𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬

“Thanks, baby. I like to believe I’m always beautiful, still I appreciate your words…” Her lack of notion towards a playful tone being offered at Laurel, caused the witch to actually look down at her clothes, while mumbling. “I’m wearing my coat now because it’s freaking cold, but–” And it took actually looking at Violeta and noticing her expression to make Laurel chuckle. “I hate you, except that I really don’t. I love you.” 

The sober state was the greatest shield to keep words that accused others to worry about Laurel to herself – after all, everything else in her life, she’d gladly share with anyone she was talking to. Alcohol became her great friend that night, but also the arranger of her following words. “I also knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep, so I thought: why not? A couple of friends wanted to head to the club, Miles wasn’t heading to my place and after almost dying, you always think that you should seize the moment, right?” She chuckled, shrugging at her own words before mimicking Violeta’s action and sitting over the sand, taking a moment to exhale the smell of the ocean and the beach, in general. Such a peaceful and mesmerizing place. “It must be nice leaving so close to the beach. If I didn’t love my apartment that much, I’d consider moving here.”

-

It had always been quite apparent that Violeta had a huge soft spot for Laurel. She couldn’t help it. Almost as if by fate, they had entered each other’s lives when they were both going through traumatic experiences with their families -- and instantly learned to cling onto to one another. Truth be told, Laurel was probably the closest thing to family Violeta had in Astoria. Besides her dog, of course. Upon hearing her reaction to her teasing, Violeta could simply laugh and reach out to gently pull at Laurel’s leg, “Don’t hate me! I can’t afford to have you as my enemy.” she whined, looking up to wink at the brunette above her, “You know too many of my secrets.” Laurel was like Violeta in the sense that they were both very reserved about their feelings, preferring to deal with them quietly by their own rather than opening up. And although that was fine for Violeta, she hated that trait in her friend. She just worried...a lot. So when Violeta asked if Laurel was okay, she had kind of expected her to lie. But she didn’t. This was her chance to prod a little further, and she wasn’t about to miss it. “You haven’t been sleeping? Nightmares?” she guessed. Death was vengeful that way. You could escape it...but he always made sure to leave little remnants and traces of his scent wherever you went. “Have you been able to find out anything more about what happened?” she asked softly, scared of pressing too much and risking Laurel to shut her out again. Violeta rested her head on Laurel’s shoulder, allowing the sound of waves she couldn’t see hitting against the shore. “Well...you can always use my house whenever you want. Don’t you have keys?” she asked, trying to remember if she had ever needed to make an extra set of keys. The smell of vodka on Laurel’s coat became strangely soothing, a reminder that she wasn’t entirely alone in this moment. “I’ll make you your own set.”

Tuah smiled at the answer, nodding to himself looking satisfied as if he had any hand on organizing Atlas’ birthday party. Still, he was glad Violeta was enjoying herself, and that was what mattered to him at the moment. Tuah arched his brows, his head tilted slightly to the side as he looked at her with curiosity. “Do you still do that? Because I’d really like for you to take a gander at the guest tonight.” He wasn’t someone who was able to read people, merely trying to understand them as best as he could, so this definitely piqued his interest. “What is your profession, if you don’t mind me asking?” Tuah took a sip from his drink, taking his time before nodding at the question. “I like to think that I’m fairly acquainted with pretty much everyone around here. It helps to be well connected. What about you? Do you only know your associate at this party?”

The comment drew out a chuckle from him, and Tuah averted his gaze to the drink in his hand. “I first met him in 1950s,” he turned to Violeta, the smile still present on his lips, “but we’ve only been reunited four years ago. I don’t know if you count that as a long time.” He moved his shoulders in a shrug, taking a sip from his drink. Atlas’ relationship with him was an open secret to everyone that knew them – not by their choice, mind - but that didn’t mean he’d spill everything to someone he just met at the party. Hell, he didn’t even talk about it to his friends, or anyone for that matter. Everything he thought and felt, he kept it to himself and worked on it on his own. Tuah turned his attention back to Violeta, smiling at her remark. “That’s good to know. Though now I’m thinking that you’re not going to be impressed by my party tricks either.”

