TALIA

She would probably watch a movie if this was the plot for it. Adile couldn't help but laugh as she thought about a rat as a secret agent. "He totally has a husband and children at home that he's trying to protect. I'm sure of it. By day, he's juggling trying to get to dance lessons and bake goods for the bake fair and by night he's capturing evil rats bent on taking over the world." She laughed. "That reminds me of the one show I used to watch as a kid. I believe rats are probably smart enough to take over the world."

Talia smirked, arms loosely crossed as she imagined the absurdity of it all. A secret agent rat with a double life, balancing PTA meetings and high-stakes espionage? Yeah, she’d watch that. “See, now you’ve got me fully invested. I’m picturing him in a tiny little tux, sneaking out of the house after kissing his husband goodbye, off to save the world from some deranged, cheese-obsessed villain.” She tilted her head, amusement flickering in her gaze. “Probably has a gadget-packed briefcase too. Maybe a grappling hook disguised as a toothpick.”

Kaede loved his family by blood. He honestly missed his sisters but he knew they had their own lives and careers. He was grateful his cousin was in town because then it gave him someone to be close to and for someone else other than himself for his daughter to be around. However there was just something about the way that the bar family felt that made it really feel like a team. It had to be cause they were all just people trying to make things happen in their lives. “ you spend enough time with people and it starts to feel like a family. And then they become one “

Talia leaned back against the wall, one boot pressing lightly against it as she listened. She understood that kind of bond, the way people could build something close to family out of shared hours and late-night conversations. It wasn’t always about blood, sometimes it was just about who stuck around. She nodded slightly, glancing toward Kaede. “Yeah, I get that. Sometimes the people who actually show up matter more than the ones who are supposed to.”

"It's messed up and everything that's wrong with the world but it'll take a lot more than us to change it." After all, situations came proving that they were far from changing and that was depressing enough. "People don't care as long as it doesn't affect them, so we continue to do what we can to protect ourselves even if it shouldn't be our job"

She stretched out her legs, cracking her knuckles absentmindedly. “It’s just reality, right? And I hate that. You either look out for yourself, or you hope you’re lucky enough that nothing happens. And luck?” She scoffed. “Not exactly the most reliable plan.”

Joseph squinted down at his phone, holding it at arm’s length like that would somehow make the tiny letters easier to read. He let out a quiet huff, muttering under his breath as he clumsily tapped at the screen.

Talia glanced up from her phone, her expression unreadable for a beat before she let out a quiet breath. “Barely,” she muttered, setting the device down. She had been considering it, leaving before he showed, but here he was. That counted for something.

Carlos slowed as he reached her, catching the tension in her posture before she even spoke. His usual easygoing nature didn’t waver, but there was a softness in his eyes as he shook his head. “Nah, benches are for sharing,” he said, offering her a small smile before sitting down, leaving just enough space to let her breathe. He stretched his legs out in front of him, glancing toward the water rather than straight at her—giving her the option to ease into the moment.

Talia exhaled, barely glancing at him before returning her gaze to the water. She wasn’t surprised Carlos had noticed the tension, he was observant like that, but she wasn’t sure what to do with the softness in his tone. She let a beat pass before shrugging. “It’s a public bench. Can’t exactly tell you to leave.” Her voice was neutral, maybe a little dry, but she didn’t shift away. That was something.

open starter for @aurorabaystarter where: maybe a party? or even like a stall at the markets?

Talia almost saw it coming, she couldn't help herself, she darted her hand out to steal it before Lexie could. She turned around quickly and split it half and held half out for her.

Adile loved animals from a young age. She was never allowed to have a pet, but she would adopt random animals—adopted random cats, lizards, rats. It didn't matter. The older she got, the more she loved animals. She only had a cat now, but she'd had dogs and rats before. Often she would come up with stories about them, the weirder the better for her. "Oh, maybe! A Royal Rat sounds like it would make for a good book or movie. I'd watch it at least." She smiled. "What if he's actually on a big quest to save a prince from a dragon?" she bit down on her lip and thought. "What would Rat James Bond's name be?"

Talia leaned back, her eyes lighting up at the thought, there was definitely going to have to be more to this story, and maybe she’d be taking home a pet wild rat. "He’d definitely have a whole backstory. Maybe he's not just a rat, he's got a secret identity, you know? A double life, a high-stakes mission, a really sharp tuxedo... kind of like an underdog hero, but with whiskers and a tail."

Kaede wasn’t always the protector type. He had to sort of grow into the role in a lot of ways. When it came to family, his sisters were so much more type A people than him but he still would have went out of his way to help them. It was only when he moved to Aurora Bay and socialized more that things started to change a bit. He liked who he was a lot more now. “ it’s my bar. If anything happened under my roof? Well just couldn’t let that sort of thing happen” Kaede noted for a moment “ we make our own families sometimes. And sometimes they’re the best ones “

Talia rocked lightly on her feet, something about still being out in the alley and not scurrying her way home was making her more nervous than she cared to admit. She nodded slowly, a soft smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “I get that. Making your own family… it’s a lot easier when you can choose the people who care about you. It’s not always blood, you know? Sometimes, it’s the people who have your back when it matters the most.”

Her dark curls bounced as she nodded, her eyes focused intently on the woman across from her. “I can see that,” she replied, standing up and brushing off her hands. A soft laugh only escaping her lips at the mention of the real danger here in town.

Talia chuckled softly as she stood, brushing off her hands with a light laugh. "I know a great pizza place nearby, and I’m buying," she said, knowing the exact place with perfect pizza at this time. "You won’t regret it. Trust me, it’s my favorite, and you’ll see why once you taste it."

"I mostly bring up world peace because I'm fairly certain you get docked points if that's your answer. Which, take what you want about the current world about that."

“Oh, that one I know, I answered like that once when I was still heavy in modelling and I got marked down in points, really makes you wonder huh?” She might not have been a pageant queen, but she was very much in a similar scene, she had to use some creative answers in her time.

Lexie leaned back slightly, crossing her arms with a light, casual shrug, though her expression softened at Talia's words. "Sometimes silence says more than words could, you know?" she said, her tone easy but sincere.

Talia tilted her head slightly, offering a small, appreciative smile as she met Lexie’s eyes. "Sometimes, that’s all you need," she said quietly, her voice softening. "Just someone who’s there. No need for words. It’s the small things that make a difference, really."

Most likely not. A scary thought in itself given the advice given to women for protection was pepper spray or keys between their knuckles. All of which would do little if it came down to it. "Depends how good your aim is. It might give you enough time...."' She trailed off, realizing that she was falling into the trap of guiding the woman rather than holding the culprit accountable.

Talia crossed her arms, her expression tight. "You know, it’s messed up that we even have to think like this. We’re expected to figure out how to protect ourselves instead of just living without fear." Her gaze darkened for a moment before she shrugged it off. "Not that it’s right, but people seem to forget that we're supposed to be safe, no questions asked."