#okoden.

[meremoments]

@okoden

𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘗𝘜𝘔𝘗𝘒𝘐𝘕 𝘎𝘜𝘛𝘚 𝘍𝘌𝘓𝘛 𝘞𝘈𝘠 𝘛𝘖𝘖 𝘎𝘖𝘖𝘌𝘠 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘠𝘌𝘛-- ㅤㅤIsla couldn't stop squeezing it through her fists even long after pulling it all free of her pumpkin. The actual carving wasn't her forte but she was having fun watching Julian carefully cut through his like a surgeon. The toothless Jack-O-Lantern's mouth gaped hollowly at her with large triangle eyes and the brunette looked up through her lashes with a subtle smile. Julian teased her about her own little pumpkin beast and she turned it a bit in front of her to look over the jagged grin with poorly constructed teeth and its uneven eyes that seemed to be trying to be some kind of shape and failing miserably. All in all it was a rather garish looking Franken-pumpkin. Isla's soft lips puckered a bit in thought before she turned the gourd around to better face Julian. Copper eyes found Julian's uncertain expression and she smiled ever so slightly while dead-panning flatly,

"𝙄𝙏'𝙎 𝙔𝙊𝙐."

[meremoments]

𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘚 𝘞𝘈𝘚𝘕'𝘛 𝘏𝘖𝘞 𝘚𝘏𝘌 𝘌𝘟𝘗𝘌𝘊𝘛𝘌𝘋 𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘕𝘎𝘚 𝘛𝘖 𝘎𝘖. ㅤStupidly she hoped she'd be able to come back to town as quiet and unnoticed as she had left... but Julian noticed. It shouldn't have been a surprise, really. If anyone had ever paid attention to Isla it was Julian Devereux. Even while touring he'd send little texts or messages on her private socials. Just wanting to know she was alright. Keeping her up to date on the things he knew she'd care about. But after a few months even those became fewer and fewer until he stopped entirely.

"𝘠𝘖𝘜'𝘝𝘌 𝘉𝘌𝘌𝘕 𝘎𝘖𝘕𝘌 𝘚𝘖 𝘓𝘖𝘕𝘎 𝘐 𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘎𝘏𝘛 𝘚𝘖𝘔𝘌𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘔𝘜𝘚𝘛'𝘝𝘌 𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘗𝘌𝘕𝘌𝘋 𝘛𝘖 𝘠𝘖𝘜." @okoden 's voice was uncharacteristically quiet but Isla still flinched.

What was she supposed to say? She couldn't tell him where she'd gone or why because there was no specific reason. No definite destination. She left. It's what she had always done and always would continue doing. It came second nature.

"𝘠𝘌𝘈𝘏… 𝘞𝘌𝘓𝘓…" began Isla, "𝘐 𝘊𝘖𝘜𝘓𝘋𝘕'𝘛 𝘉𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘍𝘖𝘙 𝘈𝘞𝘏𝘐𝘓𝘌." Such a simple and nondescript answer carried the burden of Atlas in every syllable. A secret Isla couldn't or wouldn't share just yet but the way she looked at Julian -- silently pleading for his forgiveness or at least patience -- said even more. Her tiny body dipped anxiously on the left fighting her desire to hug her best friend but feeling the right to had been long revoked.