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JANE & AKITO ​

               akito could feel the nervous energy coming off of jane , but he wasn’t the most concerned over it as even some of the customers that he had tattooed time and time again still got just as nervous before the process started for them . nerves were only natural , and in more scenarios than only this , they were both to be expected and not always exclusively a bad thing . akito thought that jane would be fine , honestly , but even so , he was sure to treat the situation sensitively and carefully in order to respect the aforementioned nerves . “ alright , here we go , ” akito was sure to express every step of their process clearly , for the sake of ease and reassurance . a second after they warned her , they touched the now buzzing tattoo gun to her skin , and just as they said they would , they drew a small line - part of the leaf on the design . after the line was complete , they took the gun off of her skin , and held it at a safe distance away . “ how are you doing ? how did that feel ? that wasn’t so bad , was it ? ” he asked her , in a more conversationally casual way than a bombarding way - even despite the amount of questions asked in quick succession . 

From the very beginning of their interaction, Jane’s nerves have been extremely high. This is something that she wants to do, something that she is completely sure of, having thought it through, but the nerves over the actual process of having a needle dragged through her skin is terrifying. She’s never done something like this before, and while Akito has a gentleness to them that calms Jane and reassures her that she’s going to be okay, the adrenaline has still already been released, and the nerves won’t leave her completely, she’s sure of it. She wants this, and so she takes on the nerves with hopes of the reward being far greater than them. She squeezes her eyes shut as Akito begins to draw the line through her skin. It hurts, as to be expected, but it’s her nerves that prove to be the worst thing in the moment - it’s far from an agonising pain. She opens her eyes as he questions her, ignoring the slight lightheadedness that she begins to feel. “It didn’t hurt as much as I thought it might,” she tells him, feeling hopeful despite the shakes that begin to come on.

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"I actually drink a shocking amount of beer for someone who proudly and openly admits that it tastes like dirt," she tells them. For reasons unknown to Chandler, beer and sports go hand in hand, and with the woman loving sports as much as she has always has it only makes sense for her to be a beer drinker, regardless of her preferences. "I'm glad I don't come across as the type to enjoy it, though," she chuckles. "Unless that's a bad thing," she worries, though still with a smile on her face. At the end of the day it doesn't matter a single bit, but even so, Chandler does hope that she comes across as athletic as she always has been.

"That's why you've gotta know good people in this place," Chandler advises them. "When you've gotta make your own entertainment, the people you're with makes it or breaks it," she says. "What kind of stuff are you into? What do you like getting up to?" She asks them, assuming that they're not a competitive athlete like herself, which in turn is Chandler assuming that she can't help them all too much with suggestions on how to keep themself busy outside of the mall. "That makes sense," she agrees with Keanu at their comment about the drinks not mixing well. She makes a note to not mix anything too different if she continues to drink, though she doesn't plan on a wild night. "My best friend works at Julio's, so it's usually pretty good for me other there," Chandler understands why it might not be Keanu's scene, however, from judging their appearance and attitude so far - and she doesn't think this is a bad thing. "Sometimes I find the customers a little old, though," she admits.

"You don't strike me as the type to order a beer," Keanu stated with a grin. They'd never been taught the lesson to not judge a book by its cover. In fact, Keanu spent most of their time thinking about the presentation of things including people. Nothing about her screamed "beer drinker" and that was part of the reason Keanu had decided to take up a spot next to her instead of someone else at the bar. They didn't know exactly what kind of drink they were going to get but they figured it would be sweet even if it was milky.

"I can only imagine. There really doesn't seem to be anything to do in this place that isn't in the mall," Keanu agreed. They'd arrived very shortly before the mall had been constructed and those first few months were terribly boring for Keanu. They were forced to throw themselves into the work that they'd come to town for simply because they had nothing else to do. Small town life really didn't suit Keanu and it still was taking some adjustment to this slower pace of life that they'd stumbled into some two years later. "I think that's where they get their bad reputation. They don't mix well with other drinks," Keanu followed up before taking another sip of the minty beverage. "It's a good thing I don't plan on having too many drinks tonight." Keanu had no real plans for their evening but they didn't expect to have a late night so the drink suited them just fine. "Julio's is sad this early in the night. I only head over that way once the bar is alive," Keanu explained. They didn't mind grabbing a drink at Angel's early on. The atmosphere was more laid back by nature and they weren't stuck drinking with the sad day drinkers that were just beginning to wrap up at Julio's for the evening.

