'cause it's better than silence...

        she giggles,  “ thank you. ”  it’s easy to stay this sparkly, this full of bright sunshine and whatever’s keeping her going, with compliments, and whatever she’s sharing with her new friend at the bar.  “ well, maybe i can give you some! ”  i wish i had your energy.  “ it’s not always super fun. well, like, mostly, it is. duhsies! but i mean, like- ”  she twirls her hair between her fingers, leaving the bar as the other girl orders her another round. she scrunches her nose.  “ people get sick of me really fast. ”  laughing makes that sound better and not so sad, so she does, fluttering her hands as she’s moving onto the next thing.

        her party trick is less so, and really more of a magic trick, but allie happens to think they’re sort of the same. they’re both just to make people smile, so, what’s the harm?

         “ okay, ready? ”  when she wiggles her empty hands in front of her, to show her, oooh, nothing’s there, allie hiding the tiny seed tucked just behind her fingers, nestled between the backs of them. then, she reaches to tuck a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear, and in that same reach, the seed slides into place in the same moment that allie rolls it between the warm pads of her fingers, encouraging growth. when allie’s hand returns to her lap, giddy and playful, she’s left behind a pink wildflower in her wake. it’s tucked neatly behind the other girl’s ear.

She nods and watches, amused, as the woman begins with what seems like the set up for a hokey magic trick. Nori’ll humor it. She’s curious to see what exactly the girl has up her sleeve, and after a little flourish, there’s something left behind her ear. Nori reaches up and feels a small flower there. Carefully plucking it from its place, she observes the color — appropriate for her fit tonight.

“Very worth a drink,” Nori says, and tucks the flower back behind her ear. “That’s a cute trick. You just carry flowers around so you can do this, or..?”

Nori's teasing pries a laugh out of her, at the concept of her being an insider at a bowling alley. "Hey, if they're not going to pay me more they can suffer." She turns to her. "Not that they will." That part is couched in a coy, self-aware tone. Another laugh. "Hey, I was in here all day." It's half true anyways.

They go about their tasks for a bit, Autumn chipping in with an "Amen," in agreement. At least she can indulge in that a bit here. She's not out, or anything, but she more just lets people decide. If the Bowling Alley's one thing, it's a space away from the assumptions of her mother, who's got another blind date with one of the office girls' sons planned out for her this month anyways, one she hasn't had the gall to say no to yet.

Another chuff of laughter, and she breaks from her work, passing a hand through air to demonstrate the sign. "Port Leiry, We're Not Not Salem. Oh- oh or. "Port Leiry, Expect the Expected."

Work at the bowling alley isn’t terrible — the management is, but the work itself is fine. And now knowing those cameras are fake… she’s got a few ideas for keeping that asshole on his toes. Time passes, and Autumn’s just enough fun to make it flow by faster.

“How about this,” Nori says, setting her rag down. “Port Leiry: Good Luck, You’ll Need It.”

"You just bring yourself, and let me worry about the rest."

Not that he actually had much to worry about — Mikael was on food, Maja had the music covered, and Ivar was in charge of drinks. He’d done his part and then some —he had a hot date. Now that he knew her name, Ivar made sure it rolled off his tongue just right, stretched with a charming drawl. "Now, Nori, maybe not every girl. Especially not in a liquor store. I’m more of a grocery shop guy myself, I can help you pick the best apples or maybe we both reach for the same peach." He mimed the motion, laughing. "Our fingers brush by the bananas."

It might have sounded ridiculous, but it had worked every time.

And god, had this guy bought into it. The explanation made her internally roll her eyes — outwardly, she just smiled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Aww, wait— that’s so funny, ‘cause I’m kind of a grocery store girl,” she said. “I work at one, I mean.”

She kept circling back to her conversation with Ash a few nights ago. The last time she’d seen Nori in person. Every text they’d exchanged since. The embarrassing amount of late-night Googling she’d done last night instead of sleeping.

The only thing keeping her from fully spiraling was her tried-and-true coping mechanism: baking. Nori would be there any second now, and the chocolate chip cookies had just come out of the oven.

Breathe. Don’t overthink this. Don’t make it weird. Just act normal and maybe pay closer—

A knock at the door cut through her thoughts. She’s here!

“One sec!”

Penny quickly slid the cookies onto the cooling rack, wiped her hands on her apron, turned down her music a little and adjusted the ribbon holding her ponytail before heading to the door.

