#arista.

Marie was in the mood for karaoke, but she didn’t want to sing alone. Finding strangers to sing with was always a little hard, but once she spotted the blonde she knew it had to be her. She walked over to her all cutesy, something Marie always did to signal that she wanted to ask someone a favor, and batted her eyes at the girl. “Hey. You’re that musician, right? Drummer? Killer. Also...I was wondering....are you drunk enough to sing with me?”

Every Thursday afternoon, one could always find Jane Porter sitting in her favourite booth at the diner, drinking coffee and studying chunky volumes on animal anatomy or biophysics or something or other. Thursday was her day off from the shelter, so every week after her classes, she would go there and enjoy the quietness of middle afternoon when no one needed either lunch or breakfast or dinner. The occasional person walked in for a bagel or donut and whatever drink of their choosing, but it was generally quiet.

When the bell chimed, signaling the entry of another customer, Jane didn’t so much as raise her head, being used to it ringing every now and again. It was only when she heard the voice making the order at the counter that she peeled her gaze from her book and towards it. A head of ashy blonde hair was the first thing she saw, followed by the body supporting it. Plus that voice. Jane’s heart beat faster. Not good, said the tiny voice in her head.

@aristatritcn

Jane prided herself in being a good person. She was. She cared about people and always took their feelings into account whenever she had a decision to make that might affect them. But sometimes, the good girl had some bad moments. Never was that more evident than with the events of her relation with Arista Triton. The two girls had fallen in love, but then Jane’s career took precedence and their relationship fell apart. Jane still thought the fallout could’ve been avoided had the other just been willing to compromise.

While the Brit liked to think she’d moved on and gotten over the Triton girl, it was no lie that she still avoided seeing her whenever she could. Nevertheless, there had been one or two occasions when the post break-up awkwardness couldn’t be avoided. Which was why tonight, at the ball, Jane was on the lookout for any head of blonde hair, in hopes she could duck out of its way just in time to avoid another uncomfortable encounter. But of course, with her predisposition to not recognise anyone with a mask, the task was harder than she’d like.

As she made her way to the bar for some refreshment, she didn’t notice the one blonde she’d been hoping to avoid. “A water, please,” she asked the bartender, earning an odd look from him. She answered that with a sweet smile. She took the available seat, smooched between two people. “It’s like not drinking alcohol at a party is something out of this world, honestly...” she said to no one in particular.