𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 / 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄.

head  falls  back  as  he  guffaws  with  laughter,  quick  to  push  himself  up  and  take  the  camera  from  her.  it's  stuffed  back  into  his  pocket,  hand  falling  to  her  waist  as  they  walk.  "okay,  okay,  i'm  done,  I  PROMISE,"  they  both  know  he  has  more  shitty  jokes  where  that  came  from,  but  he  wasn't  going  to  push  her  buttons  any  further.  didn't  want  to  end  up  wearing  the  world's  worst  pajamas  because  he  liked  to  play  too  much.  "do  you  have  a  vision  for  our  pajamas,  or  are  we  going  on  vibes  ?"  looks  down  toward  her,  nodding  to  the  carts  by  the  front  door.  "and  if  i  don't  grab  one  of  those  now  ...  AM  I  GONNA  REGRET  IT  LATER  ?"

his accusation only deepened the color in her cheeks, lips pulling into a frown. winter wouldn't go that far, but she also wouldn't tell him that with her words. however, she's sure it's written all over her face for anyone that knew her as well as marco did. her lips pursed before she answered, well aware of the cards she flashed as she rambled. “well, half the internet says he's working on a sequel and the other half is a little more skeptical. actually, it's probably not half; probably closer to a seventy-thirty split. but, um, he hasn't actually said anything…so…” she could hear the disappointment in his voice and redirected her gaze back to dissolving sea foam. “i didn't go looking for him this time, i promise. he's just here.” and seemed to be lurking in every corner. “how are you, by the way? is it better or worse to be back here?” 

his  resolve  softens  as  he  takes  in  winter's  body  language,  doing  his  best  to  shift  his  mindset  from  defensive  over  her  to  gentle  with  her  feelings.  he  could  only  imagine  how  disorenting  the  whole  situation  was,  especially  after  so  much  time  had  passed.  "A  SEQUEL  ?"  head  pulls  back  an  inch,  features  contorting  as  he  takes  it  all  in.  what  motive  could  the  man  possibly  have  to  re  -  open  the  wound  all  these  years  later  ?  hadn't  he  done  enough  to  play  with  winter's  mind  ?  "let's  not  pretend  he  would  say  anything  if  he  were,"  he  scoffs,  keeping  his  tone  even.  "correct  me  if  i'm  wrong,  but  he  didn't  tell  you  the  first  time,  did  he  ?"  head  tilts,  worry  growing  in  his  eyes  as  he  watches  her  look  toward  the  ocean.  "i  know  you  didn't,"  hand  reaches  out  to  squeeze  at  her  shoulder,  giving  a  soft  shake.  "i  just  get  protective  over  you,  THAT'S  ALL,"  corners  of  his  lips  tick  upward  briefly,  then  back  downward  with  her  question,  shoulders  heaving  with  a  deep  sigh.  "better,  i  think.  strange  that  so  much  has  changed,  but  then  again,  nothing  at  all  ?"  looks  out  to  the  water  himself,  now,  palms  pressed  into  his  thighs.  "at  the  very  least,  it's  nice  to  be  with  everyone  i  love.  and,  somewhere  that  he  had  very  little  influence  over."  because  more  than  anything,  marco  couldn't  bear  to  be  in  a  place  that  was  shaped  by  life  with  his  ex  -  husband.  "i  started  seeing  someone,"  he  drops,  like  it's  no  big  deal.  "IT'S  CASUAL."

"only  factual  reviews  are  taken  seriously,  but  i  admire  your  commitment,"  still  smiling,  just  in  case  any  other  customers  are  peering  in  on  the  conversation.  the  last  thing  he  needed  was  to  give  her  bad  reviews  any  foundation,  willing  to  at  least  keep  appearances  up,  even  if  the  words  they  exchanged  were  biting.  he's  not  sure  if  she'll  order  anything,  or  if  his  energy  would  be  wasted  on  her  throwing  it  away  immediately,  but  the  thought  is  placed  to  the  back  of  his  mind  as  he  presses  both  palms  into  the  small  counter  behind  the  window.  "THEY  DO,"  he  nods  curtly,  "and  you  could  too,  if  you  opened  your  heart.  did  you  want  to  order  something  ?"

