If only the Earth and Stones could speak,the stories they'd tell

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Rohan raised a joking eyebrow before breaking into a laugh. "I don't even know what I was looking for in the big city. Really. The kindest, sweetest, most handsome man in the world was waiting for me in...Oregon. There are no musicals about Oregon, Bex. Except for one based on that video game where everyone dies of dysentary." He grimaced.

"I am that old, and less than twenty years ago, the life I'm able to lead here wouldn't have been possible in the way it is." He shrugged his shoulders. "But we can work to keep making things better, hm? Corny, I know. But we ought to work on having the realest community possible here. As much as we all...passionately disagree sometimes." He put an arm around her shoulder. "It's what you make of it."

Rohan flashed a grin at that. "Well, we'll need to have performers on the Playhouse float. Do you want to sing a solo?"

Bex couldn't help but smile. Even as her eyes went to the wedding band. The thought did make her swoon a little and maybe that was so typical of her, more so that she'd been the kind of little girl who had planned out her wedding and made a binder for it and everything. (Mysteriously, somehow, she'd never cut out pictures of guys she thought would look good in her scrapbook. They always ruined it, she thought back then. Well, it made sense now, she supposed). "I'll be sure to keep a lookout, then."

Bex nodded. "I've read before that cloudy days can actually get you sunburnt more than sunny ones, and not just because people think they don't need sunscreen. UV rays go straight through clouds, you know. They're just vapor. It magnifies it." Her expression softened. "I hope she's at peace, too. My mom was never really worried about sunscreen. She worried about a lot of things in regards to who I was but not that." Now, really, her life with her parents seemed so far away. Like a bad dream. One that sometimes came knocking in her memories.

"Just that you seem the type." Bex gave an innocent grin. "It's a fun game, if that helps? Hard, but fun."

Bex took another sip of her drink. "Well, I guess since I have to stick around, I might as well try and make things better." It wasn't meant to be as pointed as it came out, thanks to the wording, but it wasn't as if sticking around was really her choice anymore. Now, she'd never grow old. She leaned into him and nodded again, sipping more.

Then, she shook her head. Adamantly. "No way. I get stage fright in front of just two people. A float would actually kill me. First vampire death by embarrassment."

"Oh! Don't worry, babe. We all pretend we're modest, if we're actually not nor are we all that good at pretending. But it helps to not come across as too conceited or so they say, whoever they ever are," They pondered for a moment before flicking the thought away with a swoosh of their wrist. "Of course! People who say they aren't interesting always tend to be the most. They always have fascinating hobbies and fascinating lives and get up to the most interesting and peculiarly normal things," They sighed wistfully at the thought. "And you, are peeking my interest more and more with each passing second," They promised, half tempted to lift themselves up on their tiptoes so that they could boop the other on the nose, but given that they weren't sure how Bexley might feel to being booped, they resisted.

Bex blinked. "I-- I promise I'm not modest or pretending. I'm really-- I mean, I don't mean to be, if I am." She didn't think she was. She didn't purposefully try to be. She just wanted to be honest, if there was crossover well, then, there was crossover. "Peculiarly normal?" Bex tilted her head as she followed the shop owner with her eyes as they pulled garments off the rack. "Is that like, one of those backhanded insults people say? I-- I'm not exactly the best at telling those things." As much as that fact disgruntled her, she'd found it to be all too true over the years, and she really wished people would just insult her to her face if that's what they wanted to do. Honestly, though, she'd take peculiarly normal, insult or not. It was all she'd ever wanted to be, was normal. Even if she now had a set of fangs and a thirst for blood that would make her anything but normal. "I am?"

Bex took the offered dress in her hands and breathed out a sharp exhale. It was a lot louder than most of the clothes she wore. But it was her first Pride, and maybe she wanted to be loud for it. "Can I try it on?"

