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⸻ Clara was a bit embarrassed because she did not understand the joke, and it normally takes her a few times to get them. She let out an 'ahhh' when they asked her a question, but was not ashamed to share. ❛ I got tired of the life I had, and ballet isn't like I used to think, not like the life I had. I was lost in interest in the only thing I always loved in my life, which was dance, but I didn't realize it back then. And I was tired of being surrounded by toxic people. ❜ She sighs. ❛ That's so nice! What kind of music do you play? ❜

"What does Hockey have to do with this?" Corey answered, deadpan. "You're funny," they said after a second. "My jokes don't land the same if I have to explain them." Xander would've understood that Corey had been joking about boobs. Apparently one sibling got all the family's sense of humor. "I meant what'd you do in New York that made you wanna leave. But bartending's cool. I play music and I'm a carpenter."

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⸻ Clara is very close to her brother, and she can't see herself living so far away from her family. And now she is trying to start her life from zero. It's a bit tough, but having her brother makes things easier. ❛ Thank you! Are you from here or moved here a long time ago? ❜

"Oh, that's nice. It's good to be near family." Javier replies with a nod and a smile. He was glad his own siblings were still in Clearwater too. He had been away from them for a long time when he was in the army, and he had always regretted missing so much time with loved ones. "I hope you find your time in Clearwater to be pleasant. It's a good town."

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⸻ She giggle at his words, shaking her head when he explained how she know her friend. ❛ That makes sense. ❜ She does not have friends from childhood, and living in this city… Erh, she never bumped into one. ❛ Apart from knowing Gen, what else do you like to do? ❜

Carson nodded. For a queer guy, he didn't understand musicals. He knew a little bit. Basically Hamilton and whatever a few of his ex-boyfriends had made him watch. Newsies once, because his boyfriend at the time had a crush on one of the cast, and that was about it. "Oh, that's cool. I know she just mentioned you off-hand, and I kind of thought she was messing with me," he laughed. "Gen and I are best friends. We've known each other since we were little kids. We lived together for a little while after high school. I helped with the kids. They're all basically my family." Carson would truly have done anything for Gen. He wanted nothing more than for her to be loved and taken care of. Every time her ex had let her down, it was like a knife to the heart.

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⸻ She laughs at them and their words, shaking her own head. ❛ I agree, but nothing holds a temperature better than a Stanley's Cup. ❜ It always holds her drinks at a nice temperature. She watched the interaction with the dog, and she isn't so sure how to interact with pets in general, so she simply watched it instead. ❛ I'm a bartender at Pandora's Box. How about you? ❜

"Wow, I love cans. Big cans, little cans, uneven cans. My mouth isn't picky." Corey gave a little smirk, following Clara to the living room. "Nah, for real, though. I like the way the can keeps it cold. It just feels so good when it's really icy and chilled." Corey didn't know Xander too well, yet. They texted, they hung out a little, Corey came over to see the dog, but they weren't super close. "Heh, Xander must be pretty cool if you missed him. Bet the cute dog doesn't hurt." Corey bent down to pet the little dog some more. "What'd you do for work?"

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⸻ Sasha just listened to him explain himself, whether or not he was a 'gamer' though this topic is something she knows ANYTHING about. ❛ I would, because this is not the first time I heard that. ❜ She remembers the first time hearing it, she was so shocked but over time she grew to used to meeting people who never watched Sound of Music. It used to be her favorite musical, and Brigitta's father. Her daughter was blinking her eyes, nearly dozing off again in her seat. ❛ Yeah, that's correct. It used to be mine and Brigitta's father's favorite musical. ❜ Except she stopped watching it and isn't so sure when she will go back to watch it again. ❛ Brigitte in game… Her name reminds me of the actress Brigitte Bardot, a French actress. ❜ She chuckled at his explanation of what the character does. ❛ I guess she is badass from your description. ❜ She flipped her silky, platinum blonde hair with the back of her hand. ❛ Oh, not that long, just around the town some day, and we clicked and we became friends. ❜ As simple as it is. ❛ How do you know her? ❜

"Oh, I'm not a huge gamer, amateur at best, but it can be a fun way to kick it between shifts or if you're on your downtime at the fire house." Not that the fire house was really set up for real PC gaming, or the kind of games where you'd have to potentially abandon them in the middle of a match because the alarm went off, but you could catch him playing casually when time allowed it. "Would you believe I've never seen the Sound of Music? That's the one with the Von Trapp family or something like that, right?" He couldn't have named a single character if you held a gun to his head. "But Brigitte in the game is like, a shield maiden type lady. She has a hammer and a shield, she bashes people and heals people, I could never get the hang of her." God, this poor lady hadn't asked for a play by play. "I dunno, you seem pretty alright to me. How do you know Gen?" Carson asked, curious how the two had crossed paths.

