#* [conversations] 💬 ft. neylani

[edenxmonroe]

Eden was ever the optimist, and she knew that even though things might might have worked out this time, it didn't mean she was doomed. Plus, there was a certain someone that she was hoping to bump into again soon. And there was nothing wrong with having a little hope. "Exactly. It's all about how you put yourself out there." It wasn't that Eden was necessarily looking for anything, her last breakup had been a rough one, and part of her was still recovering from that. But, she did find herself wanting some companionship from time to time. Someone to come home to at the end of the day, to cook with, to spend time with. Really, she just loved love and she knew that when the time was right, she would find it again.

"Do they know you're trying to give them away to random people in town?" She wondered what her own brothers would think if she tried to do the same thing with them. It wasn't something she would try with Erik, she knew better than that. And her older brothers, she wasn't sure they even remembered she existed most of the time. Shaking the thought from her head, Eden looked at the flavours on offer in front of them. "I think I'm going to go with strawberry, it's a classic."

At least it seemed that Eden appeared to be handling this disappointment well. Ney knew there might be other stuff going on under surface and she put her best face forward, but only because as she shared, she had recently been through this too. As someone who prided herself on being tough and capable, it had definitely wounded that ego of hers. Not to mention, brought up a few ugly thoughts that made her wonder what it was about her that nobody was interested in. For the most part -- since Micah's apology -- Ney got past that. Eden would too.

"Right, right," she chuckled, coming up to the counter to look over the options of ice cream, "maybe it's as simple as changing the bait." Or, to stop fishing altogether, in Ney's case, but she kept that to herself. She would rather not dissuade the other woman in her pursuits -- there was plenty of time, and Eden was such a nice young lady. "You know, I have do single brothers," she joked, biting on her bottom lip to stop from grinning so much. If they knew she kept trying to pawn them off onto her friends, her brothers would riot. The sheriff couldn't help it, though. She wanted to see all three of them securely married off with children, so she could spoil some nieces and nephews already. "Ooh, they have black cherry vanilla!" she exclaimed suddenly, pointing it out. "Sold, immediately sold."

[kaixwinter]

Kai kept his eyes on the road ahead of them. Neylani had a point, two sets of eyes were better than one, even if his eyesight was only that of a human. If he'd known a spell to help, he would've used it, only so they could get out of there faster. He was starting to feel tired, the magic he'd been practicing before he'd stumbled across Neylani suddenly hitting him like a ton of bricks. Kai needed to get home, he needed to recharge.

"Okay, okay, I'm watching." He told her, nodding his head as he kept his eyes forward. With the brights on, it was a little easier to make out what was ahead of them, but the fog was still thick, and seemingly getting thicker by the second. Hopefully, they would make it back to town soon enough, and hopefully in one piece. "Yeah, good thing." Kai agreed, still watching the road. Part of him wanted to play some prank, to scare Neylani a little, but he knew it was too much of a risk. So, instead, he just kept an eye out, wondering what might be hidden in the fog.

The younger man's comment caused Neylani to laugh, even as her head was outside the window and she was doing her best to gauge the scene. To weigh the pros and cons of trying to get themselves home through this. "Two pairs of eyes are better than just the one," she told him. "I can't see and know everything, despite whatever you think."

As she sat back inside the vehicle, her finger tapped the steering wheel. "There's no way we'd make it to daylight," Ney looked towards the boy with a quiet smirk at the corner of her mouth. They would get on each other's nerves like cats and dogs before long, she could sense it. He was such a moody guy these days. Sometimes, she wondered if he was just itching for the fight.

"I'll drive slowly. Just-- keep your eyes peeled, please." Neylani started the SUV and pulled from the curb slowly, before she decided to flick on the brights now, too. The area in front of the vehicle brightened up considerably, though they were still looking at an obvious wall of fog. "Oh, that's a little better.. Good thing I know this place like the back of my hand, right?" She kept the vehicle more towards the middle of the road, figuring if another pair of headlights started coming down the street, they'd see it.

[kaixwinter]

"That's incredibly hurtful. Name a time I've ever done anything remotely bad." Kai challenged her, wondering if she would take it. He was sure she could name several different occasions where he'd found himself in trouble, but he was a little curious to know which ones stuck out in her mind. Neylani knew what Kai was like, she'd been dealing with him for years, and she was like an older sister to him. Which gave him the chance to act like the annoying little brother he'd never gotten to be. "It's all part of my charm, obviously. People dig it."

