( @jupiterdrcps ) There’s a small moment-- after all the rubble is gone, after silence settles over everyone who had previously been chipping away at the avalanche-- where Elaine almost expects the worst. All she can hear is her heart pounding in her chest, blood rushing in her ears, as she waits for someone, anyone, to exit the mines. And even when the first person exits and the tension in her shoulders lessen, nerves still run high. Elaine needs to see her, needs to know she’s okay.
On the morning of the 25th, a spacey bag with news paper wrapping is left outside of the library addressed to Sofia. Inside is a red junimo plush an a piece of stationary.
Sofia,
Happy birthday! I wanted to take this time to thank you for all of your help in my research and your patience with all of my questions at the library. Using some supposed first hand accounts, I crocheted a little junimo to keep you company. I hope you like it!
On the evening of February 14th, a package is left sitting up by the flower shop door. Inside is a chalkboard with a shelf , and a pack of chalk in different colors left with a note addressed to Gabe.
Rumor has it that today is your birthday - and by rumor, I mean your daughter mentioned it last time I was in your shop. Happiest of birthdays, Gabe! I can imagine you are incredibly busy today so I hope you don’t mind me just leaving this out front. I thought you could use this chalkboard for a display, or for Thalia if not!
I appreciate everything your flower shop brings to this town and having flowers in my office constantly, so I hope you don’t mind this gift!
I hope you get a chance to enjoy your day despite the insanity.
[ to: Malia | April 19th, 2019 ] Thank you once again for helping me bake Henry’s birthday cake. I just knew it would mean so much more to him that you had a hand in making it.
[ to: Malia | April 19th, 2019 | ATTACHED: an image of a recipe card with neat handwriting of Ben’s father ] Also here is the recipe for the dish I made for tonight. I heard you say that you really enjoyed it, so I thought you might like to try taking a stab at it.
[ to: Malia | April 19th, 2019 ] I hope you got home safe, and have goodnight!
🧦 a half-asleep text.
[ to: Malia | January 1st, 12:45 am ] Happy New Year’s!
[ to: Malia | January 1st, 12:46 am ] Totally missed my chance to say that to you tonight. I left rather early.
[ to: Malia | January 1st, 12:46 am ] Not that there was a reason for that or anything.
[ to: Malia | January 1st, 12:47 am ] Be safe getting home, goodnight!
🌳 a happy text.
[ to: Malia | January 13th, 4:05 pm | ATTACHED: image ] A little serotonin boost for you!
[ to: Malia | January 13th, 4:06 pm ] I’m helping out a friend out with fixing their house and their neighbor’s dogs had puppies.
[ to: Malia | January 13th, 4:10 pm ] Seriously tempted in getting another dog right now.
🌊 a sad text.
[ to: Malia | January 25th, 3:05 pm ] Is something wrong with Henry? He got real quiet at a certain point of the day and left rather quickly.
[ to: Malia | January 25th, 3:20 pm ] The movie theater won the town vote.
[ to: Malia | January 25th, 8:25 pm ] A movie theater is a great idea, and I am happy for Finley. But I just really had hoped that Henry and Sofia would get their bakery & bookstore.
Kiran
💫 a late night text.
[ to: Kiran | Unknown Date, 11:50 pm ] What is favorite medium of art?
[ to: Kiran | Unknown Date, 11:51 pm ] Like do you prefer painting working with oils or acrylics? How about watercolors?
[ to: Kiran | Unknown Date, 11:55 pm ] Would you mind if I hung some of your art in the clinic?
[ to: Kiran | Unknown Date, 12 am ] I’m sorry for throwing all these questions at you so late, just ignore me.
[ to: Kiran | Unknown Date, 12:02 am ] But when you get a chance, could you please answer those questions?
💀 an urgent text.
[ to: Kiran | August 27th, 10:05 am ] Just in case you forgot, today is your follow up appointment in regards to the cut on your hand.
[ to: Kiran | August 27th, 10:06 am ] You have until 3 p.m. to come in for it, otherwise I’m hunting you down.
[ to: Kiran | August 27th, 10:06 am ] This not something to take lightly, Kiran. I mean it.
🗑️ a text that wasn’t sent.
