Of Fate.

“ah,  well,  i’m  a  southern  gentleman,”  his  smile  never  once  faltered,  “i  was  taught  well  by  my  mama  to  treat  ladies  with  respect  and  to  give  compliments  as  though  they  are  going  out  of  fashion.  i  think,  if  someone  has  the  power  to  brighten  someone’s  day,  they  should,  shouldn’t  they ? ”  especially  in  that  climate.  it  seemed  as  though  everyone  mason  passed  in  the  street  was  nursing  a  forlorn  expression,  and  he  couldn’t  blame  anyone  for  feeling  that  way.  their  world,  their  reality,  had  been  turned  on  its  head.  “i’m  not  one  to  ever  turn  down  a  free  drink,”  he  beamed,  “do  your  worst.  order  me  your  favourite.”

cosima let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “a southern gentleman, huh? well, color me impressed.” she leaned on the counter, one eyebrow arched, lips tugging into a sly grin. “but don’t think i’m handing out my favorite cocktail to just anyone — you’re going to have to earn it.” she picked up a glass, swirling the liquid inside with a practiced flick of her wrist. “and since you’re offering yourself up so eagerly, i’ll warn you — it might be stronger than you expect, and i make no promises about it being subtle.” her eyes sparkled, teasing. “on the bright side, if it knocks you off your feet, you’ll at least have a good story to tell.” she nudged the glass toward him, letting the faintest smirk linger. “so… ready to see what my favorite tastes like?”

         (    ↻    )    “  maybe  i’m  just  crazy  but  i  think  i’d  prefer  to  taste  a  little  bit  of  the  alcohol  so  i  don’t  end  up  screwing  myself  over  with  a  MAJOR  hangover  ,  ”  hayden  shakes  her  head  fondly  at  cosima  .  nonetheless  ,  she  heeds  the  hybrid’s  warning  .  “  got  anything  else  you’re  workin’  on  ?  i’m  always  curious  about  what  else  the  mixologists  here  have  to  offer  .  ”  she’ll  allow  herself  the  occasional  cocktail  that  isn’t  a  tequila  soda  and  when  she  does  ,  spell  &  bourbon  will  always  be  the  bar  of  choice  .

cosima grinned, letting a low chuckle escape. “careful now, taste too much and you’ll be the one giving me a headache tomorrow.” she tilted her head, eyes glinting with mischief. “but i get it — better a cautious sip than a regretful face-plant.” she leaned on the counter, tapping a finger against the wood thoughtfully. “as for what else i’m working on… well, a few things are still in testing. nothing’s officially ready for public consumption yet, but if you’re curious, i might be persuaded to let you try a prototype or two.” a sly grin flickered. “don’t get your hopes up too high though — some experiments are more… interesting than pleasant.”

cosima blinked once — friend. the word landed in her chest like a soft weight, warm and unexpected. a small, genuine smile tugged at her lips. “friend, huh? i think i could get used to that,” she said, voice soft, fond, letting it linger without teasing. she liked this — the mentor road, the quiet companionship — it made the endless years feel lighter than usual. “you chose this life,” she echoed, her tone easy, thoughtful. “that’s what makes the difference. choice has weight, and you’re carrying it well. most people stumble through decades before they stop flinching at their own reflection.” her gaze softened, pride flickering there. “you’re doing better than you think, aeri.” she didn’t pull her hands away when aeri squeezed them, thumb brushing over her knuckles in a grounding, quiet gesture. “me?” she shrugged lightly, voice easy, almost dismissive. “i’m fine. just keeping busy, making sure everyone else stays on their feet. that’s more important anyway.” a small, quiet smile followed. “but… having someone to talk to, is good too."

