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"Actually..." Aria's eyes sparkled with amusement. The idea wasn't half bad. "I think we should invite him along. I mean, I'm all for a girls' night out, but I also love the idea of a hot man tagging along especially since we both know he'll be ridiculously uncomfortable." She giggled at the thought. It wasn't that she wanted Angelo to feel uncomfortable, of course, as Aria knew he'd been through a lot in life and had good reason to be, but he was just so cute when he was out of his element. "So, maybe, that's an idea for the next time we plan to go to the city," she added belatedly, "because I really do need just a girls' night, and I'm definitely down for a hotel room. We should look at a nice restaurant too. I haven't gotten dressed up in way too long." She wiggled her hips. "Can't believe I'm the mother of a soon to be teen. I'm feeling ancient and I don't like it."

"If he gets jealous, we can invite him to tag along." Devika said in good humor yet again. Being in Aria's presence had always, no matter what she was going through, lifted up her spirits in ways she couldn't bring herself to explain. "Can you imagine? Him dressing up and going dancing with us?" By the time she was done asking that question, Devika was already bursting out laughing. "That would be a sight to see!" But yes, it would be fun. God only knows how much they both needed it. "I'm excited already! You know me. As soon as we're out of here, I'm going to start googling nice spots for us to go in Seattle. Maybe we can book a hotel room for us? So we don't have to worry about driving home after a few drinks!" It had been a while since it had been just the two of them, and Devika was more than excited for it. "I'm definitely ready to get my flirt mode back on. It's been a while... I feel like I'm becoming one of those boring people who have nothing to talk about except for work, you know?" But then again, that was adult life. Work, boring stuff, sometimes some mental health to talk about.

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Ethan could help the laugh that escaped his lips. "That was your first mistake then," he commented. "You assumed that a couple of teenagers want anything to do with you." Ethan couldn't imagine that someone he'd known for much of his life was the parent (biological or not) of teenagers. He remembered being a teenager. He'd been a terror. He couldn't imagine going home to that now. "Honestly, I don't even know what those words mean. I swear, when I was teaching, every day the kids were coming up with new words." He laughed again. "Now I sound like a boomer, I know."

It speaks volumes about the level of maturity Atty usually operates on - as well as his ease around Ethan - that he wouldn't even need to know it's Talk Like a Pirate Day to be immediately up for responding as one. No questioning, just launching straight into the lingo without a fragment of embarrassment. "Ahoy!" It's punctuated by a pirate-esque face-scrunch of his own. "I'm all out of ideas for celebrations, I'm afraid. I've already tried suggesting a treasure hunt to Omar and Anya." Tried being the operative word, on account of them being teenagers who think everything their honorary dad does is impossibly uncool. "It went about as well as you'd expect. Teenagers are brutal. I think I'd rather take my chances with pirates. At least a pirate would be less likely to call me cringe or tell me I give them the ick."

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"Oh good," Seb answered as he caught sight of the familiar face. He enjoyed seeing regulars in the shop. It was actually one of his favorite parts of being a clerk -- building connections with the regulars. "Romance," he muttered as he continued to sort through the newest arrivals. "I actually just finished reading The Things We Leave Unfinished. I think you'd enjoy it. World War II vibes, enemies to lovers, unexpected secrets. It's got a little of everything. As for your order..." Seb trailed off as he slid a book from the stack. "It just got here, so you're right on time."

Caroline was looking for something to get her mind off things. Her son had given her a Kindle for Christmas, but she hadn't really gotten used to the thing as she had always loved to hold books in her hands and feel its weight as she read them, as well as taking in the scent of both new and old books, so, here she was, once again in Bella's Books taking a peak at the new arrivals. "Hi, Seb. How's business going?" She asked warmly, before raising her hands defensively. "I promise I'm not going to ruin your organizing method." Carol chuckled. "Do you have any romance recommendations for me? Oh! And that art book you ordered for me, has it arrived yet?"

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Seb both loved and hated that question. He could talk about books all day -- it was why he loved his job -- but choosing his favorite book felt like what he imagined felt when someone asked them to choose a favorite child. He simply couldn't do it. "My all time favorite will always be The Giver," he confessed. It was a children's book but it made so many important points about humanity. "Currently loving anything by Jeneva Rose and Alex Michaelides if you're looking for spooky season recs."