Showtime.

“So, Penny…” she began, slowly walking over to the other woman. “We’ve been hanging out for awhile, and, well, you know…” She was now encroaching on Penny’s personal space, edging her closer and closer to the wall. “It’s funny. I’ve been dropping a lot of hints, and I mean a lot, and you’ve managed to overlook every single one.”

She had Penny effectively pinned against the wall, and brought a hand up to cup her cheek. “It’s kinda cute, but also, oh my god, I want you and I can’t wait for it to click, girl.” She giggled and drew in close, letting her breath fall against Penny’s lips. “So… I’m gonna be completely clear here, okay? You’re hot. You’re pretty. I want to fuck you. And I’m going to kiss you right now, because I’ve been dying to kiss you for weeks.”

When: October 1st, a week or so after this

Where: Cool Beans Cat Café

Penelope slips her phone back into her pocket with a soft sigh, her brow furrowing slightly as she returns to wiping down the cat lounge window. A dull, familiar ache of loneliness blooms in her chest, and she does her best to scrub it away along with the smudges. It’s silly, really—getting so down over something so trivial. Ash was going to make an absolutely beautiful Juliet for Halloween. The costume suited her perfectly. Penelope didn’t want to impose by pitching a duo idea; she’d just…figure something else out.

The ring of the café doorbell snaps her from her thoughts. Her voice sounds a little more strained than usual. “Hey, sorry, we just closed for—”

She stops mid-sentence when she turns around, her expression instantly softening at the familiar sight of Nori’s smile.

“Nori! Hey!” She slings the cleaning cloth over her shoulder and gestures toward the pastry display with a tilt of her head. “Give me just a second to finish closing duties. You want anything to eat or drink?”

“Nah I’m good. Still closing out?”

Nori’s easy smile is a balm, and Penelope’s returns—genuine, but more subdued than usual.

“Yeah, just a little cleaning left, then I’ll be good to go. Running a bit behind ‘cause we had a rush at the end.” She turns back to the glass, methodically buffing away fingerprints. “It’ll probably get a lot busier, too, with spooky season in full swing.”

From the corner of her eye, she catches Nori leaning casually against the wall, and her heart does that familiar little flip. Her smile falters, though, when Nori asks about Halloween plans. Penelope hesitates, glancing over her shoulder.

“There’s a rave happening on Halloween night that I’m planning on going to, but…” She exhales softly. “I’m really behind on prep this year. Usually I have my costume planned and started by now—I love going all out—but this year I just… I dunno.”

She chews the inside of her cheek, debating how much to share. Penelope hates bringing the mood down—people expect her usual sunshine—On the other hand…she and Nori have been getting pretty close lately. Maybe opening up a little more wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“All my costume ideas work better as part of a pair, and Ash already has a costume that’s perfect for her.” She looks away, resuming her cleaning with a quiet, self-conscious laugh. “It’s a stupid, small thing, but it’s got me a little… down, I guess?”

She braces herself for the kind of polite, dismissive sympathy she’s used to.

Instead—

“Oh, you’re going to the rave too? Because… I, like, really don’t have an idea, so if you need someone for a couple’s costume… I’d be down.”

Penelope freezes. “Wait, really?” She turns to look at Nori again, half-expecting a joke—but all she finds is that bright, radiant smile she adores.

Her usual enthusiasm surges back tenfold, and the spray bottle slips from her hand, completely forgotten. A delighted squeal escapes before she can stop it, and she’s crossing the distance between them, throwing her arms around Nori in a tight, impulsive hug.

“You’re the best!! I’d love that! Do you like Sanrio? Because I saw these dresses online that with a little work could be perfect for My Melody and Kumori! holy shit you’d make the best—“

Halfway through the ramble, her brain catches up.

‘Couple’s costume.’

Wait did she just…no, she couldn’t have. That’s just the phrase. Duo costume is just weird to say. She is a friend, Penny. Platonic. Strictly—wow she’s soft—oh shit I probably hugged her too tight—wait I’m still hugging her FUCK—

Penelope releases Nori and steps back, clearing her throat and rubbing the back of her neck with a sheepish laugh.

“Ah—sorry. Got a little—uhm—carried away.” The words tumble out, her face burning hotter than the espresso machine.

She’s just being nice. She’s being a good friend. Stop projecting. Be normal.