cosima tilted her head, a lazy grin curling across her lips as she looked up from her notebook. “awfully brave of you,” she countered smoothly, “assuming i’d bother lying about something as trivial as that.” her pen twirled between her fingers before tapping twice against the page, as if to punctuate the thought. “though, i’ll admit — most people who try to keep up with me usually aren't able to.” she leaned back slightly in her chair, eyes glinting with something between amusement and challenge. “a journalist, hm? that explains the sharp tongue.” a pause, then a quiet hum. “you can include me if you want, though i can’t promise i’ll make your article any kinder.” her gaze flicked to his cup before returning to him. “and as for your question — coffee shops are neutral ground. people talk more freely here. besides, the caffeine helps me tolerate overly curious strangers.” a beat. her grin deepened. “lucky for you, i’m feeling generous today.”

jo wasn’t used to this — the teasing, the ease, the gentle warmth that came with someone wanting to make her laugh. it had been so long since anyone tried. so long since she’d let anyone close enough to even try. but claudia’s laugh was contagious, and against her better judgment, she found herself smiling — really smiling. “pickles are… definitely a choice, don't get me wrong i love pickles.” she said, voice light but uncertain, as if testing the sound of humor in her own mouth. “gelato though? that’s just—no. that’s cruel.” her laugh came quiet but real, and for once, it didn’t sound like it was pulled out of her by force. she looked over, their fingers still loosely twined, and something in her chest tightened. the instinct to pull back was strong — that little voice whispering don’t do this, you’ll just lose her too. but she didn’t move. not yet. when claudia spoke again, jo tilted her head, eyes softening. “you’d… really wanna do that? spoil me?” the words were half a question, half disbelief. no one had said something like that to her in years — not without wanting something back. she smiled, small and bashful, but this time it reached her eyes. “guess i should try to win, then. can’t let you do all the spoiling, can i?”

“it  tastes  like  perfume,  right ? ”  she  scrunched  her  nose,  “like  walking  into  the  autumn  section  in  bath  and  bodyworks.  i  know  what  you  mean.  i  just  can't  help  but  want  to  taste  it  and  feel  the  warmth  and  the  spice  of  the  winter  months.  it's  a  transition,  and  it  means  i  get  to  pull  some  of  my  sexy  cold  weather  boots  out  from  the  back  of  my  closet.”  she  couldn't  feel  the  cold  anymore,  but  the  very  least  she  could  do  was  try  and  enjoy  it.  ender  was  going  to  be  around  for  a  long  time,  she  had  said  goodbye  to  her  ticket  out  of  purgatory  and  chosen  to  remain  in  portum  instead.  enjoying  the  scenery  would  make  the  rest  of  her  existence  all  the  more  palatable.  “it's  spooky  season  all  year  round  in  this  place.  i'm  not  sure  i'm  quite  used  to  it  yet.”

jo let out a small hum of agreement, her lips quirking into something between a smile and a grin. “yeah… it really does. like someone melted down a handful of scented candles and said, ‘drink up.’” she shook her head, amused despite herself. “but… i get it,” she added after a moment, quieter now. “it’s not really about the taste, is it? it’s about what it feels like. that little bit of warmth that kinda tricks you into thinking things are okay.” her thumb traced the outline of her sleeves. eyes focused anywhere but ender’s face. for someone who’d spent so long keeping her distance, the company felt… nice. maybe too nice. that tiny, familiar voice in the back of her mind whispered that she should pull back before it hurt later. before she lost someone else. “those boots sound nice, though,” she added after a beat, a small smile tugging at her lips. “i don’t think i’ve had a reason to pull mine out in a while.” the thought lingered — of cold mornings and laughter and the sound of leaves underfoot — but she shook it away gently. a pause. a soft laugh. “spooky season or not… it took me time too.”

juniper   felt   a   slight   twinge   in   her   stitches   as   she   raised   her   arms   over   her   head.   there   still   was   some   healing   left   to   be   done   ,   it   seemed.   ophelia's   words   made   her   think.   she'd   never   fashioned   herself   as   a   mindful   consumer   ,   but   maybe   that   was   a   shoe   that   fit.   the   shelf   clicked   into   place   and   juniper   rolled   her   shoulder   with   a   satisfied   smile   on   her   face.   "it'll   take   more   than   a   few   grunts   to   take   us   out."   she   grabbed   a   pair   of   soft   ,   worn   leather   gloves   that   looked   perfect   for   her   sister   and   put   them   on   the   counter   for   later.   "anything   new   you   wanna   sell   me   on   ,   fee   ?"