-

A playful smile crept on the brunette’s face as she looked around at the faces in the room. It had been years since she had played this game, but as she glanced around and tried to let her imagination run free all those memories of going out with her childhood friends suddenly came rushing back to her and transported her to the same mental space. “Hmmm,” she pursed her lips, trying to find the most eccentric looking people in a crowd of already pretty bizarre characters. It was then that one of the male dancers jumped up on one of the counters. What caught her attention was his enthusiasm. He was clearly older than the rest, probably the only dancer older than thirty five, but the most flexible and energetic of the bunch. Without losing sight of him, she moved closer to Tuah, “You see that man? The guy dancing on the counter? Has a bit of a bald spot that’s currently reflecting the green light?” she said, not being able to contain a small giggle at the last observation, “He actually just got here from Brazil. Both his mother and wife think that he’s getting a special medical treatment in Astoria. I mean, we do have an incredible advanced and diverse health system. But that’s actually not why he’s here at all. You see...he had a bit of a quarter or half life crisis, and decided he wanted to do something completely different from his boring life back home. So he’s created a double life here in Astoria. So in Brazil he’s a married, risk assessment manager and a father of five cats and two dogs...but in Astoria he’s an enigmatic, world traveling dancer.” By the end of her absolutely bullshit story, the playful smile had turned into an all out grin. Her chocolate brown eyes, now sparked with childish amusement, traveled back to meet Tuah’s. “So this goes out to our risk assessment manager. May both his lives be long and fruitful,” and with those words, she raised her now nearly empty glass in the air in front of them. “Or, if you prefer a less ridiculous story, let’s have a look at the man at the end of the bar. The one in the shockingly ugly striped brown suit trying to hit on the girl that’s clearly not interested in him.” Violeta nodded over to where this particular subject of interest sat. “His ego has definitely been hurt today. Probably got insulted by his boss or even got fired. I can’t really see his face that well, but the way he’s drinking heavily -- alone -- and puffing out his chest while trying to hit on a woman that, let’s face it, is way, way out of his league and definitely not interested is a pretty strong indicator of a hurt male ego in my opinion. Either way, she will eventually make it blatantly clear that she’s trying to reject him, he will get even drunker, storm out of the party, and text his ex girlfriend.” Violeta finished her drink before answering Tuah’s question, “I’m a lawyer. I actually have a firm in the city. Castells&Roca. What about you? What do you do?”, there were certain people in Astoria that had accumulated so much wealth throughout their very lengthy lives that they chose to no longer work, and Violeta was unsure if Tuah was one of them. She thought he could easily fit the type, but chose to not make any assumptions lest she accidentally insult him. “Four years isn’t too long. But at the same time, I only just moved here four years ago...so I guess that depends on the context. Since the nineteen-fifties, however, is a long time to have known someone.” She informed with a raised eyebrow. It still shocked her how ridiculously short her own life felt in comparison to some other lifespans here. “The man has party tricks?” Violeta commented playfully, leaning towards Tuah and batting her eyelashes up at him, “I didn’t realize you were part of the show! Well now you simply must show me!”

Even when Ashling didn’t have to work, she tried not to fully sleep through the night. It only made it harder on the nights she was working, which was usually about six nights out of the week. Tonight, however, she was off, and spending her time exploring the new country that she called home — at least for the time being. She’d never really been a beach person, but she’d been standing on the pier, listening to waves, and decided to go and wiggle her toes in the sand. Pulling off her shoes, she tucked them in her messy shoulder bag, making her way out onto the sand. The moon made the waves glint as they rolled in, Ash wandering down towards the shore, pausing when those waves touched her toes. It was cold, a shiver running through her, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant, not intolerable. 

She wasn’t really looking out for anyone else, so when out of the darkness, a dork began barking, Ashling jumped nearly a foot in the air, blue eyes glancing around. She wasn’t exactly afraid of dogs, but he didn’t sound friendly. However, when Ash moved, she saw the woman holding the leash, and let out a small sigh of relief. “I scared you? You’re the one with the giant dog.” She mused.

-

It took Violeta a moment to slow her heart back down and regain her composure. Of course Violeta was very much aware of how Anís looked to other people. It was why she got her in the first place, after all. However, the intimidating factor was meant to be used against intruders and people that meant her harm -- and this was clearly not that kind of situation. “Oh, yeah,” she quickly commented, pulling her dog back to stand next to her, “Anís, calma. Calmate.” she instructed before bending down to pet the great dane soothingly. She looked up at the stranger and offered her an apologetic smile, “She really is a sweetheart. Just protective, you know? You can pet her if you want...she won’t bite you.” ‘As long as I’m calm’ was the part she left out. She looked up at the stranger again, trying to get a good look to see if she recognized her from anywhere. “Do you live around here or something? I don’t think I’ve seen you before...”