“What book?” he asked, genuinely curious. It had been a while since he read for fun. Maybe this was a sign for him to join that book club he kept seeing flyers for. “Hmm… probably just a few minutes.” That was a perk of living in the same neighborhood. He wanted to tell Marco to come to him, so he could give his bitch of a neighbor a taste of her own medicine, but that wasn’t healthy or productive. “No need for that. I’m not a champagne fan.” That was a bold-faced lie, but a lie he needed to tell to protect himself and his sobriety.

“the  midnight  library,”  one  of  his  favorites,  he's  lost  count  of  how  many  times  he's  read  it,  especially  in  recent  months.  the  underlying  hope  of  it  all  spoke  to  him  each  time,  but  he'd  had  enough  melancholy  for  a  lifetime,  and  a  night  with  russell  was  sounding  exponentially  better  than  yet  another  reread.  “let  me  take  those  few  minutes  to  freshen  up  then,”  he  chuckles,  tone  teasing  though  he  does  stand  up  immediately,  heading  to  the  washroom  to  make  sure  he  looks  better  than  he  feels.  “not  a  problem,”  without  a  beat,  “i've  got  plenty  of  other  FUN  BEVERAGE  CHOICES,  but  i'm  sure  that'll  be  the  least  of  our  worries.”

as soon as he pushed them over, the deck was in her hands, nose pointed in the air. “i'm not scared,” she shook her head, smirk pulling at one corner of her lips, “but you should be.” fingers deftly sorted her hand before brown eyes settled on marco, free hand dropping to one of the cards centered between them. any nerves she had when they first met were long gone — and thank god. one less windsor sibling she felt she needed to win over. “i'm pretty good — young, spry, quick.” her smirk sharpened, eyes glinting with swallowed laughter. “sure you wanna risk it?” 

he  scoffs  immediately  at  her  threat,  making  a  show  of  pretending  to  shake  with  his  cards.  "i'm  terrified,"  he  teases,  hand  dropping  to  the  other  center  card  as  his  eyes  narrow  at  her.  "did  you  just  call  me  old  ?"  head  tilts,  a  half  crazed  chuckle  leaving  him  as  he  gets  himself  into  game  mode.  "it's  really  on,  now,"  he  promises,  any  fear  of  scolding  from  elias  gone  out  the  window.  marco  knew  they  were  close,  didn't  want  want  his  competitive  side  to  get  in  the  way  of  their  friendship  (  or  his  own,  for  that  matter  ).  "what's  life  without  a  little  risk  ?"  he  asks,  nodding  toward  her  as  he  flips  the  center  card,  NO  WARNING.

this  whole  thing  was  a  lot  more  overwhelming  than  star  had  initially  thought  that  it  would  be.  they'd  hoped  that  they'd  be  able  to  pick  up  something  fairly  quickly  after  she  dropped  off  her  things  ...  apparently  it  was  just  wishful  thinking.  "  i  don't  even  know  what  i  was  looking  for.  maybe  having  a  purpose  will  help  a  little  more...  "  though  it  was  difficult.  there  were  so  many  things  that  star  would  want  but  without  knowing  what  would  be  there,  she  had  no  idea  what  to  really  look  for.  "  i  think  i  saw  a  nice  looking  journal  over  there  somewhere...  i  can  try  and  find  it  again  for  you,  if  you  want?  "

"i  don't  know  what  we  were  really  expecting  from  pack  rat  day,"  he  laughs  heartily,  picking  up  the  fifteenth  cookbook  he  doesn't  need  and  placing  it  right  back  down.  perks  up  at  their  find,  brows  raising  as  he  nods.  "yeah,  i'll  go  with  you.  maybe  i  just  need  to  start  searching  through  a  new  corner,  see  if  anything  SPARKS  JOY,"  fingers  wave  in  the  air  as  he  says  it,  though  he  doesn't  know  if  swapping  one  piece  of  junk  for  another  was  exactly  marie  kondo's  intention.  "you  don't  have  anything  in  mind  for  yourself,  though  ?  not  even  a  little  idea  ?"

