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"Now I'm craving a cherry coke too," she beamed while falling into step beside Sunday. "To the concession stand we go," she playfully announced. Tessa was so easily influenced by the suggestion because it felt like ages since she's indulged and had a cherry coke. She has been trying her best to opt for more hydrating beverages like limeades, natural juices, and obviously water. For logical reasons soda's not exactly on that list. But hey, it's summer time, and what's summer day without a beastly cold cherry coke to chase away the heat?

At the concession stand, the queue is thankfully short. Ahead of them are two other patrons. Tessa surveys the stand's signage to determine if she wants to pair her soda with anything else. "I'm drawing blanks. You should order for us, I don't know what else to get."

Knowing that Tessa had survived the fall without damage to anything - other than her ego - had Sunday's smile growing, her laughter sounding louder and more amused. With Sunday not actually being a very competitive person, the events that had transpired might have been the best possible results of their race. Of course, she never wished for her friend to go down in such a dramatic manner, but it certainly did liven up things, even while only because of the fact that Tessa had come out unscathed.

"You'll come back stronger than ever if you recover while fuelling up," she agreed with the plan easily, nodding her head, feeling ready for a small break herself. She didn't necessarily need it physically, but being such a frequent visitor there, she knew that breaks were important in order to keep herself from getting too bored. "I'd do anything for a Cherry Coke right now," Sunday thought aloud, following Tessa towards the edge of the rink and the refreshments.

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"Ew," her facial features scrunched up. Based on all Tripps just said, there needs to be some research done if she wants to find an authentic experience. "It sounds like you're trying to give me homework. I haven't been to the library since I finished college." Tessa sighed. "I guess it's all in the name of adventure so I suppose I can grace the library with my presence."

"First of all," an index finger points upwards and in Tripps' general direction. Tessa paused thereafter, trying to come up with a suitable five point retort. "And...I've got nothing," she laughs at her own folly.

"Ditto to be honest," planning is not in her DNA. "Planning takes the fun out of summer time. Unless you're like going on a trip. Then obviously there's some planning needed there," she shrugged. "I like waking up everyday and seeing what the vibes are." Then naturally if it's hot, some form of water fun will be the goal.

"Yeah, pretty sure," he confirmed, going for the sweet stuff first in order to keep his sugars up. "Some businesses play up that whole retro vibe, like the diner, but these ones still operate like fast food from the car. I bet they got places that even still got them on skates. Bet Seattle would have a few like that, just got to look them up." It was easier said than done, of course, but they could probably find some Seattle newspapers or check into it at the library.

"You expect me to say nothing when you're over there, wolfing it down like you're about to go into hibernation?" Tripps remarked, shooting a smirk in her direction as he slurped on the astro pop. "But fine, alright — never happened," he appeased her.

"You're going to make yourself sick if you don't slow down," he pointed out, shaking his head as she sucked down a bunch of lemonade at once. "You mean other than the stellar work of stocking cans at the store all day long?" Tripps rolled his eyes, chewing off an end of the icy treat now and cringing to himself as it caused that brain freeze. "I don't got anything planned, never do," he only shrugged, "but you can bet I'll get up to something. Whatever comes up!" He did like to keep the spontaneity there. "Lots of pool visits, for sure," he added, grinning at her. "How about you?"

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"Well, back to the shelf that goes," Onyx does just what she says and replaces the VHS tape to it's slot. There's no other explanation she needs. Onyx and her partner's time is valuable, and not to be wasted on trash that Hollywood is trying to peddle. "Alrighty then," arms akimbo she approaches the till. "I'm satisfied with the others I've selected. Ring me up, so that I can get out of your hair."

When Vivian brought over Silence of the Lambs, she bit her lip because she actually hadn't gotten around to seeing it just yet. "I cannot tell you what that film is like." She said, glancing down at the VHS tape - it came out pretty recently. Had some Oscar buzz, which was rare for horror. She also heard some controversy regarding its portrayal of a trans serial killer. "I've heard that it's well made but offensive." She added, as a queer person herself - obviously she cared more about the offensive side.

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"Thanks," Nova nodded, paying attention to the best of their abilities. The last thing they'd want is to end up missing an important detail. In this sphere it's safe to say that mistakes can lead to injury. As a price conscious person they appreciate a cost effective method as well as the next person. "I don't know what I expected the gloves to feel like, but they're comfortable."

