#william 001

‘  i’m not gonna listen to what the past says.  ’

sandrine blinked, slowly. maybe it was the stuffy ambiance of the bar or maybe it was the cocktail that finally hit her, nevertheless she was left confused. “this sounds like some mantra from a fortune cookie.” a shy giggle escaped her mouth. she could not even understand how their conversation could take such a dramatic turn, interesting indeed, but very dramatic still. “but the past shaped us into the people we are today.” she stated with conviction. “you can’t just... not listen to it. or not care about it. or not take it into consideration. it’d be erasing so much of a person’s identity!” she slammed her hand on her thigh for emphasis. “for example, my past defines me as someone who gets tipsy from three sips of one daiquiri. if i didn’t listen to the past, i’d order five refills and you would have to drag me out of here before i pass out.” she wisely set her glass down, refusing to reach this level of intoxication. “i mean, i won’t force you to do that, but that would be very sweet of you. no pressure, though! is chivalry even a thing nowadays?”

WHERE: memorial library, suburbs

WHEN: may, 2026

Well, one thing was for sure. Cage spent more time at the library as a parent than he ever had as a kid. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy reading, it was just that he had always had other things on his mind, other things that interested him far more than cracking open a book. Colton was the same way, and Shawn enjoyed it, but only now and then. But Cienna and Rosalyn loved the fact that they were learning to read, sometimes wanted to take books out from the library, mostly about ducks and chickens and donkeys, but still. It counted. He would never complain about having kids that wanted to be well read.

"Got a stack coming back for you," Cage laughed as he plopped the books that he was returning onto the counter, patting the top, "and the girls are picking out their new reads, so they should be up shortly with... another stack that we're checking out."

Before Daisy had even left the hospital she’d made up her mind to walk the distance home. Sure, she could use many measures that’d make the journey quicker, but after the eventful day, she felt she could use the time to decompress from it all. However, she hadn’t intended the sun to be well into the setting by the time of her exit. Daisy had offered to stay late and help with the unexpected busyness, after all, she could always use some extra hours of training, but she’d not expected the amount of time she’d stayed over her shift.

Her body ached, though that had become a common thing in her life, as she’s become slightly more physical than she’d been in a while. Daisy glanced at her surroundings, briefly accessing them before deciding to stop and stretch. It seemed there was hardly anyone out and so stopping to stretch before continuing her walk felt like a harmless choice. She closed her eyes, taking in a breath before slowly rolling her shoulders to start the small stretching routine. Daisy had extended her arms slightly to help as she twisted her body, but just as she was halfway through she sensed something. Her eyes flicked open just in time to see a figure and a small exclamation of surprise slipped from her lips.

It was a beautiful day in Conner’s Creek. Afternoons like this, with the sun beaming over the mountains in the distance, Check really started to feel at home in Washington. It reminded him of Vermont. The good memories, like little bees that buzzed around the dandelions, working hard while 20-somethings slacked off with Ultimate Frisbee and old men gathered together to play Chess.

Well, old men and one young ultra nerd.

Check came upon William from behind, rounding the Chess board where it appeared he was playing both sides. He traced five moves with his finger, showing William what he’d meant. 

“See? Your destiny’s all laid out for you and it’s a losing one,” he said, sitting down in the seat on the opposite side of the board. “Unless you mean for black to win, in which case...” He bumped his fist against his chest. “My brother.”

He moved the knight to the space he’d traced only seconds before.

“You really concentrating on the game or are you thinking about the ghost of football past?” 

@williammulciber

The Mulciber Residence

Andie wanted to be anywhere but home at the moment - even her childhood home would be preferable to the Mulciber residence. She’d spent as much time as possible in her private parlor but she had to emerge eventually. It would be too suspicious if she was never around him, after all, and she didn’t want to appear totally uninterested in her husband. Even if she was. Standing with a sigh, she glanced into the mirror to assure herself that her hair still looked tidy and her dress was neat. Once she looked presentable, she took a breath and let Andromeda Mulciber settle on her.

Making her way toward his office, she rapped lightly on the door and peeked inside with her most polite smile. “I was going to ring for tea, darling, if you’d like to join me.” She hated this part she had to play, but it helped to think of it like a part. She could handle him far more easily when she pretended he was just another character in a terribly written play or story.