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matty razo:
<< open starter @mysticstarter >>
timeline: mystic beach party
The beach was one of his favorite places ever; he realized it years ago when he first moved to Mystic. Maybe that was why he had chose to live in an actual boat now, he loved how calm and relaxed it was. So he was completely comfortable as he sat on a picnic blanket that he secured to the sand, a sketchbook and some color pencils on his lap as he people watched. He did a lot more of that earlier, when he was only a tattoo apprentice. He used to sit outside of the shop on his lunch break and sketched out a passerby, someone waiting for the bus, someone walking a dog. He had got so fast at portraits and sketches after years of drawing that by now, all he needed was one look at the subject and he could finish after ten minutes. Just enough time before they left and he could give them their portrait. Taking a sip from his beer, Matty moved to stand and approached the person that was only a few steps away. “Hey.” He ripped the paper sheet that contained the drawing of said person from his sketchbook carefully and offered it to them. “I made this and wanted you to keep it. If you like it, that is.” Matty offered with a warm smile.
-
They’d been at the beach party for a couple of hours before Nora decided it wasn’t a good idea. All of Nathan’s school friends were going, though, so it wasn’t like she could tell him no. Things had been surprisingly busy at the shop lately and Nora was back to considering hiring more help but, more importantly, she’d decided to hold off on having a stall at the party this year. Which meant she’d have no excuse for not taking her son to what would be the happening social gathering of the weekend. So, the brunette sank into the sand and watched him run along near the shore, with the other children she was helping to watch for the time being. Time melted away under the summer sun, before Nora saw one of the other parents come along and wave to her. It was their turn to watch their group of kids. The whole ‘shifts’ thing had been a great idea. It meant they could all take breaks to eat, and enjoy some of the daytime activities before the kids were inevitably carted off to grandparents and relatives for sleepovers.
The woman stood to brush sand from her thighs before she heard a voice over her shoulder, then turned to face the other. “Oh, what’s this?” She examined the paper a little closer and a surprised sort of smile graced her lips. “You drew this?”
ben holder:
— @noralisebroderick
After successfully going around the night stalls sampling food, one of the reasons he wasn’t going to miss out on the beach party, Ben had tracked himself in the sand back to the bar by the ocean. One of the other main reasons for going. Taking a long drink from his cup, his eyes once again stared down at the screen of his phone..a certain message set displaying, belonging to Nora’s number. He kept typing and then deleting the question to ask if she was going to be there…but it wasn’t as if she’d likely answer with good reason..after he’d been the one to ignore her recent ones, stubborn frustration that she hadn’t replied to his before once making their return from Lakeview. There was only so many unanswered apologetic texts that one could send. But in truth, it was driving him insane over how withdrawn everything seemed to have been since their trip. Things weren’t horrible, but they weren’t right either. And he wanted to know how to go about fixing it, not fucking it all up. After all, what he’d told her about going forward was authentic, yet found himself ceaselessly questioning how wrong it might have come out or sounded in the moment.
With a heavy sigh, Ben decidedly put his phone away in his trunks pocket again for the time being, yet just as his gaze lifted, he’d nearly knocked his drink off the ledge he was leaning on spotting someone. It had to be. Without thinking, Ben ran forward, whether or not Nora noticed or decided not to. “Nora!” He called out, coming to a quick halt. And as it seemed she was turning, Ben’s entire frame froze, unsure what to say, but still taking in the sight before him “I..I’m sorry..” He stated off the top of his head. A likely pathetic way to start.
Nora knew that she and Ben just had their wires crossed, were on the same page, but just struggling to find the right words to say to one another. But, she couldn’t help that gnawing, nagging feeling that things were off to a less than ideal start for them. Was it a premonition, or just an infuriating bout of miscommunication, presenting itself in the worst form of phone tag, ever? In truth, these were the kinds of problems her friends had in high school. She didn’t really have any experience being anyone’s girlfriend, or almost girlfriend, or whatever she could call herself to Ben. She had basically been single her entire life and then she was someone’s wife and someone else’s mother. It was the in-between she didn’t understand. For someone like Nora, understanding life only in extremes made sense, but it made all of this that much harder to navigate. And she didn’t really feel like she had any neutral corner to retreat to for advice. Everyone in Mystic had an opinion about the Holders: good, bad, or indifferent. Trying to gain advice without those preconceived notions would be nearly impossible.
And then, as if he knew she was thinking about him, she heard Ben from over her shoulder, then spotted him ambling toward her, her name falling from his lips. She spared a startled glance in his direction, mouth opening but yielding no words. Sure, she could have responded, said something of her own, but instead, all she did was wind her arms around his shoulders. Nora was sure that to any person who should happen upon them, it would appear as though she was clinging to his frame. And maybe she was.
travis hawthorne:
—
“Well, if it isn’t the love guru herself, looking stunning as always,” Travis beamed at the familiar face. If there was anyone in Mystic he had wanted to run into today, it had been Nora. Something about their conversation had stuck with him over the past few weeks and although he had thought about dropping by Sugar Daddy for a followup visit, he had no way of knowing if the feeling was mutual.
