Scene Tangerine

yeah another pile of sketches

1 like and im drawing more of past Henry and Dave (im seeing y'all like that shit)

Abril Mart has to be one of the few places in town whose staff does not look at Dave weirdly.

Everything just seemed to fall through after Henry passed. To Dave, everyone ever since then either ignored her, pitied her, or kept a conscious distance from her, as if she was an extension of him.

She grew… okay with it over time. But it was nice to be treated ordinarily every once in a while.

Abril Mart was a somewhat dingy-looking market just off the busy, dense center of downtown. It was a bit bigger on the inside, but the owner had to do his best with what he had, considering the market shared a building with a clothing shop right next door, which had a nail salon right next door, and…

You get it.

Dave placed packaged beef on the register counter, along with a rather generous amount of herbs and spices.

The cashier was someone Dave had talked to casually many times before, despite forgetting what her name was the moment Dave stepped out of the market.

This time would be nothing new.

“Cash or card, sir?”

Dave was snapped out of her thoughts. Immediately, she reached into her pockets to fish out her wallet.

“Uhh— card. Card’s fine.”

Dave plucked out her credit card and inserted it into the card reader:.

“…So, preparing for Christmas or what?” The cashier guessed.

“Wh—? No, no, just…” Dave’s eyes flicked to the side briefly. “It’s kind of a… personal thing.”

The cashier hummed a little as she nodded, seemingly satisfied with Dave’s answer. Or at least, that was what Dave hoped.

There was a brief silence before the card reader whirred out Dave’s receipt.

Not a lot of people treated her the same after Henry passed.

And the few who still treated her the way they always did could not seem to help but ask.

“Dave, right?” The cashier started again, and this time, she seemed a bit torn between leaning forward and staying in her casual, relaxed position. “Is it true what they say?”

“…I’m sorry?”

“That, like, you live with a ghost, or whatever.”

The house was as silent as Dave had left it.

She did her best to replace it with noises.

Jingling keys.

Locking the door.

Taking off her shoes.

She made sure the plastic bag she carried rustled as much as possible, even if she did not mean to.

She still cooked for two. That was intentional.

The savory scent of Dave’s cooking barely reached upstairs, like it was not allowed there.

Yet the bottom of the plate was still warm against Dave’s palms.

Walking down the hallway that ended with Henry’s bedroom was easier said than done.

Dave should have gotten used to it by now, considering the many attempts she made in the past to put her hand on the bedroom doorknob.

“Hey, Henry…” Dave started. “It’s me again.”

Silence.

Of course, Dave thought. What did I expect? It’s the same as always.

She suddenly felt utterly ridiculous. It would have felt more embarrassing if she had not done this before.

“Um… I decided to take another crack at roasting somethin’.” A small, awkward smile found itself on Dave’s face. “I hope it’s, uh, alright.”

Dave did not know why she still went silent after speaking. Henry was not going to reply. He is not here anymore.

“I will just leave it here.” Dave knelt to place the plate down in front of the door.

She then carefully stood back up, shuffling away. “I have my own portion downstairs, so I’ll be in there if—”

She looked down at herself. “…Never mind. Uh. Good night.”

Dave did not dare spare a glance down that hallway for the rest of the night.

Morning was when Dave felt it was safest to check.

She peered around the corner.