one&only

Shay: You're worth waiting for. [hesitates before sending]

Shay: I was left with a lot of questions when you left. Hearing from you was something I hoped for, if only to get answers. But... time has made that desire for answers less powerful. I'm open to hearing whatever you want to tell me.

Shay: Just please don't hurt me again. [unsent]

Malia: Okay. Well I'm not sure how my schedule is going to look, but if you want to talk we can.

.

You have a brother? And a niece? Shay had questions but those weren’t the right ones to ask. Shay unfortunately didn’t have any answers to give Malia and she really wished she did. Her face was full of concern for her but she hesitated trying to give her any kind of physical comfort. “We were all caught by surprise with this.” Shay sighed, knowing that probably didn’t help but she knew of no other way that could help. She glanced around as if she would be able to find something in front of her.

“You’ve reported it to the police, right?” Clearly, that’s why she was nearby. “Now they know they’re missing and if they find them they’ll let you know.” Maybe it was best to remain positive in a situation like this but there was hardly any precedent on how to react. Shay’s never been one to panic, not externally at least. “Have you eaten anything? How about we go get some food in us so we have enough energy to go look for them, yeah?” Maybe Shay was the last person Malia wanted right now but she’d wait for Malia to say it before walking away. How could she walk away when Malia was struggling? She couldn’t before and she couldn’t now.

— ◈ —

“I know.” The word echoed emptily in her head. But knowing half the population had disappeared and actually seeing someone she loved disappear right in front of her had yielded a different reaction. Not that Malia wouldn’t have acted the same exact way if she hadn’t watched James vanish and had only found out after the fact, but seeing it first hand wouldn’t be something she could erase from her head. 

Her gaze flitted around before landing back on Shay. “Yes, I did.” And every other police department along with city hall, but she wasn’t the only person reporting what had happened and who was missing. The other woman’s words were logical, but it didn’t stop her from worrying she’d miss something if she took a break. “No, I haven’t...” She pressed her lips together, eyes shifting to the ground. “I just feel like if I stop looking then I’m not going to be able to deal with anything.” 

—

Since their last day going there had been helpful enough to get their mind off things from work, Hyunjin felt like it wouldn’t hurt to return for the rink’s last day and spend good thirty minutes paying attention to anything but not falling and keeping their balance, instead of worrying about burn rates, profit margins and all of those things Jin needed to worry about nowadays. They didn’t really want to become a CEO, but it was something that had basically fallen on their lap. They were a much better developer, and the thought of suggesting not being in that position anymore, but it was hard to convince their team mates that getting someone else to do that would leave more room for–Jin couldn’t event finish their own thoughts because someone was about to hit the ice close to them, which made them quickly reach towards the other person and prevent them from falling. “Woah. You alright?” They asked, trying not to join her on the ice, too. “Can you stand?”

— ◈ —

The fall to the ground never came. Arms having caught her, she was momentarily relieved just to not have to deal with the hard ice. “Yes, thank you,” she said before turning to look at who had saved her. She wore a sheepish expression on her lips as she attempted her balance once more. Trying not to cause him to fall with her, she found her balance with some help from the other. “Thank you again. Saved me from further embarrassment,” she chuckled, turning slightly to look at them. “Ice skating definitely is not like riding a bike hence the near fall. Though being bumped into by speed skaters hadn’t exactly helped.” 

▬

“If only we could control all the other times I act just like that,” there was no reason why he couldn’t accept the words that reached him in a playful tone. Besides, whenever he had free time to do so, he didn’t mind spending some time by the kitchen preparing something for himself to eat. He was forced to learn, especially those years by himself in Australia, and grew used to learning new recipes here and there. “Oh, I would.” Then he listened to her words, rolling his eyes playfully while Maya laughed. I am the best choice of company you could have between me and dad. “Well, thank you, kiddo.” Grabbing a serving platter for each one of their dishes for the night, he handed one of those to Malia, asking her to be careful and taking the other one himself to the table already set by Maya. While going through his path, he took that time to reply to his sister in return. And also to laugh over her choice of words. “Coming from someone who’s all about work, work and work like that Rihanna song chorus, you should have fun during your free time. You don’t want to be your lame brother,” a smile then, resting over his lips before he continued. “And it’s good. I’m happy, which is odd for me but I really am. We had a great weekend together after Christmas.” 