starter: marco ( @pastlifc ) location: marco's home

despite  having  nothing  to  go  by  other  than  a  blurry  figure  behind  his  doorlight,  marco  knows  that  it's  luke  on  the  other  side  of  the  door.  call  it  BROTHERLY  INTUITON  (  or  the  fact  that  they  were  very  much  on  rocky  waters  ),  but  he  just  had  a  hunch  that  when  he  opened  it,  he  would  be  faced  with  the  exact  person  he'd  been  avoiding.  one  hand  runs  through  his  curls,  heaving  a  deep  sigh  as  he  walks  toward  the  door.  he  considered  not  answering,  only  for  a  second,  but  knew  he  couldn't  do  that  to  luke.  that  he  wouldn't  be  able  to  forgive  himself  if  he  did.  so,  he  swings  the  door  open  begrudingly,  looking  him  over  and  assessing  the  gift  back  before  meeting  his  eyes,  clearly  unimpressed.  “hello.”

praise, though unfamiliar, was always welcome…even if winter never really knew what to do with it once she got it. she smiled softly, and took a bite at the same time as bea. “oh, god,” she laughed lightly behind her hand. her head shook as she finished her bite, mind flooding with stories. none of which felt like appropriate lunch talk. “i treated a birthday clown once, full garb and everything. i guess one of the kids swung a little too hard for the piñata. and then accidentally let go, it hit his face. if i'm remembering, his shoes squeaked as he walked through the halls.” 

the  image  of  a  broken  birthday  clown  squeaking  his  way  down  the  halls  to  winter  was  enough  to  make  bea  burst  into  laughter,  surely  catching  a  few  of  the  patrons  near  them  off  guard.  hand  raises  immediately  to  cover  her  bite,  still  chuckling  as  she  composes  herself.  “that's  priceless,”  although,  she's  sure  the  clown  didn't  find  it  funny  at  the  time.  “so  sorry  to  him,  but  that's  why  you're  a  nurse  and  I'M  NOT,”  she  simply  wasn't  cut  out  for  it,  and  commended  anyone  that  was.  “it's  been  so  fun  having  lunch  with  you,  by  the  way.  i'm  so  sad  it  has  to  end,”  she  laughs  softly,  knowing  it's  silly,  and  smiling  over  at  her  new  friend.

honey's  hopeful  optimism  for  bea's  future  rubs  off  on  her  immediately,  beaming  right  back  at  her.  she'd  never  considered  creative  director  as  a  career  option  for  herself,  but  the  more  she  thought  about  it,  the  more  it  made  sense  as  a  back  up  plan  for  her.  BEA  LOVED  TO  BE  IN  CHARGE.  "has  anyone  ever  told  you  that  you  have  a  brilliant  mind  ?"  head  tilted  as  she  asked,  less  worried  about  their  plans  gone  awry  now  and  more  happy  just  to  spend  time  with  her  friend.  "yeah,"  she  nods,  pulling  out  her  phone  immediately  and  clicking  to  his  instagram.  picks  her  favorite  of  the  first  few,  though  his  shades  block  his  eyes,  and  hands  it  over  to  honey.  "i  get  you  though,  i  swear  i  meet  someone  new  every  week.  it  wasn't  like  this  before  people  stared  giving  a  fuck  about  the  festival  again  though,"  she  hums,  reminiscing  on  the  times  before  her  town  became  a  revolving  door  for  tourists  once  more.  "i'm  sure  you've  at  least  seen  him  around  !  he  goes  to  like,  ALL  THE  EVENTS."

the moment she heard bea's voice, her eyes flickered around a living room that does not belong to her, heart hammering against her ribcage. “hi,” she repeated, floundering and desperately hoping it goes over their hangover heads. “i'm not home…or at work.” one hand lifted to her brows as she cleared her throat. “um…how important? is the greasy food?”  / @pastlifc

she's  not  entirely  sure  how  winnie's  going  to  get  out  of  whatever she's got going on,  but  it's  not  on  the  top  of  her  mind  as  she  continues  to  whine  into  the  phone's  receiver.  "PLEEEEASE,  pretty  please  !!  i'll  owe  you  a  big  one  and  i  won't  try  to  cop  out  of  it,  i  promise  !"  because  the  pounding  in  her  head  was  simply  too  much  to  bear,  and  she's  sure  vada's  was  too.  looks  over  to  vada  with  a  triumphant  glint  in  her  eyes,  perking  up  in  the  bed.  "we'll  even  order  something  for  YOU  !!" / @k1tschs