Nova continued to explore the gear, taking in the textures and the like. With an understanding of the pieces and their purpose, they were ready to glean more. "I think I'm going to give this a shot." So far, there hasn't been anything to deter their interest, so why not? "Are there forms or anything for me to fill out to sign up?"

Matilda gave Nova an excited smile, always finding it satisfying when clocking a person right on their first visit. Once they agreed, she went back to the locker and took out the rest of the gear, placing it neatly on a nearby table. "Perfect, before we get started, it's probably best to go over the basics, just to see if it's still something you are into." As if reading Nova's mind, Matilda handed over the gloves. This part of her job was always something she loved, watching as someone found a new passion. "You can touch whatever you like, I'd also try everything on so you can get a better feel for it."

Grabbing her own gear, she began to explain what each thing did and what it protected. "The boxing gloves help protect your hands and knuckles. We also use hand wraps to make sure your ankles are supported. Since we are just starting out, the mouthguard won't be needed. We make them here, and it's not the best process, but it's a lot cheaper and still does the trick." She'd done her very best to make this place as affordable as possible, knowing what it felt like when money got in the way.

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Alarmed when the details were presented to him, Zion nodded then sprang into decisive action. First things first he directed the staff to go and check the lost and found to see if the wallet in question has turned up. While they went off to accomplish that, he turned his attention back to the patron. "Okay, you're coming with me," he began. "We're going to check that auditorium together. They haven't started cleaning it yet, so it's likely still in there." Fingers crossed that it is. Once again, he's not going to shy away from using a little magic if there's any worst case scenarios afoot.

"Where were you seated?" He asks while opening the door to the space in question. "We should also retrace the path you walked when exiting."

Andy really hated having to call management over, but he was beginning to feel overwhelmed with the whole situation on top of the theater being so full of people. He was glad when the front of house manager finally came out so that maybe his problem would find a solution at last. Time was of the essence!

"I think I lost my wallet in one of the auditoriums, but they're not letting me in. I just wanted to see if someone could go into number four and check. It's a brown leather wallet with a small frog branded on the corner," he explained, looking a little frazzled. This normally didn't happen to him, but Andy supposed there was a first time for everything.

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2/∞ | Gisela de Valois + history

One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will be some else's survival guide. ── Brene Brown

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"Honestly, I think you're onto something." Nova's literary mind is really adoring this deep dive into the Cheshire Cat's psyche. While this conversation isn't exactly 'getting to know you' appropriate, they enjoyed it. "I wish I had my notebook on me," they sheepishly added. "Let's table this so we can brainstorm another time." Were they bold enough to assume they would meet again? Yes. Truly a big step for Nova who doesn't like completely putting themselves out there.

"Thanks!" Knowing what they know about their parents Nova's surprised that their name wasn't fully Supernova too. "I believe I came really close to be named that to be honest. My parents fell in love with all that space junk a couple of years before I was born." Space is cool, they guess, but Nova's a bit on the fence thinking about their full name possibly being Supernova Raine Harris. "My brother missed out on joining the space themed naming fun," they chuckle. "He's older than me."

As the Old Mill Diner pops into view, the possibility of being able to make their phone call, and secure milkshakes puts an extra pep in their step. "That's a unique way to think about the town," they commended. It wasn't a thought Nova had when considering describing a town, but once Vale said it, they could visualise it. "Is farm life as challenging as it looks on TV?" They ask while opening the door to enter the local establishment.

"I know!" Vale agreed excitedly. "He just has so much chill, and I've always been sort of envious, especially in the last several years." Of course, he wasn't about to tell this stranger what had spurred that envy because that was a much heavier conversation than what Vale wanted to have, especially with someone he had just met. "But you know," he went on, "I always wondered how real it was. Like, do you think he's really that laid back, or is it one of those situations where you just pretend everything is fine because you're trying to actually make that true, like manifesting it or something. And if that's the case, then what sort of trauma is the Cheshire Cat dealing with?" For just a moment, Vale contemplated this, and then he smiled at the other. "I think maybe I've put too much thought into the inner workings of the Cheshire Cat's psyche."