"I knew it." Kai shook his head. "As if I need my mommy to come bail me out. I can afford my own bail and you know that." He tried his best to avoid admitting to the fact that he was avoiding his mother. As of late, he'd been trying his hand at things that Althea Winter definitely would not approve of, and he didn't want her finding out. He didn't want anyone finding out. "Clearly I'm still alive and well. I'm just busy running a business, or trying to at least." He said, eluding back to the fact that he had been rudely interrupted. "So you can go ahead and report back."

Ney only smiled to herself at his frustration. He was a good kid, even if he tried not to show it. Kai was basically a fourth brother to her, at this point, so his comments didn't even phase her. "No, I'm flat out stating you're not," she corrected, laughing. "You being innocent is like saying I'm not black. It's just untrue." She was quite certain there was plenty stuff Kai got up to and she had no idea about yet, too. Her brows rose. "Where'd you get so full of yourself, hm? I think I've made sheriff all on my own merits, paly."

At the mention of his mother, the woman sat up a bit more. "Oh yes, that reminds me-- she says you haven't been returning her calls, what's up with that?" Ney immediately began to chide him, which he had only brought on himself. "She is getting worried sick about you. I don't have to arrest you just so she can come bail you out and see you're still alive, do I?"

[atlasxmoretti]

As soon as Neylani started speaking Atlas could tell that she had all but written him off. It was disappointing. Not because he was looking for someone to spend forever with, but because he had been hoping to enjoy this date for what it was -- a date. But, it seemed to him that she took some issue with the pairing, and that was sure to cast some sort of shadow over what he had hoped would just be a fun outing.

He nodded his head. "Understood." He wasn't about to pull out all his usual moves if they weren't going to be welcome, and Atlas wasn't the type of person to force anything on anyone. So, if Neylani didn't want this to be anything, that was fine with him. "If you'd rather not do this, I'd understand." Though it seemed that she thought their friends hadn't been serious about the match up, Atlas hadn't seen it that way, and he still didn't. He'd been prepared for a nice date in the park, maybe followed by some dinner. This was obviously not going to be that. He'd lived a long life, and he'd given up on finding his forever a long time ago. However, he did find himself feeling lonely from time to time, so he had at least hoped that maybe he could find some good company to spend some time with. "What I mean to say is that I would hate to intrude on your afternoon with Rupert."

Her leg crossed over the other and foot bounced in the air as she waited, even as she spotted Atlas Moretti coming down the walk. Neylani just automatically assumed the man was only crossing through, so she barely offered more than a tight smile of greeting as he was expected to move on. That is, until it became obvious that wasn't the case.

Oh, absolutely not. This man hadn't aged a day in all the years she'd known of him, despite being the same species as herself. He was from one of the original founding families -- all of whom had somehow found an everlasting elixir of life. Which meant he would never grow old and he would never die, while she would. This man needed to get himself a partner that would last as long as he would.

Ney stood up, and looked over to where Rupert was pretending he was camouflaged. "His name is Rupert -- thought he'd like to get some sun today but, apparently he'd rather play hide and seek." Her attention returned to Atlas himself. "Listen, before anything else is said here," her tone came off more businesslike than she intended, but that was typical when she was 'handling' an issue, "it's clear that nothing will come out of this." She gestured between the two of them. "You're a handsome man, and I certainly respect you and your family a great deal for what you've done with Raven's Peak, but obviously this is not.." Ney laughed a bit, finally seeing the sad humor in it. "I think our friends weren't really being serious -- maybe they're even trying to tell me to lighten up. But I've always been an upfront person that doesn't like to waste people's time, so.."

The sheriff hugged herself and managed a nicer smile. "That all came out aggressive, sorry. All I mean to say is, I'd be happy to get to know you better so we can become friends." Quite frankly, this already put the nail in the coffin -- dating just wasn't for her. She understood it shouldn't be taken so seriously but, why not? The point of dating was to find your person to be with, so it should be taken seriously. Most men she encountered, never understood why she was so cut-direct. In the end, it was to save them both from putting time and effort into someone that just wasn't going to work out, for whatever reasons.

[edenxmonroe]

"Well, I'm random to them." Eden chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. She wasn't sure she had ever crossed paths with Neylani's brothers, or at least not to the extent that she could pick them out of a crowd. She was sure they were nice enough guys, but Eden was more than happy to find her next partner on her own. Though, Neylani's comment about wanting nieces and nephews was one she could relate to. However, with the occupation that her brothers all shared, Eden wasn't holding her breath. Instead, she hoped to have a family of her own one day. "Well, hopefully they find their forever people soon."