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⸻ ❛ Some people don't like can. ❜ Maybe she met a few germaphobic people way too much… Not in this town, so far. Then she reunited with them in the living room, getting herself comfortable on the armchair, crossing her legs to the side, resting her back on the backrest. ❛ Ohh, nice. ❜ She refers to them, that comes from Clearwater. ❛ It wasn't the traffic, I am very used to it. I just missed my family, and my work wasn't as fantastic as I originally imagined. ❜ She admitted a tad sheepishly. Clara does not really knows what she truly wants, except be closer to her family.

"Oh, clearly you don't know me very well if you're asking me if I mind drinking right from the can. Why would I make more dishes for myself when it comes in a perfectly acceptable container?" Corey laughed, grateful that Clara at least seemed to be of a similar mindset. Corey had learned to cut corners in their home life wherever they could. Anything to make stuff a little bit easier when you were working two jobs and taking care of your terminally ill mother. Was it a good idea to use the same baking tray to cook with all week? No, but did they do it? Hell yes. "Oh, a city girl, huh? Not too far, then. I'm Clearwater born and raised. They haven't kicked me out yet," Corey said with a shrug. "Why'd you leave the city? Was it the traffic? Shit sucks."

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⸻ Maybe if she figured out her daughter these days, and she gets able to have some rest… She could explore the city more. ❛ Are you free on the weekends? Because I was thinking if you want to join me to watch a jazz show. ❜ Besides, she needed fresh air, other environments that wasn't her home, confined with an almost 'newborn'.

Vince offers Sasha a gentle smile, hoping that he could at least make her feel a little better about all of her worries. Being a parent, especially on your own, wasn't easy. "Of course. I'm always up for a chat." He replies, nodding. "A little quiet today, but that's alright. Some days are like that."

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⸻ Sasha was tired of this conversation that kept running in circles and ended in nowhere, adding to the migraine she felt. ❛ Y'know I could have asked the same thing as why are you here. ❜ Clearwater does not look like a place for him either. Neither of them if it was to be honest, her tone was serene, she wasn't fighting back with him. He was a difficult person to have a conversation with. Vodianova does not always understand a sense of humor, not she always get the joke. She was raised in a different place, even for these days, she struggles to adapt to some environments and with some people. ❛ Have a nice day, Jin. ❜ She watched him walk in some direction, and she returned her attention to her daughter, who began to cry out. For someone so tiny, her lungs are powerful, she thought to herself.

Jin’s smile faded a little, not into anything harsh, just something quieter. More even. “Then maybe don’t put words in my mouth next time,” he said, not unkind, but direct and firm. “I didn’t say anything about you being a mum. I said I didn’t expect to see you here, because it’s Clearwater - not exactly Hollywood, is it? Not because you have a stroller.” He raised an eyebrow slightly. He took her in for a moment before letting out a small sigh. This honestly wasn’t worth the effort he was putting into the conversation. It was clear he would be a villain in her narrative regardless what he said, or didn’t say, even.  “Whatever, just forget I said anything. I’ll see you around, I guess.” He said, turning to start walking in the other direction again.

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⸻ She frowned at their words, with a funny face. ❛ Ooh.kay. ❜ If they said so… Clara watched the dog and Corey interact, and it seemed they already knew each other. Then she went to check what her brother might have on his fridge, certainly more stuff than hers. Her fridge is nearly empty, and she likes to eat her brother's meals, so why bother to cook if she can steal his food, once in a while?! ❛ I don't live with my brother. I am visiting him, so I'll see what can be arranged for you. ❜ She saw a Diet Coke can, opened it, and looked at the glasses, but it was to be washed… ❛ If you don't mind… Drinking straight from the can. ❜ Naturally, she cleaned it before giving it to them. Habit of cleaning cans of soda before drinking. ❛ Manhattan, NYC. Are you from here? ❜ Once she gave them the drink, she sank into the armchair again, turning down the TV volume.