“A mother is always on duty, huh? I’m all sun blocked up. Besides, I couldn’t risk ruining your look, even if that floppy hat is calling my name.” After flashing the woman a playful smile, Travis turned his attention back towards the grill, using his tongs to roll a hot dog over onto its other side. “It’s going quite well, actually. People seem to be enjoying the food and we’ve made quite a lot of money so far. What can I get you? And before you ask, yes he did ask me to do this and yes, I did clear my schedule for the occasion.”
-
An unstoppable grin appeared on Nora’s lips at the compliment the other paid her, and she feigned a hint of shyness as she pulled her hat back on her head. “I am... really happy to see you,” the brunette admitted, before pretending to glance over the grill behind Travis. Of course, if the feeling wasn’t mutual and she’d just made a fool out of herself, thinking this man was her friend, at least she didn’t have to maintain direct eye contact while realizing it.
“A mother is always on duty, but I’m sure you know how that goes, with girls of your own.” Nora laughed just then, the sensation causing her to smile briefly once more. She began to consider what she wanted to eat — after all, it had been what brought her over here, in addition to Travis, in the first place — when he answered the question she’d been contemplating asking so soon. “Oh my god, tell me everything,” she suddenly blurted. “Is there someone who can cover the stall for you? I need details!”
damien shaw:
-
The world was feeling viciously topsy turvy in more ways than one, but Damien still maintained in the way he did—by compartmentalizing and focusing on something that was more imperative. Work was always a good alternative whenever he was inconvenienced or overwhelmed simply because it felt less like a job, and more than a calming hobby. Mia used to argue that he was a workaholic whenever he walked out during an argument, an aggressive notion made—”You care about your job more than our actual relationship!”—when in reality it had always been his personal therapy to keep him from saying things that could’ve come off as unkind. Overtly sensitive as he was (and as desperate as he was to not show it), he was blessed to have found something that consistently kept him out of his head. Behind the lens, there was much else to think about.
Tracing the pad of his pointer finger along the shutter-release of his camera, he passed an automated glance up when a figure walked in line of his view before openly double taking at the sight gathered. Caught off guard, a dumbfounded jolt of air dispelled from his lungs, paving the way for an incredulous breathy groan. He held a hand to his diaphragm to command himself into stillness, ears perking up at her voice. “Nora?” He called back, a bright sunbeam smiles making an encore on his features, peeking out between his teeth. What was it about Mystic specifically that made him run into either old ghosts or close friends? He wondered if maybe he’d underestimated how much he’d had to drink in between takes and if he was hallucinating. After a beat, whatever short circuit his best friend’s appearance had induced corrected itself and a familiar warmth returned to him, though he hadn’t taken a drink in what felt like a while. It was probably better that way. “Get the fuck outta here—I can’t believe it's you! What are the fuckin’ chances?” Handing his camera to his assistant, he rushed over to wrap his arms around her petite frame, happily engulfing her in his broad arms. Her’s was the first face he had seen that hadn’t induced some sort of apprehensiveness. He let her go a moment later, taking a good look at her as he always did before stepping back somewhat; “When you said you were leaving L.A. for someplace else you meant here?”
More or less, Damien already knew the answer—though he was looking for confirmation.
-
In truth, Nora had gotten quite good at retreating. when wounded. Hiding, really. Maybe it wasn’t her best coping mechanism, but it worked. Protected her from further offense, always being on defense, that way. Always hanging back to see everyone and everything else going on. The ending of her marriage felt like a prime time to trot out this very same coping mechanism and try it on again for size. The glamorous, gregarious, social risk-taking Angeleno felt as much of a costume as any of the fancy LA socialite clothing she’d carted with her back across the country to her hometown. It wasn’t that the person she was in her marriage was gone, it was more like they were never really there. Not really, anyway. Always a costume, always playing-pretend.
So, maybe that was why she’d let herself drift from nearly all her west coast friends, lest she have to keep up an appearance she no longer had the energy for. Even Damien, her best friend, she had let slip through her life, by way of a wayward stream of ‘we have to catch up!’ text messages that sometimes went unanswered. If he was unhappy or displeased with her now, he had every right to be. But, instead, as was his way, he enveloped her in his arms, and the brunette breathed a sigh of relief. At least before she released a chuckle as his words began to sink in.
