amcliawang

[amcliawang]

"I'm glad to hear it! But I agree, I love being able to be so close to home on a night out. No long drive or hotel stay, just a little bit away." Amelia agreed with a nod. Not that Amelia would have minded, but it was going to be nice to be able to go home and slip right into bed when all was said and done. "I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw the theme, but it really makes the night. And it goes right along with Halloween, which is nice!" Another smile lifted onto her face, "so, how much longer until your due date? If you don't mind me asking."

"Just a bit... but I'm having fun. The good thing is that the event is just here in town and Spencer and I can sneak away for the evening if things get too exciting and tiring," Alice said with a smile. She had a habit of working herself hard, and was really trying to take a break once in a while. "I agree! I love a good masquerade, and I'm glad we were able to incorporate that into the Halloween theme as well." She smiled in thanks, taking the glass of water. "It really is perfect for tonight!"

[amcliawang]

Amelia's smile widened at the other woman's words. "I think so as well! And thank you for saying that!" Amelia nodded, moving her hands across her stomach at the mention of her gown. It was fun to play around. "I agree! You don't get too many nights where you can go all out like this. It's special. I'm really loving the vibe of tonight."

Espie turned toward Amelia as the raven haired woman spoke. "Everyone looks absolutely stunning! Including you! That color!" It was much bolder than anything Espie personally would wear, and Amelia pulled it off well. "I have! It has been a great night! I love any excuse to dress up, and dance, of course! How about you?"

[amcliawang]

"You're very welcome," Amelia spoke, nodding her head. Dressing up was always something she had adored. It wasn't odd to see her around on a week day sporting an expensive power suit with heels, but being able to wear a gown was really something else. It was why she adored attending events like the masquerade. Amelia watched with a smile on her face as Lara Marie signed, before she gave the other woman a shrug. "Maybe! I would hope that he'd come down and greet all of us to his place," she spoke. "Maybe he'd have a mask covering his entire face and use a voice changer to throw us off," she winked. It would be the talk of the town afterwards, Amelia was sure.

"You're welcome! And thank you," Lara smiled. She always loved dressing up, and the masquerade was no different. When the town got to doing some fancy work out there, she really appreciated. There never was a dull moment at these parties. "I am! It's been a really nice night out, and everyone looks amazing," she said excitedly. "Do you think we will see a surprise appearance from The Benefactor? Since this is... his house..."

[amcliawang]

"I'm glad to hear it! I know that events like these can get tiring, but I'm happy to know that you're enjoying your time." Amelia nodded to her friend with a smile before flagging down a server for a glass of water for Alice. "I think so, too. Everyone really put together amazing outfits and it goes so well with the theme." Amelia spoke, agreeing with the other. "Thank you! I really loved this gown."

It had been a very long, eventful evening. Alice promised Spencer that she would take it easy, amidst all the excitement. “A little tired, but I’m good!” She said with a warm smile to her friend. “But a glass of water would be great, actually,” she chuckled. “It has! And I’m so excited to be seeing everyone’s masks and outfits. You look beautiful, by the way,” she gushed.

[amcliawang]

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Amelia Wang as Linda Belcher from Bob's Burgers. She passed out candy to those who trick-or-treated out near the coast.

[amcliawang]

who: AMELIA & ESPIE. @xespietamayo

where: a mansion.

when: during the masquerade party.

Amelia fetched a champagne flute from a passing server as music drifted over the crowd of chattering voices, noticing that not a single face was visible in the crowd. "Everyone is so glamorous," she breathed over the lip of her glass, eyes glancing to the other woman. "I really like how everyone managed to follow the dress code. I've only been to one other masquerade ball and this one has to take the cake," she mentioned. "How you are enjoying your night?"