The other's reaction to an offer of employment amused her. Gia didn't hide this. A snicker even slipped out. "What did I tell you myself?" The speed in which she crossed the room blew Bexley's hair. "Miss Beck?" With the sharp edge of her fingernail, she swept the other woman's hair back into place. "I know you." The immortal was meticulous about who she allowed access to her most prized possessions. A professional looked into Bexley and her background at Gia's request when the idea to mentor the younger vampire crossed her mind. "You're.." She rattled off a list of personal facts about Bax before admitting, "I even know about your girlfriend. The blonde siren? The one who isn't helpless."

"So," She offered up her hand for a shake of agreement. "You accept?"

First the underground museum, then the dinosaur bones, now this. Bex was left gaping a little. She barely even flinched when Gia blinked up to her so fast it made the hair sitting on her shoulders flutter about. She closed her mouth, not wanting to look too much like a useless idiot in the moment. Her face flushed at the facts rattled off about her. It was almost scary how much Gia knew (about her life here, at least. Rohan, Jonah and Billie were still the only ones who knew the truth about Bex's life before she came here). Maybe someone else would've been afraid but, really, to Bex, it was just impressive.

"Billie isn't helpless." They were the first words she said after all that. She swallowed. "Sorry, I mean-- well, no, not sorry. I love Billie and she's not helpless, no. She's great but also not-- not what you care about, huh?" See? Bex wasn't that clueless. She was actually extremely smart, even if people wrote her off about it most of the time. "I-- oh. Now? You mean there's no interview process? I can-- I have a resume! It's not much considering my past work, but it's still a resume! Rohan helped me make it."

She paused, then added with a swallow, "But, um, if you don't, then, yes? I accept."

Billie was, as always, content to let Bex drag her around for the entirety of the day. Bex was well protected from the sun now that she had her daylight charm, and Billie had sunscreen on the little bits of skin that she actually showed off, her face and neck and hands. Though it was a shame that the power was out, it wasn't the worst that it could be. If Bex was enjoying herself, then that was really all that mattered to Billie.

Taking the offered bottle, Billie drank a few sips before recapping it and resting it against her knee as she sat cross-legged on the grass facing Bex. "It's interesting. There's a lot of people around." A lot of opportunities for potential threats, a lot of chances for things to get out of hand. "I have watched Pride parades before," she added. She'd never been to one for the explicit purpose of attending, but she'd witnessed a few that had been happening around her while she worked.

"So it's both our first Prides'?" Bex asked, excitable and eager, eyes growing a few sizes. And, sure, she could read between the lines of what Billie was saying-- she'd been to a Pride parade before, but not as an attendee. By now, Bex liked to believe she was an expert in Billie-isms, as she liked to call them. The same way Rohan referred to them as Jonah-isms (and maybe she'd stolen the word play directly from him, but imitation was the highest form of flattery and all that).

She gripped Billie's hand, then remembered herself and how she was trying practice restraint until she could recognize her own strength again. "Sorry." She didn't remove her hand this time, though, like she had the several other times she'd accidentally squeezed Billie's hand too hard. She was trying to be better about that, too, even if hand holding was the extent to their physical relationship right now. The thought of kissing Billie and accidentally cutting her lip or biting her or drawing any sort of blood terrified Bex, despite how much her body seemed to ache for the intimacy.

But that was a problem for another day. "What should we do next?" she asked, blinking herself from her spiraling thoughts.

Rohan cocked his head to one side. "I rushed out to the first one I could when I got to college. Small town, you know? Between you and me, I wanted to find...boys." He waved his little flag at a passing float. "But yeah! Lots of times. And don't get me wrong. It was wonderful. There's just, like...major corporation involvement, right? Which...I mean, mainstream acceptance is great. That's what so many people have fought for. And I lead a very picket fence life, werewolf aside. But these are also companies who change their logo to a rainbow thirty days a year and then spend the rest being terrible." He wrinkled up his nose. "And for me, Pride is about...freedom. And protest. And solidarity. And community. And being your true self, refusing anything less. With people you love." He gestured at Bex.

"We could find someplace to volunteer maybe. That would be good. And sure! I bet the Playhouse could probably get a float. Unless you just mean like...as general gay people, we should be in it. Which is pretty funny. I think it's what we deserve."

