𝓐𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪 𝓐𝓷𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓼𝓪

❧Location: Park View
❧Time: Late Morning
❧Interactions: None

Being back home in Sol City brought on daily waves of nostalgia for this actress. The past few years were incredibly rough, being constantly on the road and filming the last season of 'Last One Standing' could wear out the best of anyone. Astoria was still processing the ending to a life-altering chapter in her life. If it wasn't for the role, she wouldn't be standing in her new, unnecessary four bedroom home in Park View; she owed everything to it. The fact that she had to brain storm what to do with the extra space was a luxury she never thought she would have. Originally she had it planned to have a guest room for her family, and the other two for whatever recreational use she could come up with. It almost crossed her mind to get a roommate, but the possibility of unwanted personal information exposed on social media scared her.

Astoria only continued to appreciate her luck in life as she searched through her clothes, looking for a specific deep purple, lacy dress. With her house still in disarray from the move, the clutter made looking for her favorite outfits difficult. Even after hiring a moving company, there is just so much she wanted them to touch. "Ah!" The cheer met with a smile as she held up the disappearing dress. "There you are! Now what time is it..." Slate grey eyes scanned her surrounding area for her iPhone. Moving some clothes around on her bed, she was able to find it under a pair of jeans, with unread message notifications popping up on her screen. "Oh hell, I'm late."

❧Location: The Coffee Pot
❧Time: Lunch
❧Interactions: @caliban22

Astoria pulled into the parking lot, her mauve hair tossed around from having the windows down. It wasn't often that the weather was warm during the winter, so like everyone else in the city, she wanted to take advantage of it. Pulling her visor down, she took a last look in the mirror to fix her hair before turning off her black Audi. She didn't bother trying to hide her face today; even though she was a relatively famous actor, people often were too intimidated by her darker appearance to approach her. Astoria climbed out of her car, black purse in tow and fingers clicking away at her phone's keyboard.

To: Joshie Russo
I just parked, where are you?
-Tori

Clicking send as she pushed her car door closed, she stored her phone away in her purse. Astoria slid on her sunglasses, excitement to see an old high school friend. The fact they had kept in contact all these years was astonishing to her. Many of the people she used to go to school with had tried befriending her since her sudden rise to fame during her Junior year, but Josh was the only one that didn't seem to care for her status. Josh had shared a few classes with her throughout their student career, and they never actually talked until their senior year projects when they were assigned as partners. Back then, it would have never occurred to her that Josh would be the only person from her youth that she would still be talking to, especially when he was head-over-heals for the one-who-shall-not-be-named. When they had split, Astoria pushed her friendship on the boy, knowing what kind of incredible pain he must be enduring. That was what made their friendship solid.

As Astoria walked up to the quaint cafe, she pulled her phone back out to check for messages. Nothing. Shrugging, she took a peak into the Coffee Pot, looking over the patrons for a familiar face. 'Did I get the place right?' She questioned herself, scrolling up through her text messages to double check she had the right cafe. Coming to the conclusion that she was actually early, Astoria went through the doors of the tiny coffee shop, scoping out a table in the back.

To: Joshie Russo
I'm sitting in the back
-Tori

Astoria wasn't the one to be ashamed of double texting. In fact, she might've been the most annoying person to text because of it. Having an iPhone made it easy for her to treat the text messages as instant messages. Placing her phone and glasses down on the wooden table in front of her, she decided to take in the new atmosphere. Josh was the one to recommend The Coffee Pot to her, and she could see why. The casual, laid back atmosphere made the cafe almost relaxing to be in. She could see the happiness in the employees, and the satisfaction in the customers' faces as they took their first sips of their steaming drinks.

It didn't take too long for a couple to start eyeing her. She assumed they recognized her, but was grateful they decided to keep to themselves. Not that being spotted or fans asking for her autograph bothered her, it was just that she was here to be left alone.

The girl in the oversized, pastel blue sweater was seated in the back of the cafe with a laptop. Her long, brown hair was neat and ran down her back. She kicked up her sneakers up on the chair ahead of her on her table. Done with Love by Zedd was blasting in through her pink headphones, jumping from ear to ear in such a way she could not help but bop her head in public. People were glancing over at her but she had no shame. Annaliese was used to people staring at her. She was never sure why but she did not really care. She was an odd girl and she was aware of it. Having never had a close friend would do that to someone. Though she was sometimes awkward and antisocial, she was very secure in herself. She had always been alone and was comfortable with it. Annaliese knew maybe she was a bit too comfortable but she figured with all this new freedom, she'd get out of her comfort zone soon.

She had been here for a few minutes after The Coffee Pot opened with the intent of working on her assignment. Instead, she had been jamming out and watching random cat videos. Laid out to the side of her laptop was an assortment of three different pastries and a large caramel drink that looked like it could have given someone diabetes in two sips. She had eaten a mostly healthy diet all her life but now that she was free from her mother's influence, she overcompensated. All her life, she had stayed rather petite. Annaliese figured she had a fast metabolism. At least, she hoped so.

