fireproof.

[ADELAIDE KANE] — Have you seen PIPER DUVAL walking around? They’re a THIRTY-ONE year old CIS WOMAN with SHE/HER pronouns. They supposedly live in SOUTH ROSECASTLE and currently work as a MUSEUM CURATOR. Rumor has it, Rosecastle PD says they’re UNINVOLVED when it comes to the case. I guess that makes sense, considering they’re LEVEL-HEADED, GREGARIOUS. Though, if you ask around, some would say they’re also TIMID, WITHDRAWN.

Cassian stumbled back slightly at the collision, eyes wide. But he was unharmed, of course. It wasn’t like this woman was a brick wall or anything. “’Sir’?” He smirked a little at that, simply watching her as she stuttered, hand moving to wave off her concern. “Oh, come on. There’s no need for any of that, I promise. Nobody got hurt, I mean-you didn’t get hurt, right?” He looked her over, just to be sure. “Maybe just…ease up on the phone usage, yeah?”

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At this point, Piper’s face was one shade off from being fire engine red. Had she been able to crawl into a nearby cave, surely she would have. “I-I... It was rude of me, so I need to apologize.” At first, his simple hand wave made her wince a bit. Typically, she would have been more in control over those responses, but she was on high alert due to completely embarrassing herself. “I didn’t get hurt, no, sir.” Silently, the brunette crouched down to pick her phone off of the ground. “I’ll try,” she said with a weary smile as she stood back up. “I was attempting to cram a review of my notes in before my next presentation. Not all of us can be calm, cool, and collected in front of strangers.” 

Emery couldn’t help but blush, feeling rather embarrassed that the woman was being so kind to him. “No, I mean–yeah, it was getting to a really exciting part, but uh, I shouldn’t be distracted during work,” he said, letting out a nervous chuckle. He did brighten up when she asked for a recommendation. “Well–I highly recommend this serious,” he said, holding up the book he was just reading. “If you like modern fantasy and found family stuff, The Raven Cycle is a good one. Uhm, if that’s not your thing, I’ve read plenty from various genres, so like, lots of recs up here.” He pointed at his head, before mentally slapping himself. Why was he so embarrassing?

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"That's silly," she said softly. "I get distracted at work all of the time. I can't tell you how often I find myself going back to read the old lighthouse keepers' journals, or getting lost in the atlases. It's endearing, it shows you're doing exactly what you should be." Typically Piper didn't speak this much unless she felt comfortable, but there was just something about Emery that didn't feel threatening or menacing. She couldn't help but smile at his mannerisms. Though she hoped her smile came off as an appreciative grin rather than a mocking one. "Modern isn't exactly my cup of tea. I guess I like things that are more high fantasy. More Tolkien, less Meyer, if that makes sense?"

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Kieran nodded and smiled at the woman. “Oh, we definitely have chocolate chip muffins. I made some myself.” He walked over to grab a few. “They for Ryder?” Kieran asked her politely. “He’s gettin’ pretty big these days.” Kieran commented. He noticed her nervousness and smiled. “Don’t worry about them, they can fuckin’ wait.” He said, shooting daggers at a few of the regulars. Sometimes being an Anderson had some perks… Definitely made people afraid of you. 

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Kieran’s demeanor about the situation put Piper a little more at ease. Taking a deep breath, she simply nodded to answer his question. “He’s been good this week, so we have to get him a treat.” The mother smiled down at her son, winking at him. “I wish they were all like you,” she stated before looking back up at him. “People in this town. I-- You’re a good man, Mr. Anderson, and a talented baker. We could use a few more people like you.” 

Piper was always excited when spring time rolled around. Warmer days, better weather, and of course it mean the farmer’s market would be open. This was the time of year she could get fresh rhubarb and spinach, two of Ryder’s favorites. She was so busy looking for exactly what she wanted, she didn’t notice some sort of strange, slimy substance on the ground. As usual, when she didn’t pay attention, Piper slipped. Her first instinct was to grab onto something - in this case, it was a stranger’s arm. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she said repeatedly as her face grew more and more red. “I hope I didn’t hurt you. I really am sorry.” 

Growing up in Rosecastle had it’s advantages and disadvatanges. On one hand, almost everyone had heard about the abuse Piper had suffered in her younger years. On the other hand, however, she had met some amazing people through going to school with their children. JR Navarro was one of them. She had grown to truly adore and trust him as though he was her own father. It had been a few weeks since she had last spent time with him, which was the main reason she had found herself at his home. 

She had found herself feeling more anxious than usual as of late, though she had chalked it up to the killings. Still, as soon as she saw his face, a part of Piper calmed. A warm feeling of safety and security washed over her. “I’ve missed you,” she said, leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek. “By the way, this is from Ry.” There was a small piece of paper, folded in half in her hand. Usually, Ryder would accompany her, but this time she had ‘grown up’ things to discuss. So, instead, he sent her with a drawing of colorful scribbles to give to ‘Papa J’. 

It wasn’t often that Piper found herself on the college campus. She wasn’t exactly a fan - there were too many people, too many places to get lost. She was there only to give a presentation on Rosecastle’s maritime history to one of the history classes. She had been walking to the courtyard with her nose in her phone, reading her notes before the next presentation when she collided with someone. An audible gasp slipped from her lips as she stumbled backwards. “I... I am so sorry, sir. I should have been more careful.” Her face began to turn a warm pink as she reached out to dust off his shirt, as though she had tarnished him in some way. Furrowing her brow, she took a step back and placed her face in her hands. “Fuck,” she mumbled below her breath. “I’m sorry for everything.”