ophelia’s laugh came softly, like wind chimes stirring in a quiet breeze. “you make it sound like i’m always scheming to empty your pockets,” they teased, leaning lightly against the counter. their eyes flicked toward the gloves, then back to juniper with a faint grin. “though i suppose i can’t argue too much — i do have a few new things tucked away that might just call your name.” they gestured toward a small shelf behind them, half-hidden under a lace-draped cloth. “a few pieces came in from the coast — bits of coral, driftwood carved smooth by the tide. they’re not much, but they hum with something old. the kind of things that remember where they’ve been.” their tone softened, fond and knowing. “you’ve always been good at finding meaning in small things.”

             "one   step   at   a   time   ,   right   ?"   nila   asked   ,   smiling   softly   at   ophelia's   statement.   nila   shared   their   sentiment   ,   believed   it   fully   ,   if   she   was   being   honest.   "i   know   that   a   lot   of   people   think   it's   a   farce   and   that   it   won't   help   anyone.   but   i   think   that   we   need   hope   and   community   now   more   than   ever."   nila   locked   their   arms   together   and   led   ophelia   toward   the   vendors.   "i   bet   we   can   find   something   cute   to   put   on   our   fridges   to   support   the   stores   ,   don't   you   ?"

ophelia let themself be guided, their steps unhurried as they moved alongside nila. “hope keeps the threads from unraveling,” they murmured, glancing at the passing stalls lined with bright ribbons and trinkets. “and community reminds us we’re not alone in trying to mend them.” their gaze lingered on a small stand of handmade charms, each one shaped slightly differently, imperfect but full of care. a smile curved their lips. “something for the fridge sounds perfect,” they said. “like the perfect thing to support the town with."

ophelia glanced over, a faint smile tugging at their lips. “perhaps,” they said, voice soft, “some things just prefer a quiet corner where they can stay put.” they straightened, brushing a bit of dust from their palms. “everything here has feelings,” they added, voice calm and steady. “even if it doesn’t look like it. objects carry memories, echoes of the hands that touched them, the places they’ve been. i think that’s why they sometimes resist being moved -- even if it's cracked it's beautiful in it's own way,” that much she was absolutely certain of. "i worry not about it being cracked, it will always have a place in my store --that is until the right person comes along, who can't bare to leave it here."

“ enjoying yourself ? ” cris asks, turning at the movement in xyr peripheral vision.

ophelia’s gaze swept over the crowd, taking in the bursts of laughter and movement without stepping fully into it. “i suppose,” they said softly, voice steady, “there’s a kind of comfort in seeing people reclaim their joy.” they inclined their head slightly toward the other. “it doesn’t matter where you stand,” they added, smile tugging at their lips. “even from here, you can witness it — the small sparks that remind us things are still worth celebrating. i think this what we all needed.”

             serena's   words   made   maren   feel   a   lot   better.   far   too   often   she'd   heard   snide   comments   about   her   intelligence   ,   or   the   lack   thereof.   at   the   loud   encouragement   maren   sat   up   a   bit   straighter   ,   smiling   even   though   the   letters   danced   on   the   page.   "i   think   you're   right   ,"   she   nodded   and   smoothed   out   the   page.   "my   twin   loves   reading   and   i   just   want   to   be   able   to   tell   him   that   i've   read   a   book   by   myself."   the   thought   of   jasper's   face   as   she   began   talking   about   a   book   was   thrilling.   "maybe   the   most   important   part   is   just   finding   joy   in   it   again."

serena’s smile was soft, bright, the kind that made you feel like everything was going to be okay. “that sounds wonderful,” she said quietly, eyes lingering on maren with genuine warmth. “i think your twin would be proud of you… and finding joy in it again, is good..” she paused for a moment, tilting her head slightly. “reading can be such a gift, even just for yourself. it’s okay to take your time and enjoy it…you deserve that.”