“Yeah, I... I’m from here. Now that you’re here, you understand why I wasn’t exactly broadcasting that at every given opportunity.” A rueful sort of laugh followed as the pair released one another, while her brown eyes were sort of raking over her friend to see that he was well, physically, before continuing. “You know, I... I just needed to get away from all that... west coast shit. And you know what they always say, you can always find your way back home.”
She raised a shoulder in a loose shrug, then extended a hand out to rest on her friend’s arm, hoping to capture his attention fully. She knew he was going to ask. “But I’m okay, D, really. How are you? And what on earth are you doing here, hot shot?”
matty razo:
If there was anything that Matias Razo was absolutely humble about, it was his art. Over the past ten years, he had become incredibly successful tattoo artist, it all happened fast and almost out of nowhere. He owed it all to those people in his life that had drove him to believe himself. Matty though, had never really focused on the compliments or how people looked up at him and his talent now. He wasn’t the best at getting compliments, mostly because he always tried to give compliments and never focused on receiving them. He always enjoyed the surprise on other people’s faces when he did small gestures like this one. So he smiled widely at the woman and nodded easily. “Yeah, of course. I’m usually better at it but I tried to get it done in less than ten minutes in case that you left. I wanted to make sure that you got it, you know?” After all, he always find it kind of weird to keep drawings of people that he didn’t know in his sketchbook.
-
It was a small thing and yet it caused a smile to further brighten Nora’s features, on a day when her head was spinning in a million different directions. How... kind. She studied the man’s workmanship a little more closely, the nature of the sketched lines and how closely they’d captured her likeness — the tension in her posture, even in her seat in the sand. “This is really just very... nice. Thank you.” She paused then, her hat long gone and relegated to the trunk of her car, thus leaving her with her hands to keep her flurry of curls tucked away from her face and out of her eyes. Once they returned back down to her sides, she rotated her body slightly to fully face the talented stranger, then stuck one of her hands out. “I’m Nora. You look familiar, have I seen you around?”
will holder:
« ❀ starter for @mysticstarter »
STATUS: open LOCATION: The 401 DATE/TIME: saturday night
Spotting someone standing by their lonesome, Will couldn’t help but ensure they were accounted for. He’d been working the floor all evening, which.. usually wasn’t such a concern for him, until he realised how busy it was. The crowds surrounding the bar were practically chaotic, and all the tables in the club were fully occupied. Ever since the weather started warming up, the club had managed to reach full capacity every Friday and Saturday night — mostly filled with people from neighbouring towns and tourists alike. Not that he was complaining, but it was almost unanticipated at this point. “Are you alright? Need a drink or anything? I know the line to the bar is insane right now.”
-
“The line to the bar is crazy, but I know the owner so I’m about to just — William!” Yeah, perhaps Nora was a little drunk. Her words were a bit slurred and maybe the party should’ve stopped a few hours ago, but it was mom’s night off, and she’d managed to actually have a good time. For once. “Hi,” the word was drawn out for emphasis as Nora flashed her best friend a wide but slightly guilty grin. They’d been texting, far too infrequently, but hadn’t actually seen each other in so long, and well, Nora wasn’t entirely innocent in that ordeal. She could’ve made more of an effort, but... Well, she still hadn’t navigated finally relaying to Will just how close she was to his brother. Tonight wasn’t the occasion either, but the thought sprang to mind that she would have to come clean eventually.
ben holder:
Catching one another in person had to be much better than battling himself on what else to text back, or whether or not he should just let it be for the night. Although it seemed with every passing minute, the strange, sporadic communication bout they’d been having became more and more excruciating to go through. This wasn’t what either of them had meant to happen after all. In the past, it usually was always the same story, someone ended up leaving. But ever since he and Nora had still saw one another when she lived in California, there had been no doubt of a solid base of a mutual connection, one that only remained truly real over time. A relationship to invest in, have nothing but trust in for the present and for the future. If both of them had to figure certain things out as they went, together, then maybe that would be a primary benefit. All Ben could really focus on at the moment had to do with finally seeing Nora in person again, that she looked to be turning back towards him after he’d called out after her once spotting her as she walked by. He wanted more times like Lakeview, not the additional avoidance that’d been happening.
He’d barely attempted more words, stagnant in place, before Nora’s arms comfortingly wrapped over him, the first time in a short while that his shoulders dropped in a relieving morning. She could always make anything better. His arms instantaneously wrapped around her middle, not wanting to let go anytime soon either. “Hey, it’s ok, we’ll be ok.” He whispered assuringly, lips pressing to the top of her head. “I’m sorry.” Ben repeated. “I - can we stop the distance? Please?..there’s isn’t anything doubtful about this, you and me, the future ahead.”
“I’m sorry,” were the first words out of Nora’s mouth once she’d had a moment to gather herself. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, her arms only serving to tighten their hold on him. She’d been so in her head about this, about everything, but now that she was before Ben, seeing the same agony reflected in his features, too... Well, she realized what a silly little thing they’d gotten themselves caught up in. The only way out was through, that was what she’d always said, and yet here she was, not following her own rules. The whole ordeal was just a big mess, now.
