don’t make it bad

Cara grinned from ear to ear, happy that she was being taken up on her offer.  The realization of just how cute the other was had hit Cara in the wait time they had to do after paying.  It wasn’t that she had regretted her decision, she just realized how unlike her she was acting.  Plus if she was being honest with herself, she was always nervous and felt like she was stumbling over her words when a cute girl was around her.

“Honestly? There wasn’t a particular band I wanted to see.  I just figured it was time to take a day just for myself.  I feel like I haven’t had a me day since well before high school.  So yeah fuck my employers!”

Jude gives the girl a look of approval. “Good. You deserve it! And I’m sure they deserve it too.”

They receive their ice cream, and Jude holds hers up towards Cara in acknowledgement. “Thanks again. You gotta let me buy you something though - in honor of your first act of rebellion.”

__

“We do,” Charlotte put the pile of books in her hands down on the counter. “Follow me–they’re over here, by the window,” she floated through the small store. “As for biographies, they’re along the wall over by the world history section. As for recommendations,” Charlotte furrowed her brow for a moment, “I can’t say I know of how well written the local history books are–but there’s several biographies I can recommend–perhaps one of them might work? There’s a brilliant book written by Hallie Rubenhold called The Five about the lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper–but that’s a bit dark, to be honest.”

Jude follows the other woman towards the proper section and scans the titles, unsure of where to begin. “Yeah, biographies should be up his alley.” She crouches to pull a volume off the shelf and skim the summary printed on the jacket.

“That does sound interesting, but I’m in the market for something alone the lines of light summer reading for elderly grandfathers, you see.”

Her phone buzzes in her pocket. Jude doesn’t need to check it to know it’s either her father or step-mum trying to contact her, their egos surely still smarting after Jude didn’t show up to dinner at Triton with them. Good.

It buzzes again. She turns it off this time, finishes her pint, and contemplates the Knight and Grail’s dessert menu before her. She can’t decide what she wants, but perhaps she doesn’t have to? Impulsively (and perhaps somewhat petulantly), she addresses the two people closest to her.

“I’m going to order every dessert on the menu and I want you both to try them with me.” Jude informs. “It’s my birthday so you can’t say no, or that the sugar will rot my teeth.”

status: open

place: sweet william’s bakery

Claudia rubs at her temples, a frown on her face as she stares down a row of baked goods. “Ugh, I can’t believe you’d set me up on a blind date with someone that booor-ing,” she says with dramatics, picking up her head in order to make eye-contact. “It was so bad that I had to sneak out of the bathroom window just to get away from them. What in the bloody hell were you thinking?”

   “Hey, he’s nice! He used to let his younger brother borrow his ID to buy us liquor when we were sixteen.” Jude pauses. “Okay, so maybe that’s not a shining example of his moral fiber, but he’s very ... nice. Besides, he asked me to introduce you.”

   She sighs, and swipes one of Claudia’s cherry pastries. “I’ve only been back a week and a half, Cloud. And I’m very new at this. You’ve got to give me more time before I find your other half.” She takes a bite of the pastry, then gestures with it. “What about that record shop girl? I saw you making eyes at her."

Here Comes Trouble || @jude-morgan​

Walking into Wide Awake, completely incapable of human interaction at such an hour without his first cup of coffee, Freddie bumped shoulders with a young woman on her way in. He mumbled an apology, then shook his head and mentally slapping himself; straightening, he turned to hold the door and pushed his sunglasses up. “I’m so sorry! I’m usually much better at mornings, I do apologize.” When she turned slightly to see him, a spark of familiarity flashed between them, and Freddie stood still, trying to bring her face into focus.

Then, finally: “Jude! Jude? Rude Jude, my girl, it is you! Where have you been?” He couldn’t help but reach out, wrapping his arms around her waist and picking her up, hugging her close so he could spin her around. “What are you doing now, are you busy? Where are you headed–doesn’t matter, I’ll walk with you. Tell me everything!”

Jude startles at being bumped into and is preparing her best scowl (admittedly, she should have been more careful but it’s far easier to lay all the blame on the stranger, particularly when Jude herself is barely half-awake) when she realizes the face before her isn’t unfamiliar at all. The features are a little more defined maybe, but that’s to be expected of anyone past boyhood and Freddie Wentworth is no exception. 