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POSEY & AVERY 

“I know, right? Kind of disappointing. You’d think in times like now people would be more helpful but no, they’re all every person for themselves. Which is such weirdo behavior.” Avery didn’t exactly consider herself the best person in the world but she was a people person. She loved to help other people and to get to know them and she couldn’t imagine herself ever being someone who said no when someone genuinely needed her help. Avery’s smile widened and she nodded in agreement. “Posey and Avery do sound pretty nice together, yeah. I agree with your mom’s taste which is not something that happens often. Me and moms have complicated relationships,” she joked. “But Posey the Animal Saint? I’m with it. I’m gonna make t-shirts of you with your arms full of rabbits,” she teased, finding herself grateful this interaction was happening at all. She nodded and started following behind Posey as they made their way up to LaPaws, her eyes going from Posey to the rabbit ever couple of seconds. “Do you have any pets of your own? We had a dog when I was younger but nothing since. My apartment is a little small right now but maybe I should get a rabbit. Baby is totally converting me right now.”

“Definitely weirdo behaviour,” Posey agrees, a much more real frown gracing their face for a second as they think of the callousness in their town. They try to immediately bounce back into more cheerful spirits - something that thankfully isn’t too difficult with company like Avery - but it is hard when Posey has been subjected to the awfulness of their current situation so directly, having been attacked, and having loved ones attacked, too. “On the bright side, not everyone’s a total weirdo,” they remind themself and Avery at the same time, pulling their lips up into a smile again. “Look at us, for example. Two shining examples of how a person should be,” they joke, but at the same time they do think that Avery is a good person, and they hope for the same themself. “Please,” they laugh loudly as they picture the t-shirt as described. “I’ve never wanted anything more, I don’t think,” they shake their head; they’re thoroughly amused, and thankfully the amusement has completely rid their mind of the direct thoughts of the cruelty of humans. “My family always has pets, I’m telling ya,” Posey answers, chucking. “My Mom is just as bad as me- worse, actually. She’s always coming home with some critters that need help. Some go to other homes once they’re ready, a few stick around for good. I think people can learn a lot from having animals in their lives.”

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“No, I know where you’re coming from in saying that but I can assure you that he’s not in that rough of shape yet,” Posey tells them. “He wasn’t hurt, the only danger is him not having someone to care for him while he’s still too little to do it for himself,” they continue to explain. “So the cruel act would be to not step up and help him,” Posey is experienced enough in animal care to understand the entire ‘putting them out of their misery’ concept; they’re not offended by the idea, though it’s wildly inappropriate and unnecessary in this situation - thankfully. “I’m actually not sure that I could release him,” they answer. “He’s so little, he’ll probably never learn how to live like a real wild rabbit, never learn how to provide for himself if I step up for him,” it sounds terribly sad, Posey is aware, but it’s not all sad - not when Posey is prepared to care for him forever, if need be.

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"I mean, luckier then if he'd just been left there. Right? Or.. Is it worse if he like, doesn't make it and then suffers longer?" Juniper said, and then stopped themselves. "Sorry, that's kind of a fucked up thing to say. I do think it was the right thing, and stuff. Just.. I dunno. My brain goes weird places sometimes." To say Fluffy was uninspired felt a bit like an understatement. "Yeah, you could definitely think of something better." They gave a small shrug, trying to think of something themselves. “If he does make it, will you like, release him? Would he be able to make it in the wild, I mean.”

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PATRICK & IAN

“Yeah, I mean I know this town like the back of my hand. It’d be super easy driving around to find houses,” Ian guessed. He’d never actually delivered anything before but he had a pretty good sense of direction and even though Shrike was developing it was still tiny in comparison to most towns. “I think that’s the biggest plus to working there. I could eat pizza for every meal and I’d be able to cut back on food costs,” Ian explained. The more he talked about working at Pizza Time the more serious he was considering dropping off a resume. Bo and him were doing fine financially living together again but they could always cut more corners and spending less on food was an easy way to make money stretch more. 

“Oh yeah?” Ian questioned. “Are you good with cars?” Ian could change his oil by himself and a flat tire if need  be but everything else he needed the assistance of a shop to get by. It was one of those skills he’d never had anyone to teach him and as much as he loved his baby and tinkering around he hadn’t taught himself more than just the basics. 

