wide eyed

[sweetvolition]

florence 'floss' abagnale

garnet amoroso

maude prescott

[sweetvolition]

Closed starter for Brook Adams @blackcatxmagic, located at Community Care.

"It's great to meet you, I'm Garnet." She stretched out her hand in greeting, seeming to get right into business the second she stepped into his office. "I'm sure you're very busy - and very important - so I promise to not keep you long, and I apologize in advance for being here in somewhat unconventional circumstances, as I asked the receptionist to warn you about." Her words weren't rehearsed, though they were well thought over in the time that it took for a doctor to become available that day. "So, I'm a matchmaker," she got right into it, "and as I know that this time of year is particularly hard for a lot of people - which is why I don't doubt that you're absolutely swamped - I've been thinking about how I can help, particularly as I work in the business of connection, which can be so vital for those struggling throughout the holidays." She spoke quickly enough to not sound like a time waster, but clear enough so that the doctor could understand her still.

"I've been looking into holding an event, perhaps speed dating, or a single mixer, something along the lines of getting a lot of people together - perhaps not even in a romantic sense, despite that being my forte - and I'm here today seeking some sort of partnership; as a doctor I'm sure that you've seen a lot of people who struggle having an even harder time, and so I thought even if it was as simple as hanging a poster in the waiting room, that it could be a great allyship. It could help your patients, and also send the perfect demographic my way."

[hexstrom]

Astrid’s smile was fleeting, quickly replaced by a more somber expression at the other's comment of this being a long way from home. “It is far, jo.” She murmured, her voice soft but carrying a certain weight. “Men, sometimes we are forced to be somewhere we do not want to be.” Her gaze drifted over the trees; though it seemed her mind was clearly elsewhere. “I am here because I have to be, not because I want to be.” She continued, her tone carrying a quiet resolve. “Cardinal Hill is nice... Men, it will never be home."

After several seconds, the brunette felt let to apologize for her words, for their bluntness. "Sorry." She shrugged.

[sweetvolition]

Maude allowed Astrid to speak, sitting in silence, though the silence was added to by the atmospheric sounds of the woodland around them, a sound that was a perfect blend of haunt and peace. "No, there's no need to apologise to me." She shook her head. "I think I know exactly what you mean. Unfortunately I'm here because I have to be, too." She sighed. "But hey," she shrugged with an air of casualness this time, "I've dealt with worse."

[ritualove]

Tsubame understood what Floss meant entirely. She hasn't had a day where she felt like she could actually relax, and she had nothing to worry abou at all. "I know what you mean, and these little guys don't look like they have a scratch on them." She grinned, politely ignoring the scratches the peaches got on them. "They're safe for now, at least until you get home." She laughed, starting to crave some peaches, contemplating adding them to the shopping list.

"Oh don't worry, it was hardly something I'd call important." She had a tone of resentment in her voice, but not towards Floss, towards the subject of the phonecall. Most problems she has to solve she feels like anyone else could fix, but they turn to her out of ignorance. She knows logically this isn't the case, and she trusts the majority of the people she works with, but she likes to complain anyway, it makes her feel better. "Are you sure? This looks like a lot of stuff to carry around by yourself." Tsu was really looking for any excuse not to go back to her phone call.

[sweetvolition]

Understanding went a long way, and Tsubame's understanding meant a lot to Floss. It was almost laughable, how easily another person's help could put Floss at ease, but that was exactly what Tsubame was doing for her. "Sorry, I just assumed," this time Floss did laugh softly. "It sounded important- not that I was listening in or anything." Floss hadn't heard any of what Tsu had been saying on the phone, it was more likely that Floss had just assumed that it had sounded important as Tsu looked important, and in Floss' limited experience with mobile phones, they were generally only used by those with high up positions in companies or with a lot of money. "It might be, maybe too much." Floss' laughter turned into that of a bashful nature. "I mean, if it really wouldn't be pulling you from anything important, I'd appreciate a helping hand, but I'd never expect it, and I promise I'll learn from this." Floss was definitely going to be bringing a more stable bag to the store next time she was after so much produce.