Where: The Taproom Who: Peter & Beatriz ( @pastlifc )

it's  been  a  slow  night  at  the  taproom,  bea's  favorite  kind,  sat  behind  the  bar  on  a  stool  she'd  stolen  from  the  other  side,  scrolling  through  her  phone  with  no  cares  in  the  world.  the  current  patrons  are  regulars,  all  content  to  keep  themselves  busy  and  sip  slowly.  that  is,  until  peter  walks  in,  bea  perking  up  in  her  seat  and  setting  her  phone  down  on  the  cooler  next  to  her.  "hey  !"  she  greets,  tone  all  too  cheery  despite  the  otherwise  chill  nature  of  the  bar.  takes  a  moment  to  mull  over  his  request,  can't  say  that  she's  gotten  it  before.  "we  don't,  not  OFFICIALLY  at  least,"  she  laughs,  pushing  herself  up  now  and  patting  herself  on  the  back  for  the  small  keurig  she'd  convinced  blue  to  buy  for  the  break  room.  "i  might  be  able  to  sneak  you  some  of  our  goods,  though.  depends  on  how  good  at  telling  stories  you  are  ?"

she's  not  sure  what  it  is  about  this  birthday  and  this  gift  that  have  brett  painting  himself  in  a  new  light,  but  she's  basking  in  it,  letting  his  warmth  reflect  in  her  smile.  eyes  linger  on  him,  which  is  normal,  what's  not  is  the  softness  in  which  he  looks  back,  the  way  he  admits  he  LOVES  IT.  she  doesn't  like  to  admit  how  much  of  her  confidence  hinges  on  his  reception  of  her,  but  after  so  many  years  of  chasing  after  his  attention,  the  two  were  bound  to  be  dependent  on  each  other.  "good,  IT  WAS  HARD  TO  FIND,"  she  teases,  turning  back  toward  the  bar  now  as  her  beer  is  placed  in  front  of  her.  is  quick  to  pick  it  up,  tapping  the  neck  against  his  half  finished  one  before  chugging  enough  to  match.  leans  toward  him,  making  a  show  of  taking  a  big  whiff.  "good  enough  for  now,"  a  playful  shrug,  squeezing  at  his  hand  as  they  rest  intwined  on  his  lap.  "but  if  i  didn't  get  it,  you'd  run  out,  then  you'd  be  REALLY  SMELLY,"  nose  scrunches,  head  turning  away  from  him  briefly  for  show.  turns  back  quickly,  tapping  the  bag  with  her  free  hand.  "there's  more  where  that  came  from,  slow  poke."

He should be used to Bea's dramatics by now, and it's not as if he isn't almost as bad himself, too. Only problem is, he's fairly sure for all of Bea's waved arms, she could actually believe he's hiding some deep, dark secrets, have lost what very little trust she has in him over this... Whatever this is. Nightmare? "I'm not hiding anything." His eyes roll almost to the back of his head, shoulders slumped. "What kind of— Bea, this thing isn't half my DNA, I didn't make anything! And I'm not ready to be a father!" God, he hopes no one can hear them, but his voice raises unintentionally and the tips of his ears burn. "Much less to a... What is this thing meant to be, anyway?"

she's  getting  emotional  now,  brows  drawing  together  as  he  speaks.  arms  cross  over  her  chest,  lips  turning  down  into  a  deep  frown.  she's  not  sure  what  she's  done  to  todd  for  him  to  treat  her  this  way,  but  she's  never  been  one  to  back  down,  either.  she  seeks  the  approval  of  others  more  than  she'd  like  to  admit,  and  the  fact  that  todd  was  outwardly  UNGRATEFUL  for  her  thoughtful  gift  was  a  punch  straight  to  her  ego.  "i  don't  believe  you,"  she  huffs,  turning  away  from  him,  arms  still  crossed.  "the  only  reason  you  would  act  like  this  is  if  you  already  promised  to  raise  a  labubu  with  someone  else,"  seriousness  is  evident  in  her  tone,  turning  back  toward  him.  "i've  already  told  you,  IT'S  A  LA  -  BU  -  BU,"  each  syllable  drawn  out,  both  index  fingers  meeting  thumbs  as  she  annunciates.  "are  you  not  listening  or  are  you  just  being  mean  on  purpose  ?"