Her eyes traveled to the cinnamon bun and her brown eyes lit up. "Oh I didn't forget about you, cutie-pie."She whispered with a grin and picked it up to take a bite. She paused as she was forced to take in the environment for the first time since buying the sugar feast. Her grandma had been pushing her to make friends, telling her it was bad for her mental health to be alone all the time. Some people here seemed close to her age. Moving her headphones gently down her head to her neck, she decided to focus in on a boy and girl having an exchange at the register. They ended up sitting together a moment later. She figured they were probably on a date or something. The last thing she wanted to do was third-wheel, right?

Annaliese had a bad habit of making excuses and she knew it. Before she could really call herself out on her own bull, she got distracted by the cinnamon bun and decided to continue her journey.

Location: The Grid Iron Gym
Time:Saturday morning
Interactions:None
Josh was spending his saturday morning like he always did when he wasn't out drilling, He was doing a full workout with cardio in his favorite gym. His day to day was normally very chaotic, full of work,class work and the stresses of bills and other stresses that fill peoples lives. Saturday mornings were the only days where he could throw on some Gym clothes and not have to think. He could just enjoy the his workout playlist and burn the stress away. Like every saturday Josh was going to do an hour of strength training and a eight mile run. Although today he had something on his mind, or more to the point some one, Tori an old high school friend. The two had become friends during a group assignment in high school, although he had known of her before from the gossip around the school. Like everyone else Josh knew she was going to be big, even then, but unlike most others he didn't really care about it.
They got along and that was really all he cared about, since then the two have sent weekly texts and video calls on occasion.That was until she got swamped with filming, though in all fairness it was a cycle. For a while they walked alot, then filming and touring then back to talking. even though for the last six months there was little in the way of conversing, several days ago she had surprised him with a call after a day of filming. the conversation was short but she did tell him she was moving back home. Josh did something rare and did the first thing that came to mind, she was coming back, he invited her to lunch at his favorite coffee shop.
As Josh got to the tail end of his cardio, the song he was listening to was suddenly interrupted by the sound of one of the alarms he set going off. Quickly looking at his phone Josh read the alarm text.
Time to head home to make it on time.
Josh chuckled slightly
' I can take 15 minutes to finish up here right?' he thought as he continued running.

---

Location:Coffee pot
Time:lunch
Interactions:@LovelyBlackLights
'I'm sitting in the back
-Tori'
Josh couldn't but be annoyed 'Yeah I invite her but I'm the one who is late.' he thought bitterly as he pulled up to the coffee shop in his old Nissan maxima and parked as close as he could. As he stepped out he checked to make sure his clothes were alright, While he never was one for fashion, Josh hoped that his plan dark blue jeans and his old red T-shirt would be fine. At the thought Josh Chuckled slightly 'If its not? I don't really care in all honesty beside she has always been cool...I just hope being a big star hasn't made her so important that she can't hang around a coffee shop' he thought as he quickly typed out a text.

To: Tori
"I get it, enough with the double text. I'm outside parking, do me a favor and order me a coffee and something to eat...I'm starving right now.see you soon ms, Hollywood, we have a lot to catch up on" Josh smiled slightly as he typed, he was excited to see his friend again, it had been years since they two had been in the same room together. Slowly Josh walked through the parking lot, making sure to take his time and enjoy the warm weather. While Josh loved the winter seasons, he didn't like freezing his ass off every day. a lot of people forget just how good the sun feels after a bad winter. As Josh approached the door, he couldn't help but a whiff of roosted coffee beans. a Content smile crosses his face as he enters.

---

Like a warrior enduring the blistering winds and scorching deserts, he had finally been able to ascend with all of his belongings to the rickety third floor. Though his back ached and his joints crackled with each bend and push he made as Cliff arranged his belongings in his brand new home, the brother stood up as he wiped his forehead. Beaten, bruised, and fatigued, Cliff was still proud of himself at having been able to tidy up his apartment. It wasn't the throne of kings nor was it the temples of bishops, but it was home, broken planks and leaking roofs and all.

Or, so he liked to think.

The reality was that carrying all his belongings up those three flights of stairs had drained the majority of his strength. With his black habit flung somewhere forgotten at a dark corner in the room, Cliff had resigned himself to the cold floor as his chest rose with a desperate need to breathe. Even as a young child, Cliff had always been sickly and fragile. It was all the more reason that his parents didn't want him traveling too far, and why the religious life was something they frowned upon. If Cliff forced himself too much, untold things could happen to his already fragile state of health.

Needless to say, his parents tried to keep him on a healthy diet. Although, Cliff had a sweet tooth, seeking sugary confections and tantalizing frosting wherever he went. Whenever he thought of sweets, he could almost always hear his mother's voice...

Ay, dios mio! If you don't stop eating sweets, mamamatay ka talaga, for sure!

... Although, he did deserve sweets now... right? After all, he had just nearly busted his lung out with the recent manual labor. As such, he deserved a break!

But, he did need a shower, though.

Or, whatever a single dangling hose would be called.

The icy water felt like knives as it splashed down Cliff's back, shivers running through his spine as the brother gripped his arms 'til crescent-shaped curves branded themselves upon his skin.

