negotiator;

Seeing the way Tristan lit up at him mentioning his dog, JJ grinned. "You really do love that dog more than you love people, don't you, pal?" Honestly, he did not judge his friend for that. It just showed the kind of empathetic human that he was. You could tell a lot about a person based on how they treat animals. Based on that logic alone, Tristan was a saint. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're here. It makes me feel a little less alone about being here. This place is definitely not my cup of tea anymore. It hasn't been for a while."

Of course, Tristan would be proud that Mia was continuing to be a menace in his life. JJ was not surprised by that reaction, even for a bit. "Of course, you are. You love it when she brings the chaos, don't you?" Truth be told, JJ did not mind that. As Mia grew up and he got to know more and more of her personality, he loved every bit of who she was becoming. And he was glad to know that Tristan loved her just as much. "You know, you can come over and see her whenever you want. Just text me first so that we're both home."

The way Tristan paused upon hearing JJ's question was more than enough to provide him with an answer. But he did not push the other. Not right now and definitely not here, of all places. "Is there anything I can do to make it easier? You know, we don't have to stay here until midnight, right?"

Cordelia's name made him flinch. "Oh man," he said, cringing. "That's a bad mix. Exes, siblings, drinks? You should probably have a way out ready." He gestured with his glass toward the doors, half joking. "I've been eyeing the exits since I got here."

When JJ teased him about Bear, Tristan didn't even try to deny it. "Totally," he said without missing a beat. "Bear doesn't ask how my year went or expect me to be Mr. Charming. He just wants treats and loyalty, nothing beats that." The idea of his dog curled up at home made him feel a little better, a solid feeling the party couldn't give. Soon, he told himself. Just get through this.

JJ saying he was glad Tristan was there hit him in a quiet but good way. Tristan looked him in the eye, nodding once. "Yeah, me too," he said. It helped knowing he wasn't the only one pretending to enjoy the glitz. "This place used to be fun, now it mostly just feels noisy."

When Mia was offered, his smile came back. "I'll take you up on that," he said. "She's good for my soul, even with all the craziness. And honestly?" he said. "I have no plan. I was thinking maybe count down, fake being into it, then vanish soon after."

"i was hoping there would be someone here to keep that from happening." she met his gaze as a softer smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. he looked different without the neon lights, sweeter somehow. "as much as i like watching, i prefer participating more." her head lulled to the side slightly as he watched him, curious if he'd accept the subtle challenge or not.

He looked at her skates, then back at her face, already figuring out her balance and how she stood, where he might need to help. His instincts kicked in before he even thought about flirting—call it his coach brain, his protector brain, whatever, but he didn't rush her. He never liked to force people into things before they were ready. "I can keep you from falling," he said casually. "At least until you get used to it. After that, you're on your own." He paused, then smiled. "Unless you take a huge spill, then I get to say 'I told you so'."

The first Monday evening of the new year. The sun had only set an hour ago, but already, Alexios could feel the chill settling like lead in the mountain air. He threw another log onto the fire and was rewarded with a burst of fresh embers, a promise of warmth. Eftri was curled up on the plush of his couch somewhere at his back. She opened her eyes for only a moment, startled by the crackle and flame, and then she promptly went back to sleep.

"Some guard dog you are," he said, not an ounce of malice in his voice. He stood and scratched behind her ears, and she loosed a contented, drowsy sigh at the familiar touch. Under other circumstances, perhaps he might have draped himself over the couch alongside her, curled up with his reading glasses and a good book before it was time to make dinner.

But the dog wasn't the only other presence in his house that evening.

Dusting his hands off on his long-ago-paint-splattered work pants, Alexios wandered back through the cabin, following the comforting sound of manual labor. He had been around noise before. Noise of the worst kind. This, by comparison, was gentle. A soothing reminder of the friendship he had found in this corner of the earth, hundreds of miles away from every other home he'd known.

"Fire's alive again, and I just turned the thermostat up, too. It should warm up in here soon," he said, rounding the door to the downstairs bathroom. A giant painter's cloth, folded infinitely over itself, lay across the floor, as Alexios wished to preserve the wood underneath. But the walls were another story. He was hoping to paint them soon; for now, he and Tristan needed to focus on patching and sanding them.

When Alexios brought up the fire and the thermostat, Tristan smiled. His fingers were getting cold, his wrists stiff, and he'd just been ignoring it. Being warm meant he didn't have to act as tough. "You're a lifesaver," he said, and he meant it. "I was about five minutes from faking numb hands just to stop sanding without giving up." His eyes went to the living room, where Eftri was totally sprawled out. That made him smile before he could stop it. Resting dogs always did that. "She's keeping the good vibes," he said casually. "Very important job, can't rush that."

He grabbed his water bottle, took a drink, then leaned against the doorframe. His muscles complained in that dull, earned way. He didn't mind it, it felt real. Better than the restless feeling from doing nothing. "The wall's almost ready for the next coat," he said, nodding back at the bathroom. Then, quieter, like he hadn't meant to say it, "This place is coming together. Feels… good." He searched for the right word and gave up. "Working on something that actually stays put." He rubbed his cheek again with his sleeve, which worked better this time, then he looked back at Alexios with a small smile. "Are you gonna tell me if I missed any other spots, or are you just gonna let me walk around like this all night?"

