extra, extra

A stack of flyers in hand, Kick headed into town to make sure every single resident of Pinehaven knew Afterglow had a show coming up. They'd played McNasty's plenty of nights, enough that everyone of age had probably seen them already, but Kekoa still acted like it was their first show ever. He boarded down the street, holding out a flyer for anyone willing to take one. When one fluttered to the ground instead of making it safely into someones hand, Kick skidded to a stop and scooped it up. "Hey, you've got to come... it's going to be killer." He gave them a cheeky grin, waggling his brows as he offered them a flyer.

the warm fluorescent glow illuminated the vintage glassware that covered the bar top. a sea of brightly colored curves accompanied by the fluttery napkins that draped the plates. a soft touch of "elegance" to elevate the homey feeling of lou lous. franscesca fiddled with the corner of the menu, teasing a crease into the page before finally lifting her gaze. "everything on this menu screams horrible heart health..." her brow lifted with a soft twist of mirth dotting her lips. "..i'll take the pie and whoever made it."

"people with hearts have to worry about it. it's a good thing, we're barren here, amore" she purred with a kink in her grin. "besides, i love empty calories but i hate empty beds. di cosa hai fame?."

location: wildflower thread

kian held up a dress shirt next to the customer he was helping, biting his bottom lip in thought. “hmm, i like this color on you, but i feel like we would need more pizzazz.” his eyebrows furrowed as he thought of something to put the outfit together, remembering they had some coats and accessories on sale. he noticed the customer pulling away from him and becoming disinterested and he panicked. “i'm not saying you don't already look great with just the shirt, i want you to stand out even more.” he lifted his hands up in surrender, stepping out of their space. “i just want you to leave with something you feel great in.” his lips curled into a half smile, his heart racing in his chest. nothing scared him more than a pissed off customer.

the warm fluorescent glow illuminated the vintage glassware that covered the bar top. a sea of brightly colored curves accompanied by the fluttery napkins that draped the plates. a soft touch of "elegance" to elevate the homey feeling of lou lous. franscesca fiddled with the corner of the menu, teasing a crease into the page before finally lifting her gaze. "everything on this menu screams horrible heart health..." her brow lifted with a soft twist of mirth dotting her lips. "..i'll take the pie and whoever made it."

zaire stopped by loulou's diner for a quick meal before grading assignments. he noticed tonight was rather busier than usual, noticing ina working tirelessly by herself. his natural instinct was to approach her and help her despite it not being his place. the assignments could wait until later that night. he stood up from the stool, walking towards her but keeping a safe distance between the both of them. "hey. i noticed it's been really busy here. do you mind if i help a little? free of charge of course." he flashed a welcoming smile, setting down his tote bag on the counter.

@pinehavenstarters

the heavy thud of leather and buckram against the industrial carpet was muffled. a series of dull, rhythmic mumps that sounded, to temperance’s ears, like a muted tragedy. she let out a soft, melodic, oh my, her voice a flutter of velvet in the hushed air of the stacks. she quickly glided around the corner of the aisle, footsteps silent against the weave. and the scene was exactly as she’d feared; the reshelving cart, left momentarily unattended in the transition between goethe and grass, had been broadsided. a mountain of german philosophy and folklore now lay scattered across the floor.

before the culprit could even stammer an apology, temperance was already crouching, the hem of her skirt pooling around her ankles. her movements were fluid and entirely devoid of judgment. "don't you even worry about it, dear," she reassured, her voice always carrying a specific, grounded warmth. the kind that suggested she’d seen far worse disasters and found them all equally forgivable.

she began to gather the volumes, her fingers trailing over the spines with a tactile reverence. "german literature is a sturdy sort. they won’t damage easily," she quipped, stacking a thick copy of the sorrows of young werther atop a collection of grimm’s. "it’s all those strong conjugations, i gather. they give the paper a certain…structural integrity." she stood slowly, cradling the rescued stack against her chest as if they were wounded birds. her head tilted slightly to the side, her gaze lingering on the stranger with a keen, intuitive focus. as if she weren't just looking at a patron, but reading the subtext of their day. "now," she said, her voice dropping to a inviting hum. "was there something specific I could help you find, or did these books simply jump off the cart to catch your attention?"

location: the wine cellar at ember and pine @hotbobbys

with her back pressed against the cool brick, elira counted back from twenty. her nerves twisting from the constricting confines of the wine cellar and the chrome coated handle held between her fingers. she didn't know why she opted to indulge int this grand tour of the wine selection knowing that the chances of getting stuck down below were an option. she just wanted to make rosie's homecoming special but that's life in pinehaven for you; a bed of unexpected accidents and incredibly interesting people.