Bex preened under the compliment. "Thanks. Billie got it for me last year, for my birthday." It was strange to think almost a year had passed since then, too. And that her birthday was once again approaching. After how nice it had been last year, Bex had really been hoping this one would be just as good. Now, well...she would try her best to be happy about it. "Was your mom weird about sunscreen, too?" she teased, sipping her very fruity, very alcoholic drink. Something pineapple or other. She loved it.

Bex giggled. "I mean, I kinda figured that would be your first course of action." Honestly, if Bex wasn't already head over heels in love with Billie, it probably would've been her first course of action, too. As it were, she was just here now to enjoy the celebration. To be proud of who she was and who she loved.

She nodded along. "I get that. It feels a little...sinister, I guess, preying on the queer population like that. Still, at the same time, it's nice to know that companies can do that now. I'm not even that old and I still remember when just a commercial with a gay couple in it was a bad thing." It was such a double-edged sword, as it seemed a lot of things were nowadays. "I like your idea of Pride, though. I want it to be that for me, too."

Bex laughed, shaking her head. "I meant as...whatever, honestly. On a float, just walking...I don't know, building our own float for the Playhouse does sound fun, though. We could make Billie and Jonah help."

"I hear you are in need of gainful employment." Normally, Gia did not take an interest in the younger vampires. She wasn't so charitable with her time, but sometimes she observed an individual worth the investment. "Are you interested in assisting with the maintenance of this place?"

"Honestly? It's more than remarkable. It's-- it's--" Bex shook her head, words, for once, failing her. She had none. It was indescribable. It was so...so. Amazing, incredible, spectacular-- and any word along that vein. She used to dream of seeing a skeleton like this, used to flip through her books late at night staring at the pictures, or on her phone, zooming in on photos from museums to try and figure out which bones were real and which were casts. Now, she was standing right under one, seeing it with her own eyes. It felt truly unbelievable. It felt...almost too good for her.

Just like the question that followed. "What?" She stared for a moment, as if she might have heard wrong. (She knows she didn't, her hearing is all too good now, good enough that sometimes she can hear Rohan and Jonah's heartbeats increase and she has to stuff her ears with cotton on top of the earmuffs). "I-- you-- me?" She shook her head, bit her tongue. Swallowed the jumble of words in her throat. "I mean yes, I'm interested! Of course I am, this is like, something I've dreamed of doing ever since I was a kid but, but-- you don't even know me."

Billie reaches out, wiping Bex's tears away with her sleeve. "I don't blame you," she murmured. She knew this was a big adjustment. She didn't want to put too much on Bex, especially when she was dealing with so much. She was dealing with dying, after all. That was a big deal, even if she did wake up from it.

"I-- I never said I didn't matter," Billie started. She certainly wouldn't say it out loud around Bex. "But it is different than-- than dying. I've been dealing with it. I didn't want to bother you with something that couldn't be changed, especially so soon after what happened to you." Billie looked down at where Bex was holding her hand, the circulation starting to cut off. "I don't want to alarm you, but I can't feel my fingers. I... don't want you to let go, but I also don't want you to break anything. Could you loosen your grip, love?" Billie wasn't particularly worried about broken bones other than how bothersome it would be to not be able to use a hand, but she didn't want Bex to feel even more guilty.

Bex just sighed. Of course Billie didn't blame her. She thought that, probably, she could run a sword through Billie's stomach and the girl still wouldn't blame her. Not that she'd ever do something like that.

It was a limbo they were caught in, then. Because Bex wanted to deal with it with Billie, but she had just died, and they were both dealing with that, too. And while, sure, objectively, dying was worse than not dying, something terrible had still happened to Billie, and Bex wasn't of the mind of comparing their traumas. Even if dying made her feel like still wanting to die and wanting to die made her feel guilty for the Billie of it all.