"Oh, sister? Definitely forget what I said about, uh, yeah, never mind." Corey gave an awkward laugh, instead directing their attention to the little dog. "Hey Leila, you remember me? How are ya, girl?" She was looking a lot healthier than the last time Corey had seen her. Having a home agreed with her. "Ah, Diet Coke is good, if you have any? If not, whatever Diet or Zero Sugar stuff is fine." Corey, ever the animal charmer, scooped Leila up into their arms where she settled happily. "So you said you were new in town?" Corey asked, making conversation. "Where'd you live before?"

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⸻ Sasha was trying to calm down her little one. Her daughter didn't sleep all night long, and yet again her migraines increased. She was in the living room with her little princess when she heard a door. She yelled some ' I'm coming ' as she stood up from the sofa, and her daughter remained crying from the portable crib she put in the living room. She put silk black robe before opening the door and saw Astoria. ❛ Oh hey! Come in… ❜ She grimaced because Brigitta was crying loudly, the blonde face was tired, eyes reddish, and dark circles from a sleepless night. ❛ I promise I fed her and changed her; she's just grumpy these days. ❜ She refers to her daughter.

︶     *     𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑   open   to   sasha   vodianova     /     @interstcllar .

               a  bouquet  of  white,   sweet  lilies  in  hand,   astoria  makes  her  way  to  the  vodianova’s  residence.   her  step  is  calm  yet  confident,   gesture  relaxed  in  the  face  of  the  breeze  hitting  her  countenance.   she  arrives  with  a  smile  and  knocks  on  the  door,   her  cheerful  expression  growing  at  the  noise  that  comes  from  inside,   indicating  that  she’ll  be  properly  received  soon.     "  don’t  worry  !  "     she  reassures  from  outside,   knowing  sasha  is  busy  with  the  chaos  an  almost  newborn  supposes.     "  i’m  in  no  rush.  "

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⸻ Sasha frowned upon the question. ❛ Is there a character on Overwatch named Brigitta? I am not a gamer, before you ask. And her name is after one of the Captain's daughters from The Sound of Music. ❜ It was one of the favorite movie of Sasha's and her daughter's father. The game fell off? Erhhh, the blonde had no clue what he was talking about but remained a nearly frozen sympathetic smile on her features as if she knew exactly what he was saying. She chuckled when he spoke about her friend, and put her daughter back on the stroller that was calmer now, adjusting her in a seemingly comfy position. ❛ Not in front of me, perhaps behind my back, and definitely online. ❜ She mused, adjusting her posture after leaning to tug her little one back on the stroller. She chuckled upon his comment, looking at her daughter, who was looking around the world with curiosity. ❛ She said, 'your welcome'. ❜

"Brigitta?" he repeated. "Like the character from Overwatch?" He guessed by the woman's facial expression that she probably wasn't much of a gamer. "Or not. That game fell off anyways. Cool name, though. Hey, little lady," Carson said to the child, flashing her a smile. "Ah, Gen only has bad things to say about people who are assholes, I'm pretty sure." Or her loser babydaddy. But he definitely fell into the asshole category as far as Carson was concerned, even if that wasn't an entirely unbiased opinion. "Do people usually walk up to you and tell you you're a disappointment in person? Seems kinda rude," Carson laughed, putting the jar he'd just saved into his basket, since it was the kind he'd been looking for anyway. "Thanks for helping me shop, Brigitta. You're gonna grow up to be a professional."

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⸻ ❛ Thank you. ❜ She refers in regards to being welcome in Clearwater. ❛ I finished my shift at Pandora's Box. I work there, and I am here only to get my breakfast. ❜ And then she realized he might be referring to the city, and it clicked on her mind. Mornings, it wasn't like her brain was functioning that well. ❛ Ohh, you mean the city? Ah, my brother lives here and I am here to be closer to him. I kinda hated living so far from here, and we are pretty close. ❜

"Nice to meet you, Clara. Welcome to Clearwater." Javier replies with a smile, nodding. "I do like coffee, but not after a run." He adds while gesturing towards his attire, an amused chuckle leaving his lips. "What brought you to our neck of the woods?"

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⸻ ❛ Yes… It's over there. ❜ She showed them where the dog was, close to the sofa, and she shut the door once they entered. ❛ I'm Clara, baby sister to Xander. I'm new in town, but tonight I will stay over with him. ❜ She introduced herself to them. ❛ Do you want water or something? I'm not sure what my brother has, but, can be provided. ❜ She stated.