Stepping up to the counter, Eden pointed out the flavour that she wanted and waited for it to be scooped. "He's well, I think. I haven't spoken to him in a while, but that usually just means that he's busy with other things." There had been a few texts back and forth, but it had been a while since the twins had had a chance to catch up in person. Taking the cup of ice cream from the person behind the counter, Eden wasted no time in sampling her choice and she wasn't disappointed. "Next time I see him, I'll be sure to tell him you were asking after him."

"Mhm," she hummed her agreement, as she pointed out to the woman behind the counter which ice cream flavor she wanted. She asked for a waffle cone, too. "You're not a random," Ney pointed out in an easy manner, moving aside so the other woman could add in her order, "but yes, actually, I'm sure they're well aware. I've been at it forever. I'm not getting any younger and they're taking their sweet time-- I need some nieces and nephews to spoil." The sheriff was not one to hide about this stuff and, in her opinion, was innocent meddlesome behavior. Ney thought everyone may need a proper little push in the right direction now and then, but outside of that, it was beyond her control. There had certainly been times her brothers demanded she stay out of their business and Ney had to close up her mouth.

"Speaking of brothers, how is yours?" Ney asked, trading money for her waffle cone and Eden's order. "I haven't seen Erik in some time, actually." In fact, of the twins, she knew him the least. He was much more private than Eden. She tasted the black cherry vanilla and smiled. "Ah, delicious. I haven't spoiled myself in forever," she admitted, laughing.

[edenxmonroe]

Eden was glad to hear that Neylani had managed to make it through the night of the festival without too much trouble. It was a night Eden wanted nothing more than to put behind her and not think about again.

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's okay. These things happen." Sure, it wasn't a nice feeling, but it wouldn't be something she dwelled on for long. Eden had never been like that, she always tried to give people the benefit of the doubt and move on. Things happened for a reason, and maybe this guy just wasn't supposed to be a part of her life in any way. Maybe his purpose was just to make her smile in the moment they'd met. And she was okay with that. She was sad to hear that the older woman had also recently had the same experience, but she knew the two of them would be better off for it. "It is their loss." Eden agreed with a nod.

She followed Neylani towards the ice cream shop that had opened not long ago, knowing that she'd been wanting to stop by and try out the flavours on offer. "Oh, I know. There's plenty of fish in the sea. For both of us." She nodded again, glad to know that she wasn't alone in how she was feeling, and hoping to offer Neylani some of the same positivity. Stepping inside when Neylani opened the door, Eden looked around, stepping up to take a look at what she might like to get.

"Oh Beau," she smiled on the man's name. "I've heard a few stories now about how much help he was, I'm glad he was there to see you through it." Ney only wished she could have been there to help, too. It wasn't only her job to protect these people, it was in her DNA. Her smile lessened a bit. "I got through no worse for wear, too," she said. "There was a lot going on that night-- think the adrenaline blocked out most of it.."

Her gaze softened in sympathy for Eden, as she admitted Mr. Wonderful didn't even bother to show. If she found out this was Micah again.. "Oh honey, I'm sorry," Ney squished the younger woman by the shoulders again, to comfort away that sting. "I had that happen to me too, recently," she shared, figuring maybe it would help Eden feel a little better to find that she wasn't the only one that got the crap end of the stick sometimes. "It's their loss," she shrugged. "They clearly were intimidated by a couple of well-rounded women, that's what I say."

She motioned. "I've been wanting to try that new ice cream shop," Ney walked that way. "It's good you're not going to give up, though. You're still young, you've got plenty of time to find the right person. One cruddy night isn't going to define the rest of your life, trust me." As soon as they got to the ice cream parlor, she grabbed the door for Eden. "My treat."

[kaixwinter]

The truth of the matter was that there had always been something a little dark about Kai. It hadn't always been as obvious as it was in more recent years, but it was there, under the surface. "Woah, chill, I was just teasing." Kai put his hands up in defence. He knew Neylani treated him as if he was one of her brothers, it was something he expected after knowing her for so many years. Kai saw Neylani as a big sister, someone he felt the need to annoy any chance he got, and it was something he'd been doing ever since she first started babysitting him all those years ago.

Waiting as Neylani finished changing the tire, Kai let his eyes wander the area around them. The fog was thick, making it difficult to see too far ahead of them. He couldn't help but wonder what was causing it, what was hiding in it. But, that was a problem for another day. As instructed, Kai moved around the SUV, got in the passengers seat and waited for Neylani to put the flat tire in the back.