Reality came crashing back in with Billie's words and Bex let go so suddenly her arm snapped back and she nearly hit herself. "Sorry! I'm sorry. I didn't-- I'm still--" she was still getting used to her new strength, something she'd watched Rohan struggle with for months. Still struggle with, sometimes. In the end, it didn't matter that Billie didn't want to alarm her, it alarmed her all the same. She scooted back into the room, across the invisible barrier between it and the hallway, as if that would somehow stop her from making the mistake again. She looked away. It felt like they'd made progress, and now Bex was right back where she'd started out the day, curled up against her door. "I-- I'm tired." Not really a lie, even if vampire's didn't get tired. It was the bone deep kind of tired. "You should go home, too. Get some rest." Maybe they could try again tomorrow.

Still, before she shut her door all the way, she whispered through the crack, "I love you."

"Oh, no. No, not-- definitely not modesty." Bex shook her head, bit her bottom lip nervously. "Not trying to be...modest." Twisting to look over her shoulder at the owner, Bex raised a brow. "More interesting? Me?" It was a little unbelievable, mostly because Bex didn't find herself all that interesting at all. She nodded, though. At least there was that. She was trying to be better about it all, but it was still always nice to know that there were still safe places, people who would keep her secret if she didn't want it out.

Bex watched, curious, as a whole rack of clothing was brought over, the eccentricity of the shop owner endearing to her. Her eyes lit up when she saw the bow. "Oh! It's so cute!" She reached for it, turning it over in her hands as she nodded again. "Yes, yeah, like-- this is perfect. I like stuff like this. It makes me feel-- pretty." 'Girlie' clothes made her feel good, even if she would always tell herself (and others) that clothes didn't have gender and anyone could wear anything. Still. Sometimes it was as simple as that. A dress made her feel feminine and pretty. "I like frills and ruffles," she said, pulling from her thoughts, "especially for, like, special occasions. Like-- like this."

“I can't believe you're leaving me,” Jules lamented dramatically. “Who am I supposed to talk shit with between sets now?” She huffed a theatrical sigh, even as her words remained teasing. She could understand why Bex wanted to move on from Sinners, especially with everything she'd been through the past few months, but Jules couldn't deny that she'd miss working with her. “Maybe we should get matching tattoos. So I have something to remember you by.”

Bex pursed her lips. She had finally come back into the bar to collect what she'd left in her locker in the back after putting in her official resignation. A lot of the girls shared a similar sentiment and Bex knew it was all in good faith, because they were her friends, and, in a way, her first family. They all looked out for each other. And Bex had known Jules the entire four years she'd worked at the place. "I know," she sighed, "I really am sorry, but I somehow think you'll be okay." She shot Jules a look, shaking her head. "Maybe Midge will, she always seemed to wanna join our conversations, even though you kept telling her to mind her own business." Midge, the accountant, was a curious older woman. Bex had liked her well enough, but every time she asked the woman how she got a job like that at a place like this, she would wave off the question and ask if Bex wanted any leftovers. She always said yes, of course.

Bex laughed quietly. "I love you and all, but I'm not going to let my first tattoo be a matching one with you. I think Billie might get a little offended if I did."

"No, yeah, I--" But before Bex could say much more, Gia was moving on. And fast. "Oh, oh, we're-- okay, we're moving." She tried to follow, stumbling over her own feet in her haste, before catching herself once more-- she would not embarrass herself in front of the older vampire and fall flat on her face, nor would she ever allow herself to damage something in this place, accident or not. She would rather die, really. (Which wasn't a good measure lately, but it was still a hard habit to break).

Bex tried to follow all the way but she kept getting distracted by the lit display cases on her way, bouncing between one object to another, muttering to herself about it the whole time. Even the way things were organized made Bex weak in the knees. A place like this was something Bex had only ever dreamed of seeing. Normal museums didn't even come close.

When she finally walked backwards into the main room Gia had seemed to stop in, she was already flabbergasted and awe-struck. And then she saw it. The towering reconstruction of a sauropod in the center of the room. And not just any sauropod, an Argentinosaurus, one of the largest sauropods that ever walked the earth. Her eyes glued to it and she stopped walking. Somehow, she didn't collapse in her spot. "Oh, shit." The words were unintended. She could tell even from this far away that the bones were all real, just by the way the light reflected on them. "This is...this is the most incredible thing I've ever seen."