As he moved to a different machine setting it, he heard the metal plates hit together, jarring him from his thoughts. "Definitely looked easy, man." Levi let out a small chuckle, "I'll be honest, I wasn't really paying attention. Was in my own little zone." As he shrugged, "I mean, are you lifting more than your body is really ready for, I heard the plates hit a little harder and that's a sure fire way to pull something, or worse. I'd hate to have to go into work mode if you snap a ligament in your back. Hurts like a bitch too."

Tristan nodded to the weights Levi had been messing with. "You do this often?" he asked, just wondering. "You've got that vibe like you know your stuff and you've seen worse. Makes me think I should actually listen instead of pushing it."

He looked around the gym, at the mirrors, machines, and people busy working out. This place used to feel like his comfort spot. Now, it felt more like a compromise. "I think the toughest part is letting go of how it used to be," he said, sounding chill but honest. "Your mind remembers you a certain way, but your body's like, 'nope, not doing that anymore.'" He looked back at Sebastian and gave a small, real smile. "When someone else calls it experience instead of just getting old? Makes it feel less like I'm losing ground and more like I'm just… finding my new normal."

at least arm day didn't kill her the way everything else did. she could go through the motions, feel somewhat like normal. she was working through the last of her triceps circuit and moving towards the bicep curl when she found her path blocked by someone else pausing for a water break, the same guy she'd caught floating from machine to machine throughout the duration of her own workout. once she realized he was talking to her, she pulled one of her airpods out, offering the beginnings of a smile. "nah, didn't look like you're going to regret that in the morning," she said. "although the fact you're still working out in that hoodie makes me question your sanity — i'd sweat to my bitter end if i were you."

"Thanks for saying that," he added, looking at her, his eyes quickly checking out her arms, which clearly showed she'd been working hard. "I'll take 'not instant regret' as a good thing." He paused. "You actually sound like you know what you're doing, though, which makes me wonder." He grinned easily, but you could tell he was curious. "Do you work out a lot, or do you just naturally spot bad moves?" He took another drink of water, then gestured to the machines. "Also, respect for surviving arm day. That's the only part of my body that hasn't totally given up on me yet here." He kept his tone light, but there was a real honesty to it, a quiet comfort in not being the only one pushing it a little too hard. "I'm Tristan, by the way. If you hear a loud crash later, that's just me finding my limits in real time."

Yara caught the lift of his glass before she heard his voice, already half-smiling by the time he reached her. "God, no." she muttered softly, shaking her head. She felt like a fish out of water, like she didn't belong, and for the most part, she didn't, but at least there was a familiar face right there with her. "I had someone ask me what my biggest accomplishment was this year while holding a cocktail shaped like a bird. I almost said surviving." She paused, making a face. "But I didn’t want to be that person. So I lied and said… organizing my pantry.. like that isn't the most obvious lie." Smiling this time, baby blues focused on the untouched drink in her hands, before she glanced back at Tristan. "I.. think so? I'm not sure. I was considering hiding outdoors for a moment. Get some fresh air, while keeping myself away from all the sugary options." She replied, voice soft, uncertain. Maybe leaving was the best option at this point. "And you? How's your night so far?"

He glanced at her drink, still full, and felt that familiar pang of worry—not a huge alarm, just a quiet sense that she was about to bolt. He knew the feeling well because he lived with it too. "Fresh air sounds like a good idea," he agreed. "Less noise, fewer people asking you to sum up a whole year like it's a job review." He motioned towards the back doors. "I was thinking the same thing. Calling it a break, not… running away." Honestly, the room had felt suffocating since he got there. The bright lights, the pressure, the way everyone seemed to be celebrating something he hadn't yet caught up to. Talking to her felt like he could finally relax without needing an excuse. He moved a little, turning more towards her and away from the crowd. "Want to grab that fresh air together?" he asked, sounding lighter but still sincere. "Before someone traps us and asks for our 'word for the year' and I totally panic and say 'dog'?"

With his airpods in his ears and the soundtrack to one of his favorite musicals blasting, Sebastian settled on a machine that worked out his legs, since that seemed like a good place to start. When he began to break a sweat, he decided to move onto another machine. He stood awkwardly off to the side for a moment as he scrolled through his playlist to choose another song, while also deciding on which machine to go for next. It was then that he realized the man next to him was talking to him, which prompted him to pull one earbud out and listen in. "I feel like once you hit a certain age, any kind of activity is going to leave you with a sore back," he said with a chuckle.

He breathed out, rolling his shoulders again like he could physically shake off the thoughts and the stiffness. "Yeah," he said, his mouth twitching up as he looked at Sebastian. "I always tell myself it's not age, it's… experience piling up." He paused. "Sounds better than 'everything hurts for no good reason.'" He took another sip of water, then gestured to the equipment around them. "I used to hit the gym like it was a contest. Now, I'm just trying to get through it without needing ice and an apology to my back." The joke about himself came easy.