"It's nice to meet you, Nova," Vale replied. "Cool name. Makes me think of supernova." He wondered if that was the other's real name or like a nickname or something. Either way, he liked it. "So I guess between the two of us, I'm the expert," Vale said. "That's...not a great start to be honest, but we'll get through it. Who are you visiting though? Maybe I know them." Then Vale thought about it more, and he realized, "I guess I'll only know that if it's someone who lives on Prescott Ranch. That's my family's ranch. My older brother runs it, but that's where I'm living and working now. It's...been a change." He'd gone from living in Seattle to spending quite a bit of time in a barn, so that was definitely true. The pair began walked, and then Vale perked up at Nova's mention of diner. "I think Old Mill Diner is around here," Vale recalled, looking around before realizing they were headed in the right direction already - or so he hoped. They continued walking, and Vale added, "I could also really go for a milkshake. I didn't know I wanted one until this very moment." Realizing he hadn't answered Nova's question, Vale said, "Cardinal Hill has been kind of the same for as long as I can remember. Maybe some new businesses have opened, and maybe existing businesses have changed hands, but it's still the same for the most part. I always thought of the town as like a skeleton or something. The bones are still the same, even if other things change."

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Brows creeped up with that information. Gisela found herself pleasantly surprised. "You definitely have a knack for business then." It's as simple as that. Gisela meant what she said, and clearly the compliment was spot on.

Gisela laughed. "Glad you got there in the end, I was about to point out what you said." The good thing is that Copper does seem to enjoy his job, and like he just stated, she's inclined to agree. Finding the balance with work and relaxation is a hurdle that many people face on a day-to-day basis. Gisela's heart felt like it stopped beating within the confines of her chest. One of the names Copper just mentioned is to blame. It wasn't the brother, nor the boyfriend, it was the friend and roommate– Clover. How does she even begin to question Copper without raising flags?

"Oh," scrambling to focus her attention on the lighter topic she repeats that 'oh' one more time, then an 'oh um...' before finding her verbal stride again. "It's just a small thing I recently started," she explained. "I can't believe I haven't told you yet," she sighs. Just goes to show how much a break she really needed. Similar to her long existent book club, this crafters club follows the same vibe. "A group of us get together to work on our crafting projects. Some people crochet, knit, and make jewellery for example." The group has really been working to keep them all accountable. It's easy for projects to fall through the cracks, as they say. "If it sounds like something you're interested in, you're welcome to join us this weekend."

Grinning at Gisela's comment, Copper nodded. "Thanks!" he said, pleased by her compliment. He continued, "Sometimes I think that's the part of owning a shop that I'm best at, the interactions with customers, even if occasionally they...well, can be challenging. You know what I mean." As the owner of her own business, Copper was sure Gisela had had her fair share of run-ins with unpleasant customers. "I don't know if you know this," Copper went on, "but I never owned a business before coming here. So it's been...a learning experience, let's just say that." Copper never thought he would be running his own shop of any kind one day, but it seemed like fate had had other plans. But he did truly like doing it.

Shrugging, Copper replied, "Yeah, I mean I'd love to have every weekend off. And I do take some of them off, but...I'd feel shitty if I were doing that every weekend while my baristas had to work all or at least most of them." That just wasn't the kind of boss Copper was. "But you know what they say: 'if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.'" For just a moment, Copper considered what he had just said, and then he laughed. "Okay, so it's still work, but at least I enjoy it," he amended. A few weeks ago, Copper had gotten it in his head that he wanted a cuckoo clock, but like an authentic, vintage one. Why he wanted that, even Copper wasn't sure, but once he'd gotten it into his head, he hadn't been able to dissuade himself. "Awesome!" Copper exclaimed, excited to finally have it. "I know Aris, Clover, and Corey are going to hate me, but I'll be happy." Realizing Gisela didn't know who those people were, Copper explained, "That's my brother, friend and roommate, and boyfriend, respectively."

When he heard mention of the crafters club, Copper's interest was piqued. "What is that?" he asked Gisela. "I don't think you've talked about that before."

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Gisela chuckles, "I'd endorse that tactic a thousand percent." The people of Cardinal Hill would be better off, but the questionable aspect of delivery could prove a problem. "To avoid the trickery though, perhaps add an immune boosting tea for a spell. They would eat it up."

Gisela nods. "I've noticed that too," lately there's been so many new faces about that the town is starting to feel more bustling. "I hope it's the promotion that's working, and nothing untoward." Though with the new arrivals and strange occurrences happening in town. A newcomer could be at the root of it all, who knows?