— ◈ —

Rolling her eyes, she took the platter from James. "As if I'm ever not careful," she said in feigned offense once more. But she was quick to flash a smile as she followed Maya to the table and listened to her brother talk. "I have fun working though." Which was mostly true, she did love what she did, but that certainly became a problem since it meant she never knew when to stop. "Besides, I have plenty of fun on my off days. Perhaps I just shield you from hearing about sordid affairs," she joked. Her grin widened at his confirmation that things were good. Knowing he and Zoey were happy and good left her both excited and incredibly relieved that things  that things had finally begun working themselves out. Though seeing them reminded her of a few of James' friends who still were left in the boat her brother had finally left. Once she set her plate on the table and saw that he did as well, she poked his arm. "Don't mess it up this time, James. Definitely going to kick you if you do," she said before smiling. "But I am really glad things are going good. You and Zoey deserve the happiness. Hopefully you two working out your problems rubs off on your friends next now."

location: near north valley pd when: feb 2nd in the morning status: closed | @maliahorton​

Shay had no clue what was going on. She, just like the rest of the world just woke up to people who were just gone. She immediately feared the loss of those she cared about. It didn’t help that nothing was working. Incredibly frustrated she could only take to the streets to try and get answers from somebody but nobody had any. As she headed to the police department, she froze in her steps. In her list of people she wanted to check on of course Malia was among them but her sensation of relief clashed with the apprehension of running into your ex. It formed a lump in her throat that kept her from saying anything until she came closer. 

“Malia?” She asked, her voice softer than she had anticipated. She cleared her throat before she spoke next. “Are you okay?”

— ◈ —

Malia hadn’t slept at all since her loved ones disappeared right in front of her. It was still difficult to comprehend and what was worse was that no one had any answers. All morning she’d been running around the city hoping someone knew what had happened, where everyone had gone. But it was all the same. Everyone seemed to be in the same state as her with zero answers. 

Rushing out of North Valley PD, she came to an abrupt stop and tried not to yell in frustration or burst into tears. Exhaustion was setting in, but Malia couldn’t stand the idea of sleeping when James, Maya, and so many others were suddenly just gone without an explanation. Her gaze snapped in the direction of her name and it took a few seconds for her to register that she was looking at Shay. She sucked in a breath, not sure how to process it. Or anything, really. 

“No,” she uttered out sharply. Shaking her head, she quickly apologized for her tone. “I’m sorry,” she said, rubbing at her eyes while she mumbled out some more apologies. “My brother--He’s, uh, gone and so is my niece and no one has answers. I just don’t know what to do.”

Shay: I probably still would have [unsent]

Shay: I didn't think it was my place to reach out so I was willing to wait until you were ready.

Shay: I've missed you [unsent]

Shay: I'm happy to hear from you. Even after all this time.

Malia: Guess you're still the more considerate one between us then

Malia: I'm happy to hear you're okay though.

Malia: And to hear from you too. I would've understood if you didn't want to hear from me tbh.

Shay: what else did you hear [unsent]

Shay: Yeah, it was rough ngl but I'm okay. It's good to hear from you. I hope you kept safe during the moon as well.

Malia: I'm glad you're okay. I know this one was hard for everyone.

Malia: I did.

Malia: I know this is a decade late... [unsent]

Shay: Hey!

Shay: I've been good, work keeps me busy.

Shay: Sorry I haven't reached out [unsent]

Shay: How about you?

