#;plotted

To be honest, she was initially headed to the Dragon because she needed another pack of gummies. (Throngs of roaming, road-tripping college students at the Lantern; yeah. It's been a long few weeks of endless mango margaritas and vodka sodas...)

But then she saw the dog. Grey and enormous, happily galloping down the sidewalk after his presumed owner. ("A dog I must pet, clearly. Today just got serious.") -- Was her first thought.

("Wait, are they going in-- Oh, man.") Was her immediate next thought upon seeing the relatively giant dog being let into the relatively tiny Dispensary.

"Hi there. Just so you know, the owner is on lunch but I know she's not big on pets in the store.... wait." Her head tilts slightly as she scans the dog owner's face. It's a face she thinks she recognizes, from dog-eared yearbooks and photos in the nooks of her girlfriend's radio booth.

He wasn’t if Cheryl was the bad influence there, it was obvious that Toni was more than a flirt for the mischievous redhead. However, it did not justify the fact of what she made Toni do or what they decided to do together. It didn’t matter whether it was out of love or other emotion that left them both trembling for more, they stood against his laws and the life that the Serpents needed. Deep inside, he hoped that Toni understood his actions and why he did it, it wasn’t only about her. Sadly, she had to be the example.  Her fate would be the thing that would scare the other Serpents from engaging in similar illegal activities.

Yet, he felt as he could have done more for her. He could have done it in another way or maybe he could have truly given her part of her legacy back. That’s why he was waiting for her now, hoping he would spot her without her hurricane of a girlfriend. And when he did, he was bold and arrogant enough to approach her. She didn’t owe him anything but he hoped she’d be good enough to listen to him. “ Toni..” Was there anything else he could say other than her name? Once she was a family and to him she still was but he was not sure what part of her life he was now. “ We need to talk.” @southsidelover

“Green Jeep with the top-down we just passed, they’re...sad, because the last road block means they will be missing the illustrious stop at something called... the International Church of Cannabis-- What is that, what is it-- Where do I register?”

“The grey Volkswagen beetle-- In front of us, over there. Keep far left, like way far... that tiny old lady has an ungodly case of road rage and I wouldn’t mess with her.” 

How did they get from ‘my powers are a special gift and I use them to help people’ to this? Well, ask Alex again after she recovers from this insanely long car ride. Not that hours alone with one of her favorite people in the world and days worth of kickass roadtrip playlists is something to really complain about; Steph has been funny, sweet and remarkably engaged for someone whose date spent like an hour out of the six prattling about her in-depth headcanons regarding the companion dialogues in The Sword of Dust & Daylight.

....That still doesn’t stop her from near-rolling out of the car when they pull into a parking spot at the concert; her back is killing her and she has the on-sets of car sickness despite the efforts of Dramamine. 

“Agh, you were not kidding when you mentioned this was a drive.” She breathes out on her exhale, coming round to Steph’s side of the car to retrieve their day bags. She jumps at the distant roar of an early crowd, hand grabbing for and balling into the material of the flannel that hangs around the older girl’s waist. “-- Sorry. Y’know, obviously I’ve never been to a bigger concert like this before. Crowds.”  

since she came to haven, she's spent her time learning what each of these people need when they're feeling sad. like for ethan: asking really in-depth questions about thaynor and his realm, or playing dino racers accompanied by an absurdly large sack of gummy power bears. for steph: jam sessions, or trying her damndest to kick her ass in something; foosball or video games. just to name a few.

it's funny. if you asked her what the formula is for her own sadness? she can't really say. sometimes quiet nights on the roof, sometimes records, sometimes journaling, sometimes movie nights. but this? well, how do you really get over a gut betrayal from one of your favorite people?

especially because she knows. she knows it's not ryan's fault. that his dad was his biggest hero, probably one of the reasons he chose his life path. that this bomb was dropped on him and was about as improbable as it sounded. but it happened, it came down on them like that rockslide and he hadn't believed her. had told her that she'd gone too far.

how do you get the clinging sadness to ebb from around that? alex really wants to know, because she's sad, and she's truly missed this man these past few days.

in hindsight, maybe she should have stopped and listened to ryan's voicemail about the something important before work. because it could have been about the next LARP. or what snacks him and steph had eaten her out of house and home this time.

or, you know, that a mysterious girl she'd never seen before would be already INSIDE the black lantern before she had even opened it. behind the bar, perusing the liquor shelf. possibly in the middle of making a drink.

"UM?"

she was staring. she'd locked the door on her way out that morning, hadn't she? she DEFINITELY had.

There was a distressing aura to Knockturn Alley yet, this is where Delphi wanted them to meet and Jay was all but her puppet in most things due to loneliness of the heart. He had nothing but questions for her as to why here and not their usual meeting place to chug butterbeers and wax on about pleasantries as normal but, as she had told him, ‘Just shut up and follow my lead.’ and he had never been led wrong by her before. Eyes, beady and black as a starless night peered almost into his soul and whispered halfblood into a sterile air.

The White Wyvern stood aloft in front of him and he swallowed dryly. The war, as it had been called in his History of Magic classes, had been over for decades but still the presence of evil still reigned it seemed like and he shivered despite the lack of wind and the war heat of the budding spring. Jay had to admonish himself as he stepped inside the establishment with the door creaking behind him, the wooden sign swaying from the force.

He was being silly and supersticious, the wizards of the pub looked to be the docile sort, not the kind to grab halfbloods and muggles out of their homes and set them ablaze or torture them for fun. They appeared almost homeless with one wizard only having tattered robes and knobby fingers that struck him as almost skeletal. Jay paused in his movements and wondered what the man’s story was, if that was to be his story.

Hiding his shaking hands in his own worn out robes, Jay gazed about for his friend and spotted her at a far table, a grin growing as she waved towards him in that quirky way of hers. He made his way on over and sat across, his eyes glancing subtly at the firewhiskey that sloshed in her goblet. It was times like this that made him realize how large of an age gap there was between them and he wished he could at least be older. He wondered if she ever thought of him like a child and felt the sting, sitting up straighter in his seat.

agentnromanova

The sun's starting  to set over  the city,  they've already eaten dinner and are now sitting down to watch the news. It's nothing unusual        the same old stuff, wars and death, some cheesy uplifting  story  about  a  puppy,  whatever  Beyoncé  wore  to whatever  Hollywood   event  happened  today.   Nothing  that particularly interests him. He's watching her instead. 

They're both  dressed in  their  pajamas  already,  fuzzy socks pulled up  to keep  their ankles  warm.  Her hair is pulled back, strands falling  into her face messily,  and he swears  she's as beautiful as ever. Maybe more. Today was a good day -- it was their day off,  and they spent most of it together. He hasn't been so happy in so long, and he knows that it's because of her. 

He's so in love with her. 

Reaching for the remote, he pauses the program, looking at her almost apologetically.