When Ben spoke, Nora lifted her head so that she could look up at him; the moment becoming one of many when the height difference between them occurred to her as a laughable thing. “Yes, I’m sorry. You’re right, I..” The brunette trailed off for a moment, gaze dropping to the sandy landscape beneath them while she spoke her quiet admission. “I guess I just got freaked out.”
To get down to the whole truth of the matter, it wasn’t Ben she was avoiding, but rather this level of vulnerability, this conversation. The revelation that she was more invested than she ever planned on being, and that investment automatically meant some sort of loss. Loss that Nora couldn’t exactly process, if it ever came to pass. Of course the grown up thing to do was confront it head on, but even that felt terrifyingly risky. It was almost comical, in a way, how many people found her daring and brave, yet Nora found herself afraid of so many, many things.
matty razo:
Matty had never really understood how easy it was to make others smile until he became an actual artist, he could do something as small as giving away quick drawings that he finished in less than ten minutes and people would thank him as if he’d fixed their day with such a simple gesture. He could see that smile now on this stranger and it brought a wide smile to his face as well as he shook her hand gently. “I think your name sounds kinda familiar to me too, honestly.” He thought about it for a second and then shrugged. “I’m Matty. And if it helps, I usually keep to The 401 or she loves me, or my own shop, obviously. Wait, wait…aren’t you the owner of Sugar Daddy?”
-
Though Nora couldn’t remember the last time she was coherent enough to remember anything or anyone the last time she was in the 401, she spared a nod at the mention of Sugar Daddy, and her ownership of it. “Yup, that’s me. Your turn, what’s your shop? I’m hoping it isn’t somewhere I go pretty often, otherwise my asking will be rather embarrassing.” The brunette spared a glance down at the drawing now in her grasp, and smiled at it once more. Finding joy in such a small thing was rare for her these days, so Nora was leaning into it a little bit more. And, if nothing else, her new friend and his talents would make for a great memory to gaze back on later on.
will holder:
“Hey stranger,” Will replies with a curious smile of sorts, furrowing his brow some. “Someone’s having a good time..” It’d been far too long since they’d spent time together; and honestly, he was to be blamed for that. He’d kept his head a little low the past few months, trying to focus on keeping questions at bay, and his sole focus on the free flow of his lucrative side business from being hindered whatsoever. Trying to work out who she was with tonight, he scans the bodies behind Nora before placing his focus upon her once more. “So, where have you been?” Like it wasn’t his fault.
-
Nora lifted her brows at Will’s response, but a burst of laughter escaped her soon after; it was just like him. Maybe Nora was cutting loose a little bit more than normal but, if anything, she was only following the advice Will was always giving her about working too hard and never saving any time for play. Whatever that meant. “Well, I have been... You know, I’ve been busy. I’m apparently very hard to work with? For? Whatever, because I’m down an assistant manager, again. You wanna come bake? I am good at teaching.” She was rambling, mostly unintentionally but, well, maybe the stress was getting to her, a tad.
ben holder:
“No, No, you have nothing to be sorry for, Nor.” Ben insisted with a shake of his head, both his arm keeping their own hold around her, assuring he wasn’t going to go anywhere. “You haven’t done anything wrong.” The last thing he wanted was for her to have thought that she had. Even if they’d both were convinced they had screwed up the conversation, it was a good thing, with the joint, open realization the two of them were in sync, and had been the entire time when they were together. There wasn’t any better of a revelation than that.
As Nora agreed that their painful distance could disperse, a grin instantly appeared at the corner of his lips, glancing down into her fond gaze the most comforting solace. “Hey, Hey, don’t apologize.” Ben whispered, and hearing Nora’s following admittance, one of his hands gently lifted up her head from the sand both their feet were planted in once more to ensure there was nothing at all she had to be ashamed of. “That’s ok. It’s ok that you got freaked out. I mean, I did too. I thought..I guess I thought the worst, actually.” He knew how ridiculous it sounded to have thought that way at first in the moment, his words ended up twisting more than anything. But it was that way with her no matter what, she had only cared about who he was as a person, not for everything else that surrounding it. “I’m sorry. Nora, I just. I only want to do this right. Relationships, they are scary, but I know there hasn’t been much in my life that I haven’t been more sure of.” Ben nodded to emphasize the upfront truth of those words, having held true throughout the many years they’d become closer and closer. Besides, he and Nora did have a way of figuring out what they needed to.
-
“So,” Nora began quietly, fully aware she was restating the obvious, “we’re good? Like, everything’s okay?”
