#* atticus

Cotton candy, the largest soda she could find and the pretzel he'd asked for with two bites taken from it in hand, Daniela scanned the line for the Ferris Wheel - looking for the spiderman couple he'd mentioned in his text. "Here, quick quick... hold this." Everything she held shoved into his chest as she quickly reached for the small bottle of tequila tucked away in her purse, "Pop the lid for me.." using her teeth to crack the seal she took a quick mouthful and sought to dump the rest into the soda, "How long is this damn line?" Still, she hadn't really looked at him, the brunette quick to lift to her tiptoes to see how many people were in front of them.

Being back was weird. Despite the fact that she'd gone to Chicago because everything within this place seemed a little left of center, it felt strange coming back with the intention of landing somewhere familiar, only for Hide Hill to somehow feel more chaotic than everything she'd left behind in the city. Now, sat on the floor between Atticus' legs as he scrolled aimlessly through the unending options on netflix, the now half-empty bottle of whiskey dangling within her fingertips as she held it above her for him to take, "Playing never have I ever with you is a fucking trap. Might as well skull the bottle in one go and check myself in for alcohol poisoning later."

In the moments that Nell declared that she’d be back with drinks, Brielle understood why she never stood still for too long. The near permanent itch within her fingertips to dig out her phone just to view the last text she’d received - a simple, see you soon, from none other than Atticus McClain, and the other, that never quite let her eyes leave the vision of Fletcher and her brother from across the room. All she had to do was catch the former alone to lay out her intentions - but doing so with her brother breathing down her neck was like pulling fingernails at this point. Maybe the fates had given her a little thought, as she took another mindless wander around the artifacts as she awaiting her best friends return, each plaque and description beneath the pieces of the past, ones that she could damn near recite. Her focus only lingered so long however, until she caught sight of the unforgettable form before her - his attention diverted indefinitely. How long had it been since she’d seen him? Too long.. It turned her stomach and briefly, she wondered whether the drink would have helped - or if she’d have just been sick on the spot from the way it turned over in her belly. “Hey stranger,” she spoke, pressing her hands against the cabinet between them, “Y’think anyone's ever thought about doing a séance in here?” Fingertips tapped at the glass and she smiled, finally taking in features she thought she might have forgotten. “Bet whatever's clinging to those daggers over there would have some serious shit to say.”

"I told you I was two minutes away," Daniela called through the speaker, the line clicking as he picked up on the other end. Admittedly, she was a little apprehensive about picking him up so early, unsure of how he'd ended the night previous, but it'd always been easier to just pretend. "I'm gonna sit on this horn until you get your skinny ass out here, Atty." As promised, she lent in through the car window and lent on the center of the steering wheel, the ungodly sound perforating what might have once been a peaceful morning on this particular street. "You owe me waffles."

It wasn’t entirely uncommon for Brielle to work late, as the rest of the artists slowly but surely packed up and went home, she found some kind of solace in working on her own. The dull thrum of Rag n’ Bone man played over the speakers as she wiped clean the last line of the piece on Atticus’ calf, “Alright, I think we’re all done.” The sharp smell of antiseptic filled the air as she cleaned the raw tattoo, misplaced ink staining the paper towel as she tossed it in one fell swoop. Another slam dunk - not her first win of the day.. and hopefully not her last. “Check it out, let me know what you think. We might have to do another pass over on the shading, but other than that...”  Awkward wasn’t exactly what she’d call it, but there was certainly some breath of uncertainty in the air, the same one that had clung to her since he’d returned to the island. Her timing simply hadn’t worked out and more than a small piece of her wondered whether that was the sign she could pay more mind to. Easier still, if every message or look from him didn’t tighten her chest in a way she didn’t entirely hate. Standing up, Brielle started packing her machine in to be cleaned, only paying half a mind to Atticus as he looked the piece over in the mirror when the thought struck her. The night of the ritual and all that followed left a horrid taste in her mouth, the question of what if somehow more prevalent now than ever. Fuck it.. Pieces of her machine hit the table with a dull thud as she chose another line of focus. Stepping around her own chair towards the mirror, and Atticus. She’d always claimed to be braver - stronger than she looked, a sentiment that she threw at her brother time and time again - but right then and there, she wasn’t so sure. Anticipation burnt in the tips of her fingers as she laced them through the back of shift to pull him back to her. Rising to the tips of her toes, her hand curled around the back of his neck to draw him down far enough for lips to meet. Her chest swelled, spinning and spinning until her head felt as if it might never stop until she pulled away, eyes opening to see if it’d all been a mistake or not. “I uh..-” She swallowed thickly, dropping her gaze as her fingers found the edge of her chair, “I didn’t know whether I’d ever get the chance to do that.”