"No, no you're right," she agrees wholeheartedly with them. Gisela has lived among people being complacent, and it never ends well. "I'd rather be proactive than get caught off guard in the chaos." Assuming that there's chaos on the horizon. No one can tell exactly what's afoot, but there's something terrible in the works. "I've got ideas too, even started tinkering with some spells. We should get together soon and compare notes."

"I can't imagine anyone not loving you as a boss, so..." they shrugged with a laugh. "Oof, I know it, the amount of sneezes I've heard coming through the cafe has been gross. I've been thinking of just dropping cough drops into people's coffees." Actually Eve had been trying to roll out a few different immune system boosting drinks but they weren't sure if they could sustain it beyond the spring season just yet. "Yeah, it really could. I could definitely use a few more busy days. Though I have to admit and not to sound like a gossip bit it feels like we have a slight influx of newcomers. Either they're all fugitives or the town council has done a great job in promoting tourism."

"Now wouldn't that be something. Vampires are only fun if they're sexy anyway," they teased and leaned against the counter. "I've been working on some joint pain remedies. But I don't know, I have this feeling that needing to know more basic I don't know, out in the field in the moment magic," they said in a lower voice even though they were alone. "I don't want to be an alarmist but I think some of us need to prepare. For whatever's coming."

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Onyx couldn't help but snicker at his retorts. The verbal sparring was entertaining to say the least. Not many could hold their own, but as annoying as he is, Carter manages well. "A bit hard?" A brow raised. Onyx viewed that as a total understatement. "You were passed out on the lawn," she stated the obvious. "Do you even remember anything about last night?" Carter clearly hasn't come to terms with how much of a concerning scenario he's found himself in. Denial is prevalent.

I'm a fucking mess, Cromwell.

“That’s one thing we agree on.” She’s partially empathetic to his struggle, because she’s been there. Yet at the same time, she’s not about to involve herself in his shenanigans. Carter is on his own journey, while he deals with whatever is plaguing him. “Come inside, let's make you less...messy.” Onyx steps back to give him room to get up from the ground. "I'll get you water and painkillers," she offers. "You can call someone to pick you up," she adds, then turns on heels and heads back up the front yard path.

"Oh God, I've died and gone to hell," Carter said almost immediately at the sound of Onyx's voice. "I should've known it was your house by the amount of weeds," he told her, not even sure there were any weeds, it was just a natural reflex when it came to their conversations. Carter would never call them friends, but he wouldn't necessarily call Onyx his enemy. If anything their relationship was consistent, in that they were always as equally annoyed by each other and yet united in their general annoyance at things around them.

"Yeah right, like someone is letting you legally own a dog," Carter said as he pushed himself up, still, he took a moment to sniff is shirt just to double check. He glanced at the bottle of water skeptically before taking it from her, not wanting to be that stubborn. His throat was dry as fuck. "I wish, that sounds like a dream but no, I did this the good ol way, paid my tab, I think." He honestly couldn't remember but he was sure they would remind him the next time he found himself at the bar. "I maybe went a bit hard last night," he admitted, glancing at her for a moment. At this point he was sure most people had heard about his divorce. People loved Maddie, why wouldn't they? He loved her, still and probably forever but people didn't necessarily feel that way about him. He didn't blame them either, it's not like he had done anything to make people like him. He had done a lot to piss people off.

"I don't think so," he told her honestly and was finally able to stand upright despite it feeling like he had gotten hit by a truck. "You got anything stronger?" He looked at the water bottle. "Like coffee, not alcohol though honestly a little hair of the dog couldn't hurt." He was trying to seem more confident that he was but he deflated after a moment when another pain hit his head. "I'm a fucking mess, Cromwell."

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"True, that also can be an option," he agreed. Their suggestion was valid, and he would take it under consideration during the search. The coat had to be in here somewhere. Coats don't just stand up, and walk off, unless there's magic involved. Seeing as Zion can't sense any residual magic in the atmosphere he cancelled that aspect out.

"251," he repeated, then turned to enter the coat room. "Alright, let's see what's going on in here." Zion announced, but it was more to himself than anything else. Moving through the coats he stopped when he spotted the numbered spot. "That's definitely not yours," he picks up the red coat off the hook, checking to ensure that there wasn't another beneath it. Next he looked at 252, and the coat there was tan, however he noted a hint of purple where it shouldn't be. "Here we go!" He grinned. Zion picked up the tan coat, and beneath it was what he believed to be the patron's missing dark purple item. "This it?" he brings it over to her expectantly.