“Freddie!” Jude exclaims the name with undignified excitement and giddy shrieks as she’s picked up off the floor and spun around, her arms wrapped tight around her old friend. She’s certain half the patrons at Wide Awake must be watching them, but who cares? Jude has never objected to making a scene, and this unexpected reunion is well worth one. “First of all, I’d never be too busy for you. Second of all, I’m just never busy. Third ...  that’s still a terrible nickname.” She breaks away from his embrace and waves away his question. “I just got home last week. Family stuff. You? When did you get back?”

“Let me buy you a coffee, yeah?” An impish grin crosses her face. “I have notes on your novel, Wentworth.”

“If you’re gonna sit here and read that book all day without paying for it, the least you can do is keep your feet off the furniture,” Charlotte turned her attention away from one customer to stare down another sitting in the seating area beside the used book section of the bookshop. “Sorry, pet–you had a question?”

“Yeah, do you guys carry anything on local history? Or do you have any biographies you’d recommend? I’m shopping for someone but it’s hard to figure out what he might already own so I’d like to get a variety.”

Ari reaches out towards the table and feels a thick booklet beneath her fingers which she immediately assumes is a menu of some sort. She picks it up to make use of her idle hands, although she knows full well she can’t read from it.

There is a rush of footsteps and a familiar voice – a voice of a friend from a very long time ago.

She can’t help but giggle at the mention of their prank as children. “He’s definitely still a big ol’ crank. Claudia always says the ugly frown wrinkles on his forehead are deeper from the stress we caused him,” she laughs.

She places the menu down and leans on her elbows which are now perched on top of the table. “Gosh, it is so good to hear a familiar voice right now,” Ari sighs. “Won’t you eat some cupcakes with me?”

“Fuck him.” Jude says gleefully and plops down on the chair next to Ari’s. “He was such an arse. I swear, he was always more bothered when I’d get sloshed than my own dad was: something about me disgracing our beautiful Cove with my swearing and ruckus.” She scoffs. “How terribly ambitious of me, right?”

“Oh, I’d love that. How long will you be here? You should have told me you were visiting.” 

_____

Niko was amused when the woman told him she would be back. And when she returned she had two books in her hand. She had obviously thought about the answer to his question. “I’ve never heard of either,” he said, taking the one when she handed it over. “But I’m certainly not opposed to reading them. I did ask for suggestions. So I hope I am still open minded,” he grinned. “You know, I don’t think I have ever read a horror book, but this could be the first,” he said and held out his hand to take House of Leaves from her. “You didn’t take that long grabbing these. What makes them good? And is there anything I should really pay attention to while reading them?”

The corners of Jude’s mouth turned up at his answer as she let him take the books. If she was being honest, she was somewhat proud of being the one to make the introductions between two beloved titles and someone new.

“Glad I could provide you with something novel. Pun intended.” Jude quipped, and shifted her weight to one side as she considered the man’s question. Gesturing towards Tess of the Road, she said, “Hartman’s good at world-building, but the novel would be great even without her fantasy creatures. I don’t know when ‘ strong woman ‘ became code for ‘ uncomplicated and preferably wielding a sword ‘ but that’s not really Tess. She fucks up and embarrasses people and doesn’t live up to anyone’s expectations but the novel is ... compassionate. She gets to forgive herself.” Jude trailed off and shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable with her accidental rant. “I don’t know, I guess I like an assertive woman.”

“And that one: take notes, read the footnotes. You’ll probably think it’s pretentious, gimmicky postmodern bullshit and it kind of is, maybe. But I guess the gimmicky, labyrinthine text is supposed to be like ... like you’re exploring a house instead of reading a book. You’re scrutinizing every nook and cranny, walking its halls. It’s immersive. And haunting, definitely haunting. And hopeful. And about what it means to you, regardless of narrative or author’s intent.”

Jude stopped before she overwhelmed the guy, and tilted her head towards the other book he’d been holding before he spoke to her. “I guess I should have started by asking what you’ve got there.”

It’s been years since she’s seen her but Ari’s isn’t a face that Jude would forget or overlook, not even in the hustle and bustle of a busy morning at Sweet William’s. Once she receives her order, Jude approaches Ari’s table (grateful that the clacking of her shoes has probably alerted Ari to her presence, she’d hate to alarm her) and says, “Hey. Last I heard, they never caught who decided to outfit the former mayor’s ice statue in La Perla. Think he’s still pissed about it?”

age: 25 (august 18th)

: she/her

occupation: heiress to the morgan hotel

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i’m a thousand years late w this but pls like if you want to plot!