Malia: I'm glad to hear that. That's the same for me too.

who: @maliahorton​ when: after a couple drinks, obviously where: atlas’ birthday party

           “And where exactly have you been hiding from me all night?” Zoey laughed more to herself than anyone else as she spied Malia and made a move to loop her arm through the other’s arm and pulled them away from the group of people that would have kept her from Zoey. She couldn’t tell if it was a good idea or not, but right then - she didn’t all care, feeling too good and happy in the moment to worry about too many people. “It feels like it has been a lifetime since I last saw you and I think it was actually right before the new year.” Maybe a bit longer, considering how much the pack took over for the holidays as well as spending time with James on the side. She was still working on achieving a new balance in her life, but it was a balance well worth the effort. “Do you want to get a drink with me? I feel like I had one but I must have set it down and lost it,” she told the other with a smile as she waved her free hand at the other. “It was right there last time I looked.” Another small laugh then as the buzz made her a bit loose with her words, but it wouldn’t last long considering her tolerance. “Oops?”

— ◈ —

Malia grinned as Zoey appeared by her side. “Me? Hiding? Never,” she laughed. Looking over at the other woman’s outfit for the evening, she continued to smile. “You are looking amazing as always. I hope my brother’s heart doesn’t stop seeing you,” she teased. She hadn’t asked if James was coming, but she certainly didn’t see him around Zoey at the moment if he was. She feigned a sad pout. “It has been a while.” There were very little instances over the last two months that’d she seen anyone outside of her family. Nodding, Malia squeezed the other woman’s arm lightly and glanced around for bar’s direction. “Hmm, I feel like an enabler if I get another drink with you,” she chuckled. “But I would love to be in the nice mood you’re in, so I could definitely use another drink. What were you drinking before it magically disappeared?”

“I wouldn’t even expect you to help me because we know I’m a control freak and we’d end up fighting,” he chuckled. “So, this is actually perfect.” Adjusting his glasses over his face, James was mostly too focused at finishing dinner for himself, Maya and their company for the night: his sister. “We’re having some baked gnocchi with marinara and mozzarella, one of Maya’s favorites, and steak. But if you keep teasing me, you might have to find yourself some back-up plan, you know?” Rolling his eyes playfully, he turned to look at his sister sharing a smile with Malia.  “So, what’s been happening in my sister’s life lately?”

— ◈ —

“Ahh, the only time I’ll be happy you’re a control freak,” she teased. If only because she wanted more of an excuse to be lazy for the next half hour. Chatting with her niece and brother while unwinding with a drink in her hand was rather perfect. The only other thing that might’ve matched was going out with some friends, but she certainly didn’t have the energy to get dolled up for that tonight. Malia feigned a hurt expression. “You’d kick out your only sister to fend for herself?” She turned towards Maya. “And this is why I come here for you and not my brother.” A slow smile spread on her face to match James’ at their bout of sibling teasing. “Work, work, oh, and more work. Nothing exciting or scandalous unfortunately. Hopefully I’ll have something juicier to share next time I come over. But what about you? How’s Zoey and your very cute relationship going?” 

Malia sat on the bench outside the rink to tighten the laces on her skates. She couldn't remember the last time she had gone skating, but she wanted to treat herself on her day off. The fact that it was absolutely not work-related did help. As she stepped towards the rink and onto the ice, she hoped she wouldn't make a complete fool of herself by slipping and falling. Hopefully it’d be easy enough to remember how to skate once she did it. Sticking to the sides of the rink out of safety, she carefully tried to get used to gliding over the ice. So far so good, but Malia didn’t trust her footing enough to leave the safety of the outer rink yet either. Just as she considered skating a little faster, someone bumped into her and she quickly lost her balance. Letting out a small gasp, she expected to hit the floor and tried not to think about how she was going to stand back up once she had. 

