#ana:threads

[unlost]

Who: @lunarcovestarters Where: Outside On Pitch Karaoke Bar

For the first time since the chaos--and the death of one of their own--Ana turned the 'closed' sign on the bar to open. Beside the single, neon word was a bulletin board with all the normal notifications: that she did not accept refunds, that Ralph was not allowed inside, and that all patrons were required to sing at least one song upon entry or else buy a round of drinks for everyone in the bar. Tonight, however, she had added a new sign, which read:

Having nightmares? Need help falling asleep? See owner for new lullaby pricing.

This sign, like all the signs, was hung up with a knife rather than a push pin, as was the aesthetic of the establishment. Satisfied with the note's placement, Ana looked up and met the gaze of the first person passing by. "Well, come on in. Don't make me sing."

[ambercast]

(continued from here with @backmaskcd)

"Oh, no worries," Ana Maria said, shaking her head. "These are study guides for the high schoolers. Finals are coming up and school has been closed for repairs. I wanted to make sure they didn't go into finals completely unprepared, so I'm dropping them off."

[unlost]

"I did," Ana assured him. The world might be on fire, the building in shambles, but the ocean remained as cool and beautiful as it ever was--at least here where enough people cared to protect it. Ana had seen for herself the destruction wrought against the ocean in the last 150 years she'd been alive--but that was neither here nor there now. She and Jonah would have plenty of time to talk about marine conservation when there were not other atrocities fresh on their mind. "They know, Dear," she assured him, patting his chest. "Fish always know who their friends are."

She waved away his worry--though notably with her left hand, rather than the normal right which had been bitten. "A dog's bite is hardly going to keep me down. The mangy mutts have been put down, and that's what's important." She only wished they'd been able to stop the werewolves before Jonah had lost his eye. "But you know..." She placed both hands on Jonah's shoulders and looked him over, head to foot. "This new look suits you. Very distinguished." She paused. "Are you having trouble sleeping, Darling? You know, I can help with that."

It was probably one of the few times Jonah had genuinely smiled today, seeing Ana walk up and greet him did the trick that many else had failed. He appreciated her presence greatly, not just now, but since the beginning of his arrival and him meeting her. She was one of the few real friends he had here. He retuned the greeting with a quick hug of his own, "Tell them I'm miss them too. Hope you had a nice swim?"

He gave her a small smile, "You'd be a handful of those that asked, but," he shrugged, "What you see is what it is. I'm tired." A kind of tiredness that rooted itself deep and couldn't be shaken with sleep or other such things, but he was lacking that too. "How are you doing? I never got the chance to thank you properly for being there that night…" Images of snarling wolves flashed in his vision and he had to shake his head to be rid of it, "Are you feeling better? Recovery going well?"

[unlost]

Who: @illputabexonyou Location: Hospital

Anna knocked on the open door before letting herself into Bex's hospital room. There was no sympathy on her face, no wincing or grimacing, no indication that she was at all sorry for Bex's loss. She had, however, brought a gift basket which she set beside the bed before pressing a kiss to the girl's forehead. "I do hate to say I told you so, but you should always leave a party early, Darling." Given the luck in this town, it was probably best to skip parties all together, but that would hardly be any fun.

The siren pulled up a visitor's chair and sat beside the young witch. She had not been inside the aquarium when all the chaos began, but she had heard all about it since. She liked to believe if she had been inside, the shark wouldn't have caused such a fuss--but Ana liked to believe she was more capable than anyone and everything, even wild sharks. Whether that was true or not was yet to be seen. If she was so capable, she likely wouldn't have a bandage of her own on her left arm.

She reached for the basket and began to unpack it to show Bex what she'd brought. Inside were several normal gifts, including a few vegan chocolates and pastries...and also a pair of left-handed scissors and a hook, the kind that might be worn by a pirate.

[ambercast]

(continued from here with @maskedyoel)

"It's okay, no harm done," Ana Maria said with a small smile, straightening the papers in her arms so they were no longer all askew. "Oh, these are study guides for the students at the high school. Since school's been closed and finals are coming up." She held one of the stapled packets out to JJ. "Do you go to the high school? You might find this useful if you do."