“Totally,” he nods his head and he smiles. “Kind of sounds like the perfect gig,” not for Patrick, someone who still doesn’t know which direction is North, or which way Downtown is (even despite the telling name) but for someone who has lived in Shrike Heights their whole life, someone like Ian, the idea fits. “Just wait until you reach my age,” he can’t help but chuckle as he says it; he admittedly can’t remember the exact difference between them, but Patrick would guess only a year or two. “Then you’ll realise that pizza for every me isn’t for everyone,” he laughs, and he shakes his head. “But actually, now that you’re talking about cutting costs, all that grease doesn’t sound so bad.”

“I was almost born in an auto shop,” he answers, another laugh following. “Which in itself is nothing to suggest that I’m good with cars, but I spent my whole life in that shop growing up, worked in it until I moved,” he almost tells Ian that the shop would have been his if he didn’t move away for college, but thinking too much about that part of his life isn’t the smartest idea, not when it’s so complicated, and not when he feels an obscene amount of guilt over the lies he still allows to be believed about the college education he never completed. “It’s in our blood; my whole family is really good with cars, Samantha and Michael, too.”

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CHANDLER & ANTONIO 

               antonio shakes his head, smiling not because he’s happy, but because he wants to inspire hope - as much as he can in a situation like this, even if it’s not much at all. the fact that chandler was attacked is in antonio’s mind, the worse case scenario, the absolute worst thing that could have happened; it’s hard for antonio to feel much hope of his own right now, but he knows he has to hold onto every sliver and conjure up as much as he can for the sake of his best friend. he’s already lost so many, and so much; antonio can’t lose chandler now, too. his smile is a little more genuine when chandler tells him that the support goes both ways. “thanks chandler, yeah, i know.” he nods his head, though he foresees the support being one sided for chandlers own good in the coming future; until she’s healed and recovered more from her incident, antonio can’t imagine needing to ask her for anything - not unless he’s asking her to take better care of herself, something he can foresee being an issue with such a strong (and stubborn) person. “yeah, yeah,” he nods his head, stronger again as he continues to think about her words. “you’re right, definitely.” as much as antonio doesn’t want to have had to live through his own trauma to understand, he’s glad that this is one bright side he can take out of his experience. “and trust me when i say i understand,” he smiles again. “you should get some rest,” he suggests after a moment of staying silent, not only because it’s true, but because he doesn’t wish to leave chandler on such a negative note.

“I should be thanking you - again,” she smiles half-heartedly, but it’s truthfully how she feels. Despite the sentiment behind her own words, the offer to help him get through this, too, Chandler knows that she wouldn’t be even as half as okay as she is without Antonio. It’s the worst position that she’s ever been in, but it will pass, it has to pass. She sighs, and the smile slowly fades again from her face. It’s true that she needs the rest, she can feel it, the heaviness of her eyelids, the shakiness and the weakness of her body, the desperation to recover. Another sigh. “Yeah, you’re right,” she agrees. “Thanks, Tony,” she does say again. “Hey-” she quickly thinks. “If you see my folks coming in here, let them know that it’s okay if they need to wake me up if they come in here- actually, if you see anyone, like Hector, or whoever. I don’t want anyone watching me sleep, gives me the creeps,” she settles into the bed a little more, with the limited ability she has in her current state. “That also means you can get out of here; I don’t expect you to stick around if I’m just snoring,” she tells him much more gently. “I appreciate you, though, for being here with me.”

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She sits there for a moment, thinking about her answer, taking another sip of her coffee. "I think it would depend on the island; the climate, the natural resources," she decides, unfortunately giving him a non-answer. "Salt water is pretty bad for you," she chuckles, imagining Hector on some deserted island trying to stay hydrated with the help of sea water. "You body can't handle that amount of salt, you'd die of dehydration, being able to get rid of it," she informs him. "Some people would probably answer you question with matches, because they think you can boil down the sea water and make it safe to drink, but boiling it doesn't actually get rid of the salt. I lean towards answering with matches because if there's other sources of water on the island, I'd be able to boil it down and make it safe, and keep myself warm so I wouldn't freeze to death at night, but if there's no alternative source of water I don't want either because my time would be limited no matter what I brought with me," she rambles, and she pauses for a while, staring off at their view, only to break her silence by turning to Hector to laugh. "I'm a very competitive person," she reminds him, explaining why she knows enough to have put real thought behind it. "Ooh, some french toast would truly make my entire week."