"can you stop pacing, please, it's only been thirty five minutes. you mentioned your partner would be here soon, right? robert, that's your name right, is there anyway we get message up stairs? "

location: town square

event: easter potluck

for: anyone 

kian was advised to get out more due to this subchain reddit he stumbled upon at four in the morning about low vitamin d levels. other than working and sleeping, kian didn't really do much throughout the day. his job consisted of rearranging the racks to push for the ongoing sale, and attempting to upsell customers. he too, needed to enjoy himself when he could. easter was right around the corner, and he saw a bulletin posted on one of the trees near his home about the town's easter potluck. of course he'd attend, but the entrance fee was ten too many dollars. he had to suck it up and put on an apron and get to baking.

he spent the whole day watching baking tutorials on youtube, rummaging his cupboards for ingredients. he decided on something simple, something that wouldn't burn the entire apartment down. he took his time, measuring the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls while keeping a close eye on the videos. he let out a breath, placing the pan of brownies inside the oven and praying for the best.

he set a timer just incase he forgets about the brownies and actually starts a fire. while the timer was running, he went to his room to pick out an outfit. he didn't want to appear too formal, but he also wanted to look approachable and someone of importance. “importance? i literally don't do anything.” he laughed at himself, deciding on a regular t-shirt and jeans. he returned to his brownies, the timer going off just in time and he braced himself for impact. 

he used an oven mitten and took the tray out of the oven, placing it on top of the counter. he sniffed around the tray, and closely examined the brownies to make sure they looked edible. he poked it with a fork to make sure it was fully baked, but to him it didn't look like he burned anything. he quickly packaged it up into a container and headed for the town square. he wasn't sure how it would look, or if there'd be a great turnout, but he thought it would be something he'd get fomo from. 

rob  hated  town  events.    well,    okay,    hate  was  a  strong  word.    it’s  a  strong  emotion.    and,    honestly,    an  incorrect  one.    he  simply  disliked  feeling  all  mush  inside  when  he  inevitably  ran  into  his  ex-wife,    who  was  part  of  the  little  town’s  community  as  someone  who  was  born  and  raised  there.    him,    meanwhile,    an  interloper.   

but  one  did  as  one  is  ordered  to do.    so  rob  rose  at  the  ass  crack  of  dawn  to  begin  prepping  for  the  town’s  easter  potluck.    how  quaint  the  idea  of  a  potluck  was.    they  didn’t  have  it  where  he  came  from,    each  gathering  catered  or  prepared  by  a  private  chef  and  a  small  army  of  assistants.    with each day spent in pinehaven, he  felt  himself  growing  farther  and  farther  away  from  who  he  was.    rob  was  unsure  which  of  the  feelings  he  felt  about  it  he  should  stick  to.

he  arrived  just  in  time  for  old  mariel  to  yell  at  him  to  hurry  up,    they’ve  been  waiting  for  him  for  an  hour.    rob  wasn’t  really  sure  why  they  were  waiting,    anyway,    this  was  a  potluck.    they  could  still  eat  without  him.    but  he  jogged  up  to  the  long  tables,    regardless,    afraid  of  getting  that  mean  look  old  mariel  wore  when  he  wasn’t  being  quick  about  her  orders.    she  was  like  a  mother  to  him, a mother who actually gave a shit and paid attention.

OPEN EVENT STARTER FROM: EVIE @pinehavenstarters WHERE: FARMER'S MARKET

oh god, i've lost her. she could have sworn that she had only strayed for a few seconds to marvel at a vibrant arrangement of strawberries, which was really more like thirty minutes in evie time if you factored in how likely she was to strike up a lengthy conversation with whoever was in her vicinity. but when she looked up, her mother had disappeared into the roving throng.

"excuse me, have you seen a tiny korean woman in a floral parka anywhere around here?" evelyn had urged her to leave the heavier coat behind, but the woman perpetually ran cold and even if springtime weather had emerged if there was a chill to find, it'd billow it's way towards eomma dae. "…probably haggling with some poor vendor for bok choy at a fourth of the price. she's tiny, but mighty, and bartering really riles her up."

ina’s  smile  threatened  to  rival  the  sun.    her  hands  curled  around  the  edge  of  the  collapsible  booth,    as  she  leaned  across  the  curated  display  of  handmade  soaps,    candles    and  perfumes.    “    evie  !    ”    tongue  pressed  against  the  back  of  her  teeth,    lying  in  wait  for  the  right  moment  to  begin  the  spiel  she  had  already  entrapped  twenty  different  customers  with.    “    i    —    oh.    ”    the  worry  between  evie’s  brows  gave  her  pause.    “    mrs.  dae  ?    hm.    ”    monologue  temporarily  withheld  in  her  throat,    she  poked  her  head  further  out  and  narrowed  her  eyes  at  the  bambling  brook  of  townspeople  moving  along  the  lined  up  booths.    “    i  haven’t,    no.    ”    if  mrs  dae  did  pass  by,    ina  was  likely  too  busy  selling  a  candle  to  notice.    the  scent  of  sunshine,    lily-of-the-valley,    and  fresh  pears  inside  of  your  home  !