This was the vow of poverty, a reminder of the life he had chosen. To take the world's beatings in a stride and to contemplate suffering in silence and obedience-- how much he did appreciate being able to become strong, even in the most mundane of routines. It gave him a sense of control, a sense of being alive.

It did feel good.

The water was still cold, though.

---

Clad in a cleaner black habit with his knapsack hanging from his back, Cliff knew it was time to explore the city-- especially, Central Point. After all, the University was there and he needed to familiarize himself with the setting since he would start working there in a few weeks' time.

Speaking of which: he had yet to finalize his syllabus and give out the assigned readings.

Already, he was failing his job!

"You know what, just the right amount of well-earned sweets, and I can finish those in a heartbeat." Cliff declared to the high heavens before he marched off to Central Point which was thankfully just walking distance from his apartment.

And, what a sight did greet him when he finally stepped foot in Central Point. Towering skyscrapers stood high against an azure sky as wispy cirruses danced in spirals above them. It was a sight for sore eyes, and it was something that Cliff carved into his mind to remember through the years that was left in him. Opening his black Samsung flip phone, Cliff tried to take pictures of the behemoths as he grinned wildly before spotting a nearby cafe.

"Just what I was looking for," Cliff excitedly sauntered over as he glanced at the name. "The Coffee Pot. Could be more creative, though. But, that discount on baked goods, though... now that's a bargain." Cliff smiled as he looked into his tattered coin purse, half-expecting a butterfly to suddenly fly out as he opened it. Instead, the sight of a few old and folded dollar bills, as well as some coins, greeted him. He was going to get those damned sweets, no matter what.

Stepping inside, the cozy sight of ceiling fans softly humming above small wooden tables and chairs soothed the lad. The pleasant aroma of ground coffee beans and baked goods wafted temptingly, drawing Cliff to approach the counter as he looked at the menu.

"Uhm, hey, I'll take the cinnamon bun, please," Cliff ordered as the cashier hesitantly shook his head.

"Sorry, all out for the week. A popular seller that one. That girl there took the last one, I'm afraid." The cashier shrugged his shoulders with an apologetic look in his eyes.

Cliff took a moment to look at the woman who stole his prize before he sighed dejectedly. "'Tis fine. Uhm, anything for two dollars?"

The cashier hesitated before decided to be honest. "Uh, no, sorry, I'm afraid."

"Two seventy-five?"

"Uh,"

"None, got it. Three?"

"We got some chocolate rolls at three dollars."

"No, thanks. Four?"

"The Cinnamon Bun, but sold out. There is a mocha roll if you like."

"I'll pass, thanks. Five?"

"Oh, we have--"

"No, wait, five's all I got. Nevermind." Cliff lowered his head in disappointment and embarrassment at being unable to pay, knowing that his stipend and allowance would still arrive tomorrow. "Actually, you know what, I'll take the mocha roll."

As such, Cliff obtained his plate of roll swirled with mocha and a cup of the free service water before he walked towards the woman who was just about to bite into the cinnamon bun.

"W-Wait, I'm Cliff, and, uh," Cliff spoke slowly, knowing full well that what he was about to do was weird beyond measure. But, damn, cinnamon buns were his favorite. "Uhm, I really do like cinnamon buns, and I was hoping we could trade. My mocha roll for your cinnamon bun. Fresh from the counter." Then, suddenly, Cliff recoiled as he stammered. "O-Oh, of course, if you only like, though. I'm not forcing you or anything. I-I just really like cinnamon buns. Reminds me of home."

Warm.

Filling.

Short-lived.

Paige Kennedy

She hadn’t even bothered to wear her golfing shoes just to go to the driving range, just white athletic sneakers that matched her white skort. It was thankfully warm enough that she didn’t feel too uncomfortable, though being from Florida, she was still far from adjusted even after all the time she spent in Sol and wore a red long sleeve Nike polo- again showing her defiance towards the City by sporting their arch rival’s, the Delta City* Diamonds, infamous colors.Along with her gun and her Marshal’s star, she carried a few clubs in a small Callaway bag back towards her car drawing the satisfying ire of those Sol City faithful that recognized her passive-aggressive thumbing of the nose.

Closing the trunk of her car she leaned against the back and scrolled through her phone briefly, almost letting herself enjoy the first somewhat pleasant day in ages. Sio was about to give a painting class and Milo was working on a project for a customer. His shop was only a short drive and she weighed whether or not to bother him in the name of free food. He tended to get pissy when his work was interrupted, though she liked the thought of having his attention directed at her rather than slaving away over a piece of metal. She smirked at the thought, but decided to leave him to it and make him miss her for a while. She could get lunch in Central Point and maybe swing by the office if she felt like it.

It was a short drive and she didn’t worry about parking which made things easy. When the traffic cops ran the plates and saw the little blue M3 was registered to the US Marshal Service, they left it alone. She left her business card on the dash and strolled away hearing the door locks chirp happily as she crossed the street in the shadow of downtown skyscrapers. Food was cooking nearby. She could smell it. Something different... Almost familiar. Her brow furrowed slightly in curiosity as her stomach led her feet around the city’s weekend foot traffic, past other local shops and across two more blocks until she found it: an olive drab colored food truck that looked like it was converted from an armored car which in conjunction with the Cuban flare and relaxing beach music, scored massive points for originality. Her eyes scanned the large posted menu as she approached.