Just as the words rolled off her tongue, Nora’s last, lingering doubt reared its ugly head. There was still the matter of, well, Will is her best friend. And the relationship between the Holder brothers was... delicate, to put a fine point on the matter. There wasn’t anymore skating around the issue, they were seriously pursuing what was blossoming between them. It had to come up at some point, right? But was it best that she talk to Will first? The thing was, she knew the reaction of either party hinged on the day, and whether or not they were on good terms.
But Ben was here, and in front of her, and he was smiling at her and things were good and it didn’t seem like something she wanted to squander. Maybe Will would be the easier party. Or maybe Nora was just grateful to be back on good terms with Ben because she’d just really freaking missed him. By now she was staring at him, she was sure, and he would take the extended eye contact (rightfully) as a sign that something was on her mind. So, just as he inhaled to speak, Nora shifted her weight onto the balls of her feet to attempt to close some of the height difference between them, in order to press her lips to his. Even if only for a moment.
When she stood back, the brunette wore an unmistakable grin, whilst perhaps searching for a way to get down to brass tacks. Just to be sure. “So... relationship, huh? As in, I can tell people Ben Holder’s my boyfriend?”
matty razo:
Matty almost giggled at her words, all the drinks he’d had that day to avoid the heat were slowly getting to him, which just made him be in a pretty good mood. “Nope, my shop is the kind of shop that wouldn’t let me forget your face.” He admitted easily with a small smirk. “I am the owner of Sea of Ink, the tattoo place!” It was surreal to him that there were people in town that he still didn’t know, he was all over the town most days, taking breaks, giving flyers to customers, so it was surprising that he didn’t know everyone around. No matter though, he loved meeting new people. Once upon a time, he had been absolutely reserved, but Mystic had changed things around for him, luckily. “Oooh, by the way, I don’t know if anyone’s told you this, but I love your New York Cheesecake waffle cone. It tastes just like home.”
-
Surprised by the exuberance of his response, Nora breathed out a brief chuckle, then tipped her head, as if she was trying to place the man in the aforementioned setting. Nothing came to mind. She didn’t have any tattoos, maybe that was why. If this guy owned the place, though, maybe it was time to change that. There would be no question of quality, that was for sure. He was incredibly talented. “You know... I don’t want to hit 35 without having at least one tattoo, so I might have to swing by some time. As long as you promise you’ll personally handle my ink...” At the sound of the specific compliment, Nora waved a hand dismissively, lest she take credit for a recipe that wasn’t wholly hers. “Oh, thank you so much. I’ll bring one along, as an additional tip for you putting up with my sniveling ass. If... you agree, of course?”
STARTER: open. LOCATION: hailey’s comet. TIME: midday.
After a parent-teacher conference revealed that Nathan was not too keen on reading, Nora was determined to help her son in any way she could. Except... nothing she’d tried had worked. He was too old for picture books, but too young for the sort of novels she’d liked to read at his age. Moments like these made Nora long, for a moment, for her son’s father to be a little bit more involved in his life. And that was putting it delicately. Sure, she could talk to Ben, and he’d listen. He’d likely offer some pragmatic advice about tutoring, maybe even offer to help her find one, but he didn’t have the perspective of a parent — through no fault of his own. No, the news that her child was struggling made the woman just want to shelter him and resolve it, just the two of them, if they couldn’t rely on his father.
Startled by the sound of the bell at the front door tinkling to alert the entry of a new shopper, Nora dropped the copy of Sky Raiders she was looking at, and it tumbled to the ground, right into the path of an oncoming stranger. She was balancing her phone and the novel, trying to scroll through the list of ‘13 Books That 9-to-12-Year-Old Boys Say are Awesome,’ and the book had slipped from her grasp.
“I’m so sorry,” she said immediately, “Trying to... figure something out. Sorry.”
@mysticstarter
camila garcia:
Camila had no idea why the hell she was in the book store — she wasn’t one for novels and reading by any means. Perhaps if she had a little more time on her hands.. or if she didn’t spend her free time gallivanting around town up to mischief, she might appreciate literature the way she should. But as Sage begged for her to let her check out the newest releases in the children’s fiction section — seriously, how did she birth this child?! — she had no choice but to let her run in and to.. well, awkwardly make her way into Hailey’s Comet. Thankfully, though, a welcome distraction fell right into her path. Literally. Bending down to pick up the lost book, she stands back up to come face to face with a dear friend. “Sorry for what? The fact that our kids are way more intelligent than us, or the fact that they’re into this intergalactic.. Star Wars hoo haa?!” A wide smile appears on her features as she locks eyes with Nora, before glancing down to read the title of the novel in her hand. “Sky Raiders… I swear Sage has read this.” Truthfully, she was just thankful to see a friendly face so she didn’t have to pretend to have any interest in what was on the shelves.