[amcliawang]

Amelia felt like time slowed down and she was stuck in a dream that she couldn't wake up from. Sure, she pictured what it would be like coming face to face with him one day, but she never imagined it'd be like this. In some way, she felt like she was intruding on something she wasn't meant to see. Something that wasn't meant for her, but she quickly brushed those thoughts away knowing that no one could claim a city or a town. New York wasn't just hers and Merrock couldn't be just his. If he even lived in Merrock. Maybe he was here for a lunch date or passing through town, she didn't know. Amelia patted down her attire, smoothing out the wrinkled fabric that had bunched from when she was bending down and sat back down at her seat. Amelia wanted to say that he wouldn't have ruined her meal, just made it a little uncomfortable but the words didn't come out of her mouth. After all, he was just a small chapter in her book of life. At most, this run-in would just be an inconvenience of her day, nothing more. Or she would hope so. Right now, it felt like someone was turning back the pages to rewrite a story or get a better understanding of what happened. Amelia took a sip of her drink to soothe the way her throat felt, feeling it become a little dry. Before she could focus on eating her meal, she heard his voice again, a little caught off guard at the question being asked. "Ah, well... I got a position at Merrock Law. To work with Spencer Lawrence and take on more pro bono cases. Something about Merrock called to me," she spoke, trailing off a bit before a shrug lifted up her shoulders. "You?"

He had, of course, gone back to New York City. Never for a long period of time, and only when he felt lilke he truly needed to, for an overnighter business meeting, or to catch up with a friend that he hadn't seen in a while. There, he would have expected it. He might have not been surprised if he saw Amelia sitting in a little restaurant, would have taken it in stride. But here, in town, his town, it all… seemed too surreal. And the urge to blurt, 'what are you doing here' was strong, at the tip of his tongue. "Something like that," he half murmured, clearing his throat softly and gesturing towards the table that she was sitting at, as though encouraging her to sit back down, "don't let me ruin your meal." He wanted to think that after all of the time had passed, he wouldn't be capable of doing so, but… well, time had a funny way of going by in the blink of an eye, and crawling so slowly that you couldn't stand it, sometimes. "What, uhm," he wet his lips, fiddling with the edge of his napkin, and lifted his gaze from the napkin in front of him to the patio, to the street, to the town just beyond where they were sitting. The place that he had escaped to when he had wanted to move on, wanted to forget what had happened between them. Because of him. he took in a small breath, and tried again, "what brings you here to Merrock?"

[amcliawang]

Halloween was always a holiday Amelia had adored ever since she was a little girl. And having an event where it was elevated made it that much better for her. With a glass of champagne in her hand, Amelia was watching others enjoy their time as she continued to nurse her drink. It wasn't too long before her eyes caught another's and a smile broke out onto her face. "Thank you!" she spoke clearly while signing back, "you look beautiful as well! Love the details on your gown. Are you having a good time so far?"

@amcliawang

The masquerade was something new and different for Lara. She made her way through the crowd, loving how in character everyone had gotten. It was something she could say was a big part of the town, themed parties and lot of enthusiasm. Seeing her friend, she waved to Amelia. “You look beautiful!” She signed and mouthed out, nodding to her dress.

[amcliawang]

who: AMELIA & LIVVY. @docolives

where: a mansion.

when: during the masquerade party.

Amelia's strides were slow, nervous as she reached the grand doors of the ballroom, eyes glancing around the enormous room. Her focus was fixated on the dream-like decor, it looked like another world that deviated far from the world outside. She slowly descended into the room, taking in a breath of the atmosphere, the scent of expensive wine lingering in the air mixed with the hint of burning candles from the golden chandeliers above. What seemed like hundreds of people decorated the ballroom; some lingered by the sidelines, busying themselves with chatter. Other patrons gravitated towards the center, their moves elegant and precise as they danced to the band performing at the opposite end of the ballroom.

Amelia's eyes continued to observe everything all at once, she was amazed by the wondrous outfits worn by the guests; large ball gowns that floated along with every movement and their masks that differed from extravagant feathers to simplistic sleek disguises. Amelia, herself, had spent the previous hour preparing herself for this evening. She had always adored getting dressed up for any occasion, but this one seemed special. It would be her first big event in Merrock and the older woman was curious to see how the locals spent a night out. A smile graced her lips when she noticed a familiar blonde, the dimples in the other's smile giving her away. It was a relief to see someone she knew. "Having a good time so far?" she asked, moving up behind the other, eyes looking at Livvy's attire. "I must say, you look absolutely exquisite."

