#ana:threads

For the first time since the chaos--and the death of one of their own--Ana turned the 'closed' sign on the bar to open. Beside the single, neon word was a bulletin board with all the normal notifications: that she did not accept refunds, that Ralph was not allowed inside, and that all patrons were required to sing at least one song upon entry or else buy a round of drinks for everyone in the bar. Tonight, however, she had added a new sign, which read:

Having nightmares? Need help falling asleep? See owner for new lullaby pricing.

This sign, like all the signs, was hung up with a knife rather than a push pin, as was the aesthetic of the establishment. Satisfied with the note's placement, Ana looked up and met the gaze of the first person passing by. "Well, come on in. Don't make me sing."

"Oh, no worries," Ana Maria said, shaking her head. "These are study guides for the high schoolers. Finals are coming up and school has been closed for repairs. I wanted to make sure they didn't go into finals completely unprepared, so I'm dropping them off."

Anna knocked on the open door before letting herself into Bex's hospital room. There was no sympathy on her face, no wincing or grimacing, no indication that she was at all sorry for Bex's loss. She had, however, brought a gift basket which she set beside the bed before pressing a kiss to the girl's forehead. "I do hate to say I told you so, but you should always leave a party early, Darling." Given the luck in this town, it was probably best to skip parties all together, but that would hardly be any fun.

The siren pulled up a visitor's chair and sat beside the young witch. She had not been inside the aquarium when all the chaos began, but she had heard all about it since. She liked to believe if she had been inside, the shark wouldn't have caused such a fuss--but Ana liked to believe she was more capable than anyone and everything, even wild sharks. Whether that was true or not was yet to be seen. If she was so capable, she likely wouldn't have a bandage of her own on her left arm.

"It's okay, no harm done," Ana Maria said with a small smile, straightening the papers in her arms so they were no longer all askew. "Oh, these are study guides for the students at the high school. Since school's been closed and finals are coming up." She held one of the stapled packets out to JJ. "Do you go to the high school? You might find this useful if you do."

"Oh, wow, really? I'd think someone like you would get noticed all the time," Ana Maria admitted with a soft laugh. "My head was in the clouds too, don't worry. You were in a rush somewhere? Please don't let me keep you."

Ana had known the Reed family all of their lives--at least the generation born and living within the last 150 years. That she had bedded Laurel's sister on more than one occasion made her, well, familiar with the blonde bunch, though she had rarely had much reason or occasion to speak in depth with Laurel. As she spotted the easily recognizable blonde hair up ahead, Ana stopped beside the same row of strawberry plants as the Reed sister. Her basket was already quite full, as she had a recipe in mind for the bunch.

"This all would be better with a timer, don't you think?" she said idly. "Competition to see who can pick the most the fastest." So much of the rest of the rodeo was competitive, so why should this not be also?

Ana had arrived at the protest, not because she was particularly concerned with the ethics of the meal herself, but because she had heard some of the other sirens would be there, and she was curious to see the chaos for herself. The moment she arrived, someone offered her a sign. Ana frowned and walked on, making her way through the crowd until she saw a familiar face. Her frown intensified. She had no good reason not to like Billie, except that she was convinced the girl was completely wasting her talents--and she happened to be protective of Bex, for reasons Ana had not yet ascertained, not usually being the 'motherly' sort, or really nurturing in any capacity. It was certainly not her business who anyone dated.

Pushing a man out of her way, Ana took his spot beside Billie. "You do know that fish eat fish, yes?" she asked. "That fish can be friends and food? This whole thing is nonsensical."

Ana very much enjoyed the luxuries of modernity, including its fashions--and plumbing. But the truth remained that she'd been born more than a century and a half before in a little gold mining town where the only way to get anywhere was on the back of a horse, and learning to tame a beast--and to ride--was the only chance there was back then of escaping. Ana had been a strong rider when she was just a child, helping her father at work and taking the horses to and from town to gather supplies. She'd become a better rider when she'd been forced to set out on her own, when she'd begun robbing carriages and saloons, seducing gullible sheriffs and making a name for herself on the Outlaw wanted boards.

The mechanical bull wasn't quite the same as a life-or-death gallop through the Californian deserts, but it had its own sort of thrill. Above all, Ana liked winning, and so far, she'd stayed on Betsy longer than any of the men in Sinners. After she'd slid off the back of the bucking "bull" and gathered the cash she won from those who bet against her, she slipped into the crowd, her gaze locked on the familiar face she'd seen watching her. "Did you enjoy the show?" she asked. "I assume you're here to buy me a drink."