"Okay, but would you rather be stuck on an island with a book of matches or a case of water?" Hector was as relaxed as he could ever be as he and Chandler drank their morning coffee on the roof of their apartment building. It was as close as they would get to a balcony and he had pushed them to make it a habit so they could start every day off with a bit of peace. He hadn't done it as much on his own, usually preferring to drink his coffee quick before going on his morning run. "How bad is salt water for your body, really? Just curious." He shrugged and sipped more of his coffee, starting to think about the day he had ahead of him. "You want french toast for breakfast? I got some good bread for it." @bitcme

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Moss isn't sure that it's true, he isn't sure that Yuri is being completely honest when she says she's fine, but there's only so much that he can push her - for now, at least. The slurring of her words isn't lost on him, but as powerless as he feels, and as much as he knows that he probably shouldn't be so invested in the state of someone else, he feels himself prepare to be there, should she need somebody. Even if it's inappropriately eager with somebody that he's only just met, it is a good distraction from everything else that he has going on, from all of the pain.

He shrugs softly as she asks him how he is in return. He thinks about being honest, about telling her that he's not, but it doesn't feel right; despite her question, it would be wrong to dump so much heavy information on her - even if he doesn't go into proper detail. While lying feels wrong, even if for the best, he decides to nod his head. "Yeah," he doesn't know what else to say, but after a small moment, he thinks of an answer that feels more right to be giving. "I've been worse, you know?" He smiles; it's not the most genuine smile, but there is a small amount of hope there.

A staggered sigh fell from the down-turned curve of her mouth at the time. It was still so early, a long night surely ahead of her. "I'm okay," She said, the slur still subtly present. "Really okay," She reassured, sitting up straight and reaching up to fix her light-brown hair. She willed away thoughts that threatened to leak into her conscious mind once more, trying her best to keep the phone call as far into the back of her mind as possible.

Then, she looked over at the young man properly, letting her eyes scan over him briefly before enquiring, "Are you okay?" Even in her inebriated state, it was clear as day that the energy rolling off her company's body was not exactly high. Whether it was low spirits or a long day at work, it only seemed polite to ask. Besides, it would at least be a distraction from her own problems.

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As someone who has been attacked himself and who has had his nearest and dearest attacked, too, Patrick struggles to think of Reed potentially meeting the killers also. Despite the fact that the two aren’t the closest of friends, the honest truth is that Reed is still one of the closest to Patrick in Shrike Heights, particularly due to the close proximity of working together at RadioShack. Even while Patrick has other friends, friends who he shares a closer, more intimate connection with, Reed is an important and good person; it would hurt Patrick more than he’s expecting to find out he was attacked - but hopefully that’s a reality that they will never have to encounter, as likely as it seems. It’s hard to know what to say in response to Reed’s words, due to how tough the thought is. It’s unfortunately more understandable than Patrick likes, but still, there seems to be no right follow up. 

“I don’t know, to be honest,” he shakes his head as he thinks on Reed’s question. “I suppose I’d start off back home. Whether or not I’d stay there, I’m not sure, but I think my siblings would head back to Lake Placid so it makes sense to head out that way with them.” Patrick isn’t there for a reason, though, he left for somewhere else - that turned out to be Shrike Heights in the end - for a reason, so he hopes to not have to return to life in Lake Placid, especially not now that things are even more different than when he made the choice not to return there the first time. “What about you? Is there anywhere you’d head? If you were to leave Shrike, do you have a destination in mind?” He wonders. 

Reed snorted when Patrick said he'd never thought that they were just good at their jobs. Clearly, they were. This place would be falling apart without them. Though he and Patrick weren't particularly close on a level where they confided their lives' details with one another, Reed knew the other was going through a difficult time right now, and he certainly appreciated every bit of effort Patrick was making to show up and help out however he could. Especially with the repairs.

The exhaustion that weighed the other down wasn't lost on Reed. While Reed hadn't personally been affected by the attacks, it didn't mean he wasn't aware of them or that he didn't worry about the people around him who'd been affected. He knew it was only a matter of time of things hitting close to home before they did get to him, and he didn't want to think about what that would be like. "I know what you mean. I've thought about everyone who's been affected... about how some people leave, others stay and try to go on like everything's normal, but nothing's normal. Makes me wonder when it'll be me in those shoes, not that I envy anyone in that position," he said. "Guess all we can do is whatever we can to stay sane. But... if not Shrike, where would you go?" he asked curiously.