When she was assigned to her hometown of Delta City, Florida, everyone hit the food truck line outside the Air Force base on the southern peninsula: It was just a way of life and essentially a requirement when working around the southern end of town. As many times as she had been to Central Point since arriving in Sol, she had never seen this truck. Fucking finally…. She thought- Something that felt like home. As a seat cleared out, she deftly slid in next to a redhead and hung her small pocketbook over the chairback. If Entre Dos Islas was anything like the trucks back home, a potential customer needed to know what they wanted when it was their turn and she ordered smartly like she had been there a hundred times, “Super Cuban, please” She said, abbreviating the name. Her southern accent was evident as she spoke to the taller, dark-haired man that was taking orders.

@baraquiel@Headhunter
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*Delta City- Delta City, is a fictitious City in Florida in the Sol City universe. Just like Sol takes the place of Seattle, WA, Delta City takes the place of Tampa, Florida. Their professional football team, the Delta Diamonds, are Sol City's arch rivals

>>Towards midday, transitioning from Kobayashi to Lovable Loser's Rainy Day Tavern<<
>>@Tyler Night<<

The soft thumping of a sharp blade against a cutting board was predominant sound coming from his kitchen. Though, the bluetooth speaker be bought a while ago is being put to good use. The sous chefs have decided to play music, in a random order, from this playlist.

Head-hopping slowly to the songs, Ryan swiftly chopped up some garlic, mashing it into a paste-like creation along with some salt. Setting the garlic paste aside in a small mixing bowl before adding some freshly grated wasabi in place of the traditional dijon mustard. He figured the spice and taste would suit his menu selections better. Olive oil would have been the next ingredient to be added but Ryan chose sesame oil instead. But, taking care to not use too much of the fragrant oil, he actually uses only 1/4 sesame oil and the other 3/4 was filled with canola oil, a fairly neutral oil that would have allow the taste and fragrance of the sesame oil to still come through without it being overwhelming. Taking a second to ponder his next addition, he was trying to decide if he should stick with balsamic vinegar or go with something more Asian inspired. He stared blankly at his shelf of oils and vinegars. Sure, he has rice vinegar, but would that be a cop-out? Taking the easy route was never something Ryan did with his cooking. He constantly looked to innovate and to challenge himself to strive to be better than he was yesterday. Fuck it, he thought. He is going to stick with balsamic. The faint sweetness should highlight the natural umami present in the produce. Giving the mixture a sprinkling of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, he got to whisking. Vigorously, in fact. After some time. Ryan paused and took a taste. Giving himself a satisfied nod, he waved one of the other chefs present to come over and have a taste. "I'm thinking about using this as the dressing for the produce for tonight's salad. Let me know what you think..." For someone with as much confidence in his own skills, he always sought out opinions and critiques of his peers. Especially those who work with him. They see him work and think and tweak recipes day to day. They, in his opinion, have the best understanding in what kind of food, atmosphere and feeling he is trying to create. The chef gave him a nod. "This would work. That wasabi, the punch, fucking great." Ryan chuckled. "Cool. I take it the prep is coming along nicely? Did the tuna and salmon come in?" "Yeah, they're in the cooler." "Ok, leave them unwrapped starting around 3. I think I'm going to go grab some lunch. There is a new place in town. Some tavern. I want some fuckin' wings.. You guys want anything or are you just going to cook something here?" The crew was rather silent. Wings did not seem to peak their interests. "Ok fine. Don't say I never offered to buy you lot lunch..." Ryan chuckled again. "Feel free to head home after three. Just be back around 5:30. I want to have a quick meeting before service."

With that being said, Ryan stepped out. Walking with a small hop to his step, he headed to the new tavern, curious as to what sort of offering they may have.

"Busy place... but then again, its the lunch rush. I guess I'll wait for a seat or some shit..." He thought to himself as he stepped into the tavern.

Interactions: None
Mentions: @allycat@katkook@princealexus

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Kohl weaved in and out through the streets of Central Point. The bustling traffic surrounded the young skater like an ocean, but he paid them no mind. Sometimes catching a loud horn for his troubles when he cut somebody off, Kohl would just give them a peace sign and a small smile back. Kohl had always loved skating, but he more so loved the freedom that came along with it. The wind hitting your face as you rolled down the street and the countless amount of ideas you could come up with while skating always mesmerized Kohl.

Stopping for a quick second on the sidewalk, Kohl tried to wipe his forehead of sweat clean with his forearm. Kohl winced a little bit, completely forgetting about the road rash he received on his forearm earlier in the day. The result of a nasty slam, when he attempted to grind a simple bench, only to land on the concrete below. That was another reason he loved skating so much, you could never be perfect at it. Every slam made you better in a way, gave you more experience as he would like to see it. Every success didn't come without failures, and all those falls he had were failures to him, which would lead him on to the path of success.

