DESERT ROSE.

Mirana’s birthday swung around each year with either blinding sunshine or the first summer thunderstorm, she’d sent out texts on the Monday inviting people and their friends out to the Red Moon for some drinks figuring it was better to ask Darren forgiveness than permission. She raised her hand in greeting as someone she knew entered, still brandishing the tiny notepad she’d produced from her ever-present backpack. 

“Hey, do you have any requests for the jukebox? I’m queueing up some songs.” 

Mirana hummed, a triumphant sort of ache already building as she unwound the wraps from around her fists beneath the Muay Thai gloves she’d shed. The style of fighting suited the years she’d spent in gymnastics as a kid with explosive, quick and lithe movements that worked better for her than the squared up style of boxing. She grinned goofily at Theo across the room, letting her elbows rest on her knees where she sat on the bench.

“I’m not gonna win any awards or anything but I’m getting better, right?” She pulled her hair down from the high ponytail she used for training. “I’m still not used to being able to go full strength.”  

Niklaus was working late in the cemetery, cleaning forgotten graves of people who didn’t have anyone to tend to them anymore. It was a strange sight to see dates of people he could have known had he lived in America instead of Germany. He was tugging the weeds from the dirty of someone who had the exact birthdate as his mother, but never made it to his fourth birthday when he heard footsteps. Sitting back on his heels, he peered through the shadows of the night, trying to get a look at who was wandering around.

“Cemetery’s closed!” He called out when he saw a figure appearing in the moonlight.

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Mirana vaulted neatly over the cemetery wall, the same chipped places and once carefully measured ledges from when she’d been a teenager lending her the perfect landing. It was all quiet heartbeats amongst the headstones, no scent aside from freshly tilled earth and soft digging. Her heart beat in her throat and she stared up at the sky, smiling idly at the moon as she caressed the fistful of delicate pink and white orchid stems mixed with white lilies she’d been protecting since lifting them out of her water bottle in the car. At the abrupt voice she tensed and shrank, completely caught off guard by the person that she’d utterly failed to notice with the flower perfume filling her senses. Her first instinct was to shift to take flight but she stayed, spare hand flat to her collarbones. 

“Holy hell, you got me good. Midnight gardening?” Ana’s eyes widened and she skirted around him a little at a distance, slowly. “I’ve just gotta see my sister, okay? I know I messed up, I was in Nashville and there was an accident on the highway and... I’ll go after.”

“Alright, alright, we don’t need to talk about that,” he honestly preferred not to talk too much about it anyway, when he thought about when he was turned, memories from when he had to deal with cancer also came back. It was a really tough time for him, “You know, that’s a pretty good point, I don’t think they can,” he went along with her, before groaning when she messed his hair, “Do you have any idea how long I take to get it like that?” he loved his hair, but it could be difficult to take care of curly hair, “And Clark Kent? He’s way more attractive than me.”

Mirana nodded shortly and resisted the urge to squeeze Sol’s elbow, he’d had enough time spent ruminating on death for the rest of his days, so had she. “I’m full of good points, they also can’t remember having to deal with me in middle school or my McDonalds order by heart or really weirdly specific Cuban dialect Spanish when I forget a word.” She swayed into him slightly while they walked, a wry little curl to the corner of her mouth. “No? How long does it take out of your extremely busy and important schedule? And yet you keep falling in the lake.” She mimicked Danny Zuko from Grease exaggeratedly combing the sides of his pompadour as they pulled up beside the Mustang before swinging her keys around one finger and making for the trunk. “Don’t even lie to me, you gotta know you’re in your Superman era after your... new lease on life.” 

Win gave a grin seeing her drink from the bottle. At least she wasn’t arguing and instead willing to join him in his lonely party. Halloween was fun and controversial in the Bolton house. When your mom was a witch dressing up as one was fun and also rude. Win loved all the games and costumes though, and the food was amazing. “Halloween is fun.” Win grinned nodding. “Not just baked all food associated holidays. Food makes memories, think of everything you know birthdays, major life events, theres some food or drink there. Food gets carried in your soul.”

“My favorite holiday or food? My favorite holiday is thanksgiving, my favorite food is truffles.” Win said explaining with a grin. Truffles were his favorite because of their delicate and tasty nature. He also knew thanksgiving was his favorite because of the fact that it was also based on food.