[ to: Kiran | September 30th, 11:55 am | UNSENT] You’re friends with Matty, right? Could you please try to get him to be tad bit more cautious with his skating around town and you are definitely not the person to be asking to do this cause you are equally as bad if not worse with getting yourself hurt nevermind.
🌻 a worried text.
[ to: Kiran | January 31st, 12 pm ] Look, I know you’re helping with clearing up the avalanche and you’re probably super worried about friends down there.
[ to: Kiran | January 31st, 12:01 pm ] But please be careful, ok?
[ to: Kiran | January 31st, 12:01 pm ] We’ll get them out soon enough.
unsent, July 20 — i’ll pay you back for the seeds eventually, promise! 💖
unsent, July 27 — do you know sasha? she keeps calling you kiran varani. am i supposed to do that? 🤔
unsent, August 2 – where are you???? we were supposed to start at 9 today 😔
unsent, August 30 — you and matty seem kinda close 👀
unsent, September 1 — you know, if you ever need someone i’m here. i know we haven’t been friends long but you’ve taught me so much!!!!! that’s the hallmark of a true friend. i read it somewhere, if i find the article i’ll link you. so whatever you need, i gotcha 💖
sent, September 20 — KIRAN i’m outside because the chickens escaped and art and i can’t catch them. EMERGENCY!!!!!! ❗🐓❗🐓❗🐓❗🐓
( @jupiterdrcps ) What if she doesn’t show up? What if the gift was too much, or the invitation too vague, or... or some other logical thing that would make Sofia not want to come? Elaine sighs and checks the picnic basket she had prepared after finishing work for the umpteenth time. She then goes through the process she has been repeating for the past half hour: flattening any wrinkles in her dress, checking her hair in the mirror, doing breathing exercises to calm herself down, staring at the lowering sun through her window, glancing at her phone to see if Sofia has texted her. Finally, she settles next to the birdcage in her living room, glancing at Fitz with a small frown.
“How pathetic do I look?” She mumbles at him, and her small blue companion tilts his head at her, flutters his wings, chirps. She’s not sure if she should feel insulted or not.
( @jupiterdrcps ) It’s getting late. It’s getting late, and a big chunk of the dewers have already left to play football outside. It’s getting late, and even Dakota ran out of things to say about D&D. The music from the jukebox is still droning on softly, and Elaine is still sitting in the back of the Saloon, heart in her throat.
This is just pathetic.
She keeps thinking about the Valentine’s Day present. You deserve all the love in the world. The crossed out sentence in the end: I’d like to give that to you. It didn’t include a signature, and maybe it was dumb for Elaine to think it had been from Sofia, but she had felt butterflies while staring at the forget-me-nots. She looked up to the table Sofia still occupied, lost in her book. A tiny smile curled along Elaine’s lips, then curled back into a straight line as a blush took over her cheeks. Was she going to let another moment where she could have just done something pass by? Maybe she should... but before she gives herself any more time to think about it, she’s up and moving towards Sofia, brushing off the skirt of her dress. Once she’s behind Sofia, she lets out a small breath and taps her shoulder lightly, “... Are you enjoying your book?”
( @jupiterdrcps ) Jemma has a tendency to let herself drown in adrenaline, especially when she’s down in the mines. When she’s surrounded by monsters and slashing away at them like some swash-buckling hero, or when she uncovers the ladder to the next level, or when she stumbles upon an especially rare gem-- it’s easy for her to get carried away. It’s only when she’s halfway down the hill on her way back home, sword tucked away in its hilt and midnight descending on her, that the adrenaline rush finally wears off and she becomes acutely aware of a sharp pain in her bicep.
“Shit.” When she looks down at the source, the blood from the injury has already begun seeping through her shirt. She drops her backpack to the ground and takes out her first-aid kit, rummaging through it only to find out that she has barely any supplies left. She should have really restocked. Okay, okay, this is fine, this is fine! She surveys the wound. It’s nothing too serious, at least-- it was probably one of those damn bats-- but it’s probably not the best idea to just leave it as is. Picking her bag, she hurries her pace as she reaches the farms. She had heard that a nurse or something lived around here; they surely had to have some supplies, right? She picks the house that looks the... nurse-iest... and jogs up to the front door, lips pressed together to bite back the pain as she knocks.