"Aren't you supposed to be the one with enhanced eyesight? What the fuck do you expect me to do? I just have regular eyesight." There was nothing untrue about what he said, of the two of them, Neylani was the one who had a better chance of seeing through the fog that seemed to only get thicker. He watched as she lowered the window and stuck her head outside. "I don't see shit. So, either we're gonna have to stay here until morning and hope nothing gets us, or we're gonna have to risk it and drive."

Neylani only shook her head to herself, because arguing with the boy over it, wasn't worth the headache. After nearly forty years in Raven's Peak, nobody was going to convince her that Nightshade Park was anything good. Not in the dead of night. Not when it was chock full of poisonous plants routinely raided and torn up, by who knows and for what reasons.

"You haven't always liked dark things," she stared over at him, pausing briefly in what she was doing. "And I don't think you're a little kid, Kai, you're just the kid I babysat for." Ney thought there was some difference to be had there, anyway. "I am no different with you than I am my own brothers, except they probably get it worse than you, and they're all quite a bit older than you too, so-- I'm not trying to make you feel like a child." The sheriff thought he understood she was only teasing him all the time.

It wasn't long before the tire got finished being tightened on. Ney made sure it spun before lowering the jack. "Thanks for the help," she got to her feet after collecting the tools and put them away in the hatchback. "Go ahead and hop in the front, I'll be there in a minute." Ney took an extra moment to roll the old flat tire to the back as well and closed the back up. She glanced out to the road with a frown, because the fog had definitely gotten thicker in the few moments it took for them to finish.

"Help me see through this, will you?" Ney asked as she climbed into the driver's side and closed the door. Her eyes were far better than his by a mile, sure, but that didn't mean she could catch everything. As the headlights came on, she frowned again, muttering 'jesus' under breath. There was nothing but a blanket of thickness that enveloped so deeply, they could hardly see feet in front the vehicle. The woman's instincts trailing right down her spine, too. It was like there was something in the fog. Ney rolled down the window to stick her head outside, looking back towards the woods. "Do you see anything?"

[kaixwinter]

"It's really not that bad." Kai said with a slight shrug. As of late, he'd spent a lot of time in Nightshade Park after dark, so maybe he just didn't notice the things that sent chills up peoples spines anymore. Or, maybe he was becoming one of those things himself. When he'd venture in there at night, he'd go in as far as he could, ignoring the strange sounds that seemed to follow him at a distance, the odd feeling that place as a whole seemed to radiate. There was a reason he chose there to go when no one was around, but that wasn't something he was about to go and advertise.

"Maybe I've always liked dark things, but you were too busy seeing me as some little kid to ever fucking notice." He offered up as some kind of reason. There was more to it than that, sure, but that was something he was still discovering for himself. "Maybe I've just grown up. We can't stay kids forever, Ney." He shrugged his shoulders again, as if his point made complete sense. "I like the calm, is that so fucking wrong?"

The feeling in his fingertips buzzed, not because of the magic he had used, but because of the magic he hadn't used. It was almost like the quick spell he'd used to jack up the SUV hadn't been enough to release the energy that was building inside of him. "I have my moments." He scoffed at her words. Kai knew Neylani was more than capable of handling a flat on her own, but he didn't move from where he was standing, watching as the older woman replaced the tire. Slipping his hands back into his pockets, he considered her offer. "Sure, you can take me home." It would save him walking, not that he really minded. But, a part of him felt like declining her offer of a ride would raise some flags.

Kai was sure acting off tonight. At first, Neylani thought she may have been sensitive to the inky black night and the heavy denseness of the dog... Couple that with the recent attacks on the town, a few missing residents, and a couple of dead bodies... It wasn't difficult for the sheriff to see where she might be seeing too much into something that wasn't there. Spooking herself out, so to speak. But as the younger man addressed her, practically looming over her, Neylani was sure it was more Kai himself that was making things not-so-comfortable. Which was so foreign to the woman, who had never felt unnerved in his presence this way before.

She didn't like it one bit. Then again, she didn't like when anyone could rattle her. But especially not Kai, the boy she used to babysit.

"Nightshade Park's reputation is aptly deserved," the lady refuted then, giving him another look. "Since when did you start liking such dark things?" Neylani sounded a bit confused, because she was. Wasn't he a music lover? She thought that would preoccupy his time more than strange, midnight strolls through a park that was full of deadly plants and suspicious accidents just waiting to happen. "Just.. I don't know, really.. you've changed somehow.." She hadn't been expecting him to prompt her to finish that thought. "I mean, three years ago, I don't think I would have found you singing praises of Nightshade Park, for example, let alone enjoying walks through it."