He laughed softly nodding, all good chefs protected their recipes. “Deal.” Win nodded grinning softly. “Why?” Win looked confused at her. “It’s just a house? I mean if you wanna go to mine you might have to deal with my siblings and my parents.” Win snorted knowing that he could have gone to his own home in the city but he rarely took other people there and his loft was more just a place to eat and have two people over. Cooking required a better kitchen than his loft had.

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“I liked the movies when I was growing up too, cheesy but good.” Mir smiled and nodded, glad he agreed before finally releasing the bottle back to him after her second drink. It burned satisfyingly in her chest on its way down. “It’s true, anything Cuban and I’m chilling with abuelita when I was tiny, some old guajira on the radio.” She tried to erode the memory of the frustratingly uncomfortable dresses she’d been stuffed into against her will whilst Thalia bore them with stone faced apathy, Mira often squirmed.

“Thanksgiving, of course, the real chance to show off a whole several course meal. I bet that’s a sight to behold.” She whistled low, impressed at just imagining the sheer size of the spread the Bolton’s probably put on each November. “As in the pig snuffled fungus? Not the chocolate variety? Man, I gotta try one of those someday, I’ve always been into my mushrooms. I get some people have a texture thing about it which sucks.”

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Dawdling along the last few meters toward the garage, the warlock shoots a subtle but encouraging smile in Mirana’s direction.  “Story’s not over yet, is it?  So if you went all the way out west for school, what brought you back here to Wolford?”  He huffs another laugh under his breath at the nickname, slathering on his thickest most stereotypical Texan drawl to answer her question, “Darlin’, don’t ya’ recognize a Tejano when he ain’t wearin’ spurs an’ a ten gallon hat?”

Mirana’s Elvis impression earns her an eyeroll, but the alchemist doesn’t quite manage to hide the little upturn of amusement at the corner of his lips.  “Nice car, did you restore it yourself?” he compliments as they approach the vehicle.  “No kidding.  Not exactly the autobahn around here…or any kind of place for a low slung sports car.  Maybe I should cut my losses and buy a John Deere.” The face he pulls makes it obvious he’s joking.  “Just moved here a couple weeks ago, actually.  I took a position over at Wolford Memorial.”  Marco sets his groceries in the trunk and circles around to the passenger’s side.  “It’s been an interesting move.”   

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“In theory! You already said it yourself, there’s something weird about this place.” Mir gestured vaguely to the world around them, Wolford was strange in a way she’d never been able to quite put her finger on. She captures her lower lip between her teeth as he plays it up, folding her arms and nodding slowly. As he finishes she holds her hands up in surrender as though he’s about to draw at ten paces. “Forgive me vaquero, I won’t make that mistake again.” 

The woman simply grins even more goofily. “Thanks, it was half done when I got it, actually bought it off that client I told you about earlier.” She strokes a hand idly down the shiny black flank. “I can only imagine the sound it makes when it has to take on the dirt roads, it’s enough to make my teeth ache!” Mira huffed out a laugh at the joke, crossing to open the passenger side door for him, hand hovering over the metal to try to cushion his head. “You joke but you’d look great on a combine harvester.” The car she saw being towed away makes even more sense at his next response. “What kinda position, unless that’s too forward, Marco. Interesting is a real polite word for slow.”

          Taurus stood as she used a brush she had from her backpack and started to flick off some of the stuff, though he did still jump until she snickered again. “Just like new,” he agreed, watching her sweet smile form on her face and felt it infecting his own. There were people that just had that to them, those sorts of smiles that brought about other peoples smiles. “I actually should have but not yet, I haven’t been here long enough I expect,” Taurus commented, at least content with what was left that he could do the rest of his errands for the day.

          “Is there a reason that you keep a dustpan in your backpack, that is a very specific sort of item?” Taurus asked her as he moved to grab a new container of protein powder, this time hopefully not one that would fall all over him.

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The man mirrored her smile, the scent only just reaching through the cloying scent of the protein powder on the air with his final hop. Werewolf and something just familiar enough that she had to fight the urge to sniff him as if she were on four paws to find the source. “Oh wow, really living life on the edge, aren’t you? Didn’t you know protein snow-drift fall is common around these parts? So you’re new to town.” The connection was made in her mind and she rocked back on her heels, snapping her finger and thumb together. “You’re Luka’s mysterious friend.” 

“Well, we couldn’t hinder a great artist like yourself. We’ll definitely make sure you’ll have all the art supplies needed.” Luka was grinning ear from ear, laughing at her word play. Luka followed, heading for the deli, pausing when he noticed her stop. The Pringles were eyed as he hummed softly to himself. “Is this a trick question?” His tone was playful as his eyes narrowed in a squinty accusatory way, but over dramatically. “Both?” He asked with a light laugh.