—

“Thank you.” Olivia exclaimed, a whimsical smile lingering on her lips. “Supernatural history. I read history at Oxford and moved here just after finishing my PhD to teach. Just seemed like an opportunity I couldn’t squander.” She explained. She had been offered a position to teach at her alma mater, too, but given Oxford did not nearly offer as many fascinating research topics to delve into as Astoria did, the decision had been a no-brainer to Liv.

A light-hearted chuckle spilled from the young historian’s lips at Violeta’s conclusion. “Well, I had run out of history podcasts that manage to capture my interest and teach me something I don’t know, so I thought I’d try something different.” She said with a shrug. “And that entirely depends on how squeamish you are. It’s not pretty.” She warned. Then again, most chapters in history were not. “I’ll admit I know next to nothing about art history, but I’m happy to learn. Got any favorites?”

Violeta chuckled as she said, “Well you’re definitely in the right place for that!” Liv relating where she was originally from gave them more to bond over on their walk to the apartment. “A fellow outsider, huh? So I am getting better at recognizing us. I mean...the accent made it kind of obvious but I’d still like to think we all have subtle, little tells.” Violeta mused. Actually, even that wasn’t entirely true. It wasn’t that people who had moved to Astoria were different -- it was that native Astorians were. Native Astorians (or long time residents, as the case with many Vampires) were so uniquely distinguishable from everybody else that Violeta had met that those kind of details instantly stood out to her. Liv’s words instantly piqued the brunette’s interest. She raised her eyebrows at the other as an amused smile began to slowly appear on her face, “I’m a vegetarian...but I’m also a lawyer. I’ve heard plenty of atrocities.” she stated simply. “As for art history... Art History Babes, for sure. It’s an amazing podcast with a really fun group of women that come together and simply flesh out and analyze the different eras and styles. They also do a really good job at explaining the origins and influences of each style for the people that may not be as acquainted with it but not dumbing it down too much as to put off the people that are.”

She knew that it really wasn’t the best idea for her to be walking around in the dark by herself, especially when she really wasn’t paying much attention to those around her. “I think that the night really does that to people, getting lost in our thoughts, in our own little worlds.” She said softly to her. “Oh Cooper enjoys the beach and I thought that it would be nice to bring him out, since I got home later than I normally do and left him waiting for his walk.” She explained to her.

-

Violeta could only nod along to those words. She was absolutely right. Although she often called herself a morning person, there was an incomparable ease to the night. Mornings were exciting -- a time for planning and mapping out what the day was going to bring. Nights, however, gave her the excuse of time for her to only think of herself. “The night is a cloak we can all hide behind,” the thought manifesting into actual words and escaping her mouth without her even realizing it. “Oh,” Violeta recovered, snapping out of thoughts and finally looking up to take in the other woman, “I mean, you’re absolutely right. I guess that’s why it’s so hard for some people to use the time to actually sleep.” “Hi Cooper!” she cooed, looking down warmly at the dog and suddenly conscious of her own. Although always a sweetheart, Anís wasn’t particularly used to other dogs, so she always got physically uncomfortable in their company. This wasn’t really a problem, except for when the owners read that as hostility. Unconsciously, she pulled the great dane’s leash to bring Anís closer to her, “She’s a sweetie, I promise. Just...socially awkward at times.” she half joked, offering a small smile at the stranger. “Do you live around here as well? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

—

Liv’s eyes widened at the other woman’s response, suddenly realizing just how easily her words could be entirely misconstrued. “Hit on you? I never – I just don’t carry my money with me when I run, so I…” She stammered, abruptly and visibly burning up, her cheeks tinged pink by the time the other offered her a wink and a smile. “Bloody hell, you got me there.” Liv admitted and mustered a small laugh. “That’s good to know, my Cal loves attention.”

Her eyes softened at the compliment. “Thank you, as is yours.” Liv responded, walking alongside Violeta as she was glad to get her legs moving again, going from a fast pace to a sudden halt combined with their collision had left her a tad light-headed. “The history of animal trials in Europe. Probably a niche interest, but not all that weird for a historian.” She chuckled. “Any genres you prefer?”

