#we do NOT need to already kick it off at a mammoth length lmfao

[ediewelscr]

❝ at holy spirits with @max-cortez —

Edie could feel the metaphorical clock hanging over her head. Except, instead of running out, her time in Providence Peak was apparently due to extend. She still wasn't sure how she felt about that, other than peeved beyond belief that she was still a victim to her father's whims, but for now it was the least of her concerns.

Because if Edie was actually staying longer than intended? She kind of needed somewhere to live, and her furnished rental downtown had an expiration date. One looming closer than she'd like.

Fortunately, she had a laptop, pages of ads on Craigslist to review, and— Fuck it to hell. Her eyes darted for the cupboards across the room. The same ones she'd forgotten to restock with food, let alone booze.

Alright then. No wine. But she had a mostly functional understanding of the city by now and yelp on her side.

Thirty minutes and a bit of quick browsing later she traipsed through Holy Spirit's doors, still dressed in the same silk slip she'd been lounging in made 'decent' by tossing on the closest threadbare sweater she could find. Who cared if it was technically pajamas? Unless you squinted hard it looked close enough to a dress.

And if someone did? Well. She never cared much about opinions.

Correction— She never cared about most people's opinions. Max was, and probably always would be, one of the lone exceptions.

He also happened to be among the speakeasy's patrons, sat just within view. The universe really loved to mess with her heart and her head, didn't it?

She should've turned around. If not to leave, then at least to slip somewhere hidden before he noticed her, too. Instead, the longer she stared the closer she ventured until, without even realizing she'd moved at all, she found herself once more within spitting distance.

Quietly, she cleared her throat. If a melancholy smile radiated in her eyes it didn't quite make it to her lips. "Is this the part where we finally find out if we can exist in the same city again?" Her stare drifted to the empty seat beside him and back, as if saying 'this is a terrible idea, but do you mind...'