Corey gave a small nod. Shit. They had hoped to spend some time with Xander and pet his cute little dog. Instead, they'd been met with a stranger. Lucky for Corey, they weren't one to be discouraged by that. One thing nobody could have ever used to describe them was shy. "Sure, is the dog here, at least?" Corey wandered inside, glancing around. If Leila was here, she must've been asleep or in another room. "Shit, didn't introduce myself. I'm Corey. So you and Xander doin' the nasty, or...?" Unless she was some kind of house keeper or watering his houseplants, couldn't imagine any other reason he'd let her into his house when he wasn't home.

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⸻ ❛ Agree. ❜ She refers to the mix between jam and glass. Her daughter's tiny feet were kicking in the air, and Sasha was trying to adjust her daughter in her arms. Brigitta brought her tiny hand to her mouth. ❛ Her name is Brigitta. ❜ She realized she forgot to introduce her daughter, but now it was all solved. ❛ She's 3 months old, but soon to be four. Say hi! ❜ She picked up her other tiny hand and waved at Carson. Upon his explanation, she let out an 'oh', how he knows Gen. Makes sense. ❛ Well, good things, I hope. ❜ She refers to her friend talking about her. ❛ It is true. Am I a disappointment in person? ❜ She jokes.

"No worries. Kids are curious. Glad I caught it though. Glass and jam? Not a good mix to be cleaning off the ground." Anything sticky was a pain in the ass. Carson dealt with kids a lot in his day to day work. So many paramedic callouts involved kids accidentally swallowing things or falling off jungle gyms, but he'd also helped raise Gen's kids from when they were about this one's age. "Sorry, shoulda introduced myself. I'm Carson. We've known each other since we were kids. Hearing her talk about you, I was like no way you know the lady from the morning weather, but it's true, huh? No cap?"

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⸻ It was a little refreshing to know there are people that still trying to figure things out for their own children, and hearing it from him that already had three was nice. ❛ Normally, my friends with children they're a little older. But I think I'll do that. ❜ Sasha was feeling way better now, at least not as stressed when she first arrived. ❛ Thank you for the advice. How are things going with you lately? ❜

"No parent knows what they're doing. I've got three of my own and I'm still learning new things every day." Vince points out, hoping to reassure Sasha a bit. "Do you have any friends with kids? I think the rec center has a parent and me class, you could meet people with babies around the same age." He suggests. "You don't have to do things alone."

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⸻ She chuckled because she knows the feeling, she couldn't imagined two Brigittas to take care of alone. The thought is terrifying. A sympathetic smile crept on her delicate features as the dimples were showing off. ❛ It's okay, first time for everything. Right Luca? ❜ She looked at his son, waving back at him too. ❛ Do you live around here? ❜

"Oh trust me, I know that feeling. It's hard to have one on your own, let alone a second one running around. It would make me want to pull my hair out honestly." Nico replied to the blonde woman. "Say hi, Luca." Nico encouraged his son as he looked down at him and Luca shyly waved. "I don't know why he is so shy sometimes. It really does depend on his mood but he's normally outgoing and so excited to meet new people."

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⸻ Sasha was really tired of people talking about her nearly ex, the father of her daughter and her baby girl. ❛ It doesn't. ❜ She refers to his statement if the shoes fit. He spoke about settling into obscurities, which made her think that he was saying motherhood was obscure. ❛ I'm not pretending to be what I'm not; this is me. New me. ❜ To the blonde, the 'new her' is only adding the motherhood, which makes her a little soft, even though she hates being like this. ❛ Only because I have a baby now. ❜ He isn't blind and can see it. Either way, she will not pick a fight. She never liked to pick up a fight, sometimes she ended up in a few only because she didn't always get the sense of humor from people.

Jin paused, turning back with a soft laugh, not loud, not mocking, just quiet disbelief. Of course, she wasn’t going to let it go. “I didn’t say anything about your kid. That was your read, not mine.” His gaze flickered towards the pram again, then back at Sasha with a shrug. “But I guess if the shoe fits….” He tilted his head slightly. “I was just being polite, Sasha. Friendly, even. Surprised to see you. You’re the one who decided to start swinging.” He smiled, almost friendly this time. “And maybe I haven’t changed. But I’m not pretending I have.” He shrugged again. “Still likeable, though. Some things really do stick.”