While stopped, Kohl threw the backpack he had on him to the ground. Going through the things he had in there, he pulled out his iPhone. Kohl always kept his phone in the backpack while skating, learning the hard way that it isn't the best idea to have it in your pocket as you slam to the ground. Checking the time, Kohl noticed it was well past lunch. His stomach gave out a little gurgle as he put the phone away back into the backpack. "I got you, little dude. Don't you worry." Kohl said to his stomach as he rubbed it jokingly. Skating off, Kohl made his way towards a place to grab a bite to eat.

---

The Old Starboard. One of many places to grab a bite to eat in the city, but to Kohl, it was the most consistent. The service is amazing, the atmosphere is great, and the food is even better. Kohl skated up to the pub, kicking the board up to his hand, as he opened the door to enter.

Walking into the pub, Kohl looked around the establishment. Noticing a woman around his age with short, brownish-colored hair standing by a small package with what seemed like the head chef nearby. After a short dialogue, the chef walked into the back room leaving the woman in a state of confusion. She kept up the contorted, confused face for a while before a waitress came to slide her a small piece of paper. Probably an order of some sorts. Kohl chuckled to himself as he made his way towards the booths located near the back. While on his way towards the booths Kohl looked around again, spotting a blonde haired who seemed to just be gazing at people coming and going throughout. Kohl walked the line of booths, Finding an empty one near a guy with blackish-brown hair hamming away at his laptop, seeming to be enveloped in whatever business he was doing on there.

Kohl slid his skateboard under the table of the booth first, before sliding in his seat. Shortly after, the same waitress that handed the confused woman a piece of paper at the counter came to take his order. "And what will you be having today?" Kohl mulled over his decisions but decided pretty quickly. "..Uhm.. Let me just get an order of your hot wings please... also can I just get a glass of water?" Kohl gave her a small smile as he ordered. "Sure thing, coming right up!" Kohl gave her another small smile as she walked away. Sliding down in the booth a little, Kohl gave out a deep sigh of relief. He had been skating all day and sitting down felt like heaven to him right now.

Setting: Tail end of the lunch rush, about 1:15pm
Interaction with: @KillBox

Charles moving about the tavern behind the bar by the grill and cocktail area dumps several orders of wings and french fries for different patrons at the bar, cooking everything in 30 seconds or less having previously cooked them before the rush. He gets them out to the people with a smile. "Enjoy your wings." Charles would say serving 4 orders of the wings to a group at the bar. The orders coming in fast and continuous for several hours, before long Charles would be sweating, constantly standing over his grill, dropping food into the fryer or frying on the grill a number of different meals a bit more involved than wings and fries. As the lunch rush begins dying off he starts to relax.

A moment after starting to relax he notices Ryan walk in and look around. Waving him over to an empty seat directly in front of the grill area he grabs his towel from his coat and wipes his face off, the sweat covering his face in droplets. "Come on over, I'll take care of you." He would say, still smiling warmly as ever. If nothing else, Charles was always eager to serve people and make them happy with his food. He grabs a menu and places it on the bar for Ryan and pours him a glass of ice cold water before he even would arrive and have it waiting as well. "Just let me know when you are ready to order."

[/color]


Waiting for her order, her curiosity bug was rewarded with answers, and surprising ones at that. A model, this trip for lunch at least would be memroble if nothing else and the woman for all of a rather... Ego centric career choice potentially seemed fairly genuine and just a person in a rather interesting job that very few every gained much ground it. Given she was buying a Bentley, wearing a glittering diamond and lived in Park view she could hardly claim to be grounded and normal. So, what the hell, two slightly misunderstood people sharing lunch."Model, thought vi was not going crazy, var hor...othet zings on my mind. Less glamorous, not nerd out too much, vi work wiz computer security, and that. I not want to send you to zlwep!

Oh..vankyou. Its my natural colour bar the highlights. Oh, vi Don,t mind, I'd rather be recognised vor somthing good. Used to be snow white, that's a longer story" Smiling a alittle, though catching self before admiting somthing else. Not that she was bad, just rather not be known for one thing. For a model, she definitely was pretty easy to talk to, Victoria was a tad loneey too at times. She really even just missed having a office to go to, joke with the guards and so. "sure, I'd appreciate ze company, vi hope you do mind Isosef, he vy bodyguard. Vi... Ran into a little trouble lately. Sad, but safe. Drama vollows too damn much for Vy liking.

Yes, vy mum was Russian, if your curious, Спасибо за приглашение, vankyou for inviting me." Isosef politely keeping close ernough to do job, but not get in the way brought over there food after Victoria swiped her card, Joining Manami and Victoria at the table though leaving them be mostly. "Da. Just here to keep miss Romus Safe, il keep ze fans off vou if you vant, enjoy a quiet lunch." Isosef kept a eye out, it was not ideal but you worked with what you had. The woman was no threat, her fans would probbly be too stunned to be a problem. Quieter, little out the way, this least less of a head ache than the busy joints in centre point. What was seeming random, was stacking up multiple logical points. Quieter, multiple ways out light lanw, car nearby, easy access to centre point transit hubs in worst case. He was not alive today for being stupid and thinking in the box.

Victoria ate carefully, she was a alittle unsure still on Japanese food but could be fairly easily turned to make it a more regular thing if it was this good. "If vi vas to blurt anything out its envy at ze results of your skin care routine. I could ask ze cliche ones, but was do vou really enjoy, vell one not on Camera.

