#aria flex

AUTUMN | SUNDAY, 10:29 - LANDGRAAB MEDICAL CENTRE

The final stop after Del Sol. Fred leaped off the metro once the doors slid open wide enough for him to squeeze through, and sprinted towards the hospital where Matias Delgato was admitted.

When he stepped inside the lobby, he found himself face-to-face with Aria Flex, his neighbour and reporter for the Brindleton Bugle.

ARIA: Fred? Fred! Wait up! [blocks his way] Why are you here? I thought you were at San My.

FRED: [crossing his arms] Excu - what?

ARIA: You don't know? Matias Delgato said Rohil Datta was the one who hired him to kill your mother and Alexander Goth. The press teams moved to Manipal* and that's where I'm - was headed. So, what's going through your mind right now?

SUMMER | THURSDAY, 21:51 - SALTY PAWS SALOON, BRINDLETON BAY

♫♪ Salty Paws ambient music ♫♪ ► Spangle Call Lilli Line - nm

EVERLY: Sorry friends, I’ll have to bail early today.

DEVIN: (Yes! I can finally leave!) Well, well. I have to go too. See you all tomorrow.

DALLAS: [yawn] Good night kids! I’m hitting the sack early tonight.

ARIA: Zach? Audrey?

ZACH: Let’s call it a day.

AUDREY: Yeah.

ZACH: Hey, where are you going? The exit’s that way.

AUDREY: I know. I’m a lil tipsy so I’m going to wait till I’m sober before walking home.

ZACH: Okay. Take care. See you tomorrow!

Outside, Fred sat at a table brooding. He thought he should be excited to see his mother again, but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out exactly why he felt so conflicted and reluctant to take up Artemis’s offer.

AUDREY: Hey! It’s you!

AUDREY: Can I sit here? I’m just waiting for this buzz to fade before I walk home.

FRED: Sure. Go ahead.

AUDREY: I’m sorry if I interrupted you! You seemed to be deep in thought.

FRED: It’s nothing. Audrey, right?

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SUMMER | THURSDAY, 19:56 - SALTY PAWS SALOON, BRINDLETON BAY

♫♪ Salty Paws ambient music ♫♪ ► Spangle Call Lilli Line - nm

Everyone took a few gulps of beer, save for Zach who downed his in one shot.

EVERLY: Whoa there, Zach! Slow down, we’re gonna be here for another 3 hours or so.

ZACH: But you already know it takes me two drinks to loosen up.

AUDREY: So it’s yours! I was wondering why there was a glass on the bar.

ARIA: He’s such a regular here that the barkeep makes one for him before he even sits down.

EVERLY: [low voice, to Aria] Why did you have to get him started on that show? Now that’s the only thing he’ll talk about tonight.

ZACH: Do you drink, Audrey?

AUDREY: Only sometimes. Like, when there’s an occasion. You drink every day?

ZACH: Mmm, I drink something strong to make myself fall asleep at night. Then coffee brings me to life in the mornings.

AUDREY: Oh... wow. Can’t sleep?

ZACH: Comes with the job, but I won’t complain. I love what I’m doing. It’s a dark world we live in, but I’m proud to have written my share of stories that shake up the status quo, one way or another.

EVERLY: [to Aria] This beat is such a bop! Why aren’t you dancing?

ARIA: I... - I can’t.

EVERLY: It’s really simple! Come, dance with me. Just start by grooving to the beat... Yes, that’s it! Keep going... Now -

An incoming call cut her off.

EVERLY: Wifey.

EVERLY: You keep dancing, Aria! Don’t stop ‘till I tell you to. - Yes, honey? Oh, okay. Yeah I know. Wait, what?

DALLAS: - and I just can’t stop appreciating the heck out of Aidan Turner. I mean, even though you’re straight, you’ve got eyes, right?! Sam Witwer just pales in comparison.

DEVIN: Oh, come on Dell! That’s all just skin deep!

EVERLY: You sure you okay there? I can come right over now, you know!