[unlost]

"And here you are, consorting with a siren instead of a pixie. You really do have bad luck, don't you?" Ana teased. Her hand still wrapped around his throat, she could feel the moment he laughed, the low vibration of it coursing from his body into hers. "You know what sirens do with the poor little sailor boys they find washed upon the shore, don't you?" She turned her head and parted her lips, letting her teeth brush against the soft skin of his neck. His next words made her pull back, biting her own bottom lip to keep from smiling. "Oh, I'm sure the fit will be just fine." She moved further into his lap now, her thighs pressing against his hip, framing his body as she pushed him down into the sand. "Very well. A name for a name. What a very fae deal."

Their kiss had only just begun, Ana's lips parting to taste his own, before he was reversing the position. She gave a small (and pleased) gasp of surprise as she found herself very suddenly on her back, looking up at him instead of the other way around. Her hands fell from his throat and wrapped around his waist instead, nails digging into his skin as she pulled his body closer.

Song let out a quiet laugh, low in his throat, the kind that lingered just beneath the surface. His thumb traced the curve of her cheek, slow and deliberate, but his eyes held hers with steady amusement. "Yeah, well, luck and I have never really gone hand in hand," He murmured as his thumb trailed its way across her bottom lip. He could feel the heat of her breath against his skin, but rather than close the gap between them, he whispered back, "And anyhow, I don't wear labels unless I like the fit, so I tell you what, Ariel, the day you want to permanently wear my name is the day I'll get yours tattooed as well. How about that?" He cocked a knowing brow her way as his hands moved to where her hips were straddling his waist.

"Good. I like when you're jealous," A casual smirk broke across his lips as he lay back against the sand, giving her full access to him as he watched her tighten her hold along his neck in amusement. It was only when she leaned down to kiss him that he took action. His rough palms slipped round to cup her ass in his hands, giving her a tormentingly light squeeze as he flipped them over so that she now lay with her back firmly pressed against the sand. His mouth was back against hers in a matter of seconds just as his fingers slipped under her shirt, purposely moving to evoke a moan from her lips.

[unlost]

Who: @swimmingwiththefitzes Where: The Crawfish Boil

Ana had arrived at the protest, not because she was particularly concerned with the ethics of the meal herself, but because she had heard some of the other sirens would be there, and she was curious to see the chaos for herself. The moment she arrived, someone offered her a sign. Ana frowned and walked on, making her way through the crowd until she saw a familiar face. Her frown intensified. She had no good reason not to like Billie, except that she was convinced the girl was completely wasting her talents--and she happened to be protective of Bex, for reasons Ana had not yet ascertained, not usually being the 'motherly' sort, or really nurturing in any capacity. It was certainly not her business who anyone dated.

Pushing a man out of her way, Ana took his spot beside Billie. "You do know that fish eat fish, yes?" she asked. "That fish can be friends and food? This whole thing is nonsensical."

[unlost]

Who: @cantfightmoonlight (Song) Where: Sinners, near the mechanical bull

Ana very much enjoyed the luxuries of modernity, including its fashions--and plumbing. But the truth remained that she'd been born more than a century and a half before in a little gold mining town where the only way to get anywhere was on the back of a horse, and learning to tame a beast--and to ride--was the only chance there was back then of escaping. Ana had been a strong rider when she was just a child, helping her father at work and taking the horses to and from town to gather supplies. She'd become a better rider when she'd been forced to set out on her own, when she'd begun robbing carriages and saloons, seducing gullible sheriffs and making a name for herself on the Outlaw wanted boards.

The mechanical bull wasn't quite the same as a life-or-death gallop through the Californian deserts, but it had its own sort of thrill. Above all, Ana liked winning, and so far, she'd stayed on Betsy longer than any of the men in Sinners. After she'd slid off the back of the bucking "bull" and gathered the cash she won from those who bet against her, she slipped into the crowd, her gaze locked on the familiar face she'd seen watching her. "Did you enjoy the show?" she asked. "I assume you're here to buy me a drink."

[ambercast]

(continued from here with @exmcrtis)

"Oh, wow, really? I'd think someone like you would get noticed all the time," Ana Maria admitted with a soft laugh. "My head was in the clouds too, don't worry. You were in a rush somewhere? Please don't let me keep you."

[unlost]

"Ah." Ana didn't say anymore just yet. She couldn't pretend to fully understand, for her situation was not and had never been the same as Poppy's. Yet Ana's "immortality" was also uncertain and shifting. She could die at any moment, but she would never age, never find herself as vulnerable to all the little illnesses humans seemed to pick up. And when she did die, if she was quick and smart enough, she'd be able to preserve her soul and be reborn. Another chance. Another clean slate. Ana didn't much like the idea of giving up her memories and the life she'd built in this timeline, but at least there was a next step, a further stage. If all she was facing was the dark precipice of the end she wasn't sure she could handle that.