-
In the middle of what was as close to being visibly upset in public as Nora got these days, she was thankful to see a familiar face, an excuse to pull it together. She managed a smile, stowing her worries for a moment. Though, Cam’s words caused an empty chuckle to escape her; if only the other parent knew. Nora glanced up for a moment, watching Sage roam the aisles, eyes scanning the titles with wonderment and excitement. For a moment, okay, yes, Nora was feeling a little bit of mom-envy. What she wouldn’t give for her kid to even pretend to look at books like this. “She has? And what did she think? Did she read it recently?” The brunette chewed on the inside of her lip for a moment, unable to keep the truth from her friend. Especially considering that friend was Cam, the least likely person to judge her in probably all of Mystic. “Honestly, Nate is... struggling with reading. I think he just needs more practice, but he hates... Well, everything I suggest.”
jamie reid:
Although it wasn’t often that her daughter had any extra spending money, a visit from Jamie’s father meant that there was now a fifty dollar bill burning a hole in her pocket. Although she had first thought to spend it on candy and sweets, the mother had managed to convince her daughter to spend at least a portion of the money on new bedtime stories.
As the duo made their way into Hailey’s Comet, the bell chimed from above their heads and a friendly associate greeted them. While the small child hadn’t been all too excited about their book shopping the day before, Kennedy seemed to have had a change of heart as she took off down the aisle before them.
As the book landed with a thud before her, Kennedy reached down to grab it before turning it over in her hands. Always a curious one, she couldn’t help but want to know more. Especially when she saw the brightly coloured imagery that decorated its cover. “What’s it about?” The little girl mused, just in time for Jamie to catch up to her. “I’m so sorry about that. She loves talking to new people. Kennedy, c’mon. We’ve got to find our own book.” With an apologetic smile, the blonde rested one hand on the child’s shoulder before using her other to pass the novel back to Nora.
-
The sight of the (assumed) mother and daughter duo before her made Nora smile, and instantly gave her a bit of a regret. Maybe if she’d brought Nate with her, and made him apart of the process of choosing his books, it would go over easier. But every time she asked, she was always met with a ‘no.’ While the child seemed young and excitable, it also seemed like they got along well. These days, she and Nate were oil and water, with the latter being more like a moody teenager than the former had known to expect this early. He’s just having a hard time, Nora’s mother had insisted. But the brunette just wasn’t so sure.
“Oh, that’s quite alright. I’m never one to turn down a chance to make new friends! Especially ones that seem to come with book recommendations.” Nora was just trying her hand at a little small talk; in truth, she had no idea what the little girl or her mother liked, if anything. But, there was only one way to find out, right?
As Nora accepted the once-dropped novel back into her hand, she introduced herself to the other parent, “Hi, uh, Nora. Nice to meet you guys.”
ben holder:
x
“Everything’s ok, and we’re good, more than good.” Ben assured, not wasting a beat reiterating in return to her questions. “And if anything isn’t, we’ll take care of it, I promise you.” He sure wasn’t going to let any obstacle stand in their way, for all that truly mattered to him was that he’d come upon Nora again face to face. It’d been exceptionally difficult being at a distance, when Ben was entirely used to making sure he could see her at least once a day, if not for being able to decide whether they could be at each other’s places or not. And just as his mind was attempting to think of what else could be said, unsure if he’d said anything right, he became easily distracted by Nora’s returned, lingering gaze up at him, silently saying more than enough. Proving they both shifted to thinking the same thing, her lips met his in the next instant, and Ben instantly welcomed, prolonged the kiss between them for as long as possible.
Only pulling slightly back as their lips hesitantly broke for the time being, the grin on his own expression mirrored Nora’s, unable to contain the sheer contentment. He couldn’t help a light, laugh under his breath at her questions, someone as flawless as her was actually stating both of them. “Am I taking that as yes for the first? And a good thing for the other?” Being around and with Nora had always been nothing short of real, as if they’d already been serious together for a while, and in his world endlessly festered with facade, he was aware of how much that authentically meant to him. But of course, he was also asking to be entirely certain for them both this time around, as he’d significantly missed the mark before.
-
The fact that the issue itself was so easily resolved just proved to Nora that she’d been stressing herself about all this for, truly, no reason. Of course, she supposed, everything seemed so easy from the other side. What mattered now was the look in Ben’s eyes when he looked at her, and the realization that they were ‘hold-hands-in-public’ and ‘go-on-dates’ official, and he was promising to talk things out with her, rather than just shutting her out. And sure, it was terrifying and new and fragile and breakable, but god, it felt good, too. It felt good to allow herself to give in to the happy feeling, and abandon the risks for a moment.