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JANE & IAN

“Sure, by that logic I guess you could say Shrike is safer,” Ian agreed. They both knew just how unsafe Shrike had become but that had zero effect on whether or not it was fine to smoke weed in town. “The cops here are shit, so they don’t really bust anything. I don’t even know if I’ve even seen them give out a speeding ticket,” Ian pointed out. He’d never gotten one and he had the proclivity to drive fast when need be. “I don’t know if it’s super normalized here. Maybe you’ve just surrounded yourself with stoners,” Ian joked. There was plenty of Shrike that didn’t smoke not that Ian personally knew them but if Jane was running in a similar circle as him it definitely was a frequently used substance.

“Yeah, there’s really no one like him,” Ian agreed. That was part of why he loved Bo so much there was no one out there who even came close to the man he was and Ian had foolishly tried to find that in other people and failed. Bo really was the one and Ian was glad that he’d come to realize that while he had him and didn’t lose his chance. Ian knew Bo was a catch and he was so glad that no one had caught him before him. “I don’t know, we’ve talked about getting married so much that I don’t think that doing it casually would cut it. I mean he already knows I want to propose to him and want to marry him. That’s why it has to be extra special,” Ian explained. It felt like he’d asked Bo to marry him a dozen times already and none of them counted because it was too casual and besides he wanted to do something special. His love for Bo was special and it deserved a proper invitation to the next step. Ian laughed and nodded his head. “Don’t mention anything creative if you can help it. His art supplies are a big mess most of the time so who knows what he’ll stumble upon getting something else out,” Ian cautioned though that was a tough ask. Bo was always talking about being creative if he wasn’t actively being creative. 

Jane is glad that by mentioning safety, Ian doesn’t bring up the lack of safety in Shrike Heights, particularly the lack of safety in regards to the illusive killers that have yet to be captured. She’s well aware of the dangers that lurk out there in their small town, and she feels herself a fool for having mentioned safety at a time like this considering how quickly and easy the conversation could turn badly from there, but thankfully it doesn’t - Not worse than speaking of incompetent law enforcement, at least. Though she could speak on the reputation of the authorities that she’s come to learn so quickly here in Shrike, she decides to make no further comment, worrying that doing so would bring up the less pleasant topics of conversation that she’s glad her earlier words hadn’t brought up. “Well it wasn’t intentional,” she says with a laugh at the thought of her having surrounded herself with stoners. If only her mother could see her now! “My mother would have a fit,” she thinks aloud. 

“It sounds to me that that’s why you’re so good together,” she suggests, though she does so while knowing that she doesn’t really know the extent of their relationship, or much at all about love in general. “The fact that you care to make it so special, the fact that you’ve taken it all into consideration, it’s so sweet,” there’s so much love shared between the two of them; Jane is biased, having only seen that side of their relationship - in very indirect ways, such as hearing one speak of the other - and Ian only furthers the idea in her mind that they have a perfect love when he explains the intentions behind his plans. “Noted,” she nods and she laughs. It doesn’t surprise her that that’s what Bo’s organisation is like, and while she comes from a background where messes are frowned upon, the freedom that Bo exhibits is looked upon by Jane fondly. “I’m sure it’ll all work out like a dream.” 

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COLE & NOAH

“You should start now,” Noah said with a little smile. “While everything is fresh in your mind. And focus on it more when you have free time and all of that. I’m planning to someday publish a photography book. Every year on my birthday, probably since I was about ten or so, I take a photo of myself. I’m hoping that I’ll live long enough to compile them all into an age progression sort of thing. It’s not a big huge project, but something I think would be neat. So… I chip away at it. As for the rest of the book, I wanna take photos of everything I see, anything that impacts me in any way and just… put it all together in a way that shapes the story I’d like to tell with visuals,” he explained. Maybe it was a bit ambitious, but if it was to be his magnum opus someday, there was no need to rush it. Low and slow, like a good pot roast.