ARIA: (Everly, can I stop dancing already? Please tell me to stop.)

ZACH: A mystery writer, huh?

AUDREY: Yeah. But I think I like journalism too. I can see how it’s really connected to detective work and shrouded in mystery, in its own way.

ZACH: You got that right.

Whilst everyone was engrossed in their own business, no one noticed two familiar figures walking past them into a quieter corner of the bar.

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SUMMER | THURSDAY, 12:57 - BRINDLETON BAY BUGLE

♫♪ background music ♫♪ ► UTAH - When People Come Together

Audrey had returned from lunch and was about to continue her work when she heard someone call her name.

ARIA FLEX: Hey Audrey. So you live in Cavalier Cove, right? Same house as Lorenzo Capricciosa?

AUDREY: Um, yeah! He’s a good guy.

ARIA: Yeah he probably is. What’s he like in private? Does he, like, have a different persona? [stage whisper] Something, anything I can write for the front page?

ZACHARY CLAY: Oh, go easy on her Aria, it’s just her first day! But seriously, I’m curious too. Maybe we could... loosen your tongue tonight.

EVERLY RANCHES: Did someone say something about loose tongues?!

ZACH: Ha ha, Everly. Not to set your tongue wagging this early, but I propose an office party to celebrate Audrey’s first day of work.

EVERLY: Seconded! Tonight we Salt our Paws!

DEVIN COOPER: Umm... can you guys be moderate this time ‘round? Two drinks tops, then we go home.

EVERLY: Oh Dev, don’t be a Salty Llama! It’s just one night. You can always stream Being Sim anytime.

DEVIN: It’s not that, boss, it’s the spoilers every time I log into Simbook and ... -

ZACH: - Dell, you in?

DALLAS RANCHES: [looks at Zach over the rim of her glasses] You had to ask?

AUDREY: (Adam and Bailey need me but... just one night out shouldn’t hurt.)

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<FLASHBACK> SPRING 1999 | TUESDAY, 19:26

ARTEMIS: (thinking) From the CCTV footage in the cafe, the only people who’ve entered this office yesterday are the journos and Officer Delgato.

ARTEMIS: (hoping) Dad, your computer better have answers for me.

She searched through his emails and checked his Recycle Bin.

ARTEMIS: (thinking) There’s nothing here. No threatening emails, plus he hadn’t even started on Acme... is this a dead end?

<PRESENT> SUMMER | WEDNESDAY, 13:51

ARTEMIS: (recalling) Nothing has changed. I retired early to work on this, but I have no new leads.

At that moment, Audrey arrived for her walk-in interview.

AUDREY: Excuse me. I’m here for the walk-in interview. Do you... -

ARIA FLEX: - Ah, yes. Just go in that room and introduce yourself to Everly.

Audrey knocked on the door nervously.

EVERLY: Come in!

She entered the editor’s office.

AUDREY: Hi! I’m Audrey, and I’m here for the position of writer’s assistant...?

(credit to @rinvalee and @clumsyalienn for the poses)

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EVERLY: Nice meeting you, Audrey. Sorry about the lack of chairs here; let’s move over to the pantry next door.

EVERLY: How did you know about this vacancy? Did you hear this from our journalists?

AUDREY: No, I - well, a friend told me about it, then I saw your post in Simstagram.

EVERLY: I see. Tell me about your background.

SUMMER | WEDNESDAY, 13:56

Fred wandered through the office and stopped by two writers to ask for directions.

FRED: Excuse me, but do you know where Alexander Goth sits? - I mean, used to.

DEVIN COOPER: I think it’s in the back, the one with the ancient desktop.

FRED: Thanks.

He walked over to the senior writers’ section and was taken aback.

FRED: (thinking) What’s the former chief doing here?

FRED: Excuse me. Artemis Reaper? M-may I ask why you’re here?

ARTEMIS: I could ask you the same, officer.

(credit to @rinvalee and @clumsyalienn for the poses)

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