“Seriously though… thanks for humoring me,” she says, tone softening, something earnest and a little fragile beneath the nervousness. “I’m… really glad we’ve gotten closer than we were in high school. I feel lucky to have you.”

Too much, too much, dial it back, you useless lesbian.

“A-as a friend, I mean.”

Perfect. Nailed it.

She barely has time to feel the fleeting relief of her save before Nori’s hand slides into hers, warm and gentle. That same dazzling smile—and Penelope swears, it’s even sweeter than usual.

“You’re fine. It’s been nice having someone to hang out with. And we’re gonna be the cutest at that rave, I know it.”

Penelope’s brain short-circuits. The gesture is meant to be reassuring—and it is—but it also sends another flush racing to her cheeks.

This is getting ridiculous.

Weeks of dropping hints, shooting looks, using flirtatious emojis… and fucking nothing. Penny either really, truly didn’t want her like that (hard to believe) or was just the densest woman in the world. Nori had to crank up the heat, just a touch.

She slips into Cool Beans right around closing, hoping to catch Penny in person. She’s heard about some rave happening, and, well… sounded like a better way to spend Halloween than some lame overstuffed apartment party, and it was something worth inviting Penny to. In the dark, in costumes… could be a good chance to push things further without so much pressure.

“Hey, sorry, we just closed for—“ Penny turns, and immediately perks up. Nori smiles at that, pleased to elicit such a visible reaction from the other woman. “Nori! Hey! Give me just a second to finish closing. You want anything to eat or drink?”

Nori waves a hand dismissively. “Nah, I’m good.” She’d eaten earlier, after getting off work. “Still closing out?”

Penny’s usual energy seems… less energetic than usual. “Yeah, just a little bit of cleaning to finish then I’ll be good to go, running a little bit behind because we had a bit of a rush at the end. It’ll probably get a lot more busy too with spooky season being in full swing now.” She turns back to the glass and continues cleaning.

Something’s wrong, probably, but Penny’s not super invested in finding out. But mention of Halloween coming up is enough of an opening for what she wants to bring up. “So…” she leans against the wall, next to the door frame, and watches Penny. “Speaking of spooky season, you got any plans?”

Penny sighs, and then starts rambling on about… well… wait.

Wait, this is perfect.

“Oh, you’re going to the rave too?” Nori grins and straightens up. This is the kind of in she’s been looking for — another way to hammer the point home to Penny. “Because… I, like, really don’t have an idea, so if you need someone for a couple’s costume… I’d be down.” She beams at Penny. (Please, let the phrase knock something loose in that pretty head of yours.)

“Wait, really?” Penny drops the window spray and turns to her. “You’re the best!! I’d love that!” She squeals, and suddenly Nori’s being pulled into the tightest hug she’s had in ages. “Do you like Sanrio? Because I saw these dresses online that with a little work could be perfect for My Melody and Kumori! holy shit you’d make the best—“

(Oh my god. She didn’t get it.)

As Nori reckons with another hint flying right over her head, Penny pulls back. “ah—sorry. Got a little—uhm—carried away.” She laughs, and half-smiles at Nori. “Seriously though— thank you for humoring me. I’m…really glad that we’ve gotten closer than we were in High school. I feel lucky to have you…a-as a friend, I mean.”

(Oh my fucking god.)

Nori can’t even rebound from another missed attempt, too thrown by the most obvious hint she’s dropped being so deftly dodged. “Yeah, that sounds great. Send me it, and we can do that.” There has to be a way to spin this the way she wants. They’re doing the costume together now, at least, so that’s more chances. “You’re fine. It’s been nice having someone to hang out with.” She leans against the wall and tilts her head, looking Penny over. “And we’re gonna be the cutest at that rave, I know it.”

———

Later in October.

It’s inevitable. The only way to get what she wants is to say in straight to Penny’s face, in words absolutely undeniable. She’s got a plan, now. All she needs is opportunity.

Do you wanna grab a drink, Nori? Watch a movie, Nori? Do you wanna come over sometime, Nori? I'm a big kid now, I've got my own apartment and everything, Nori. Questions she'll never ask because she already knows the answer to all of them, sure as the shift is long. She carries the tub of sullied dishes back behind the counter and to the sink, which she starts filling. "I've got close again the day after though."