"Please tell me you’re going to try and have fun,” she nagged, nudging Mateo’s shoulder with her own as they headed into Kaleidoscope. Having spent a lot of time making sure to have an elaborate outfit, makeup, and hairstyle for the evening, she had plans of making the most of this party. Of course dragging along Mateo hadn’t originally been a part of her plans, but it needed to be once one of her colleagues kept pestering her to go with him to the party. Harassing her was a better word for it, but like all men he seemed to back off once she claimed she already had a date in the picture. “But if not, please make sure you keep Brandon far, far away from me. I’ll be sure to point him out to you if I see him.” 

Leaning against the counter, Malia took a sip of her beer as she watched her brother in the kitchen. Like any other day where she hadn’t felt like figuring out what to eat, she went over to James’ house in order to freeload. “So should I be helping out in this scenario? Or am I allowed to continue to admire your cooking capabilities and pretend I helped?” she asked, chuckling. Of course she would help if he needed it, but until he did, she was perfectly content with chatting with Maya on the sidelines. “What are you making again? Do Maya and I need back-up plans in case you burn dinner or something?”

▬

A grin rested over her lips before the shapeshifter nodded. “Exactly, all I can do tonight is have a few drinks and try to have some share of entertainment, hoping soon whatever is happening to me is over and I can finally touch people again,” she scoffed. How ironic was that she was missing touching others, when all Charlotte adored was her own personal space. “Usually they are set about what’s written in the script, but some other times… they end up changing a few things to accommodate the plot with a different perspective or to come up with something that will give the fans what they want to watch,” she shrugged.

“It’s how Phoebe is still alive,” because Charlie was aware that at this point her character was supposed to be dead. Perhaps she should be happy about their lack of stubbornness of sticking to their original plan for the series. “Malia Horton having some free time to herself? How does it feel?” She teased the other woman while her gaze remained over the witch. “At least it makes me feel that I saved you from a night of boredom by bringing you here. I tend to assume you’re lucky to have my company.”

— ◈ —

Pouring them both a generous amount of wine, she set down the glass in front of Charlie. Grabbing her own, she waited to follow Charlie to whichever room they were going to chat in. "That would be nice," she teased once more. "I will certainly miss that tonight." She'd certainly have to remind herself to keep her distance just so she didn't accidentally reach out to touch Charlie. "Is that ever frustrating? For you, anyway," she asked. "I definitely feel like I need to watch your show when I have time one of these days. Or is that weird if I do that?"

She let out a laugh. "Much better since I'm hanging out with you. Though I do have to admit I am trying not to think about the work I'll end up going back to once everything settles." Malia's grin turned into a small smirk. "Oh, I do definitely feel lucky. Makes me feel awfully special to get a call to come over. Though I do feel like we need another one of these night when the moon isn't messing with you."

▬

“First door on your left, top shelf.” Charlie replied to Malia’s question. She could’ve moved up and do this herself, but she liked to assume others would feel comfortable at her place. At least, those she didn’t mind doing so, which was a pretty short list within her mind. 

The shapeshifter, however, ended up laughing over the woman choice of words, nodding in agreement to it despite frustrations building inside her own system. “Maybe that was a sign the scene wouldn’t be as great as they thought it’d be and by the time we actually shoot it, they change a few things here and there.” She shrugged. “There are plenty of ways you could improve this night, Horton. Conversations and wine is a good start, of course. And how was your day?” Probably easier than Charlie’s.

— ◈ —

At the direction, Malia nodded and turned towards the cupboard to grab them glasses. Reaching up on her toes, she just managed to grab them. She smiled in triumph with the glasses in hand and set them down on the counter as she went to open the bottle of wine. "So like a generous amount then?" she teased. If it weren't for the fact that she needed to give the other woman space because of the moon, she wouldn't have bothered with the glasses to begin with.

"Is that likely to be case?' she asked. Aside from the times she's asked Charlie about her job, she didn't claim to know much about how things like that worked. Malia grinned, happy to attempt to make it better. "Well if you have any special requests, let me know." At the very least, she did bring over some nice wine for them to share. "Nothing  as exciting as yours. There were a few trials postponed because of it, so my scheduled is going to be backed up a bit, but it isn't anything I'm not used to."