Throwing back his lemonade, Rohan swallowed hard and allowed a decidedly sour expression to trickle over his face. "I think I inhaled a seed," he muttered through a cough into his shoulder. Turning back, however, he tried his best to smile. "That's what I get. It's hot, Rohan. Be responsible. Stay hydrated. Don't day drink. I'm a loser. Are you doing okay? The sun and all?" He gestured around at the festivities, and while he was having a wonderful time, the day was indeed proving to be a scorcher.

"You know, for all the stuff we deal with around here, it's a pretty good event. I like small-town Pride. It's less...corporate, yeah? I mean, look, I rub elbows with money all the time. I lead a nonprofit theatre for goodness sake. But sometimes it ends up being like an insurance and telephone company fest." He rolled his shoulders. "I want to do something important to make a difference today. What should we do?"

Bex snorted a short laugh, shaking her head at Rohan. She nodded, taking a sip of her own drink-- which was alcohol, because it was a lot harder for a vampire to become dehydrated, apparently-- and following his gaze out around the crowd and at the parade before answering. "I'm fine. Got my daylight ring so it's, ya know." She ended the statement with a shrug. She'd gotten Meena to make the necklace Billie got her for her birthday into the charm. It sat nicely right above her collarbones. Subconsciously, she reached up to touch it.

"I've never been to one at all," Bex said, watching the parade march by from their spot. It was pretty exciting, though, seeing all the different flags and all the different people. She'd already bought two new flags for her room-- a trans flag and a progress pride flag-- and she was planning on buying more. Maybe even finding a bi pride flag for Billie to hang up in her room at her little house. "Have you ever been to the one in New York City? I used to watch it on the tv sometimes when I was sure no one else was around. It always looked so fun. So big."

Pondering the question, Bex rubbed her chin. "Um, I don't know? What else do people usually do a these things? Hey, do you think we can find out how to be in the parade for next year?"

Bex just nodded. She was still wasn't used to telling strangers about herself-- and still a little frightened-- but she was trying to step out of her bubble and be more open with herself. That meant, apparently, telling complete strangers with rainbow flags in their storefronts that she, too, was gay. She smiled, a nervous little thing on her face. "Oh, um, I-- I'm not all that interesting, really. Just another closeted girl finally letting loose." It was meant to be a joke. Bex worried it was suddenly in poor taste. "N-not that that's a bad thing! Or whatever. I just...um..." she stared at the shop owner. They seemed so excited over all this.

Bex wanted to share the sentiment but she felt suddenly too hot in her own skin. "I, uh, I'm-- Bex. Bexley. But just Bex is fine." Her eyes scanned the shop. "Um, usually, like, pastels and bright colors? Lilac is my favorite. Color. I like pink and yellow, too, though. And skirts and dresses. Um, you know, like, more feminine clothes."

Billie just shrugged. "I didn't mention it. We haven't really had much of a chance to chat." She didn't flinch as Bex's grip tightened, even as she felt her bones grinding together. Really, she didn't even feel it like she should. Or she didn't feel it enough for her body to clock that it should have nay sort of reaction.

She was more taken aback when Bex snapped. "I didn't die. I'm still healthy, I wasn't injured. I'm just... different."

Which was Bex's fault. She'd kept herself locked away after she'd woken up. This was their first time seeing each other face to face despite Billie being here constantly. In all that time, she'd never said a thing, too worried about Bex. It made Bex's breath stutter, tears well in her eyes. "I'm sorry," was all she said. Still, she wasn't sure she would've come out, even if Billie had said something. That made her feel even more guilty. She chewed her lip.

"I just don't think it's that simple," Bex explained, frowning. "You're changed. That's-- it's still a big thing. Maybe not, like, dead big but-- you still matter." She still didn't realize how tightly she was gripping Billie's wrist. To Bex, it felt the same as always, aside from the cold feel of scales under her palm. "Things that happen to you are important, too."

