Time takes it all, whether you want it to or not

As soon as he joined her on the plush grass, Clara let her hand drop back to her knee and took a moment to actually look at him without the glare of the sun. “Of course. I’ve been to many festivals but the whole monster twist is brilliant!” The idea of being free and wholly herself still hadn’t worn off for the vampire. “What about you? Tell me that you’re here for Lizzo and make my day.” She teased the stranger playfully. 

No one came to a festival like this to get peace or quiet. This may have been her first year at Monster Jam but it wasn’t the first time Clara had been to a one like it. The major difference was that she could be herself this time around, drinking however much she wanted without fear of revealing her bite so to speak. Finding an empty spot on the grass away from the crowd, she plopped down with her legs stretched out. Her ears picked up someone getting closer so she looked up with a smile pasted on. “Care to join me?” Her hand patted the grass next to her. 

“I feel like I need my disco pants on,” Theresa said with a laugh once Cher came on stage. She was actually kinda shocked that Cher was here-last year it was Elvis Presley and she’d nearly fell out when his hand bushed hers. She took a drink of her beer as she started to sing, then dance again. “Come on! Dance with me!” she told the person next to her as she started to dance and sing along to Cher.

She nodded her thanks. “It is,actually. I was honestly scared of moving out, but it’s time, you know? I can’t stay in my house with my siblings forever, though they do come over to see me every once in a while.” Mina chuckled just thinking about it. “The guy I’m seeing…he’s becoming very precious to me…is that weird to say?” she asked him.

She grinned a little as he raised his glass, raising her own in response and laughing a little. “I’ve been okay. Just busy with work as usual, you know the constant. Honestly, I am in a dilemma. My assistant doesn’t have the best common sense, it’s both entertaining and also frustrating when she does the stupidest things and I have to reexplain things.”

Trying to get used to being a vampire was difficult, but Kinsley was never happier that she’d learned all the shortcuts between crowded streets. While keeping herself alone in her room made sure she didn’t hurt anyone, it was too familiar to how she’d been kept the past three months. Needless to say, she wanted to avoid that feeling as much as possible, so she strolled through the back streets of the town, her ears tuned in to every little sound so no person could ever sneak up on her again. As she turned the corner between buildings, she picked up on the sound of footsteps coming toward her and looked up, ready to run or fight if she had to. She curled her hands into fists and tensed, but then she saw them. “God,” Kinsley said, with a sigh of relief. “Sorry. You scared me, is all.”

“Oh.., no, you’re not intruding!” Mina told him happily, glad to see Emmett. “i’m doing great actually…more than great.” As soon as she started thinking about Ezra, her cheeks started to turn a bit red. “I’m actually seeing someone, and I moved out of my family’s place and got myself an apartment, and It’s really beautiful. You should come by and see it someday.”

“Good to hear, I’d hate to be judged by you.” she admitted with a small grin, “Well, since we’re here for the same thing, would you care to join me? I feel like it’s been a while since we caught up.”

Sweat beaded upon her forehead, sticking loose brunette strands of hair against her skin as she beat her fists against the punching bag in a rhythmic fashion. The sound of her knuckles slamming against the leather surface was somewhat therapeutic to the witch, with each punch helping to ease her frustrations. Spinning on one heel, she lifted the opposite leg and struck the bag with a swift roundhouse kick, causing the punching bag to swing wildly on the chains from which it hung. Laboured breathing indicated that it was time for a break, so Kassia steadied the bag before heading over to the benches to where her gym bag sat.

In Kassia’s line of work, both as a recovery agent and in her job as a private investigator, it was important for the young woman to stay as fit as possible, as much as she loathed exercising. Even when moving from state to state with no end destination in mind, it was a priority of hers to find a place to train in whichever place she stopped and stayed for a while. After locating the local bar first, of course. Whilst she sat on the bench, sipping cold water from her bottle and wiping the back of her neck with her towel, Kassia scanned the gym, unsurprised to spy the usual jocks lifting weights way heavier than they can handle and middle aged women walking on the treadmills, more preoccupied with looking at their phones than actually running. Violet-blue eyes settled on a familiar face nearby as she stood up. “Are you here to actually work out or just post about being at the gym on Instagram?” she asked with a smirk, throwing her towel back into her bag. “‘I’m in need of a sparring partner and somehow I don’t think the testosterone club over there or the fast walking grandmas are ideal candidates. You up for the challenge?”

It was almost as if a relative calm had fallen over the supernatural community. Recovery agent assignments were never completely finished, not with the human community fully aware that supernatural’s had survived their supposed extinction, but it felt as if there had been a lull in life and death situations. Emmett was taking full advantage of the opportunity to relax and enjoy spending time with his friends and family in town. Trips to the gym had become a daily occurrence both for the opportunity to exercise and for the social aspect. 

 Not long after making his way into the gym he passed by Kassia, a grin spreading across his lips at her comment. “Only for Instagram of course. There’s no other way to reach my goal of posting five photos a day.” The vampire had spent a good amount of time on the app after learning how to use it. Compared to other vampires his age there was a good chance that Emmett posted far more on social media from Instagram to Snapchat. “You’re here, I can have someone have me get the perfect angles.” He kept the joke going, leaning his back against the wall next to the bench. “All joking aside, I’d be happy to spar with you. Just go easy on me in front of the testosterone club, won’t you?” Sparring with Kassia would give him the chance to both check up on her and exercise for the day. “They’ve placed a reputation I didn’t ask to uphold on my shoulders.” 

“May I help you?” Mina asked slowly, looking up from her novel in her hand as was reaching for her coffee. It was almost time for her to go back to classes, and right now all she wanted to do was sit out here, read Crazy Rich Asians and a little bit of Warlock Homes: A Study in Brimstone and There and Never, Ever Again: Diary of the Dark Lord on her Kindlle.

“Yes, this is my fifth cup of coffee of the day.” she replied, “I am aware it’s not yet lunchtime, but it’s been a long day already. Do not judge me.”

Holly took every single one of her friendships extremely seriously. Everyone was important to her, no matter how often they spent time together, she wanted to make sure they were doing okay. But there were some that were more important than others and as strange as it was, Emmett was one of them. Had you told her she’d considered a near millennium old vampire one of her closest friends she would have laughed it off, and often times she had to wonder how he even put up with her, she’d been told she was a lot to deal with after all. He exuded the sort of kindness she aimed for, that was how. “Hey–” she approached him cautiously, programs and scripts crumpled in her hand. “I wanted to ask if you were interested in Mamma Mia? I would love for you to be in it.”

@emmettbryson

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t on edge, looking out for things that could go wrong. But, she hadn’t realised that someone had been talking, she’d been so zoned out watching for threats. Resolving to focus just as much on the event, she turned her attention back to her companion. “Sorry, zoned out for a sec what were you saying?” 

“But does it need any other adjustments?” Teo asked the other as he studied himself in the mirror. “Darker colors are just easier, unless it’s some pre-planned nonsense.” He chuckled, then, looking back over at the man. “You’d be surprised. Trust me. People have this odd need to always let me know what they think.”