[blackcatxmagic]

Now that Winter knew Floss was new to Cardinal Hill, he understood a little more why she'd be wary. "Oh, did you just move here or something?" he asked. That was one reason to explain why he didn't recognize Floss, as opposed to the reason Winter had assumed, that he'd forgotten. "Sorry," he apologized then, feeling suddenly a bit awkward. "I...don't have the best memory, so I thought that might be why I didn't recognize you." Not have "the best memory" was a very simplistic way to describe it, Winter knew, but he'd just met Floss, so he wasn't about to go into details. "People here are generally pretty nice," Winter told Floss, "or at least not overtly jerks, you know? I'm sorry that it hasn't always been like that for you. Where did you live before?" Winter was imagining some big, unfriendly city, but he also knew there were cruel people everywhere.

Smiling, Winter felt proud of himself. "It's really nice," he told Floss. "Sometimes everything just feels like...too much, you know? And my head is a mess, so when it all feels too heavy, I've got something to center myself and to just feel tranquil." Winter didn't know if he was really explaining it well, but he hoped Floss would get what he was saying. He smiled at her and nodded. "Yeah, it's a bit unusual," Winter told Floss. "My dad was always amazed at how bonded the bees and I are. And it doesn't matter on the hive or things like that. All the new bees always take to me too. I guess they sense I'm a friend." Of course it was more than that, but Winter didn't know this either. "I'm always happy to show people my hives if you're ever interested."

"Are you going to make the crust too?" Winter asked, intrigued. "I think that would be hard. I've never tried baking though, so I guess I don't really know." Or at least Winter didn't remember ever trying baking.

[sweetvolition]

"I did, yeah, and here I was hoping that I'd make a good impression on all my new neighbours." There were worst things that Floss could have done to impact her first impressions in Cardinal Hill, much worse than spilling her peaches everywhere, but Floss had a habit of being awfully hard on herself. "Don't worry, you haven't forgotten me," her reassurance was casual, proving that she had no idea about the extent of Winter's memory issues. "I'm from Philadelphia, much bigger than a town like this." It seemed much more Floss' speed, though she still needed to discover if that was true or not. "Kindness and cruelty are so complex, it's not always other people's fault when they're not so kind." She left it at that, not wanting to sound like a victim, and also not wanting to imply that everyone else had been in the wrong.

"I would absolutely love to see them sometime, if you're sure that's alright." Floss would hate to be an imposition, but Winter had painted such a beautiful picture of his bond with the bees, one that Floss was interested in definitely, even if she worried that she'd be at least slightly nervous around bees in such close proximity. She shared the sense that Winter was a friend, though as lovely as that feeling was, Floss tried to brush it aside. She wasn't quite sure if she was ready for that, as much as she craved friendship.

"I am going to make the crust," she proclaimed with both pride and hesitation. "It's definitely the hardest part of a pie, the filling is actually quite easy to make, you don't have to do anything overly complicated to get it to taste good, but the crust on the other hand," she paused to laugh. "It's still a work in progress for me, but I'm getting there slowly. I'd say my current crust making skills are just fine, but I'm still trying to improve. If you ever want a baking lesson, even though I'm no professional, I'd be happy to have you in my kitchen." Floss was already planning on sharing the pie made today with Winter anyway, as a gesture of thanks for helping her.

[blackcatxmagic]

As he carefully packed then peaches into his satchel, Winter had a moment where he worried that Floss would think that he was stealing them. He was a stranger after all. But she didn't give off that sort of vibe, and she willingly let him do it, so Winter decided not to overthink this situation. "It's no big deal," Winter replied, and he meant it. He didn't have anything going on today that couldn't wait, and he knew that Floss needed help. "Have people in Cardinal Hill been jerks to you?" he asked. In his experience, many of the residents of this town were friendly, but Winter knew that wasn't always the case.