-

”Oh you’re a historian? That’s actually really cool.” The words were genuine, as history had always been a subject that had interested her. Even practicing law meant that you heavily relied on stories, narrations and interpretations. However, she had been under the impression that other woman was younger, perhaps even still in college. “What do you normally specialize in?“ Violeta raised her eyebrows at the other, surprised at the topic that had interested her so. “That definitely sounds very...um, different. But interesting. Anything worth relating back to me?” she concluded, letting out an amused chuckle. “I normally listen to podcasts about art history and true crime. Maybe it’s a little basic, but I enjoy them.”

·.

Lorna had no idea why she was out so late, she did end up going for a drink or two after work, but normally she was back before midnight to rest up for the next day. However it seemed like she decided to stay out longer due to her starting late at work the next day so she could lie in. She had her hands buried in her pockets as she walked home, knowing that she would have to take Cooper out for a little stroll when she got home. She didn’t mind doing that as it helped both of them sleep soundly. 

The sound of the waves were quite calming to her, making her get lost in her own thoughts and remembering the trips to the beach that she would take with her family and how the waves soothed her to sleep. She thought that she was alone, she didn’t expect somebody else to be out let once she walked further, the sound of a shriek caused her to jump. The brunette held onto her chest as she looked over at her for a moment. “I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, I didn’t think that anybody else would be out at, two in the morning. You gave me a bit of a fright too, I guess I put that down to me being away in my own world.”

-

Violeta’s eyes finally adjusted enough to see a woman emerge from the darkness. “Oh” she said involuntarily, letting out a relieved breath. She didn’t know the stranger, but seeing that she was just another person taking out her pet for a too-late stroll did something to soothe her. “It’s okay. Yeah, I mean- same, really.” Violeta reassured, offering the other a small, polite smile, “The beach is usually empty around this time. I didn’t expect to see somebody else. Do you live around here or something?” she asked, trying to think if she had seen her around the area before.

—

Some days, when work was too much, and his classes were stressful enough to make him want to give up, Leon usually would either go out for a walk or a run. It all depended on the level of stress he was going through. That evening, his feet had taken the warlock to the pier for some reason. Maybe it was the cool breeze or the pretty lights, but something drove him there. Leon had stopped for a moment, paused his music to listen to the mild sound of waves crashing against the pier, while sitting on the handrail to get his mind off things.

Once Leon started to feel more cold than not, he figured it was time to head back home, so he climbed down from where he was seated, which, ended up startling a dog and their owner. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to.” He raised his hands while taking a step back, to ensure he meant no harm. “Are you alright?”

-

Violeta could only offer the stranger a shaky, reassuring smile. “It- It’s okay.” she said, a nervous laugh escaping her as the adrenaline slowly left her body. She reached out to pet Anís, who, ever the protective dog, was still very much wary of the stranger. “I just didn’t expect to see someone. I’ve never seen somebody else in the beach this late.” The brunette crouched down next to her dog, to indicate to her that everything was fine. “She’s good, I promise.” And Anís was..however, she could not honestly say that she would not bite if she felt threatened. “So do you live around here or something?”

That day entered a list of rare nights in which Laurel found herself in a nightclub. Though lately she had experiences that allowed her to be under the influence of happiness and tranquility, the idea of heading back home that night, by herself, caused her skin to crawl. The nightmare that haunted her throughout the day gave her the conclusion that it was for the best to avoid closing her eyelids to enter the dream world; it was safer to remain awake, trying new cocktails in the presence of colleagues from work. It didn’t last long, but it lasted long enough that the head priestess was certain she’d be tired enough to get a warm shower and lie comfortably against her mattress.

However, before she would head back home, Laurel found herself making her way closer to the beach; it was the least she could do to herself, appreciate nature in the darkness and the sound of waves crashing that hypnotized her with ease. Perhaps that was when she lost track of time and also the notion that she wasn’t by herself until she heard a bark. Her hand instantly reached for her chest until Laurel was finally able to notice who was there — which she was thankful for her phone that offered her enough light to see Anís and Violeta. “I know I may not look as good as I did when I got to the club, but now you’re just offending me, Vi.” Rolling her eyes playfully, the witch offered a smile. 

Slowly crouching down so she wouldn’t lose balance and fall, Laurel offered her hand for Anís to recognize her before she could caress the dog. “Auntie Laurel is happy and drunk, yes she is.” She chuckled, looking up so her gaze could find Violeta. “What are you two doing out here? Is everything alright?”