She smirked some. "You can go on, if you need. Like I said, I could handle this myself," Neylani pointed out, perfectly fine to go on and do so, if she had to. Though she was a bit concerned about him now, so hopefully once the tire was changed, he would let her take him home. Maybe he was tired. He looked tired. Exhaustion could do some horrific things to people. By the time the tire was free, her young friend had jacked the car up and taken the lug nuts off, too. "Look at you, being a handy person to have around," she flattered. Ney moved in now, shooing the boy over some so she could pry the flat tire from the vehicle and sat it aside. "You know, my daddy taught me how to change a tire when I was just seven years old," the sheriff shared as she carefully replaced the other wheel now, giving it a good shove into place. Ney took up the tire iron now and began to screw the bolts back in-- not making as quick work as Kai, because she didn't have magic to help her, but certainly fast enough it didn't take an extra minute or two in comparison. "Could I take you home?" Her head turned his direction, meeting his darkened gaze. "As a thank you."

[edenxmonroe]

"I managed to get through it in one piece. Beau helped me get home safely, which I still need to thank him for. The worst thing I got was a scraped knee, so I got off lucky." Though nothing she said was a lie, she left out out the part where she had spent a few days hiding out at home afterwards. All she'd needed was a few days to recover, then she was back to her usual self. "What about you? I hope you didn't run into too much trouble."

Eden shrugged. "Mr. Wonderful didn't show up." She confessed, feeling silly about being so down about it. Eden was still trying to convince herself that he must've had a good reason for standing her up, but that was just her wanting to think the best of people. The whole thing just seemed ridiculous now, how she'd been so excited to go on a date with someone she'd only just met. But, she was a romantic at heart, so she just couldn't help herself. "I don't plan on giving up though, the right guy is out there somewhere, probably right under my nose. I just have to keep my eyes open."

"I'd love some ice cream." Eden smiled, nodding her head. Neylani always gave the best advice, and always seemed to know the best ways to cheer Eden up. "I can't think of a better way to end this night."

Neylani offered an apologetic smile, not having meant to startle the poor girl. "It's good to see you too," she returned, "I meant to check on you sooner since the festival.." Her smile faded some. There were so many people she had failed recently, the scope really could stagger her at times. "Are you holding up okay?" Her dark eyes scanned over the girl, who looked perfectly fine and in one piece. But that was only the physical-- bodies healed. Mental scars, though?

The sheriff herself continued to battle her own. If she had them, others did, too. Those demons had really got straight for the jugular with the entire town and the unsuspecting residents. Neylani could only imagine how much other people were beating themselves up inside since.

"Oh, a date!" the woman exclaimed, excitedly latching onto that tidbit of news. Eden was on a date, so that had to be a sign for the better. Maybe the girl was okay. She really hoped so. Neylani was just thrilled to hear when someone was going about their regular, everyday lives in the wake of one of the most destructive events she'd ever experienced. And this was after her military service! Her excitement was a bit short-lived however, as Eden deflated before her very eyes. Now Neylani's gaze softened on her, because oof, did she know that look and that kind of disappointment. "Mr. Wonderful didn't turn out so wonderful?" she assumed with a quiet sigh. "It's not always fun, I know," the sheriff went on, bringing an arm around Eden so she might give the girl a squish of comfort. "There's that whole saying about how you got to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince, and I guess it must be true. But it's great, though, that you're putting yourself out there. Don't stop doing that, okay? You miss a hundred percent of the time when you never take a shot." That tidbit came from her years of service.

"Would you like some ice cream?" she asked, hoping she could help lift the girl's spirits somehow. "Ice cream always helps a terrible date, trust me."

[kaixwinter]

"Yeah, it's weird. Spooky, even." His tone was heavy with sarcasm, and the dark circles around his eyes seemed to somehow darken with every word he spoke. Kai had chosen Nightshade Park for a reason, there was something about the place, especially at night, that seemed to elevate he magic he'd been using as of late. To say he wasn't quite himself in that moment would be an understatement. "Frog's breath? No, definitely not." It wasn't a lie. That was a pretty common ingredient that witches used, though the name made it sound more silly than it actually was.