Smiling at Floss's reaction, Winter nodded. "Yeah, I'm a beekeeper," he told Floss. "I have been for nearly 13 years now. I started with my dad when I was 12." He smiled at the memory and was proud of how much time he had put into it. Winter answered, "My dad was, so I asked him if I could learn, and that was that. The rest was history, and here I am still doing it even though he doesn't anymore." At that memory, Winter felt his smile fall away, though he quickly shook off that feeling. "It's not so scary though," he told Floss. "You can wear a beekeeper's suit, which protects you, though I don't anymore. Believe it or not, but I've never once been stung. My bees...they trust me." Of course Winter didn't know the full scope of the bond he shared with his bees. The pair walked for a bit longer, and then Winter asked, "So what are you doing with all these peaches? Are you making a pie?"

[sweetvolition]

Floss raised an eyebrow at Winter’s question, her smile turning thoughtful. "Well, it’s not like I’ve had any major issues, but I guess I’ve just always been a little cautious with people, especially in new places," she gave a small shrug, her voice light, arguably giving away the hesitance in her answer. "So far, people in Cardinal Hill have been pretty nice, actually," she glanced at him with a smile, definitely considering him to be one of the nicest people she'd met so far. "I think it's important to play it safe; things haven't been the easiest for me elsewhere."

As Winter spoke more about his beekeeping, Floss couldn’t help but listen with wide eyes, impressed by his experience. "Woah, thirteen years is a long time," she said this in a positive light, with a positive tone of voice to show it "That's really amazing, it's really neat that you've been able to practice it for so long." She continued to listen with real intrigue. "I didn’t realize bees could trust someone like that. That’s kind of incredible, actually. I mean, I always thought you had to be super careful around them, but now it sounds almost like... like something I'd really like to get into, actually," she giggled, finding how easy Winter had opened her mind to beekeeping to be truly entertaining.

At the mention of the peaches, Floss’s smile returned with another spark of excitement. "Oh, yeah! I'm making a peach pie entirely from scratch. I've really been trying to get into baking lately, it's a very rewarding hobby, you know," she said with a nod. "Though, honestly, I’m still very new to the whole baking thing, so I'm not sure if it's gonna turn out too great. That's why I got so many peaches, you see, because if I absolutely destroy my first attempt, I can just try again!"

[tidescfchaos]

"I know what you mean, there's always something that I wish I would've done in the previous season." And with the end of the year coming closer and closer, the feeling felt heavier - like there were so many things she left undone or time she should have better spent. The thought left her with the urge to pull her knees in closer to her chest, but before she could let her thoughts continue down that line of thinking, the other distracted her. "You think so?" There was no judgement in her question, just curiosity. Romance was a tricky subject for her to say the least, which left her to do whatever the opposite of romanticizing was. "You're right about there being good and bad in each season. I can't deny there's a certain coziness to the winter months. Still, I always find myself missing the greenery and flowers from the warmer seasons." And all the sunlight for that matter.

[sweetvolition]

Garnet tilted her head slightly, her smile softening as she listened to Priya’s words. "It’s funny how time seems to slip away on us, how we can get so caught up in other things sometimes," she paused for a moment, letting the thought hang in the air before shaking her head lightly. "I don't actually think that there's too much wrong with looking back, or looking forward, even, but I try to live in the moment as much as I can," that proved to be hard, however.

At Priya's question about romance, Garnet let out a small laugh, a touch of playfulness returning to her tone. "Yeah, I really do think so. For me, winter just feels... intimate, I guess. The cold, the quiet, the way everything seems a little slower. It feels like a time for connection - but I get that it's not everyone's cup of tea," she shrugged slightly, her smile growing a bit wry. "Maybe it’s just that I’m a sucker for twinkling lights and cosy evenings. Spring dates are definitely much easier to plan, however."

Garnet then leaned back, stretching her arms a little. "I totally hear you," about missing the greenery, she meant. "Winter can feel so bare, so all-consuming. It has its own beauty, that's for sure, but it is missing a lot of the colours, and the plants, and the critters - the bugs even." She gave a small, sympathetic smile.

[hexstrom]

While she wasn’t running, per se, Astrid was hunting. And she'd spent roughly a year and a half of her life where she was... hunted. So she knew exactly what the other meant when she said 'you can't outrun everything'. Truer words were hardly ever spoken.