Vy, well I'm probbly a little boring but vI love to travel zough, when I can. Too long stuck made me, a curious. Russian, I miss ze food so much!. I wanted to see Damacas and Egypt vut the world has ozer ideas." Russain food was, well plain impossible to find a comparison, it was grand, yet simple and even thr most basic dish was a meal in itself. Victoria could not quite hide the obvious, her cane, slight build and 4'9 height was hardly what you class as toatly healthy and rubust. A small bit of self was just glad to talk to meet a seeming nice person, chat and enjoy lunch. It was a nice distraction but she struggled to hide the fact she was worried in her skate grey eyes a alittle. Someone had sold her out. Someone probbly close. The answer who would probbly hurt no matter what.

Turning back to her food a little she was fairly careful given her more delicate stomach lately. Isosef kept a close eye, he knew her quirks ernough from past times to know there definitely was trouble and alot more going on under her mostly calm image she forced a fraction. Victoria just hoped she not scare off her lunch partner, but it was just nice to just be out and about after all the wold and drama of recent weeks.

@Allycat

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[center]Mentions: NPCs Paige & Joel @Pilatus

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---

Siobhan was setting up for one of the lessons that she had booked. Well they had booked her since she was ever present in the community and had recently had a fantastic show about a month ago. Lexi, her agent had nearly fainted when she got the cheque.

Lexi insisted that with this amount of money that you have to think of it with a que rather than ck at the end. Siobhan had rolled her eyes at the comment and shook her head. Then she saw the numbers on the cheque. Yeah I think I didn’t blink for three minutes. I can donate most of it to charity and live on the rest for a good long while. Not that I will quit but I can slow down somewhat. Wonder what Joel would think? Or Paige and Milo? She was grinning just thinking about it.

“Vaughn!!!” A towheaded girl of five curls bouncing lept at Siobhan. Siobhan quickly dropped the brushes and the paints spinning around just catching the girl who giggled. “You never miss!!!!”

Siobhan laughed and the sound turned heads. Her laugh was like a siren call. More than one girlfriend, wife and mother smacked their boyfriend, husband and teenage son for staring at Siobhan.

Giving the little girl a hug and tickling her was the normal greeting for them. As a young boy of about seven started collecting the materials that were dropped. “Gwen is just excited to see you Vaughn.”

Siobhan grinned at Henri, the seven year old boy. “Just like you’re happy to see me too, right Henri?”

Henri nodded but looked serious his light brown eyes clear and bright with excitement. “Of course. What are we painting today?”

“Flowers in the park, ya dumb dumb.” A young girl with mouse brown hair replied. She was carrying canvas and had placed it next to Siobhan’s own. She had a hat on and her curls peaked out from underneath.

A handsome teenage boy with shoulder length dark hair mussed the curly haired girls hair and hat. “Natalie that wasn’t nice. Apologize to Henri.” He smirked and rolled his eyes as Natalie grumbled out an apology. “Hello Siobhan how are you today?”

Siobhan smiled as she set up the easel and paints for the shy little nine year old boy who had followed after Henri. “I’m great Peter. You?”

“Fantastic, now that I see you.” Peter laid it on thick grinning like a love sick fool and Siobhan was oblivious to the fact that the boy had a crush on her.

A blonde teenage girl bumped into Peter seemingly by accident. “My bad Pete. Didn’t mean to intrude but we have a limited time to get things set up before our parents come back.” Tara went immediately to help the shy little boy with golden blonde hair and brown eyes get things set up. “Come on Aaron let’s get you started.”

“Sheesh Tara be more careful.” Peter being the normal teenage boy was the last to realize that, of course, Tara did it on purpose and that she had a crush on him.

It was plain to see that Peter, Natalie and Henri were siblings. While Natalie, Aaron and Gwen were all siblings as well. The resemblance to each other was undeniable.

They all set up to start the lesson the youngest three with watercolors, easier to wash out, the three oldest with acrylics. With aprons on and brushes in hand they all watched Siobhan eagerly. “So pick something to paint.” Siobhan indicated the trees that were just starting to fully recover from winter. “Sometimes I paint from memory or imagination. I also paint from pictures.”

Peter looked over at Siobhan from around his currently blank canvas. “Mom has a piece of yours from your earlier work. ‘Fey Lights’ it’s beautiful. But I expect anything from you would be.”

Tara snorted and Peter glared at her. Tara blinked innocently and Peter shook his head looking back at Siobhan smiling. Siobhan glanced up at Peter with a quick smile and leaned down to catch what Aaron was saying.

Annaliese had been just about to bite into her cinnamon bun when a slender man with dark-hair moved into her view with a protest. She furrowed her brows initially at his request. Did he really expect her to give up the decadent piece of art that was the cinnamon roll?
"Ehh..."She drew off as she listened to his offer, her eyes traveling to the mocha roll. It did look pretty good. She did love chocolate too. The last of his statements made her pause and think for a moment.

"I-I just really like cinnamon buns. Reminds me of home."