[amcliawang]

who: AMELIA & ALICE. @alicezhaox

where: a mansion.

when: during the masquerade party.

"Are feeling okay? Do you need to sit down or have a glass of water?" Amelia spoke, coming up behind the other as she passed through a crowd of partygoers. Even with the masks, Amelia couldn't deny the beautiful bump that was being shown off. A smile was on her face as she faced the younger woman. "This has been a beautiful night so far."

[amcliawang]

HALLOWEEN MASQUERADE

Going with a Medusa inspired look, Amelia wore a velvet green gown and a mask with snakes sprawling throughout on it. She has always been interested behind the mythology of Medusa and decided to showcase that through her look. Amelia will most likely be exploring the grounds, having a drink by the bar, or perhaps will even be people watching throughout the night.

[amcliawang]

"Now that would be something to remember," she laughed, picturing the scene the other was referencing. Amelia had been sipping a glass of champagne, eyes watching patrons mixing and mingling. "Could you imagine the faces of everyone if that happened? I'm sure it would make things more in spirit with Halloween."

WHO: Kyle & Open WHERE: Halloween Masquerade

"Anyone else on the look out for chandeliers crashing to the ground, or is that just me?" Kyle asked, referencing phantom of the opera, as he turned to face whoever was around. He was already well into the tipsy territory, nursing his newest refill, which was likely aiding his ability to careless strike up a conversation with any willing participant.

[amcliawang]

"Thank you so much," Amelia responded, returning the gentle smile as she grabbed the package of lasagna from the younger man's hands. She was quickly learning how nice everyone seemed to be to one another in a small town like Merrock. It was one of those towns where everyone knew everyone, and even if they didn't, they still had no problems about wanting to help someone in need out. Amelia eyed the other's cart, noticing how much food he had piled up in his cart. "Looks like you're feeding a lot of mouths. Guess you had to do shopping duties this week?"

Tasked wwith grocery shopping for the entire firehouse, Theo made his way over to the Garden Market. At least they'd have some good, quality ingredients for the firefighters to utilize for the week. Gathering different items from the list in hand, he made his way towards the pasta aisle. Apparently some of his fellow firefighters really liked to make spaghetti so he made sure to get enough packages of it. Towards the middle of the aisle he saw someone struggling to get something from the top shelf. Pushing his cart towards them, she asked him to get something off the top shelf. "Sure thing," he said as he walked over and reached the top shelf easily, getting a package of lasagna for her. Handing it to her her turned "here ya go ma'am." As he gave her a gentle smile.

[amcliawang]

Amelia wasn't as short as one could be, but she didn't have any advantages to her height. If anything, people assumed she wasn't as strong in the court room because of her height. Though, her words could do more damage than anything else. A laugh bubbled up her throat at the man's words, giving a slight shrug. "I've been walking on stilted height for as long as I can remember." Amelia remembered the first time she wore high heels, and she never looked back. "I'm really am enjoying all of this small town hospitality. It's been nice to see just how selfless people here are." Amelia was used to people being rude or careless about other people around them in big cities, but she was learning that people in small towns were close knit and looked after their community. "Plus, I've got the heels to use if I needed," she volleyed back with a friendly smirk. She watched as the younger man showed off his basket, nodding her head in response. "Looks good. I've decided to do something similar. I'm attempting to make a vegetable lasagna," she spoke. "It looked easy from the recipe I read online, but I'm not a cook so we'll see how it goes."

Jason had been blessed with height. Not that his siblings were short, by any means, but he had a few inches on his brother that he used to his advantage whenever possible, especially when it came to helping people out in grocery stores. Or maybe that was just what he happened to be doing that particular day, but he was happy to be a help. "You handle it a lot better than I would," he teased, letting out a laugh. Then again, Jason could handle sneakers and boots just fine, any other shoe, and he felt like a completely different person, even if he had to slip into dress shoes. "At least in a town like this, the strangers are nice enough that they'll probably help you out," he scrunched his nose, reaching for his own box of pasta and tucking it into the basket he had grabbed upon entering the ltitle market. "Yeah, because you'd absolutely take me in a fight," he grinned, and then tipped his basket a bit to show off various oils, seaonings, vegetables. "Vegetable pasta, felt like going the healthy route tonight. How about you, are you getting creative with your lasagna?"