"Your life will certainly be remembered. You can rest assure of that. You're the supreme, for gods' sake. That's not a small thing. You may no longer live forever, but you will be revered forever." Ana's smile was almost soft. "Remind me to make you dinner sometime then," she said. Though Ana wasn't exactly known for her hospitality or offering favors, she adored cooking--and was so lacking in suitable test subjects actually willing to try it--that she was genuinely quite excited to have Poppy over for a full meal, three courses, dessert and all.

She nodded her approval of the fish's portion size. "They do," she said simply, not elaborating to actually tell Poppy the fish's names. As much as Ana liked talking about her fish, their names felt too personal. They were hers, her little secret companions who held far more of her heart than she'd let on.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Thank you…” Trailing off as Ana continued but a smile crept up on her face, knowing that this was the best she was getting as a thank you for her work. Rather than push it though she just let it go once Ana pulled her sleeves back over the wound they’d patched up. “It doesn’t.” Shaking her head slowly, she wished she could ease the deaths from her memory. Maybe then she wouldn’t feel as fragile as she did right now. Like if the wind swept too hard she’d just blow away forever. “I miss immortality a lot more than I usually admit. I had this whole plan to eventually turn when I was over being supreme, but now…” Trailing off once more as her words were obvious. Immortality was off the table and she’d live a mortal life, for however long she had left. 

“Yep,” Nodding as a smile returned to her features. “Oh give it a try for little old me? How special I feel right now.” Poppy teased as she followed behind Ana. “Oh you think I’m scared of Fae food?” Giving a laugh. “Hey it might be fun to be really big or small, or whatever else. I’m always down for a good time.” It was true she wasn’t scared of fae food, if anything it seemed tame compared to some of the things she’d done in her life.

Following along behind her as they came to a fish tank that was bigger than her. Catching the fish food Ana tossed her way and she took off the top. Scooping a hand in before she looked to Ana. “Is this enough? I don’t want to over feed them?” The last thing she needed was an angry siren cause she’d accidentally killed her fish. “Do they have names?” Gesturing to the fish with her other hand that was holding the canister. 

[ambercast]

where: somewhere out there who: luxanna lawson ( @curreres )

"Hey Luxanna," Ana Maria said with a faint smile. "How are you? Have you recovered yet from the lake party? Honestly, I'm still having nightmares about it." She shuddered some, taking a sip of her tea.

[ambercast]

whomst: frank simmonds (@wanderinglcst)

Ana Maria had come to the event with a book because, well, she was herself. It was a little difficult to focus on reading when so much was going on around her, but she was used to bringing books to busy places.

When someone shook their hair out next to her, though, she had to quickly close the book to avoid getting the pages wet. "Shoot, I lost my place," she said.

[ambercast]

(continued from here with @archerduke)

Ana Maria's eyes widened when she saw the log over the man's shoulder, pretty impressed. "I . . . I can imagine," she said, eyeing the log. "Where are you taking that, if you don't mind me asking?"

[ambercast]

(continued from here with @fromthelight)

"Oh, yes, well, potentially," Ana Maria said with a sheepish smile. "I'm delivering these study guides to the students in our high school so they have something to work on before finals later this month. With the school closed for repairs, I wanted to make sure they had their best chance for success."

[ambercast]

where: main street who: open

With school being shut down for two weeks due to the flooding, Ana Maria needed to get study guides to the students somehow due to finals coming up later in the month. Unfortunately she had to hand deliver them to each house, so she set out from the school to do so with an armful.

Her thoughts were preoccupied as she walked, and she had to swerve hard to the right to avoid a last-second collision.

“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t see you,” she said sheepishly.

[unlost]

Who: Laurel ( @waywardesouls ) Where: Strawberry Picking

Ana had known the Reed family all of their lives--at least the generation born and living within the last 150 years. That she had bedded Laurel's sister on more than one occasion made her, well, familiar with the blonde bunch, though she had rarely had much reason or occasion to speak in depth with Laurel. As she spotted the easily recognizable blonde hair up ahead, Ana stopped beside the same row of strawberry plants as the Reed sister. Her basket was already quite full, as she had a recipe in mind for the bunch.

"This all would be better with a timer, don't you think?" she said idly. "Competition to see who can pick the most the fastest." So much of the rest of the rodeo was competitive, so why should this not be also?