"You probably get this a lot, but...what's your favorite book?" Romeo asks, following the voice until he finds its owner in one of the aisles, flashing a small smile at the clerk. He was always looking for recommendations, and they found that ask people about their favorites always resulted in some good experiences, and in this case, reads. "Or top three if you're indecisive like me and can't pick just one."

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"Honestly, I feel like people should be allowed to dress up all month." Ethan took Halloween very seriously. When he'd been teaching, he'd always decorated his room and he'd been the reigning door decorating winner. "That's cool," he commented. He'd been too young to visit the gentleman's club when he'd moved away from Hemlock Springs. "I didn't know they did things like that over there."

"Any excuse to dress up, honestly. I mean, it's practically Halloween." Norah teases, laughing softly. "Doubt it, but I can wear whatever I want for the most part. I work over at Glowing Embers."

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lindsey morgan via instagram stories

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Ethan nodded along. It was nice to meet someone who could appreciate the musical genius that was Nina Simone. It made him sound older than someone in his early thirties, but it was sad to say that music nowadays simply couldn't compare. "Ethan," he responded while holding out a hand. He was a bit ashamed that he hadn't introduced himself as yet -- his mama had raised him better than that. "Nice to meet you."

"Nina has always been a favorite of mine too, which, is something I've learned from my dad, so I'll check if they have anything from her he doesn't have yet." The petite brunette smiled politely at her companion, before letting her gaze wander towards the jazz vinyls. "So... do you have a name to match your good music taste or...?"

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who: damien @xmadeoflightningx where: aria's place

Aria couldn’t forget the way Damien’s face had looked when she’d joked about him loving her or the quiet, altogether too serious way, he’d agreed. They’d known each other for way too long for Aria to simply allow herself to move on from it. Thinking about your ex was bad, she knew. Thinking of asking your ex on a date was even worse, but it was undeniable that there was something still there between them. She hadn’t dated anyone seriously since they’d broken up, though she’d convinced herself that it was simply because she was pouring all of her time and energy into raising their daughter, and even though they sometimes got under one another’s skin, they co-parented well. They’d decided that they were better apart but that had been over a decade ago and surely they were different people now.

With a sigh, Aria opened the message thread in her phone. This wasn't weird, she told herself. She was just inviting him over to talk about their kid. They'd done that tons of times before. Want to come by mine? she typed. I promised to make cupcakes from Alicia's PTA bake sale tomorrow and I'm nowhere near finished. Drinks' on me. Aria reread the messages once before hitting send. It was time to get to work if she had any prayer of finishing these cupcakes by morning.

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"I have no idea," Ethan answered honestly. The mischievous smirk on her lips made him a bit nervous, he had to admit. "Is this going to be something dirty that you learned from a fourteen year old boy?"

isabella replies with a smile, pulling her shoulders back into a shrug. “can’t say i was into pirates like that, either. but from all the sayings i’ve heard today, i think my favorite’s gotta be davy jones’s locker.” a mischievous grin takes over her lips. “if you can tell me what that means — your next drink’s on the house.”

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"Honestly," Aria began as she gave Angelo an appraising look from his head to his feet, "I'm pretty sure anything would look good on you. You're hot and the sooner you realize that, the sooner we can start having some fun." She watched as he pulled the shirt from the rack, struggling not to laugh at his hesitancy. "It's not a bad option. Especially now that it's Autumn. And layering is always a good idea. How do you feel about color?"

closed starter for @immcrtalize (aria) location: mermaid's closet

"Maybe you should pick some stuff out for me." Angelo suggests, looking up hopelessly from the rack in front of him. His wardrobe was pretty much non existent, and while clothes shopping wasn't really a date (or fake date, in their case), he figured going shopping with someone to get some opinions wouldn't hurt. "I don't even know what would look good on me. Help." He chuckles at that - at himself, really - pulling a flannel off of the rack, inspecting it closely. "I like this one, I think."

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who: bash @gablegrip where: aria's apartment

Aria plopped down on the couch a sigh escaping her lips. "So, what are you planning for Halloween? Dressing up? Staying in and watching movies?" Spooky season was her favorite time of year. She loved the scary movies, the autumn weather, going to orchards, and haunted houses. There were so many things to do. For the last few years, her Halloween had been occupied with trick or treating with Alicia but now her daughter was old enough to go out with friends and Aria wasn't really sure what she'd do with herself this year. "I kind of want to get dressed up. So, maybe you should throw a party."

