stitched together with good intentions

Saaliha recognized the voice before she could turn around… but it certainly wasn’t a voice she expected to hear. A slight chill ran through her body with the realization that it was Shona she had just mistook for one of her roommates. “I’m sorry, Shona I assumed you were Jack or Zane…” she trailed off, a soft exhale escaping her lips as she prepared herself for the other girl’s mischief.

Saal wasn’t naive by any means, but she did always try to see the good in people. That being said, she had a feeling Shona’s answer was mostly just an attempt to scare her… but she also didn’t doubt the girl’s rather pyromaniacal desires. Either way, Saaliha couldn’t help her instincts in closing her journal and pulling it protectively in her lap. The last thing she wanted was for her inner thoughts, feelings, etc. to be used as kindling, or worse… to become Shona’s next read. “A legal answer would have been more appreciated, but I suppose beggars can’t be choosers… Don’t you have any more amiable ambitions?” she asked, trying her best to pull some kindness out of the other girl. “Orphaned dolphins? I’ve never even seen the ocean… although if I was presented with the opportunity I don’t think I would say no.” Disregarding Shona’s sarcasm, Saal contemplated the idea anyway. “Oh I have too many that I can’t figure out where to start. Just trying to make up for lost time.”

“Tragic for them as I’m way hotter than both of ‘em.” Shona sighed as she dumped her body onto the space next to Saal with a abrupt thump, slapping her own thighs. Ugh Jack and Zane, how boring and awful her life must be only having two idiot boys as company. Oh.. that sounded a little familiar, perhaps that was why Shona seemed to be so invested in Saaliha. Maybe the girls had more in common than she thought. “You don’t have to sound so disappointed about that either. Me and you could have more fun together than they could.”

Shona rolled her eyes and scoffed at Saaliha’s commitment to being good and sweet, if they were just fucking around with hypothetical dreams or scenarios why the hell couldn’t she dream of setting fire? It’s not like she would judge Saaliha for having something similar in mind. “There is literally nothing I can say that will give you any kind of peace. But while we’re talkin’ about ambitions you think i’d be a better leader than Mayor Reed, right?” Shona asked with a playful grin. She’d known Mason was close with Jack, but not where Saaliha fell into the social circle of men with adequate ideas. “The ocean is full of deep trenches, fish with big teeth who live in darkness and giant kraken starved for the taste of human flesh! You should totally take a trip to see it.” Shona shook her head at Saalhia’s musings. “You can’t bring back shit you lost. You just have to move on or else you’ll be unhappy forever. And that’s my thing so-- what’s first on that list?”

It felt as if the cogs in Shona's head were practically ticking out loud. Saaliha could tell the girl was hoping for more of a bite to her prior remark than she gave her. Regardless, she definitely wasn't anticipating Shona's next comment. "Mayor?" Saal repeated in surprise. "Wow, I had no idea you'd be interested in such a position." Mason Reed was a worry wort indeed, but he really cared about this town. Sometimes too much so for his own well being. "Thats very cool! But if you want my honest opinion, I think you already are a leader, Shona. Though something tells me that arson wouldn't be very beneficial for your future campaign," she giggled. Her smile only widened at the other girl's attempt to scare her. Saaliha never was afraid of monsters. At least not the literal kind. "Oh, I'm sure krakens are seriously misunderstood creatures. Encountering one would definitely be a sight, but I wouldn't want to disturb it's peace." Saal hummed softly in amusement at the thought, but her smile faded as she re-opened her journal. Turning to the page she was originally on, she tore it from the book and handed it to Shona. It was blank.

Hands in his pockets, Fillmore nodded. Cool, she was chill with whatever. He didn’t want to have offended her right away, that wouldn’t be very cool of him. Fillmore shook her hand, grinning, and filing her name away with half the town’s. Once he had a name, he kept it. He had a memory for names, at least. “Saaliha, huh? That’s pretty, what language is it? If it is one.” Sounded Arabic, maybe? He wasn’t exactly a linguist, though, and guessing out loud was just rude. “And it’s super hard to pick just one, it honestly depends on the day. Today is vegetable biryani. Tomorrow’ll probably be some kind of veggie burger.” He’d been thinking about grilling for about half the day, after he’d got an after-lunch craving. The curse of being around food all day.

Fillmore's compliment and following question pulled her eyes back to him. "Oh, well thank you! I believe it's Arabic. My mom picked it when I was born, and my father liked it because it meant 'useful and virtuous,'" she chuckled half-heartedly at the memory. "Hopefully I can live up to that now in Evermore." At the mention of the food, Saaliha hummed in acknowledgment of his choices, "Mmm, biryani is delicious! You're going to have my stomach talking soon. It must be so nice going to work everyday knowing you're doing something you're passionate about," she sighed wistfully, wondering if she'd feel like that someday.

Saaliha tried to busy her eyes with occupying something else in the room other than Luis, but it was hard when she could practically feel him staring. Ultimately her self consciousness got the better of her, and the girl began to roll down the sleeves of her shirt a little ways past her wrists to cover some of her scars. She was surprised she hadn’t done that before leaving the pharmacy, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it as her thoughts were interrupted. “That’s because it’s not,” she chuckled half-heartedly, “delivery isn’t something the pharmacy typically offers. Ramone’s known the owner for years and just happens to be charming and insistent enough that he gets special treatment from time to time.” Saal smiled softly to herself thinking about how loud he always is when the man comes to the store himself. “Oh, no thank you. I have to make sure I see these to him myself, prescriptions are a rather private business after all. Plus, I imagine it would be a little strange if you were to give this him. That would be like if I were here to give you a tattoo,” she joked unsuccessfully, hoping he took no offense to that.

.

As she started rolling down her sleeves, Luis absentmindedly reached out, grabbing her wrist with an uncharacteristic gentleness. “You don’t have to do that.” There was an inherent ugliness to Luis that came from being what he was but he’d moved past wanting to hide that, the urge to hide anything less than savory was something he could understand, but it didn’t have to be that way. And when it came to Saaliha, he wanted her to know it wasn’t something she had to be embarrassed of. His hand lingered only for a moment before he let it fall, “ah, I see. That makes sense. Ramone’s always got a way to get special treatment.” And he didn’t mean it in a negative way, the man had a way about him and Luis couldn’t deny it either. Shrugging, he gave her a noncommittal look. “I’d let you try, you seem like the kind of person who would try to do it right, probably’d come out better than some of the people here.” He chuckled, knowing he personally only trusted a couple of the artists to not fuck it up. “Even if you were fucking horrible, worse things have happened than a bad tattoo. But -” he started, holding up his hands in surrender, “I get it. Don’t want to trust me with something so precious. Why would ya.”

— Blue Iris, Mary Oliver   

for; @ragdollsaal​ (oh my god they were roommates) 

Zane wandered down the quiet hallway leaving Jack to solitude in his study, until he stopped in front of Saaliha’s door slightly ajar. Knocking rhythmically on the door he peaked his head into the room and cleared his throat. “Hey Saal!” he began, awkwardly fumbling with his hands. “The uh– kettle is hot if you could be tempted with tea before bed? Mavis gave me some pastries from the hotel too. You interested?”