Kai shrugged his shoulders. "Nightshade Park really doesn't deserve the reputation it's got. It's not that bad if you're prepared to deal with the things that go bump in the night." His twisted smile seemed to twist just a little more. "The older I get, what?" The tingling his his fingertips returned, and he quickly put his hands in his pockets.

He took a couple of steps back when Neylani poked at his side. "Not if you keep that up. Maybe I'll just leave you here to deal with it on your own." Despite his words, as she took the spare tire, Kai moved to look for the jack and the tire iron. It only took him a moment, and then he joined Neylani at the side of the SUV. While she took the covering off the spare, Kai placed the jack on the ground, then with a flick of his wrist, set it in place and had the vehicle jacked up in the blink of an eye without breaking a sweat. By the time Neylani had readied the spare, Kai had loosened the bolts that kept the flat tire in place. "Would ya look at that? This shit is easy."

The she-wolf gave her young friend a certain flat look. "Oh wow, I should have thought of that before," Neylani remarked with light, yet amused, sarcasm. "Yeah, it's.. pretty thick lately, isn't it?" she said then, her attention moving off to consider the fog they discussed. The sheriff looked uncertain and concerned. "I've never seen it this bad before.." Did they have foggy days and nights? Absolutely, especially during the fall and winter times. But this didn't feel the same way, it didn't look the same either. It was like some dense, otherworldly property that she couldn't quite place. And it had never persisted this long before, either. "You haven't opened any frog's breath jars recently, have you?" she joked, smiling back at the witch.

Neylani didn't really look convinced. "A stroll through Nightshade Park?" she questioned, both brows raising in open curiosity. "I swear, Kai, the older you get.." her commentary faded off as she merely shook her head. He certainly wasn't the little boy she had watched grow up anymore, that's for sure. Not that he had changed for the worst or anything, he was just... different.

Her smile turned warm. "Aw, you'd like to help?" Neylani gave him a couple of teasing pokes at his side, unable to resist messing with him. Kai had always been like a little brother to her. It was practically her job to keep on his ass and muss up his hair. "Not that changing a tire is all that hard but, I won't turn down any reason to make it easier on me." She faced the spare tire hanging off the back and unhooked it, before bringing the hatchback up. "Could you check in the floor for the jack? Think the tire iron should be there, too." Already off and delegating, Neylani carried the tire to the side where her flat was and rested it against the vehicle while she undressed it from its covering. This was the first time she'd actually have to use the spare since the department issued the SUV to her.

[kaixwinter]

That nickname. It would never not bother him to hear, but he knew Neylani would never stop using it. Maybe it was a good thing, maybe it helped him out by keeping the younger version of himself alive in her mind. Either way, he could live with it. Kai noticed how she seemed to be at ease upon seeing him, how she seemed to release whatever she had in her pocket to protect herself.

"Bummer. You should really watch where you're going. Though, I guess this fucking fog makes it kinda impossible." The fog seemed to blanket the town ever since the festival, and Kai was sure there was more to it than met the eye. Something strange was going on in Raven's Peak, and things only seemed to get stranger by the day. "I'm just taking a little walk. There's less people around at this time of night, it's peaceful or whatever." He said with a shrug as if it made total sense. "Yeah, everything's fine. I'm just here to help a friend in need."

"Oh, Baby K." Neylani's tension ebbed away and fingers let go of the mace almost immediately, as Kai came out of the fog and made himself known. Naturally, she assumed he wasn't a threat at all-- the young man she babysat for? No way! Though... she wasn't so sure she liked the smile on his face.. It wasn't his usual one.

As he came closer, she could also see that he looked a bit worn down. Maybe tired? There were dark circles under his eyes, the kind people got when they weren't getting much sleep.

"I think I ran over something," she confirmed, glancing down the road she had just driven up from, "and it took out my new tire." But that could wait for a moment, she was now more concerned about the young man himself. "What are you doing out here so late, Kai?" Neylani faced him now, looking over him. "Is everything okay? You seem a little... different, somehow.."

[edenxmonroe]

Eden jumped a little when she heard a voice, but was happy to see Neylani. "Oh, nothing." She put on the best smile she could muster. "It's great to see you, how are you?" Eden had known Neylani for many years and was always glad to see her.

At the compliment, Eden looked down at the outfit she had chosen for her date that had gone to waste. She would never admit that she'd gone through several choices before finally landing on what she was wearing. "Thank you! I, uh, I had a date. Well, I was supposed to have a date. It didn't really work out though so I was just going to head home." The thought of having to admit that she'd been stood up only made her embarrassment flair up, and she looked down to try and hide the disappointment on her face.