Annaliese missed home too. She had essentially lived there all her life, barely going anywhere else. Though she had always seen this as a negative thing, always feeling like Rapunzel trapped her in a tower, maybe she was also a bit privileged in that. Perhaps some people never had much time at home or with their family. Some people may never have had one at all.

"Okay,"She finally replied, setting the cinnamon roll back in its dish and pushing it toward him with a genuine smile. It felt nice to do something good for someone else. Annaliese felt proud of herself. This was her opportunity to make a friend. "My name is Annaliese, but please call me Annie."She introduced herself softly, "You can sit here if you want."

---

Sol City return and changed times

---

Marinalia could not but help but smile at Xias text with a alittle warm feeling. Xia teasing while she got used to always seemed to get her in ways, well ways she never expected. When you thought it was worked out. Nope. Xia found a a new angle. She enjoyed it though, really her flirty side wa shaving a field day being out and free to play. Typing out a quick reply it was hard not a smile. "Oh. Two more mountains to explore I think and a inviting valley;) Don,t work too long my carabian cutie... Only you! Luv your snow bunny x x " OK, maybe a tad much but this was Xia, when she wanted to be she was subtle as a neon orange glowing flying squid in a golden top hat and bright pink top hat and tail coat.

Yes, she had faced a alittle, well her family has asked a few questions, had there moments from her mother especially though the whole, switch from serious to recommending a market to pick up a few cute bargains. Hiding her background was pretty much impossible. Why Xia... Why was a difficult question. It... Just happened, somehow, some way, it had no rhyme reason lor logic. It just was what it was. Who could explain the insanity of human attraction.

Noticing pretty boy, OK, definitely male from thr voice but he really could make girls jealous... Glad she not say that to his face. He just was... Well was... Girls. Coffee... Yeah. There was somthing magical about coffee, coffee and plenty of or sugar! Her inner child loved her adult self could order rediculous things. "Nothing wrong with coffee pick me up, sugar and space and all that's nice after all.

Umm. Waitress, miss? got any pie, tart, whatever word you use round about here. Specials or normal" Marilania had lived here for months but the sheer variety of terms for deserts with crusts was pretty high. A slight sing song nature ringing her accent in the rhyme. Not like she could not sing, just not exactly anything like someone who trained. It had been years since any remotely lesson based activity.

She was not staring persay at the people, just curious to who passed by the pub. It was a quiet Saturday and home was empty, her sister had a apointment, her girlfriend was working and not much else going for this afternoon and no real events gave whim to a flight of fancy. A skater, looked abit tired, tad younger than her and more casual. It was proof this place had a rather diverse clientele to say the least. Reading the article about Joel again with a minor interest, curious. The Rally stuff was talk of the office, it was least handy to know abit about it. 3rd, Only American... Alot rolled over her understanding but clear it was a big feat. The second bit made her Suprised, Gramapa. That had to be Gramapa if it was true... "Damn... His PA was a tad too busy to be normal too."

Hmm. Time would tell if the article was baseless or not though, if she inquired about him. That might definitely create awkward questions for sure. She only just finished up on the last round of intrest in her romantic adventures. Glancing back to the person passing. Some people said that was freedom but nothing beat the thrill of pushing forward the throttles, the roar of the turbo props and a very act of drying gravity with man made machinery and sheer engine power. A few claimed she showed off wearing a flight jacket with gold wings and patches, but it really was her comfiest and the leather was long broken in to point you barely noticed it.

Now all Marilanaia needed to work out was what to do with the rest of her day. After pie. American pie was to die for done right.

@HolyGrail@Allycat@KatKook

---

Sadie blinked her eyes as the light of the sun danced across her face from the window that the passenger in front of her had opened. She groaned at the sudden awakening. Looking around she could see that her plane had finally landed. She was back in Sol City. How long had she been gone? To be honest Sadie had completely lost track of the days these past few weeks. She grabbed her things, which albeit wasn't much, as she had left Sol City in a fairly rapid manner and didn't have time to pack much. All she really had was her backpack and satchel. She didn't even have any suitcases to grab. Outside of the plane, the hustle and bustle of people going from terminal to terminal were a little nauseating. So many people going about their busy lives while she was trapped in her slow lane.

The young dancer rushed towards the exit so that she could get some of that crisp cool air that she had grown accustomed to over the course of her college career. She took a deep breath letting herself calm down. It seemed less crowded outside so that seemed to help. She looked out at the city which had been her home for the past few years and felt a little ostracized. Largely in part to her own doing as she really hadn't kept in touch with anyone while she was gone. Just her professors and a few classmates as well as one co-worker from Footsteps. Gosh, she missed that place. Before working there if anyone had told her she'd enjoy working at a sports bar then she would just laugh it off. She was hoping not much had changed but she knew that supposedly a lot of things had been going on here while she was gone.

The sound of a car horn drug her out of her reverie. Leaning partway out of the car was Jess Hanson. The one co-worker, other than her boss of course, that she had been talking to. Sadie walked over to her friend, "Thanks again for the ride. I know you're busy today."

"Don't worry about it. It's the least I can do after everything you've done for me. So, how're you doing?" Sadie placed her stuff in the backseat and slid into the passenger seat with a sigh. "As best as can be. But everyone is alright so I need to just get back into my routine. I've missed too much school. My professors have been very generous but I can't push my luck." If she were to be truthful though she was not completely back to being herself. This always happened to her. Anytime someone close to her had a major incident she'd start having more regular panic attacks.