-

Violeta could only laugh as she felt her previously shot nerves slowly go back to normal. “Baby, never. You know you could dress up with literal trash and you’d still look hot as hell. Except...damn, you really went to the club like that?” She teased, making it a point to look at the other up and down with a disgusted look on her face, before rolling out her easy smile to let her know that she was just messing with her. As Laurel got closer, Violeta caught of a strong whiff of alcohol. She saw as her friend fought for balance going down, and laughed, “You know how it is...couldn’t sleep. But are you okay? You smell like you brought the whole fucking club home with you.” An excited Anís pulled at Violeta’s leash, excited to play with the familiar friend. Anís was a protective, anxious dog, and Violeta felt confident letting go of her leash, knowing that her dog would stay close. She saw Anís play with Laurel for a bit longer, before running back to Violeta. The brunette sat down on the soft sand, patting the spot next to her for her friend to sit next to her.

—

Upon the audible sigh of relief the other woman heaved, Liv responded with a sigh of her own, a tentative nod following as her eyes darted between the phone and the woman in front of her. “That’s… reassuring. Again, I’m really sorry. I’ll be sure to keep listening to podcasts and running separate activities in the future.” Liv managed the faintest of smiles, finding reassurance when the other woman’s gaze and voice began to strike her as significantly less biting than they had been earlier. “Oh, absolutely, it’s still a bummer but I suppose it doesn’t hurt to get away from one’s phone for a day, even if it’s not exactly by choice.” She flashed her a wry smile, still attempting to lighten the mood.

Liv’s eyes widened at the admittedly fairly easy and inviting option of how she could make it up to the stranger. She felt the idea was more than fair, and perhaps, their unfortunate first encounter could even lead to a friendship of sorts. Being a glass half full kind of girl, Liv was more than happy to give it a go. Before she replied, it quickly dawned on her that there was one flaw in their plan: Liv had been on a run, and had nothing but her phone and her keys on her. “I would be more than happy to do that, but I would have to stop by my apartment first to grab my wallet and maybe change into something less casual than running gear.” She replied with a short-lived chuckle. “Would you… mind tagging along? It’s no more than a ten minute walk, and you’ll be in the company of my cat while I get changed.” Liv just hoped Cal would play along and be on his best behavior, she had already caused the other woman enough trouble for one day. “I’m Olivia, or Liv, by the way. I should probably introduce myself before I invite you to my place.” She chuckled again, but it was more heartfelt this time around.

-

“It’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Miss Violeta.” Tuah bowed slightly in greetings, arching his brows in surprise when she mentioned that she didn’t know Atlas personally. The story of how she was roped into coming here earned a chuckle from him, crows feet visible at the corner of his eyes and laughter lines on his cheeks. “For what it’s worth, you still look lovely in that pantsuit.” He waved towards her attire when she showed him what she was wearing. He supposed it didn’t matter the kind of clothes that Violeta wore, he was sure they all would look lovely on her. “And regardless of how you came to this party, I hope you’ve been enjoying yourself. It’s quite a shame to sit here all by yourself.”

Tuah nodded, a somewhat bittersweet smile on his lips. “He’s very dear to me, so I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” He waved his hand towards the birthday celebration, filled with people that knew Atlas personally or by associates. The celebration was a success by his standard, and he was sure Atlas was delighted at the large crowd that showed up for the evening to celebrate him. The young vampire didn’t need him to ruin all the fun, after all. “If you have the chance, you should introduce yourself to him. Just don’t be swept by his charm, hm,” he warned playfully, winking at her.

-

"I actually really am,” she admitted, taking another sip of her drink as she turned to take in the rest of the party. The night was simply fantastic, filled with extravagant performances and dancers. And that, of course, including Atlas himself, who seemed to be in a different outfit every time he made an appearance. And the party mood was only more enhanced by the guests themselves, who had clearly taken the theme very seriously and seemed to be absolutely committed to making this a memorable night. “In these type of things, sometimes being a mere spectator can be just as entertaining. When I was younger, I used to sit back with a drink and my friends and I would try to guess what the interesting -- or hilariously plastered -- guests were like in their day to day lives. It definitely helped me to be good at reading people...or just more judgy. Either option makes me better at my job.” she half joked, “But I’m guessing you already know a lot of people here.”

Part of her job was being able to read between the lines and recognize when somebody was withholding information from her. And she was damn good at her job. So it struck her as odd when she sensed hesitance coming from Tuah when he described his relationship with Atlas. But she had just met Tuah, so she also didn’t want to assume anything. However, she did have an insatiable curiosity for people that prompted her to drop a little comment, “It seems like you’ve known him for a long time.” Violeta couldn’t help the small, warm chuckle that emerged from her when she heard his warning, “Oh trust me...I may just be human, but you’ll find that I’m notoriously hard to impress.”