"Trevligt, Maude. My name is Astrid... Do not apologize for bad company. I am from Sweden; så I come from a land where people are not the most–" She paused as the English word escaped her, spending a long moment trying to mentally translate a different way to phrase what she was trying to say. "–we can be as cold as our winters." She admitted with a soft chuckle. While the witches of her Mora community had been warm and welcoming, she'd come to learn during her travels that other parts of her beloved Sweden weren't filled with the same open arms. In the cities, people could be distant and aloof, traits the brunette had to unfortunately admit she'd begun to mimic over the years.

[sweetvolition]

"It's nice to meet you, Astrid. Pretty name," Maude smiled, appreciative of her company's understanding; to be understood felt like a real rarity in Maude's life, and even when it was the simplest moment shared with another, it was a lovely feeling so full of relief. Maybe that was just the feeling she felt during every conversation that wasn't with her family, however. "This is a long way from home," she commented, wanting to ask the other why she had found herself in Cardinal Hill of all places, but having enough life experience to know that it was a question she might want to be careful in asking. Maude hadn't exactly loved having to answer the very same question about herself when she had moved away from home, after all.

[tidescfchaos]

Tension that they didn't even realize they held in their shoulders eased up at the other's words, relieved they didn't cause some sort of conflict, no matter how minor, in the middle of the aisle. "I get it, it's always a bummer to basically waste an hour and half or more hoping that whatever you're watching will get better or more interesting." Roni had seen plenty of movies that left them groaning as the credits rolled for that reason. It was even worse when they'd seen them at the theater and outside the comfort of their own home. "I don't think there's anything wrong with revisiting an old favorite from time to time. It's sort of comforting in a way, knowing exactly how the plot will unfold. I'm beginning to think that's what I'll end up doing tonight too." It'd be easier to grab an old favorite they knew their grandmother loved than try and guess if the film they grabbed would be of any interest to her. "You can't really go wrong with Carrie." They added.

[sweetvolition]

Maude smiled at Roni's response; she never realised just how hard most of the conversations she had been having as of late were until she found herself in the middle of such an easy one. "Exactly," she agreed, nodding. "It’s a real gamble. You sit down, and you’re just praying that it’s going to pay off - and when it doesn’t? Ugh, I could have been doing so much more with my time," she let out a small, knowing laugh, leaning back slightly against the shelves. "Life is unpredictable enough, you're right, it is comforting when you know what to expect. Lord knows you don't get that outside of the movie."

She glanced down the aisle, considering the rows of movies before giving a slight shrug in order to gesture that she had likely made her decision with Carrie. "It’s a classic, and while some might call it disturbing, I just... love it." Maude could relate to the title character in her own way; they lived very different lives, but there was so much in common when it came to how isolated, misunderstood, and mistreated they had been. Trying not to dwell on it, Maude tilted her head, raising in curiosity. "So, what’s your go-to rewatch? You said you’re leaning toward an old favourite too, right?"

[blackcatxmagic]

Honestly Winter had kind of assumed that the woman was heading home with the peaches, so he wasn't so surprised when she confirmed that, and it didn't have any effect on the offer he had made. "That's okay," he replied, voice sincere - he really didn't mind. "It's not like Cardinal Hill is gigantic, and I'm a day early with my deliveries, so it's okay if I don't finish today." If the woman was just trying to find a reason to get out of his offer, Winter would let her, but that didn't seem to be the case. Smiling, he replied, "Alright, let's get them nice and secure," opening his bag and starting to carefully put the peaches inside of it. They fit snugly, and Winter thought they would be safe there until they reached the woman's home.

Her name was Floss it turned out, and Winter smiled; he liked that her name was a little bit unusual, like his own. It was nice that she offered to help him out after, and while Winter didn't need the assistance, he thought Floss might feel better if he accepted. So he nodded and replied, "If you want to and have time, that would be okay." With the peaches secured, Winter said, "Alright, lead the way." They started walking together, and Winter decided to elaborate on his honey delivery. "I'm a beekeeper," he told Floss. "So I sell my honey to different places in town, like The Twilight Cauldron for instance. I don't really do it for the money, though...I've been pretty successful at it I guess." Winter wasn't trying to brag, but he was proud of his bees and his honey.