Noah smiled when Cole revealed where they worked, and when asked about Snapshot, he nodded. “I like where I work. I mean, sure, you deal with a lot of moms and stuff trying to direct family photos, but for the most part, they let me do it, cause I sell them on the fact that I have a really good eye for it. I love talking to people about camera equipment, especially people who are kinda new to the world of photography, you know? Although once I’m done with school, I might look for a second job while I try to find a ‘real’ job at a publication or something. I wanna be a photojournalist,” he explained.

When Cole talked about being a fan of music themself and not only playing, but making blues and rock music as well, Noah smiled. “That sounds fantastic! Do you ever play your music anywhere, or is it mostly a thing you do for yourself?”

While Noah’s encouragement isn’t forgotten by Cole, their focus and their attention completely shifts from themself and the idea of their own book when Noah tells them of his plan to one day publish a photography book. The idea is compelling enough on its own; Cole loves photography books, loving how they can transport people into others’ lives, letting them in on the most interesting or unique moments they wouldn’t have been able to experience otherwise. What really impresses Cole, however, is Noah’s habit of photographing himself each birthday. “That is so cool!” Cole’s grin is a big as his admiration for the other. “Aw man, please - the second you make that book a reality let me know because I’m buying one of the first copies,” he assures him. “Words can be so powerful, they can have such an impact on people, but telling stories through photographs can be so special and so impactful in their own way. I love what you’ve got planned there, I think that’d be so rad.”

“I love that, that’s awesome,” they respond. “I don’t doubt that you’d still encounter some people who’ll be a bit of trouble sometimes, but it’s awesome that you know what you’re doing enough to have people just fully trusting you for the most part,” a decision made by the customers that Cole supports, despite having never seen any of Noah’s work; if he can shine through his work as much as he does through conversation, Cole would bet he’s one of the best photographers in town. “Photojournalism is super rad, too, I think it’s awesome that you’re working towards that.”

“Nah, it’s not for myself- well not just for myself. Of course a bunch of what I do is because it’s my passion and something I want to do without any external influences, but I don’t keep it just to myself. That being said, I haven’t played much since I’ve been here, but I did grow up playing around bonfires, and at places like this back home, and at venues like the tavern- if you’ve ever been there,” they explain. “I’d love to find a proper gig somewhere, or just steady work playing different places, not necessarily the same venue. I’d love to perform more.”

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POSEY & MI-SOOK

Mi-Sook was naturally relieved to hear the poor creature hadn’t sustained any injuries in what was probably already a very stressful situation for him. “I’m glad he’s not hurt.” Seeing as though he was safe in careful hands, there was no sense in bringing up all the what ifs had no one come to his aid in the parking lot. It was less comforting though to hear that things could quickly go south if he didn’t get the proper care he needed. “Do you need something to warm him up with right now?” There was just a slight hint of panic in her otherwise soft voice as she posed the question to the other. Although she wasn’t completely living off her parents’ money these days, they did pay her rent in exchange for her to at least appear to support the mall, meaning it wouldn’t hurt her to quickly dart off and spend money on something that would warm the little guy up. Of course she wouldn’t impose either. She’d learned plenty of times that people weren’t exactly keen on anything that could be perceived as a handout.

She supposed they were right, classic were classics for a reason. “If that’s too generic though, you could always name him after your favorite non-bunny character.” She suggested, refraining from other common names for rabbits like Hopper. She was no expert on the matter. After all, Cleo wasn’t going to win an award for most creative cat name anytime soon. Not that Mi-Sook minded. She was just happy to have the companionship the small white cat provided. “Or you could pick out whatever name you like.” She wasn’t sure it mattered too much at the end of the day, as she assumed it wasn’t going to be a permanent situation and the bunny would eventually be released back into the wild. 

“Well I’m heading up to LaPaws right now, and I know that they’ll at least have some hot water bottle situation going on for babies just like this one,” they explain, aware that it’s more than only rabbit kits who require their mother’s body heat when still so young, so feeling like it’s a no brainer to get help from LaPaws, even if they don’t deal with wild rabbits the absolute most. “Right now I think we’re doing okay, though,” they try to reassure Mi-Sook, hearing the slight panic in her voice. “Some people would hate to know that I’m actually touching a wild animal, but I’m trying to keep him warm with some of my own body heat. Don’t worry, I’ll totally wash my hands and everything afterwards, but even if something went wrong I know I can deal with it all much easier than he can deal with not being able to regulate his temperature on his own,” Posey’s eccentric love for nature has often gotten them in trouble by people who don’t understand their priorities, and even though Mi-Sook doesn’t come across as someone who would curse them for getting their hands dirty, Posey naturally defends their choices anyway. “I’ll definitely think on it - maybe we both could, if you’re not doing anything,” Posey suggests, getting ready to make their move up to the pet store and vet clinic. “No pressure to join in on anything, of course, I’m sure you’re a super busy person, but I could always use an extra pair of hands helping this little guy if you wanted to. I don’t wanna just walk off if you’ve gotten yourself invested now, you know?” They explain, chuckling.