“Yeah. He’s been really helpful.” Taurus was a godsend and Luka would forever be indebted to him for all he’d done. “Yeah, I mean my friend and I. I’ll move out into my own place soon enough.” Luka was ready to be out on his own now he felt like and he figured Taurus wouldn’t mind the place to himself. 

“Thought that chapter of your life was done, in a way?” He turned to look at Mir, trying to read her facial expression. “Oh? She likes video games.” Luka’s smile grew, already knowing that he was going to like her little niece. “Should we set up a time for you two to come over? We can let her sift through my giant library of games and see if she wants to play any?”

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“If only that were actually true but man, I haven’t had anything sour and neon blue in months.” With an encouraging nod she slotted both tubes into the basket, rearranging her grip on the plastic handle of it awkwardly. “This is not a; if you pick one our friendship is over you heathen bullshittery, neither would have also been an acceptable answer if you hated the offerings. Porque no los dos? Both, both is good.” 

“Oh that’s great news! Congratulations.” Mir made a mental note to keep an eye out for a housewarming gift for whenever Luka made the final plans to be on his own. “Not much room at his place or just ready for something new?”

“I thought so but then some family stuff kicked up, as it does every few years and..” she trailed off, browsing the nearest shelf at eye level carefully. “Well, it’s nice to see the people that got me through the first time and you’re in town too, I’m being spoilt.” The smile that stole over Luka’s face reminded her exactly why they’d been such easy friends, the raw enthusiasm still there beneath the hardships of the last few months. “I’ll have to check with her dad because she’s quite literally tiny but hell yeah, I’d love that.” 

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“EMT to auto mechanic sounds like quite a story, too,” Marco laughs, shaking his head.  It’s certainly not the most conventional career pipeline, but then there’s not much about Mirana that seems very conventional thus far.  

The quaint small-town garage comes into view as they turn the corner, and it isn’t difficult to imagine how much of a boon it must be for the modest profit margins of such a small business to snag a client like the one his new acquaintance describes.  “It fits,” he has to admit as she finishes her tale.  “You can tell your boss that Sparky just brought in another new client, on account of her ingenuity.”  And maybe her charisma.  “I’m sure my car is going to need a once-over after being hauled all over Hell’s half-acre on the back of that damned tow truck.”   

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“It’s kinda long and gets shitty toward the end but yeah, trained to pay my way through school on the west coast. What kinda accent is that anyway, princess? You’re still southern but I’d have remembered if you grew up here.” 

There were all kinds, dotted up in the mountains were the views were clear and people had the money to build who liked the quiet, seriously rich people. People loved the Smoky mountains. “Thank you, thank you very much.” She bowed low whilst reciting the classic Elvis line, balancing the groceries expertly before laughing and leading him further inside the garage. She popped the trunk to the pristine black 78′ Mustang. “Oh yeah, it’s a little rough on the manicure being up here, huh? Some of these roads were last patched before my ma was born, we can figure something out. Do you work around here or are you just stopping over?”

“You might be the only person to think that,” he smirked.  “Sword skills?  Well, you figured me out!”  He chuckled.  “It happens to the best of us, next race I’ll at least be in the top five.”  Not that he actually planned on doing that again, it was tons of fun but with all the drinking then getting back up on two feet.  Grayson certainly felt the dizziness.

“In other words, I’m the true winner of tonight.”   He winked as she patted him on his forearm.  “Not too bad, just helped a little with the family stuff getting everything together.  Each year, it seems like mom and dad want to go out more, which I don’t get.  Everyone really comes for the drinks and food.  What about you?”

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“Really, well I’ve got my eye on you Bolton. They don’t study the blade in the military? That’s a shame.” Mir laughed. “Did you get a cramp or something? We’ll stretch before the next one, how about that?” 

“Well aren’t you a good sport.” Another wink from him as she curled her fingers over the same forearm she’d patted and tugged Grayson in the direction of the bar through the crowd before letting her hand drop. “It’s pretty nice that they like to do it together I guess but that’s probably only because my ma certainly doesn’t agree with any kind of drinking holiday, unfortunately. Or fortunately for me ‘cause she’s not here so I can be as embarrassing as I like. What would you be doing tonight if you weren’t eating and drinking to your heart’s content with excellent company, then?”