Just as Eden came outside of The Golden Spoon, Neylani happened to be walking by. "What was stupid?" she said, with an easy smile as she came upon the young woman. It'd been a minute since she checked in on Eden actually, so it was good she came across her now.

"You look so cute tonight," the sheriff gushed, checking over Eden. "What's the occasion?" Neylani adjusted her purse to the other arm.

Her interest was so innocent, she had zero clue that the poor girl had just been stood up for a date in much the same manner Neylani herself had been not weeks prior. She still wasn't too happy with Micah, either, but the man had finally apologized, at least. Her bruised ego would heal over soon enough.

[kaixwinter]

"I fucking hate you." Kai scoffed as he swatted her hand away. He was lucky that Neylani knew him so well, because if anyone else was the sheriff and he spoke to them the way he spoke to her, he'd get in a lot of trouble a lot more often. But, despite his many trips down to the station, his record was pretty much clean.

"Are you trying to insinuate that I'm not? I'm offended, truly." His tone was dripping in sarcasm. "Oh, please. You love that I've kept you on your toes all these years. If it wasn't for all the practice you've had chasing after me, you probably wouldn't be sheriff. So, really, you should be thanking me." It wasn't that he caused trouble on purpose, trouble just seemed to have a way of finding him. "Well, I was trying to work, but then you came in an interrupted me. Did my mom send you here to check up on me or something?" He'd been dodging her calls and visits for going on a month now, so it wouldn't surprise him if she'd enlisted Neylani to do her dirty work.

"I know you're being sarcastic but," she reached over to rumple up his hair on purpose and give him a boop on the nose, "you're very welcome. I do my best!" Neylani did take her job very seriously. She made a point to know most everyone she could in the town, and those that wouldn't tolerant her nosiness... Well, she kept her tabs on them, too.

Her head tilted in consideration. "Oh is that all you are? Just a picture of innocence, huh?" The woman chuckled to herself at the thought. "You've been a full on pain in my ass for over twenty years now, Baby K, and you damn well know it." Neylani leaned onto the glass countertop, her hand in both hands. "So whatcha doing?"

[kaixwinter]

Nightshade Park was a place people tended to avoid at night, but lately Kai had found that it was the only place he could go to quiet his mind. Since his conversation with Adelaide, hell, since the festival, sleep had eluded him more and more. So, he braved the dark and the fog and took to walking through the many winding paths through the park. There was something about the ambience in the park with the fog hanging thick in the air that offered Kai a place outside of his apartment to play with the dark magic he'd been studying up on.

He'd lost track of exactly how long he'd been out there, but when he heard a strange sound nearby, he'd made his way towards where it had come from to see what had caused it. With his hands in his pockets, tingling still from the magic he'd been practicing, he casually walked towards the car that he only recognised as he got closer to it.

A twisted grin spread across his face as he saw Neylani, who was clearly on high alert, at the rear end of her SUV. Normally, he would try and sneak up on her, try and startle her, but he knew better than to try anything considering the time and the fog. So, instead, he pulled his hands from his pockets and held them up. "Don't attack, it's just me."

"What's a nice lady like you doing in a place like this so late at night?" He asked, moving towards her slowly. There were dark circles under his eyes, giving away his lack of sleep, and the smirk pulling at the corners of lips seemed a little more mischievous than normal. Lowering his hands, he put them back in his pockets, fists clenched tightly. "Car trouble, huh? That's fucking unfortunate."

OPEN, NEAR NIGHTSHADE PARK

POP! "Shit," the curse came as Neylani grabbed the wheel more fiercely, as the SUV suddenly bounced and jostled, the unmistakable of wheel axle against pavement loud. Carefully, she steered the vehicle safely off to the side of the road.

Of course this would happen in the dead of fucking night. Near Nightshade Park, of all places. With a strange, dense fog making visibility difficult.

Ever since the demons -- seemingly -- had been chased back to that sinkhole that closed in on itself, this weird fog had rolled in and persisted. It was far, far worse at night. And it made the place smell wet, which was at least a damned sight better than that disgusting rotten eggs they dealt with for weeks.

With a sigh, she climbed down from the truck. This was supposed to be her day off and yet, she had agreed to check on a noise disturbance because it was a family she knew personally. It wasn't anything serious-- she hadn't even gone in uniform. Now, here she was, stuck out there with a flat tire. Her wolf senses though, were naturally on high alert as she rounded to the back of the SUV. Neylani's hands paused on the spare tire hanging off the back, her brows drawing together in concern as she peered over at where she thought she heard something. That damn fog, though, made it so she couldn't see who or what it was.

