mirabelle leans her weight against the bar, her arms folded tightly across her chest, watching cherry pour her frustration — and moonshine — into her glass. her jaw tightens as cherry’s words spill out, raw and jagged. mira knows that feeling all too well; the one where the world spins out of control, where the things you thought you could count on are suddenly ripped away. she’s been there. and she’s still crawling out of that pit herself. her gaze softens when cherry insists she’s not crazy, the vehemence in her voice like a punch. mira doesn’t flinch, doesn’t waver. she’s dealt with her own ghosts — the ones that haunt in memories, in nightmares, in regrets. but this? seeing the dead in broad daylight? mira can’t claim to know what the hell it means, but she knows cherry needs someone to anchor her before she spirals further. "okay," mira says, her voice low and steady. she steps closer, leaning against the bar beside cherry, her dark eyes catching the other woman’s as if she can hold her together by sheer will. "let’s get one thing straight, i believe you." her words are firm, unshaking, but there’s an edge of vulnerability in them too. "i don’t know what you saw, but i know you saw something. and i’m not about to sit here and act like i’ve got all the answers, ‘cause trust me, i don’t." she pauses, reaching for the bottle cherry just put down, her hand brushing it before she stops herself. her fingers hover over the glass for a moment too long before she pulls back, shoving her hands into her pockets instead. a muscle in her jaw ticks. the urge is there, sharp and nagging, but she knows better. at least, she’s trying to. "but what's this about crashing a car for someone? sounds like you're carrying some kind of guilt around like it’s tattooed on your skin." her eyes flick back to cherry, searching her expression for cracks in the armor she’s wearing. "you’ve been here longer than me, i'm assuming, but i've heard enough to know this place doesn’t follow any goddamn rules. maybe it’s ghosts, or maybe it’s something else. but you’re not insane. you’re stuck in this mess like the rest of us, and if we’ve learned anything, it’s that we’re not playing by normal rules anymore." mira straightens, pulling her hands from her pockets, and nods toward the glass. "take your drink. hell, take the whole bottle if it helps. but after that? you and me? we’re gonna figure out what this is. whether that means finding out why emerson’s showing up, or how to shut her out if that’s what you need." her voice softens, losing some of its sharpness. "you don’t have to do this alone, okay? i know we’re strangers, but... hell, sometimes that makes it easier. you’ve got me, for now. and maybe that’s not much, but it’s something."