She dumps the dishes into soak before grabbing a fluorescent green plastic bucket from a nearby shelf, starts heading for the handful of ailing arcade machines stopping to say, hushed; "Parking lot ones are real, by the way, but the ones in here are fake." She punctuates the statement with a conspiratorial wave of her hand, motioning between the handful of fake CCTVs dotting the corner, blinking their red lights. "Do with that knowledge what you will."

Autumn has such a... a hungry energy to her, at times. Like she wants more, needs it, even, but can't bring herself to take it. It's a little fascinating to watch - an observation in how long someone can deny themselves the things they want before it all becomes too much. A seeming utter lack of confidence, resistant to the little nudges Nori's tried in the past to coax something out. But fuck, if Tate can't get a direct response out of her, maybe nothing can.

With the shoes pretty much handled for the time being, Nori tails behind her, taking up little tasks nearby to keep in proximity to the conversation. "Well, well," she says, with a little grin, "looks like the informal promotion gives you a few insider perks." And maybe it gives Nori an in to fuck a little more with Tate than she's dared to in the past. "Just make sure you always have a good alibi."

        her heart’s fluttering in only the best way, the smile so bright on her lips pinch at the corners. of course, allie doesn’t mind the soreness. if it’s the happiest kind of pain, it’s really not pain at all! she had been leaning closer and closer to being across the bar, wondering if she could squeeze maybe just one more out of the bartender in exchange for a smile, wondering if that’s kind of mean, or weird- but, instead, she turns to face a new hot pink and glittering companion.

        allie squeals, “ oh my gosh, you are so cute! ”  she’s had enough, already, that the witch girl has forgotten any supposed to’s about touching strangers. she takes the one in front of her’s hands in her sincerity.  then, when her head’s done spinning, allie finally catches up with a flutter of her eyelashes.  “ but, anyways, i’m not exhausted, silly. ”  she lets go, tapping the end of her nose, affectionately.  “ people actually wake me up, i think. i only get sleepy when i’m by myself. ”

        at least, in her surprise at the other’s offer, she stills, and stops fluttering about.  “ that is, like, so sweet! thank you! ”  she’s excited, of course, but she hopes the sincerity shows in her eyes.  “ here, let me make it worth your while, i got, like, party tricks galore. ”

The mention of party tricks sparks further curiosity. "Yeah?" Nori leans over to the bartender and orders the girl another of whatever she's been drinking. If she had to guess, something ungodly sweet and insanely alcoholic in content. "Alright, show me something then." Her eyes glimmer with real enthusiasm, waiting to see what party trick means to this one.

His eyes dart over the top of her head.

She was right, his butterflies downstairs proved she was right, most people who entered these warehouses didn’t come here with the intentions of doing things that were entirely legal.

His eyes glanced down at her, “I may not be dealing shit and you might not be either but word to the wise, you might also want to invest in a mask, a hoody won’t always cover you.” With that he slipped around her, swiftly moving towards the exit. He had already come too close to being found at the scene of his crime.

But... damnit. If he's right, and someone is wandering around, she doesn't need a witness here. "Yeah, we should go." As much as she's itching to light this place up, she doesn't need to chance being caught spreading gasoline around before she gets the chance to strike a match. "Whatever you're doing here doesn't need to get tied to the cute little face you've got hiding under there. Maybe I'll pick one up myself, if you're swearing by it."

Still, even as he's leaving, she's not totally sold on going herself. It was only an if, after all, and she had only run into him so far... "Huh? Yeah, I can handle myself, thanks."

...

...no, fuck. He'd gotten up close and personal, and if this got plastered over the news tomorrow, he'd know too much.

One drag in ind she blows the sweet-smelling smoke sideways. "Would you like one? They're quite good, and none of that foul shit you'll find in those," a tilt of her head to the inside of the liquor store, towards the cigarette stacks.

"Maybe it was a worry. Pretty girls shouldn't have to go to the hospital for a stomach pump after something akin to nail polish remover. Though I will say it's a bit of a go to for flaming body shots. If you're feeling spicy." At the mention of hanging out, and the confirmation that she'd like to Zoë's grin turns more charming.

Devilish gaze swivels back, a soft jangle of trinkets as the bottles gently clink together. They will not break bread in this store, and her choice of drink is bad. Performative, like Grimhjarta knows.

"Come." A beckoning finger that encourages them out of the store.

Silly, dumb man will see that the electronic eyes will be blank soon, and Maja prefers to be a ghost here. Her name is too colourful in streamers and big tops to have it printed on an ugly paper or plastic board in this new stop. Grimhjarta will sacrifice all those who have fingers in upsetting the circus.