serena blinked, small and quiet, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup. “i… i guess you’re kind of right,” she said softly, her eyes flicking to claudia for a moment before dropping back. “i’ve always been a little scared of letting people get too close… afraid of losing them, i think.” she let out a quiet sigh, a mix of surprise and thoughtfulness. “maybe that’s why I drift sometimes… not because i don’t want to stay, just… i’m not sure how.”

mason  would  have  been  lying  if  he  said  that  he  hadn’t  been  waiting  for  a  moment  to  get  serena  alone.  she  looked  even  more  beautiful  in  the  waning  light,  with  a  smile  across  her  face,  and  he  knew  that  he  wouldn’t  mind  splitting  the  winnings  with  her  —  in  fact,  he  would  have  preferred  it  to  going  to  half  of  those  establishments  alone.  acting  mock-offended,  he  pressed  a  hand  to  his  chest.  “you  wouldn’t  want  to  get  matching  ink  with  me ?  oh,  come  on,  i  know  a  whole  flock  of  people  that  would  jump  at  the  chance.  a  lot  of  people  already  have  me  tattooed  on  them,  you  know.”  he  had  seen  them  online,  whole  back  pieces  of  solid  black,  the  mothman  gazing  out  with  red  eyes  from  the  shoulders  of  fans.  “i  knew  i’d  be  able  to  convince  you.  i’ll  try  and  win  you  something  on  one  of  these  games  to  say  thank  you.”  

serena’s laugh came softly, bright and warm. “matching ink… with you?” she teased, eyes sparkling as she glanced at him. “that’s… a pretty big step. let me think on it, how does that sound?” her smile lingered, soft and happy. “but… winning something together? that sounds really nice. and i think i’d like… getting to spend a little more time with you,” she added, voice gentle, a little playful, like she was letting him in on a secret.she tilted her head, a little grin tugging at her lips. “oh, and i was thinking… maybe i want a big stuffed animal too.” she said, eyes shining, the words full of quiet excitement and delight.

             it   wasn’t   a   complete   fix.   nila   had   been   staring   at   the   statue   since   its   unveiling   ,   eyes   tracing   the   twisting   forms   of   the   figures   reaching   toward   one   another   —   hands   outstretched   ,   caught   between   lifting   and   holding   on.   it   was   beautiful   in   a   way   that   hurt.   it   didn’t   fix   what   had   happened.   nothing   really   could. but   it   was   something.   a   start.   a   promise   carved   into   stone   that   people   wouldn’t   forget   ,   not   entirely.   nila   hoped   they   wouldn’t   ,   anyway.   memory   had   a   way   of   fading   when   life   grew   easy   again.   when   markets   reopened   ,   when   laughter   filled   the   streets   ,   when   the   ache   of   loss   became   less   convenient   to   remember. both   the   scent   and   form   of   someone   familiar   appeared   in   their   peripheral   ,   and   nila   felt   their   mood   lift   instantly.   “hi   ,   love   ,”   she   called   softly,   breaking   from   her   thoughts   as   she   stepped   forward   ,   arms   wrapping   tightly   around   her   friend.   the   embrace   lingered   ,   more   out   of   need   than   habit.   “you   look   great   ,”   they   said   ,   pulling   back   just   enough   to   study   the   other’s   face.   “how   are   you   doing   …   after   everything   ?”

ophelia returned the hug with a slow, steady warmth, letting nila’s arms fall naturally before they stepped back just enough to meet their gaze. “i’m holding up,” they said softly, voice calm but firm. “more than i thought i would, honestly.” they gestured toward the statue, eyes lingering on its twisting forms. “it doesn’t fix anything,” they admitted, “but it’s a start. a reminder that things can be put back together, even if not perfectly. but perfectly isnt needed.” their gaze flicked back to nila, a faint smile tugging at their lips. “we’ll get through it, bit by bit. and we won’t forget — not entirely. not if we remember to notice the little things along the way.”