[sweetvolition]

Floss smiled as she watched Winter carefully tuck the peaches into his bag, feeling a bit relieved both for the fact that her fruit wouldn’t be spilling all over the place anymore, as well as the fact that his calm and considerate demeanour was putting her more at ease. "I appreciate it," she said as she adjusted her grip on the remaining fruit, looking over at him with a soft laugh. "I guess I’m just not used to people being this generous."

As they started walking, Floss nodded when Winter mentioned being a beekeeper. "Ooh, a beekeeper?" she asked, her tone filled with a curious excitement. "That’s real neat! I’ve always found bees fascinating, but I’ve never had the chance - or the guts - to get close enough to them to really learn about it all," she rambled. "How’d you get into it?" She was starting to relax into the conversation more, and even if she wasn’t sure where this walk was headed, it felt nice to be talking to someone who didn’t seem to mind the mess of peaches or the strange things that happened in Floss' path of destruction.

[hexstrom]

Ocean hues finally pulled from their trance on the dying alder, turning toward the source of the voice. Astrid remained silent for a long moment, studying the figure before her, trying to piece together what she could about her unexpected forest companion. This woman—there was a weariness behind her eyes that seemed to weigh her down; and the brunette found a small ripple of relief wash over her as the other finally settled onto one of the many rocks scattered across the forest floor. It was clear this woman needed to rest, to escape—if only just for an instance. "It is funny how nature seems to know when we need to take a break. Smart of us to listen to it, eller hur."

[sweetvolition]

Maude’s gaze lingered on Astrid for a moment, her mind still clouded but grateful for the quiet company. She let out a small breath, releasing some of the tension that had been building inside of her. “Yeah, it does seem to know when to offer a pause,” she agreed, her voice softer now, almost as if the words were meant more for herself than for Astrid. “I don’t know why it took me so long to realize it..." It was almost like Maude had been running for so long that she forgot how to stop, though that wasn't information that she offered to her company.

Her fingers absently brushed over a stone beside her, grounding herself as she spoke. “You can’t outrun everything, though, no matter how hard you try.” Perhaps the thought was a little out of nowhere, given the fact that Maude hadn't given Astrid a complete insight into her inner monologue. She looked up at Astrid, offering a small but genuine smile. “I’m Maude, by the way. Sorry if I’m being a bit scattered. I haven’t exactly been the best company lately.”

[blackcatxmagic]

Winter spotted a couple of bruises and imperfections in the peaches, but overall they seemed to have come through the ordeal unscathed, which was lucky. However, the pair had a problem now: they were standing here with their arms full of peaches with no idea of what to do. Or at least that was how Winter felt. But then he had an idea. "Where are you headed?" he asked the woman. "I was delivering honey, but my satchel is empty enough that I can fit the peaches in it. I can finish my deliveries later." He was a day early for them anyway - Winter's bees had been busy. Realizing this woman was likely headed home and recognizing that she might not want a stranger knowing where she lived, Winter introduced himself. "My name is Winter," he said, smiling at the woman. "If you want, I can just help you carry these to the grocery store so that you can get some plastic bags." He didn't want the woman to feel obligated to let him help her or to invite him to come to her home, but Winter still wanted to help somehow. So he left the ball in her court.

[sweetvolition]

Floss' eyebrows raised at Winter’s offer, surprised at how easily he seemed to jump into problem-solving mode. The idea of him carrying her peaches in his satchel was extremely considerate, and the assistance hadn't been expected. She glanced down at the pile of fruit she was holding, then back at him. "Well, I was actually heading home," she said, giving him a slightly apologetic smile, feeling like she would be putting him out - even though it was his suggestion to help. "But I’m sure the peaches would be much happier in your satchel than continuing to make a mess on the sidewalk."