"You like fire." Assessment, now.No question. She doesn't mean the literal kind.

Maja disappears out of the door, waiting in the quiet hope that the stranger may follow her; curiosity is an object of Grimhjarta's desire and now, there's a spark that might be worth seeing burned.

She casts another glance to the back room, where the employee could pop out at any moment and resume his station. Then she looks back to the door, and her feet carry her over the threshold before she makes a conscious decision to follow. It's curiosity, plain and simple. The shoplifting hardly registers as she leaves (who gives a fuck?). Nori glances around outside, bottle cradled under one arm, looking for this mysterious fellow trouble-maker.

Sometime early to mid September, a few weeks after this

The evening is unexpectedly warm for September, and absolutely perfect for a meetup in the park. Penelope is laughing again.

Laughter always comes easily when she’s with Nori.

As Nori talks about her week, something down the path catches Penelope’s eye. A familiar offshoot. For a second, she hears the echo of Evie’s laughter in her ears, smells phantom waffle cones. The ache that follows is sharp, a twist in her heart.

But then—an idea.

The best way to bury an old memory is to make a new one, right?

Impulse takes over, and Penelope is reaching for Nori’s hand, fingers curling around hers as she tugs her gently along.

“This way!” she grins, already jogging.

The path grows wilder as they go, grass brushing against their ankles, trees rising taller, denser, until the world suddenly opens. Penelope stops short, breath catching in her throat.

It’s just as beautiful as she remembers.

The setting sun spills gold across the river, the water glittering like shattered glass, every ripple catching fire in the light.

She comes to a temporary stop, eyes scanning along the river’s edge and—yes!! There it is! She’s moving again and looking over her shoulder, her cheeks lightly pink from more than just the movement when she sees how the light illuminates Nori’s face.

“You’ve gotta try this little ice cream stand— you like Amaretto Cherry, right?”

She only releases Nori’s hand once they’re at the stand and Penelope reaches into her purse to grab her wallet, paying for a waffle cone for the both of them—Cherry for Nori, Cookie dough for herself.

She leans against the safety rail, propping her elbows on it as she looks out over the water.

“I used to come here all the time, before I went to college. Most tourists don’t know about it…it’s really nice to have a friend to share it with again.”

She glances at Nori sidelong, wanting to burn the image of her smile into her mind. Her heart flutters again, and this time she lets it. It didn’t matter if her crush was unrequited in this moment. All that mattered was that right now, they were happy and together.

Penelope only hoped that this moment was as special to Nori as it was to her.

A few days later:

The savory smell of chicken fills Penelope’s apartment as she cooks, her hips swaying unconsciously as she bobs her head to the music coming out of her speakers.

The notification chime pulls her out of her flow as she is half way through chopping carrots. She sets down the knife and wipes her hand on a towel, a smile on her face when she sees Nori’s name on the preview banner.

The smile vanishes when she opens the message.

…Woah.

Nori sent her a selfie of her outfit for the evening, and it’s like all the air has been sucked out of her lungs. She could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks that had absolutely nothing to do with the stove. Full-blown gay panic, incoming.

Ok Penny. Be cool. She chides herself, taking a steadying breath. Be supportive. Do not combust on the spot because your friend is hot. Be normal.

She types a reply. Deletes it. Types again. Deletes that too. After a few false starts and a pep talk or two under her breath, she finally sends something that sounds casual—hopefully—and tosses her phone aside like it might explode.

Back to the stew. Focus. Slice. Breathe.

Another day out, another false alarm. True, handholding was a slight step up, but clearly Penny had only intended it functionally. As she looked out over the water, cone in hand, all she could wonder was how to get this girl to connect the dots. Being direct wasn’t an option — it wasn’t fun. It was so much more interesting to watch Penny puzzle it out herself, building the tension as she continually missed the obvious.

Fires needed fuel, and there were tons of different ways to stoke the flames into what Nori wanted. Jealousy could be a particularly potent one…

It wasn’t like she had put her whole social life on pause for this — she wanted Penny, but not to the point of completely stopping all other efforts. She had whims and needs that weren’t fulfilled by this cat-and-mouse game they had going. That could play to her benefit here. Dressed for an evening out in Port Leiry’s nightlife, she snapped a flattering but not too revealing selfie to send along. Just as a friends thing. Totally.