She understood, logically, that she was not really being a bother. It was their job, after all, to help her, and she was being perfectly polite. But she couldn't help it. Surely, she thought he had better things to do, other people to help, or maybe he just didn't want to be on his feet anymore after a long night. She still felt a little guilty.

Opal nibbled softly on her lip as she watched him. “Maybe…maybe another coat was hung up on top of it,” she suggested. She was fairly sure an employee would have found it by now if that was the case, but maybe they had just been checking too quickly and missed it. Or the coats had become tangled up. Possibly they could have been the same color and difficult to tell apart that way. 

A faint, small giggle left her lips as he asked her to describe her coat. “It’s, um…it’s purple, actually,” she said. “But dark purple. Like, um…like an eggplant sort of color.” She fished the little ticket out of her pocket and peered at it. “251,” she said, tilting the ticket toward the light to make sure she was reading it right.

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kehlani via instagram

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HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER 9.04 | The Broken Code

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“I’m fine with that,” she smiled. “I think you can manage a salad.” A nice garden salad shouldn’t pose much of a challenge, she thought, and it would pair nicely with the chicken piccata. However, in terms of dish difficulty, her perspective is coloured by experience in the kitchen. Gisela never had to guide anyone in the kitchen before so it’ll be a first of sorts for the both of them. “Let’s cash and be on our way then.” 

TIME SKIP.

For the chicken piccata, the meat was lightly fried until golden brown, and set aside. Thereafter, its companion— a buttery, lemon flavoured, caper-filled sauce was crafted in a skillet. While it simmered on the stove, she turned to Julian, ready to move onto the next step of their dinner preparations. ”You’re doing great by the way!” Gisela commended with a grin. The washed vegetables (mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers) for their garden salad awaited the pair. 

“We’re almost done. Just the salad and the dressing, then we’re set!” Gisela has been enjoying the experience thus far; she has no complaints. “So, you're going to chop up the veggies like this,” Gisela grouped up the mixed greens on the large cutting board first. After demonstrating a few times she hands the task over to Julian. “Once you’re finished chopping, just toss them in here,” she directs while placing a wooden bowl onto the counter, with the matching serving utensils off to the side. Next, Gisela added some shredded carrot she had on hand from earlier in the week. “I usually just half the cherry tomatoes, and thinly slice up the cucumbers,” she suggested.   

“There’s no exact measurements for this sauce in particular— just a ratio.”  Gisela places an empty mason jar on the counter in front of her, along with a bottle of dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper, and the unused lemon juice from the chicken’s sauce. “More oil makes it creamier but less tangy, and that's how I like it,” she shrugs. Gisela adds each ingredient into the jar, then adds something else in at the last minute. “I also sprinkle a bit of sugar in there for a hint of sweetness.” Once she’s finished, Gisela closes the jar, and slides it over to Julian. “Now, here’s the fun part. You take the jar, and shake it up.” It’s an easy way to mix up the ingredients, and also relieve some stress in the process. “I like to picture something that annoyed me during the day, and give it a good shake,” she chuckled.

One thing Julian was for sure glad for was how many good friends he still had, friends that were there for him no matter what, and most times he didn't even had to say what was going on, he just had to show up and they'd be there for him, even if he didn't had to explain what he was feeling, Gisela was one of those friends.

"I was gonna suggest eating out, but a home cooked meal sounds a lot better," he nods his head with a smile, "I can help you cook, but you're gonna have to tell me what to do because, I kinda suck in a ktichen."

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“Hm, sure.” They could end up going back and forward all day on that, testing each other’s penchant for being petty. Taking a page from their book she responds; “I asked you first.” Perhaps they just like collecting odd yet beautiful greenery. Alas, her money was on them being a witch like her. To satisfy her curiosity she decides to be the bigger person, as they say. 

“You know what? You can have this one,” she concedes. “After all, we’re not that far from The Secret Grove.” Gisela turns on her heel and begins to head in another direction entirely.

" Yes I did." Elian replies quickly, not willing to part with their find. Getting used to a new town meant that they didn't have all the ingredients they needed available, they had yet to find a place that sold certain plants, this happened to be one of them, it was luck that they had found this bloom.

The witch raises an eyebrow, cautious not to say too much." Does it matter what I need it for?" They question her. "Since you seem so keen in knowing maybe you'd like to share what you would need it for?"