She let out a small laugh, her earlier frustration beginning to fade in the face of Winter’s kindness. "Winter is a really nice name," she told him. "I'm Florence - well, no one really calls me Florence, I'm Floss," she stumbled through her introduction. "I can’t say no to a good idea, especially not when I had no better idea myself - and also especially if it means I don’t have to juggle these peaches all the way home, I’m all for it. Thanks for helping me out, Winter." Floss shifted the remaining fruit in her arms, glancing back at him with a smile. "Honey delivery, huh? That sounds like a much more pleasant task than rescuing peaches from the pavement. I'd be willing to help you out with your deliveries after we get these home, if you'd like? So you're not too behind on your schedule."

[bitethvhand]

Normally Dani was always hyperaware of her surroundings, especially when living in New York City, but her guard had crumbled away after a few months in Cardinal Hill. With her walkman cranked at full volume, it wasn't until a peach rolled right to their boot that she became aware of her surroundings. Hitting pause, they noticed the other speaking, looking at her with furrowed brows of confusion. All Floss's words seemed jumbled because Dani hadn't really heard anything until "Darn it."

Shaking their head softly, she kneeled down and began to pick up the peaches that had made their way to her feet. "Don't worry about it. Here let me help you and how about we get you a different bag?" Once grabbing a decent pile of the sprawled out fruit, they quickly walked into the store and acquired more paper bags. People in this town looked at Dani in a way she wasn't used to. They smiled and greeted them every morning, always said sorry when in their way. Cardinal Hill was good for the human who had spent the last few years under constant stress.

Walking back over to Floss, Dani made sure to double bag so that the weight would hold before throwing in what had been collected. "I think this should do the trick."

[sweetvolition]

Floss blinked in surprise as Dani swiftly took charge of the situation, immediately gathering the peaches and heading into the store without hesitation. She was a little taken aback by how calm and collected Dani seemed, especially in comparison to the chaos she had just caused. By the time Dani returned, Floss was just standing there, trying to regain some composure after the peach disaster.

“Wow, okay, you’re like... way more efficient than I am,” Floss chuckled, a bit embarrassed in truth. "I really appreciate your help, thank you," her smile was a mix of being apologetic and grateful, and though she managed to thank the other, she was still a little speechless at how quickly the stranger managed to save Floss from her ordeal.

She accepted the new bag gratefully, giving it a few experimental shakes to make sure it was secure; she gave Dani a sheepish smile, the weight of her bad day feeling just a little lighter. "What's your secret?" She began light-heartedly as she started filling the bag with the runaway peaches. "I feel like you saved my day in just a split second, without a second thought or anything," Floss was a terrible overthinker, and she often got overwhelmed by the simplest things.

[tidescfchaos]

And here Sterling thought he was having an unfortunate day. It was worth mentioning that his perceived misfortune solely had to do with being the one to buy groceries this week for the farmhouse he occupied with his best friend. It didn't really compare too much to a bunch of bruised peaches on the pavement or any possible embarrassment felt by the situation he just witnessed. They were faced with three options here, they could wait for the other to collect her peaches once more (to what success?), simply step around the scene and continue on their way, or lend a helping hand. Tempting as the second option was, they squatted down to help collect the fruit. "I hate to say it, but I think some of these might be a lost cause." He frowned at an especially bruised peach. "You didn't happen to get these on sale, did you?" It seemed unlikely given peach season came to a close, but maybe the other had the tiniest bit of luck on her side.

[sweetvolition]

Floss laughed softly at Sterling’s comment, the laughter a nice break from her frustration. “You know, you might just be right,” she sighed, picking up the worst of the bruised peaches and inspecting it. “But I was only planning to use them in a pie, so maybe they're not all too far gone,” she glanced at him, noticing the frown on his face, and she offered an apologetic smile. “I wasn’t even lucky enough to get them on sale, no, unfortunately these were full price, which makes this all the more tragic,” she added with a dramatic shake of her head. She reached down to pick up a couple of the less damaged ones, giving Sterling a grateful look for his help. "I really appreciate you jumping in. It’s been one of those days... I could use all the help I can get - not that I expect it or anything; I really appreciate it."