"Anyone there?" A hand dropped to her pocket, to cover over a container of mace. Her pistol was in the console. She wasn't about to become some unfortunate victim featured on the next Dateline.

[kaixwinter]

Having grown up an only child, Kai considered Neylani to be like a sister to him. An older, annoying sister who constantly reminded him of the things he'd done as a child. He was sure she'd never see him for the adult that he was now, and honestly he didn't really mind. Deep down, he knew he always had her in his corner, and he was aware that she'd kept him from trouble more times than he cared to count. He owed a lot to her.

"Well, I certainly feel much safer knowing that you're out there protecting the town, spooking all the bad guys into changing their ways. Surely, you must be up for some kind of award or medal for your heroic acts sometime soon." Kai knew that Neylani was good at her job, and he was quietly proud to see how well she was doing. He'd never tell her that, though. Mainly because he knew he'd never hear the end of it if he did. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm an upstanding citizen of Raven's Peak. Just a humble music store owner trying to make a living and bring music to the townsfolk."

The woman's lips twisted in satisfaction to see the younger man jump, as it was a testament to her animal prowess, that ability to be so sneaky and undetected. She may be nearing forty, but for wolves that was their prime. In fact, she'd do well to remind herself of that-- plenty of female werewolves were capable of bearing their cubs well into their 60s as any human could in their 30s. Ugh, she needed to come visit Kai more often as clearly, he helped the sheriff realize her youth and vitality without even saying a word. Not that she planned to discuss any of this with the boy, of course. Neylani wouldn't kid herself to assume that someone she used to babysit would have any interest of hearing about these silly woes of hers. That'd probably be weird anyway.

"Sometimes," she chirped, peeking over his shoulder to try and see what it was he'd been stocking. "You'd be surprised how easily some criminals are caught, and just how many are stupid, too. The good ones usually aren't." Was she implying Kai may be a stupid, easily caught criminal? Perhaps. Not necessarily stupid, but he certainly has done incredibly stupid things and put her ass in a heated seat because she's vouched for him a number of times to get him out of hot water. Sometimes Kai wasn't even aware of how many strings got pulled to keep him out of serious trouble. He could make her job a lot tougher than it needed to be and one day, she had a feeling he was going to step beyond what she could forgive as youthful idiocy. "Hey, is that what you want? I just barely got this town to take me seriously enough to elect me Sheriff, you could at least give me a full year before you start hoping for my downfall. Especially when you don't know if the next one will be nearly as tolerant of you as I have been."

[atlasxmoretti]

Blind dates weren't something that Atlas usually agreed to. But, he was always willing to try something at least once, and he'd been assured by his friend that the woman they were setting him up with would make for a fun date. So, after getting the details he needed, Atlas made his way to Nightshade Park to find the woman he would be spending the afternoon with.

He hadn't given much thought as to who it might be that he was meeting, but he was surprised when he saw none other than the sheriff seemingly waiting for him. He smiled as he approached, glad that he had decided to dress more casually than he usually would have for a date.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something move in the grass. "Oh, I see I'm going to be a third wheel today." He chuckled, assuming that the small creature was there with Neylani. "Who's this little guy?"

"Okay, Rupert," The woman squat down to place the turtle in a tuft of overgrown grass and flowers, to allow him to amble off and enjoy himself, "Don't wander off too far, bud." She gave his shell an affectionate pat.

@atlasxmoretti

Had she brought the turtle to sabotage things on purpose? Perhaps. The fact she had only agreed to some chit-chat in Nightshade Park rather than the typical sit down for dinner or a movie, should have tipped that off from the beginning. Neylani was not particularly motivated for this blind date -- date was a strong word for it. The last one she tried was months back now, and she'd been stood up. Sure, she now knew that Mikael might have played a heavy role in why Micah hadn't bothered, but it still left a sour taste in her mouth. As did the literal countless failed dates she'd been on in the last two decades. Her efforts these days had become fewer and far between, to the point where she was just about ready to be fine on her own. She'd been thus far, anyway.

The sheriff hadn't even taken care in her appearance this time. Ney was dressed comfortably and as she did any other day of the week, outside of work, save for the sweater because it's gotten colder these days. She plopped down on a bench that let her keep an eye on the turtle (though Rupert had mostly camouflaged himself within some bramble by this point), checked her watch, and then crossed her arms to wait for this friend of a friend to show.