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JANE & AKITO

               with everything ready and the two of them being so close to the actual tattooing process , akito was growing to be so excited . while jane’s nerves were growing larger , akito was pumped to be able to do his work , though as he was well aware of how nervous some customers could get over the process , he was trying his hardest to appear optimistic , but not energetic or too much in any way that might only worsen the nerves . “ alright , perfect . so i’ll tell you first - the nerves and the mental side of this whole thing is the worst part . the build up is scarier than the pain . ” he wanted to do what he could to prepare jane for the reality of the process . “ but it’s not like you’ll find that it feels good , ” they chuckled . “ it’s not the worst pain you’ll have ever felt before , though , and it’s controlled . just tell me to stop , and i will immediately . i don’t mind how many breaks you need , make sure to tell me even if you’re only half sure that you want a break . ” with that out of the way , akito positioned himself properly on his stool , tattoo gun in hand , and he drew it near to jane . “ i’m gonna do a small line , and you can see what it’s like . alright ? ” 

Akito’s energy perfectly matches what Jane needs right now. They’re positive about everything that’s happening, but they’re also careful and reserved enough to not be scaring Jane even more, or making her feel like she has to go through with the tattoo. Though she’s never been in the situation herself before, she has a feeling that this kind of procedure is one that could easily be influenced in the wrong direction; with the wrong kind of energy coming off of the tattoo artist, Jane could see herself being pressured to go through with something she wasn’t comfortable with, or else scared off and never willing to try to get a tattoo even with the most appropriate artist for her, such as Akito. “Well I’m definitely scared, so that does make a lot of sense,” she laughs quietly, but it feels good to have admitted that much, and while she isn’t no longer scared, she feels better at the very least. “Okay,” she listens to Akito carefully, and again, she finds herself admiring them. They’re firm in their directions, but in a way that Jane needs them to be; Jane, raised to be overly polite, raised to put up with discomfort for the sake of others, would easily never speak up and ask for a break if needed if Akito didn’t make sure that she would. “That sounds good to me, yes. Thank you,” the nerves are stronger than ever, yet at the same time, Jane feels more prepared than ever. 

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Some days, it honestly feels impossible for Moss to just exist. It's a bad sign when even breathing begins to feel like a chore, but unfortunately it's a feeling that Moss has grown uncomfortable used to. He tries so hard, if not for himself, then for Geo, or in order to honour the family that he's lost, but nothing is easy anymore. Absolutely nothing, not even sleeping, as is evident in the way that he's found himself in the very place where the love of his life lost her life, finding himself here in the middle of another sleepless night because not even to dream is easy, and not even in his dreams is he able to properly reunite with Flora, or their child who they lost some years prior.

Thankfully, despite all that is so terribly and cruelly hard, Apollo makes everything in their interaction so easy. He prompts Moss into a seat, he recalls Moss' coffee order correctly - which shouldn't be noteworthy but unfortunately is -, and when Moss asks for a recommendation in hopes of making his time in Late Riser easier, Apollo offers the perfect breakfast and he makes it as easy as can be. Moss knows it would be completely inappropriate to thank Apollo as sincerely as he instinctively wants to, but even while he doesn't, he's already planning on leaving the biggest tip he can afford to at least allude to how grateful he is.

"It sounds like you're genuinely a real life angel, honestly," he smiles, and he downplays the realness of his words despite actually meaning it quite truthfully. "That sounds amazing, you'd be a lifesaver if you could do that for me. I'd thank you a million times over if this was happening at a more decent time of day," he chuckles tiredly.

