open starter โโโ an hour after sunset, as the folks of the harbour seem to taper off and the ritual of night begins to settle in, where cicada song begins to overshadow the chatter of humans yet again.
the scent of coffee grounds still lingered on his hair, thankfully neutralizing the pungent scent of the summer bluefins and the spoils that keep misery fed. even with it, he seemed to linger here, by the water, where waves crash and drown the thoughts that knocked at his psyche's door. for all intents and purposes, this was a neutral zone: no deals here, not wanting to impede on the stomping grounds of fishermen and bait-'n-tackle shop owners with an industry more lackluster, despite the same familiar faces who meet up with him in back alleys and empty lots. by the water, he was just wolfe.
so, he doesn't notice the footsteps, heavy and echoing atop the lumber being slowly eaten away by the elements. he doesn't register that they're coming in his direction โ why would they? if he cannot provide a service, what other use does he have to anyone in town? it nearly makes him jump, their silhouette in his periphery. " fuckin' christโ " his mother would've filled his mouth with soap for using that name in vain. " you couldn't choose any other spot on this damn dock? "
ximena comes here to think. sometimes about her dreams, sometimes about her nightmares, sometimes to let the waves calm the constant self-flagellation her mind inflicts โ point being, she likes it here. on the docks, she's just ximena, girl who likes to look at the seals and wonder what could get her if she sank to the bottom of the marina. so when she sees wolfe in her spot, ximena is, naturally, peeved. only feels emboldened enough to care because it's him, though. she furrows her brows, less irritated at his audacity to take His name in vain and more that he tells her to pick another spot, because that's her spot. not for the first time, wolfe makes it hard to be virtuous, and not for the first time, ximena succumbs to the sin of indulgence vexation anyway. a huff as she comes down to sit next to him anyway, shoulders knocking on the way down, " i couldn't, you're in my spot โ you can see the seals the clearest from here. what's got you so grumpy? it's a nice day. " okay, mom.