“The answer is a definitive yes, boyfriend,” the petite brunette chimed, her grin softening into a smile as she leaned up to briefly reconnect their lips once more. Once she was back on her own two feet, she slid her arms around Ben’s middle, just to draw herself into his embrace and revel in the happiness of this moment, before her mind could get ahead of her, just as it had before, when they’d ended up in this situation.
celestina garcia:
+
It was Celestina’s day off and today she chose to do something productive in order to make the most of it. With her upcoming schedule looking booked and busy, she had to take advantage of her only me-time and chose to do so by running errands throughout the day. After speed running her to do list, she ended up with plenty of downtime and decided to go around town for a bit of shopping. Currently she was in Hailey’s Comet with a list of books that were recommended when she stumbled upon booktok while scrolling through her FYP on Tiktok. She may not be the fastest reader, but she does read and it was a nice way to escape reality and pass the time.
When she walked into the store, dark hues did a run down of her surroundings, figuring out which direction she wanted to go. In the midst of her stroll, the sound of a book falling onto the ground in front of her caught her attention as she immediately bent down to pick it up. “Sky Raiders.” she read out loud as she stood back up. “Cute.” she mused while handing it back Nora and assessing the scene in front of her.
“No need to apologize, it happens. Do you need a basket or something?” Was there even a basket around here? Cel did a double take before returning her attention to Nora, “Are you alright? Do you need assistance…with figuring whatever that is out?” It didn’t hurt to ask sometimes, maybe it was book related and in that case, the dancer could try to flag an employee down for her.
-
Nora almost immediately perked up when the other read the book’s title aloud with what seemed to be some sense of familiarity, extending her hand to accept the fallen artifact. But then, Nora’s face fell a little, when she realized they likely knew as little about it as she did.
“Yeah, now if I could just get my kid to agree with you,” was the brunette’s muttered retort, as she accepted the novel from the other’s hands. Realizing how rude she must seem, Nora quickly recovered and regained her manners. “Oh god, I’m sorry. So sorry, um, thank you. I’m just a little distracted.”
As the other offered assistance in the only way she presumed they knew how, without being an employee of the store, Nora shook her head, though a smile warmed her features at the thought of the kind offer. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly ask that of you, don’t sweat it,” she began, though... maybe she could backtrack a little. “You know, I do need assistance, but, like.. Well, not from someone whose job it is to sell me books. I really need a stranger’s opinion. Do you think you can help me out? I’ll completely understand if you tell me I’m a weirdo and don’t want to do it.”
camila garcia:
“I’m pretty sure.. that girl is glued to her books, and I can assure you it didn’t come from me. Probably her aunt Nina,” she considered, tilting her head some in momentary thought. Nina had always been clever in all senses of the word, and she was starting to see a lot of similarities between them the older Sage grew. “But yeah, she enjoyed it. Then again, she’s into all that Science crap, so if Nate’s not then.. I have no clue.” It was so good to see Nora, but Cam couldn’t help but notice the odd level of sadness that accompanied her entire demeanour and approach now. Completely unlike Nora. Her eyes widened, choosing to respond humorously to lighten the mood for her friend some. “Oh no.. you’ve reached it. Teenage-hood. Every parent’s worst fear because all your kid is going to do is oppose you at every turn. And we thought dealing with baby vomit, temper tantrums and potty training were the worst of it.”
-
“Yeah, Nate doesn’t like anything,” Nora mumbled, rather sullenly, all but pouting at the thought. It felt like his difficulty with reading popped up over night; he was on par, on pace with the rest of his class for so long. And while she wondered what changed, her mind instantly went to their move. It had been a year, and these issues only began this school year. Had her disrupting his life and then all of her time away, tending to the bakery meant that her son was alone, in a new environment, and struggling? And she hadn’t heard his cries for help before now?
Nora tried to keep a brave face on, to chuckle at the appropriate moment, even nod a little, but she felt like she could absolutely crumble to the ground right now, in a mad flurry of emotion. Finally, she spoke, weak laughter accompanying her words. “Yeah, but he’s not even a teenager yet.”
ben holder:
What had been crossing his mind as of late wasn’t anything compared to the true, minor magnitude of their situation gone awry. He hadn’t ruined it, and understanding where Nora was also coming from having now spoken in front of each other again put him at a further ease. Relationships weren’t easy in the slightest, yet taking the steps at the same time, and already knowing they authentically had a firm reliance in what they had, made a world of difference in his eyes.
At her confirmed answer followed by her lips on his again, Ben eagerly returned the kiss, both hands falling to wrap around her waist. “Never sounded any better, girlfriend.” He lowly teased just as they hesitantly, slowly broke away. In truth, Nora was much more than just that one word. “I know real dates have been overdue.” Ones that weren’t exclusively tied with Mayoral events, the ones they were easily split up in crowds at. “And uh, however you want Nathan to know, I’m more than good with.” Ben stated while holding her close as she embraced him, knowing how important it also was that her son liked him.