"Don't mind the mess!" The voice echoed through the shop, but no one stood behind the counter of the new thrift store in town. Instead, the ominous and muffled voice seemed to be calling out from somewhere amongst the overflowing racks that bowed beneath decades of fashion. Jewelry glittered from behind locked cabinets, resting in mismatched teacups, only for a towering mountain of gowns, coats, and other garments near the entrance of the shop to topple over to reveal the petite shopkeeper. "If I knew where everything was, it would hardly be a thrift store. Oh! There you are," They beamed as they tossed a feather boa that had landed on top of their head behind them. Zeina may have been buried under a box of their own pile of stuff they had been trying to place on top of an antique cabinet, but now that they had finally wrestled themselves free, they were ready to help one of their first customers. "Now don't tell me. We are shopping for Pride?" They guessed.

"Oh, um--" Bex paused the moment she heard a voice call out, staring around the small shop. She'd ducked inside because she loved thrifting, saw the rainbow flag in the window, and thought maybe a new outfit would help her feel more comfortable with her new body. Everything still felt like a lot, but she was getting used to the feel of fabrics on her skin, and which ones she could actually tolerate and which ones she couldn't. Polyester was soft but it got itchy after a while, cotton was scratchy, wool was the most comfortable so far. Aside from silk but it wasn't like Bex could really afford silk or velvet garments on the regular.

She blinked when a short brunette appeared around a pile of dresses. "Um," she looked around, then nodded tersely, face pinching in a small smile, "I guess, yeah. I've never uh-- never been to one. A Pride event." She'd been out of the closet for almost two years now, but it wasn't like she could dip from town to go hit up the New York Pride Parade. It was too dangerous and even if it wasn't, Bex still felt too nervous anyway. "Sorry that's-- you don't need to know that. I just saw the shop and that it was new and I really like thrift shopping and I saw the rainbow flag, so I came inside."

Once the door to the tunnel was sealed shut Georgiana turned her full attention on Bexley. "I suppose if you wish to spend this visit on pottery," The vampire gestured at the Mayan vases as to say be my guest. "but I was under the impression you liked bones."

"Well, I mean, a lot of people buy knock-offs or forgeries," Bex explained simply, "n-not that I think you would! Just that, you know, a lot of people do it without knowing." Bex had to peel herself away from the cabinet of vases, content to just stare at all the old objects Gia had down here, but her attention was drawn quickly to the idea of bones. "I do. Like bones. They're my favorite! I like collecting them but I've never found anything like, super old. And even if I did, I'd probably send it into a museum or something. Especially like old dinosaur bones, although, gods, I think I'd die happy if I ever found one." She paused, her face scrunching. "Well, I guess...die again." She tried not to sound too bitter, shaking the feeling away and looking over at Gia with wide, excited eyes. She'd almost forgotten about how this was the first time she'd been out in public since she'd turned. It was...nice.

Billie looked away even as she let Bex hold her wrist and touch her. It felt strange, unfamiliar, but not wrong. Being with Bex had never felt wrong to her. She didn't speak for a moment, not wanting to say anything. She didn't want to admit the truth of what happened. Finally, she said, "You're not the only one with sharp teeth, now." That covered part of it, at least. Not the webbed fingers or the full extent of scales that covered her. Not the way that she felt like a monster in a way that she hadn't since she was much, much younger. "It's not as important as you, though."

Bex didn't know exactly how to take that. She looked up at Billie, at her face, then flicked her gaze to her mouth. Her lips. She wanted to kiss her, to hold her, to tell her it was okay, she still loved her, she'd always love her-- but the fear was stronger than any compulsion and so she stayed where she was, fingers just barely brushing her skin and scales. "I'm sorry," she muttered, "I didn't know." She hadn't known refusing to vote in that stupid game would lead to Billie coming to harm. She hadn't known someone was going to give Billie something that would change her forever. She hadn't even known a mutated werewolf was going to kill her, either. So, really, she didn't know anything at all. Her grip tightened.

"Of course it's important!" Bex snapped. "You're important, too." Especially to Bex. She couldn't do this without Billie. If she lost her, then what more did Bex really have to live for?