asked me to say a fun fact about myself; it was like my mind just suddenly went blank every time," he shrugged. "like, how is a fact fun, anyways?" he continued but managed to stop himself before going on a full blown tangent. "i mostly like it because of the candy but dressing up can be pretty fun, too."

"You should, it's a treat for yourself from yourself." Everleigh laughed and looked at her. "How much?" She asked and nodded as she listened to her friend. "I get it, people are kinda outta line during the summer and can be hectic when indoors. Hopefully nobody gave you too much shit today?" She asked. "I've been good, gearing up for the upcoming school year."

"the true meaning of 'treat yourself'," she smiled as she rang everleigh up, handing her what she'd ordered. "no, thankfully the customers were all pretty nice today. just a bit hectic," nadya shrugged, leaning against the counter to give her aching back some relief. "oh right, that's starting soon. looking forward to it?"

vik was hesitant to walk into sweet tooth after his first meeting with the lovely nadya. it wasn't because her or her confections didn't entice him -- it was quite the opposite, actually. he just had no idea how to go about talking to someone he knew, without fully knowing, to be inherently captivating.

nadya narrowed her eyes slightly at the man in front of her, recognizing him from somewhere but not quite able to place from where quite yet. "oh, thank you," she said gratefully, wiping at her face in the general area he'd gestured towards in hopes to dislodge the offending frosting. after a moment, she looked back at him, a bashful laugh bubbling up, "sorry about that. how can i help you?" she felt slightly creepy as she continued to stare at him, sure she knew him from somewhere, but the memory continued to escape her. clearing her throat, she decided it wouldn't hurt to just ask, "sorry, have we met before? you just look... awfully familiar." before he could even respond, it came to her suddenly, "wait! we met at that chinese place a while ago, right? i said you should come by but when you didn't show, i just figured you forgot."

"Fresh chocolate chip cookies are always my weakness." Everleigh giggled. "I'll take two and an iced latte." She said. "How are you doing, by the way? It has been way too long since I last saw you."

"same here. i might sneak one in a bit, actually," nadya said, smiling slightly as she grabbed the requested cookies and handed them to everleigh before turning around to start on her latte. at the other's question, she glanced over her shoulder, "it's been a bit of a rough day, so i'll be much better once i can go home and put my feet up. how have you been?"