-
Although things between herself and Ben had been developing in this direction, with a... greater degree of certainty, since she actually settled into town for good, hearing him use that word, girlfriend, set off butterflies in her stomach. The official label was something Nora felt like she was trying out all over again; it wasn’t something she really had much practice with. And yet, she was excited to try. At the base of it all, that’s how she felt: excited. Sure, there was risk involved, there was always risk involved, but it felt... well, it felt worthwhile, this time. Let people about town say whatever — including her own family, whose feelings about the Holders she really had no awareness of.
No, nothing really mattered except one thing, really: she was happy. And damn it if she didn’t deserve it.
The mention of Nathan caused a startled chuckle to spring past the brunette’s lips, despite the playful groan she let out afterward. “Can we think about that one tomorrow? I’d love to just enjoy the moment, before I am forced to confess to my child that we aren’t just really good friends anymore.”
Maybe, though, the realization had her smiling a little bit, too.
helin solak:
SPECIAL DELIVERY FOR: nora broderick.
LOCATION: sugar daddy.
DATE & TIME: monday, august 23rd. 6.03pm.
Today had been an unforgivingly long day, and cinnamon buns were one of Helin’s many sugar-based achilles heel. Upon entering the bakery and immediately spotting the slathered on icing, dripping down the edges of the soft, gooey dough, Helin had to stop in her tracks to gaze on the almost heavenly sight. On a good day she’d get all the way back to her house to put them away in her fridge to eat over the course of the next week, on a bad day she’d easily demolish a whole box.
And this was very much one of those days.
Being a veterinarian has always been rewarding, but it can also be astonishingly challenging and demanding, and sometimes heartbreaking. Today, she had to go from euthanizing an old family dog to diagnosing a rabbit. Paired with yowling cats and cawing birds, Helin finally feels a tiny bit of peace settle in her muscles as she leans back against the door. ❛ Hi, Nora, ❜ The brunette greets the other, half-breathless after practically speed walking to the bakery. ❛ I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I am to be here right now. ❜
Slow days around the bakery meant Nora’s mind had time to wander, and with so many different ways that could go, the brunette set out to keep herself busy while a summer storm teased itself in and out of hiding behind the clouds, throughout the day.
In truth, the bakery probably had never been as clean, nor the pantry half as organized as it was after her hours of deep cleaning, while her part-timer attended to the few guests who passed in and out during the daylight hours. It wasn’t until the employee’s shift ended at half past 5 that Nora found herself back in the front of the house, wiping down counters, and watching the skies clearing through the front window, just in time for sunset.
The gentle tinkling of the overhead bell at the door alerted Nora to the fact that she wasn’t alone, attention diverting to her new guest. A smile lifted the brunette’s features, when she realized her company consisted of a regular, a friend.
“Hey Hel,” Nora chimed in response, her expression becoming one of sympathy. “Long day?”
celestina flores:
+
Celestina laughed at the other’s response before expressing a sympathetic gaze. She’d seen that type of response with Camila whenever things don’t go her way with Sage. Therefore, it was understandable if she was undergoing the growing pains of motherhood. “Please, don’t apologize. I totally get it. Children are just a whole other breed. It’s funny how we used to be like them.” Growth, puberty, the overall shebang of life—it came with the territory. She’s been seeing it with Sage and time certainly flew whenever each year passes by.
“You sure?” She didn’t mind given that she had a clear schedule ahead. When she learned that she did needed assistance, Cel stood there and nodded, “I think you are far from it…And trust me, I’ve been up close and personal with weirdos.” Especially at The 401, but she wasn’t going to get into too much details about that to freak her out. With a soft chuckle, the dancer smiled and asked, “I can help you out. What’s on your mind?”
x
The simplest mention of her own childhood had Nora thinking of her mother and smiling — for a moment. What she wouldn’t give to have her mother’s advice without bias; even though at least part of Nora could understand.
How could she ever look at her grandson and not hear even the faintest ‘I-told-you-so’ at the back of her mind? Martina had never bothered to keep her disdain for her former son-in-law a secret, and even more so once the ink was dry on the divorce. She’d predicted, correctly, that their passionate love affair would burn out just as quickly as it had begun, but... still, Nora had held out hope that her mother would remember the difficulties of motherhood and sympathize with how hard it would be to do it alone, with less... negative comments. Martina was always happy to watch her grandson, but never without a subtle dig about how nice it would be if Michael were around to help bear the weight of raising a child.
It was why the brunette hadn’t consulted her now. And, well, it stung.
“Well, I appreciate that. It is a relief to know I’ve still retained some of my charm.” The woman spared a laugh just then, turning over the novel in her hands impatiently, as if she was fed up with waiting on herself to get the words out. “I dunno, what sort of books did you like as a kid? I am quite literally grasping at straws, here.”
