disappears like smoke

      Gwen knew that Aftershock wasn’t exactly her niche of people despite the fact that the two majorities in the pub were common enemies. A simple human probably didn’t belong here, but if the place was anything Malcolm said it to be-- a place where you “took your shit outside”-- no one would confront her or even bat an eyelash that she wasn’t like the rest of them. She ordered her regular whiskey on the rocks, then pulled out her notepad, beginning to busy herself in her notes as she took sips of her drink here and there. Looking up from her pen for a moment, she caught the bar owner’s gaze from the bar and let out a chuckle. “Well, if it isn’t the man of the hour. I’m glad I finally got to see your place,” she said, a smile playing at her lips. 

     “Ah, you’re right,” Gwen recalled, now enlightened as she gave him a nod. “That is how I know you. But, um,” she had to clear her throat for a moment. After having only recently gotten the opportunity to extend her work from writing for the teleprompters to actually being on the screens now, she wasn’t used to being recognized. “Yeah,” she said, laughing lightly. “I’ve done a few segments. I’m Gwen.” She reached a hand out for him to shake. 

      Gwen had been sitting on some steps near Grant Park, people watching as she had her lunch outside of her office building, when she took notice of a young man across the street. She furrowed her brows, watching him disappear from one blink to another. “Hm,” she said aloud. Her gaze scanned the area for a quiet, emptier area where he could’ve gone to before tossing out the remains of her lunch and tracking the guy down. “You know, I’ve heard of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, but this just seems like an outright theft,” she spoke out, arms crossed as she watched the stranger from a closer distance. 

      Well, thank God she wasn’t holding coffee. The blonde looked up from regaining her balance and let out a chuckle, tucking her hair behind her ear before she looked at the man who’d been so adamant to catch her. “Yeah, I’m okay,” she reassured him, straightening out her skirt before meeting his gaze. Her eyes narrowed a bit. “You look familiar. Do we know each other?” She usually wasn’t the first person to point out that she recognized someone, but something about him seemed familiar. It had also been a long day for her at work, so maybe she was making things up in her head.