"Well then good morning and welcome, no high energy needed," he assured him, all to familiar with sleepless nights. There was a reason Apollo favored this time of the morning to be at work instead of home in his own bed, especially since Eilonwy had moved out. But back when it was him and Zora, this had been their favorite time. When the tables were empty they would dance around the kitchen, experiment with new recipes, making up stories about the patrons who came and went. They were moments where he had fallen more in love with her and made it that much harder to think about the fact that she had ultimately chosen to leave. These days he felt it was better for her to be away from all the danger, but it didn't make him miss her any less. It had been almost over ten years since he had seen her and it still hurt just the same. "Alright well no pressure, you're welcome to hang out, I'm in no rush." He could sense that the person in front of him just needed somewhere to be and that had always been his intention with Late Riser. A place where people could rest for a moment and have a filling meal before they went on their way. He felt like that purpose had been lost a bit now that it existed within the mall but that didn't stop him from trying.

"Coffee, cream and sugar, you got it." At the ask for a recommendation, Apollo smiled. He loved when people asked for recommendations. "A good breakfast? How about I whip you up the Apollo special, off menu but I think it may be what your looking for. Two fried eggs, home fries, a biscuit, some thin cut bacon, a little bit of fruit on the side and then something else I'll decide on the spot when I'm back there. How does that sound?"

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Chandler smiles at Keanu's comment about her drink of choice having to do, completely amused by it and by their attitude. While Keanu's attitude isn't an issue for the girl who has lived her life in affluence, surrounded by people who similarly care to have fine taste, it's an attitude that Chandler hasn't seen a lot of since she's begun to spend a lot more time around people of her own choosing. A little voice in the back of her mind makes note of how she should tell Hector of this interaction, though it's not with the intention of making fun of Keanu, or anything of the likes, it's only because she finds amusement in Keanu judging her personal taste as if they didn't decide to order it themself. "There's definitely worse to be had, I could have ordered a beer or something else that tastes like dirt."

"Yeah, you're right there," she nods her head, Keanu growing on them the more they spoke - though it's not like Chandler wasn't a fan of theirs before now. "I think that's the only reason to be grateful for the mall; you couldn't find a hell of a lot of variety in this town beforehand," she says this like Keanu knew Shrike Heights before the mall, but even though they don't, it also works in informing the other of what it was like pre-mall. "It's actually quite nice," she answers. "I think these kinds of drinks," cream based ones, she means, "get a bad reputation for no reason at all. Well, maybe not no reason, but I think as I'm not just throwing them back like there's no tomorrow I'll be just fine," she chuckles. "Usually I'd be over at Julio's," she tells them. "So the whole experience is kind of new for me."

"A grasshopper, hm?" Keanu questioned as they took a closer look at the martini glass in front of her. Cream based cocktails really weren't a go to of Keanu's especially not on a night they'd intended to fill with drinking but that was the risk they'd taken deciding to order as they had. "I guess that'll have to do," Keanu decided. They weren't going to change their mind on the bartender even if the drink wasn't particularly their taste that evening.

"Variety is the spice of life," Keanu told her as they thought about their reason to be so spontaneous this evening. Though most evenings were filled with some form of spontaneity. Shrike was incredibly dull and they really had to spice things up and get creative to make this place even the least bit interesting. "You've always got to keep it fresh or things get boring," Keanu went on as they watched the bartender go to work on their mint green cocktail. "How are you liking your drink?" Keanu asked considering she'd just said that she was trying something new this go around.

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for posey: what was your first thought when you woke up this morning?

Most mornings, Posey wakes with troublesome thoughts of the nightmares they've just woken up from. Thankfully, this morning there was a slight change of pace for them. Yesterday morning, they accidentally knocked their alarm clock off their bedside table upon waking, and while the clock continued to work, giving them hope that the rest of it would, too, consequently, they broke the alarm function on it and they didn't wake up on time this morning. So their first thought happened to be 'what on earth is happening?' as they woke to Jake in a rush, hurrying them out of bed so that they could both get to work on time.

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for jane: share something you're proud of.

Jane struggles with feeling pride, being brought up to believe that to feel pride is to sin, but without a doubt she is the most proud of herself for making it out of her hometown, her family, and the disturbingly inhumane version of religion that she was raised to follow. It was the hardest thing that she will ever do in her life, and most mornings she still wakes in disbelief that she finally got the courage to run away, risking absolutely everything. They're not all happy thoughts, though; leaving her siblings behind is one of her greatest regrets, and so no matter how proud she is for saving herself, the thought of her siblings - and her strained relationship with pride - tends to take over and put a downer on her high spirits.