It was nearly 2am, and Violeta was still buzzing under her skin. Although that wasn’t entirely unusual. The thirty four year old was no stranger to insomnia, having been acquainted with it ever since her early college days. Insomnia was like an on and off again boyfriend that she just couldn’t learn how to move on from. It wasn’t always present in her life, she could go weeks, even months at times, without suffering through a sleepless night; but when it was...it was rough. Anxiety was nearly always the thing that triggered it, although her caffeine consumption habits certainly did not help. She usually spent those long, sleepless nights cradling a book, with a steaming cup of chamomile tea besides her (heaven forbid she might add even more unnecessary caffeine into her already overstimulated system), and her beloved dog, a Great Dane named Anís, sleeping at her feet. Except tonight. She had gone to the kitchen to start boiling water in her electric tea kettle when she looked out the large windows. It was a perfect, cloudless night, and it seemed to be calling her. She swore she could even see more stars than usual. Violeta decided to give in to the beckoning of the night. She put on a pair of black leggings, shrugged on a warm, oversized jacket, and left her house with Anís on a leash besides her. The night truly was perfect for walking on the beach, and so that’s exactly what she decided to do. Even back in Barcelona, she had always lived by the beach. Being too far from the ocean for too long made Violeta feel claustrophobic. So when her grandmother died she decided to keep living in the house in Heathstone Bay, instead of selling it and moving closer to the office. The longer commute to the office was worth being able to have moments like these. Violeta’s lips lifted into an unconscious smile as she felt her feet sink into the familiar, soft, wet sand. She found perfection in the dark horizon, hearing the comforting sound of distant waves crashing against pitch black water. She had been walking for a while when she thought she saw a movement coming from the corner of her eye. Violeta stopped dead on her tracks, and tried to peer into the dark night. She was ready to chalk it up to her imagination and sleep deprivation when Anís suddenly started barking at something she couldn’t see, confirming her paranoia. Anís was huge and incredibly protective of her owner, so Violeta had always felt safe with her by her side... But the brunette also realized how vulnerable and exposed she currently was. It was at that moment that she saw a single figure emerge from the shadows. “¡Hostias!” She shrieked in surprise, her heart threatening to break free from her chest. “Holy shit, you scared the hell out of me!”

—

Olivia could temporarily forget about the dull pain in her chest when she noticed the damage their collision had caused. Her eyes darted between what was now scattered all across the floor and the evidently fake smile the other woman had flashed her, but Liv could hardly blame her. “Oh no, I absolutely should worry about it, I am so sorry.” The stranger whose day she had clearly just ruined was quicker to pick up the records than she ever could have been, still regaining her breath from her run. Liv at the very least thought to pick up the phone that had gone flying, the screen shattered and her eyes all the more apologetic. “Is there anything I can do to help? I’d be happy to pay for what needs to be fixed or replace it, I was the one who ran into you, after all.” As a teacher and researcher at Astoria U, she was not exactly struggling, but also not so well-off that paying for someone else’s phone would not displease her bank balance for a month or two. Nevertheless, she felt it was her obligation to offer to do so.

-

Well, at least the apology seemed to be sincere enough. Violeta took her now shattered phone from the stranger’s hands, letting out a huge sigh of relief when she saw the display glow through the cracked screen. “It just seems to be the screen,” she muttered to herself, turning her phone around a few times and unlocking it to do some test swipes. The phone was definitely stuttering and freezing, two things that would certainly irritate her until she got it fixed, but she would survive as long as she could still call an Uber to take her home. Victoria looked up as soon as the stranger offered to pay to fix it, shocked mainly because she hadn’t realized she was still there. Her previously harsh gaze softened as it landed on the blonde, “It’s really okay,” her tone sounding a lot more calm now that she had confirmed that the phone still worked, “I’ll take it to be fixed tomorrow over lunch. I know it’s 2021, but I think I can survive having an ugly looking screen until tomorrow.” Although she had tried to make her words sound reassuring to the stranger, she could see in her eyes that she still felt bad. “Tell you what...I was about to stop by Myriad to get a chai latte. If you want, you could come with me and pay for my chai.” Actually, she had meant to go straight home after buying her records, but if the small gesture was enough to bring comfort to the ever apologetic stranger she was more than willing to stop for some chai.