Sadie leaned her head back listening to the music from the radio. Oh, how she missed the one of a kind stations which were an integral part of Sol City. As the car sped by she watched the buildings come in and out of view. As the two neared Sadie's apartment in the Old Harbour, her stomach made a very audible growling. "Sounds like you could use some grub. Would there even be anything good at your apartment right now?"

She sighed, "Doubtful. I'd usually just get what I needed for the day as I never knew if I'd be eating at Footsteps or not. Just drop me off at Starboard. I can walk home from there."

"You sure? I know it's day but you seem kinda out of it. Come to think of it you're a little paler than usual."

"I'm fine. Just hungry and a little tired. Some coffee and a nice meal will be good enough."

"Okay, but if you change your mind just give me a call. Oh, and Tommy said you don't have to come into work tomorrow if you don't feel like it. This next week should be light work." Sadie contemplated the idea but shook her head, "No, I've been gone too long as is. It wouldn't be fair to the rest of y'all to make everyone continue to cover my shifts." With that the car arrived in the lot and Sadie thanked Jess before grabbing her things. With her book bag on her back and her satchel in her hand, she entered the pub and found her a booth furthest from the people in the place. Off the bat, she didn't recognize any of them and there weren't many so hopefully, she'd have some peace and quiet to rest and reenergize. She left her stuff right beside her and pulled her leg up to rest in the seat. Sadie grabbed a notepad from her bag and began doodling waiting for someone to come take her order. She wasn't any good at drawing but it always helped her clear her mind.

Joel Nicolosi

The small four cylinder purred happily from the exhaust note that sang out the back of the car dropping to a low and steady hum as Joel dropped the shifter into neutral and coasted into a parking spot within Corona Park. Sunlight glinted off the right side as he stepped out glancing across the park momentarily towards Siobhan and her small assembly setting up a few yards away. The door shut heavily with the typical weight of a mid-90’s sports car: Solid and affirmative. They weren’t made like that any more. For a long time he kicked around the idea of getting another car, but couldn’t settle on anything. He racked his brain over it, perusing the ads and thinking absentmindedly in times where he probably shouldn’t have been- whatever he got would have to be different, unique, something nobody else had done. The Jeep remained his trusty standby and the GT-R that he brought back from Japan only made its trade at night, attracting far too much attention during the day. No, it had to be something subtle, inconspicuous and something only a true connoisseur would recognize.

The little white Celica GT-Four was all of those things. Finding it bone-stock at a small Toyota dealer posted online in Sacramento, he knew it was exactly what he was looking for and the dealer, likewise, knew what it was they were holding and smartly listed no price. In truth, he knew he’d probably overpaid for it, particularly after the hauling charge to have it brought up to Sol, but it felt more like him. The swooping 90’s era interior that encased basic, glowing needle gauges, pattern-clutch shifter, the smell of the original carpeting and the “heavyness” about it. It was easy to put on the edge. He’d only changed out the wheels and tires for a tougher rally style and installed a hydraulic handbrake. With a thin skim of light rain on the road, it floated over the pavement like a dancer. He and Sio had made a few laps of southside at 3am, heel-toe on the gears and giving the brake a quick tug brought the rear bumper out of step as naturally as hitting the ball with the bat. It was a ton of fun.

Other than it’s right-hand drive configuration, the car’s only other distinguishing feature was the standard Sol City registration simply reading, APEXSOL. Walking around the back, he pulled a small bouquet of daffodils from the left seat and set across the nicely manicured grass of the park giving their scent a quick brush against his nose as he walked. He was almost being a nice guy... almost. He smirked a little, catching Sio’s glance from behind his sunglasses. A modicum of warmth was absorbed by his black, long sleeve t-shirt and jeans, spring and summer couldn’t come soon enough, he thought, though that would mean a lot more rain, it was better than cold and snow. However, he reminded himself that they would likely be out of the country for much of it. The rally season carried on to near the end of Fall. He ran one hand through his hair briefly as he strolled up, having cut it shorter and shaved a bit for Jamaica. The lengths were too long and hot inside his helmet and not wearing a hat for a change felt good in the fresh air.

The children shot him curious glances as he greeted their instructor, putting his free hand on her hip and exchanging a light peck in front of them. He brought the flowers up before she backed away. “Thought I would bring you back a little something you lost,” He said with a sly grin.

@Almalthia

>>Lovable Loser's Rainy Day Tavern, stuffing his face probably.<<
>>@Tyler Night<<

Nodding softly as the man at the bar greeted him and sat him down, Ryan picks up the menu and looks it over absentmindedly. He alright has a idea of what he wants but he wants to make sure he wasn't missing some sort of special feature. "Wings. Burgers. Typical bar fare... Hm...." He thought to himself.

"Uh. Yeah. What sauces do you have for your wings? Do you have some dry rubs as well? Oh and I think water is fine for me.. Thanks.."

Ryan said to the man behind the bar, wanting to explore all of his options before ordering something.