[amcliawang]

So many thoughts were floating around Amelia's head, not knowing where to begin. To find Rafael in this small town, somewhere in Maine would've never crossed her mind. It felt like an out of body experience to see him sitting there with a cup of coffee in hand, looking as nonchalant as possible. Amelia schooled her own features into behaving as she took another good look at the man she hadn't seen in years. Sure, she could lash out at him for what he did when they were younger or make a snippy remark, but she had gotten over it. Truly. For Amelia, letting those negative feelings simmer and marinate for long would've not done her well. She came to understand that time healed most wounds. And besides, she didn't need strangers knowing of their shared history. Knowing how he broke her heart. If she made a public scene, she would be sure that she would be labeled as the "crazy ex-wife" or something else. Nobody here knew her. Nobody here had any preconceived notions about her. And she liked that. Amelia's eyebrows furrowed at his words, catching a glimpse of what seemed to be a smile. She had a lot of questions roaming her thoughts, but instead of asking them right then and there, she stood up from where she dropped her napkin and weighed her options of what she wanted to do. Ask for her tab and leave? Move to a table inside? Before she could let her thoughts run wild, she began to speak once more. "Well, timing is a funny thing, isn't it?" she spoke, trying to make light of the situation at hand. "I'm afraid this is more of a trick than a treat at the moment."

And just what was the proper course of action here? Should he quietly dismiss himself, turn and walk out, vow to never return to Rossi's again, on the off chance that she, too, really enjoyed a good plate of pasta? But that wasn't really going to work, because she was still in town. Just what was she doing in town? His town -- his little slice of heaven away from the mistakes of his past, away from the comfort of home that had threatened to swaddle him and never let him leave the Italian coast line. Then again, maybe it wasn't her, maybe it was some other woman who looked exactly like his ex-wife that he hadn't seen in over two decades. That was possible, wasn't it? But another glance in her direction, the look on her face, that gasp -- no, it was the Amelia Wang. He steeled himself for what might come next. A slap across the face? A tipped plate of pasta all over his lap? Probably both things that he deserved, but instead, she spoke his name and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Without taking a sip of the coffee he had lifted from the table, he set it down gently, and nodded, the movement slight, measured, trying to keep his outward appearance much more in check than how he was feeling on the inside. "In the spirit of Halloween, I would love to say that you're seeing a ghost, but… no, it's me," the corner of his mouth turned up in the briefest of attempts at a smile.

[amcliawang]

"Thank you so much," Amelia replied, sending a thankful grin her way. Truly, it was just her luck that she'd want something that was out of reach for her. However, she was happy that the younger woman helped her out. "It's a good thing heels exist, right?" she joked, before taking the box from Reyna. "Or at least they give us some more height. I don't know if my feet love it after a long day at the office."

Reyna had stopped by Garden Market after work to pick up ingredients for a quick dinner, not one for keeping more than snacks in her home. She found herself in the pasta aisle, herself grabbing a box of rigatoni when she was approached by the older woman. "Sure," she smiled, searching for the nearest box of lasagna. Really, Reyna wasn't much taller than Amelia, her nearly 5" pumps doing most of the work as she reached the box of lasagna and handed it over to Amelia. "Here you go!"

[amcliawang]

"Thank you," she responded, sending a grateful smile to the other woman. "Normal is fine! I'm not too fussed, really." Amelia admitted, just as long as it was edible and tasted nice, she didn't mind the difference. A laugh acme from her lips at the other's words. "If only. I know I'd break my ankles wearing those these days. I can barely do the heels I'm wearing now," she laughed.

Aleja had been excitedly shopping for some things to make when her daughter returned from college for a few days. She had a list of all of Lucia's favorites and was mentally going through recipes when someone stopped her with a request. She smiled over at Amelia's request immediately, always happy to use the benefit of her height to help others. "No worries, do you want the fancy wheat kind or the normal kind?" She was wearing heels herself but, truth be told, stood probably close to half a foot taller than the other woman without them. "Time to get some of those outlandish platforms, right?"