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Ethan couldn't help but chuckle. Aria really was a spitfire. He was continuously amazed that his brother had managed to even catch her attention. "She really is her mother's child, isn't she? D doesn't stand a chance when the two of them gang up on him." Witnessing it all in real time was probably one of Ethan's favorite things about being home. Watching Mari while she enjoyed her waffle was another thing he was thoroughly enjoying. "Can't seem to remember any other story," he replied with an innocent look. "But hey, I won't say no to cake. Regardless of the reason. Can it have one of those waterfalls like the old '90s cakes or something?"

Mariana nods in agreement absentmindedly, momentarily distracted as her waffles arrive. Her eyes lit up watching the plate slide in front of her and for a good 30 seconds as she reached for the syrup to fill in the little indents even her former husband seemed to disappears from the table. After her first happy bite, his comment about Alicia brought her right back to the table and she grins. "She's going to be a heartbreaker and I can't wait to be the fun aunt who takes her for her first tattoo, with Aria's permission of course. I'm not looking to get murdered by that shorty" Her head lifted up catching his eyebrow wag and she raises her own to him in turn. "I tricked you huh? Is that the story you're going with? Granted I do take any excuse to make a new masterpiece how about one of your very own?"

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"I actually don't see the resort as direct competition," he replied. It was difficult to explain the way Lucas viewed the resort. Having grown up in Hemlock Springs, he had mixed feelings about the resort, but as a business owner, he couldn't say that he really saw the place as his business's direct opposition. That didn't mean that he didn't feel threatened, though. "I mean, it's like you said -- we have different purposes, different motivations, and we appeal to different crowds. I just think that the commercialization of the resort puts it at direct odds with every single small business in this town. It harms the authenticity of the town." But that was a conversation for another day, perhaps. "I'm happy to assist in any way I can. Thanks for taking lead on this. I really couldn't do it with you."

"The world would be a perfect one, wouldn't it?" Devi couldn't help but chuckle at her boss' response. At least, Lucas seemed more inclined to discuss the future of the business instead of just leaving everything up to her. While Devika didn't mind it, she much preferred when her boss showed interest in the place she loved so much. Hopefully, he'd continue that way. "But, we have to keep in mind that a Bed and Breakfast is not a resort. The objectives are different, so, while they're our competition, not everyone wants to stay in a crowded resort." Some actually enjoyed the peace and quiet the Humming Bird offered. "We could check in with City Hall for their monthly events and follow the themes to match with them, you know? Personalize the experiences." Devika smiled as she explained the point of view. "I'm glad you agree though, Lucas. It feels really good to have you on board. I don't know if I've told you." / @immcrtalize

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This wasn't a date, Lucas kept reminding himself, but the very idea of it made him feel itchy. He liked Andreas -- more than he wanted to admit, actually; he liked the other man so much that he felt himself constantly being drawn back in. They'd decided to end things amicably before, to remain friends regardless, and Luc had thought that that would be easy. He wasn't really the kind of person who dated -- Freud would probably have a field day exploring all the reasons Luc chose to stay out of relationships -- and that had always been okay.

"Hey," Lucas greeted, smile spreading across his face as he locked eyes with Andreas. "I like the look." He gestured vaguely at the shirt he'd wore. He'd thought that the acid wash vintage tee had been a festive choice. Clearly he was wrong. "I didn't know we were going all out." He took the offered ticket and nodded. When Andreas had suggested they see the show, Luc had needed very little convincing. "Are you going to sing through the entire show?"

for: lucas ( @immcrtalize ) location: the factory

Andreas had been excitedly counting down the days until The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He had seen the performance a couple of times before and every year he tried to embrace a different character from the film. This year he had decided to dress like Eddie, since he had pretty much half the things he needed in his closet. He went over to a friend's so that they could add the iconic gash across his forehead. Not only was he looking forward to watching one of his favorite live performances, but he was also looking forward to spending time with Lucas. If you asked him, that was the best part of the evening.

He arrives to The Factory just a little early, mostly due to nerves. He knew this technically wasn't a date, it was just two friends hanging out, but he couldn't help the way his stomach did little flip flops. Once they were in there doing The Time Warp, Andreas was sure he'd be a little less nervous. Maybe. He purchases the tickets for them and then goes to lean against a nearby wall as he waits for Lucas. A pair dressed as Magenta and Columbia walk by and they all take a picture together. He turns to see Lucas approach, "Hey, you. I'm glad you could make it." He extends one of the tickets out for him, " I got them while I waited. They said there is a table inside we can pick up our kits at. You ready for this?"

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