[wcirdo]

“You’re asking the wrong guy,” Paul mumbled around the cigarette in his mouth before finally pulling it out as he took a drag. “This’ll be my first winter here,” he explained. He’d only been living in Cardinal Hill for a few months and just caught the tail end of summer. Coming from L.A. he didn’t really know what it was like to experience true seasons. “If I wasn’t working I’d definitely be at home right now,” he stated. Honestly, Paul spent most of his time at home alone and this weather wasn’t making him want to be social. Tonight was relatively slow for now and he hoped it stayed that way tonight. Paul really didn’t want to work any harder than he had to.

[sweetvolition]

Garnet gave a soft laugh at Paul’s comment, appreciating his honesty. "Guess I’m not the only one feeling out of place in this weather then," she remarked, pulling her jacket a little tighter around herself. "I didn’t expect this much of a temperature drop so soon, either. Back home, we’d have a little more time to ease into it." Her eyes almost glassed over as she thought of home, though she quickly snapped out of such thoughts once the reason for her departure came to mind. "I get it though, sometimes the last thing you want to do is be out in the cold, especially when you’re not used to it. Weather aside, sometimes you just want to be home," she shrugged and raised her eyebrows. She paused for a moment, considering his earlier words. "So, where have you come from?" Her tone was casual, but there was a hint of curiosity as she tried to make small talk.

[ritualove]

Tsu had had a busy morning, frankly she had had a busy two weeks. She has been on the phone almost every day, most of the day, for said two weeks. And to top it off, she ran out of cat food the day before, and the left over chicken she had been rationing ran out yesterday. So, it's officially time to go to the shops and get groceries. Disapointingly however, she wasn't able to get a moment of peace on her walk, because she had to continue to put out fire while she went to the shops.

While walking, she wasn't able to focus on both the pathway and the phone, so she opted to focus just on the phone. She was able to make it part of the way, until a rogue peach started to roll past her and catch her attention. She looked over to see Floss fumbling with her bag of goods, "Yeah let me call you back." Tsu said into the phone, before hanging up immediately afterward, pushing in the antenna, folding up the brick, and placing it in her pocket. She then crouched down to the ground to grab the peach that had rolled past her. "Let me give you a hand." She said to Floss, walking over to help her herd the volumptuous fruit.

[sweetvolition]

Floss let out a sigh of relief when the woman stepped in to help. She gave a grateful smile as she straightened up, brushing a few stray peach fuzz strands off her hands. "Thank you, I swear, these peaches have a mind of their own," she breathed, watching one roll slightly out of reach. "If it's not one thing, it's another today," she added with a furrow of her brow. "But at least the peaches are safe... well, mostly."

As she bent down again, she couldn’t help but notice the woman’s phone; it still wasn't the most common sight, to see someone lug the chunky piece of technology around rather than waiting to use their landline at home, or even a payphone while out. "Oh, I do hope I didn't interrupt anything important," she added, her voice softening. "I'm sure I can manage this all on my own, if you have something else you need to be doing."

[tidescfchaos]

STATUS: Open to all @cardinalstart

LOCATION: Glasswater Lake

A restless feeling still stirred around inside Priya following the news about Avalon Rivers, and the strange occurrences as of late certainly didn't help this feeling either. Wanting a moment of peace, no matter how brief, it was only natural that she found herself among nature. She sat upon a blanket close to the edge of the lake, bundled up in warm clothing fitting the season and pulled her knees in towards her chest. "I'm going to miss spending more of my free time out here as winter rolls in." She lamented with a soft sigh to her present company. The plummeting temperatures unfortunately meant less time among the serenity of nature. "Are you at least looking forward to the upcoming season?"

[sweetvolition]

Garnet had been scouting the town for future date locations - naturally for her clients, and not for herself - when she had come across Priya; after getting over the initial disappointment of realising that it was too far into the year to plan any outdoor dates that weren't intentional winter activities, she had decided her time was better put to use trying to make more friends in Cardinal Hill. "I'm slightly disappointed that I didn't get to do everything that I wanted to while the weather was still nicer," things such as plan sunny dates for her clients. "I actually do love winter," Garnet's smile became larger at the thought alone. "It's a romantic season, in my opinion. Or maybe I just romanticise it, but either way, I am looking forward to it. There are good things about every season, good and bad things about them all."