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Roni's eyes landed on the VHS the other pulled off the shelf, "That's a pretty good one if you enjoy something more on the comedic side." They commented, not too sure if they should explain why the title was what it was or if they should just let the other find out on her own. It wasn't really a spoiler or anything, but they'd rather avoid any potential conflict that may come from revealing anything more about the film. "It's a pretty short movie too, so even if you end up not enjoying it, it's not too much time wasted." 'There's nothing worse than wasting multiple hours on a bad film' almost left their mouth, but it sounded too dramatic to them to actually let it out.

They moved from their spot in the aisle to browse a few more options. Maybe they should opt for a horror comedy too. Then again, they couldn't really see their grandmother enjoying some of the whacky gore in something like Evil Dead 2. A sigh of defeat slipped out of their lips, "I think I might have to look in another section. I'm supposed to pick something out to watch with my grandmother and she's not really a horror fan." They tucked their hands into their back pockets and rocked back on their heels a bit, "You wouldn't happen to have any good drama recommendations would you?"

Astrid had read once that one of the best ways to learn a language—other than being surrounded by those fluent—was to consume media. Music, movies, and television in one's target language were some of the best ways to learn the ins and outs of a native speaker. It is what led the Swede to frequent Rewind Rentals, a local video store in town. Like clockwork, she found herself browsing the now familiar aisles on a late evening, searching for her next watch. Many of the titles were lost on her, with witty names her mental translations couldn't fully comprehend; but there were a handful that stood out. Some were titles she'd already watched, whilst others were ones she knew had found their way to her beloved Scandinavia many years ago.

Tonight, however, she wanted something completely new; and a particular VHS tape—whose cover featured a man with wild hair in a striped suit sitting on a house next to a woman in a wedding dress—managed to catch her eye. "Um... I think this looks interesting?" She pulled the tape from the shelf, eyes scanning over the name. "'Beetlejuice'? What is Beetlejuice; och why is there no beetle in here?" The confusing nature of the film's title definitely made the brunette more interested in potentially picking it for her next movie night.

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Sterling watched their friend easily score the points he needed to win the game. "I don't know if I should be more impressed by how well you played or disappointed that all my talking wasn't enough to throw you off even a little bit." Laughter easily fell from his lips, clearly not bothered by the results. "Hmm? Oh, I suppose my mind is elsewhere." A fairly normal thing when it came to him. His thoughts were often occupied by the past and future rather than the present. To be honest though, that may have been the case more as of late with the strange occurrences he experienced. "I fell down a rabbit hole of research earlier, nothing too exciting, but I guess my thoughts are still there." They weren't opposed to fully disclosing what they were looking into, but the bar probably wasn't the best place to talk about protection spells. "I wouldn't worry about it, worse case scenario, it just means I end up paying for every round tonight." Another easy laugh trailed their words.

"Well, you better keep on hoping, then. I've never been more committed to anything than beating you at this game." A wide smile was plastered across his face as Rowan rubbed his darts between his palms as if to warm them up, a teasing yet challenging glint in his eye. He blew on them thrice, for good luck, the ritualistic and in a way magical nature of the gesture only making him mildly uncomfortable, before he took his place. Angling his body just so, weight evenly distributed between his feet. Single bull, double ring, triple ring. Pleased with himself, he collected his darts before takig his place next to Sterling. A long overdue sip of his nearly forgotten beer, Rowan gave a shrug. "Looks like the next round is on you, hm?" A grin wipes the overconfidence of winning off his face, and he lovingly patted their back. "A valiant effort on your part. What's the matter with you tonight, Webb? I'm almost tempted to let you win the next one."

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Fin août, début septembre (Olivier Assayas, 1998)

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"I know what you mean, there's always something that I wish I would've done in the previous season." And with the end of the year coming closer and closer, the feeling felt heavier - like there were so many things she left undone or time she should have better spent. The thought left her with the urge to pull her knees in closer to her chest, but before she could let her thoughts continue down that line of thinking, the other distracted her. "You think so?" There was no judgement in her question, just curiosity. Romance was a tricky subject for her to say the least, which left her to do whatever the opposite of romanticizing was. "You're right about there being good and bad in each season. I can't deny there's a certain coziness to the winter months. Still, I always find myself missing the greenery and flowers from the warmer seasons." And all the sunlight for that matter.

Garnet had been scouting the town for future date locations - naturally for her clients, and not for herself - when she had come across Priya; after getting over the initial disappointment of realising that it was too far into the year to plan any outdoor dates that weren't intentional winter activities, she had decided her time was better put to use trying to make more friends in Cardinal Hill. "I'm slightly disappointed that I didn't get to do everything that I wanted to while the weather was still nicer," things such as plan sunny dates for her clients. "I actually do love winter," Garnet's smile became larger at the thought alone. "It's a romantic season, in my opinion. Or maybe I just romanticise it, but either way, I am looking forward to it. There are good things about every season, good and bad things about them all."

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Suspicious of unfamiliar people by nature, Priya was thankful for the space left between the two. Dark eyes drifted towards the lake that would soon be frozen over in the coming months, "That's not a horrible idea, unless of course I end up getting sick and then have to endure a lecture from my aunts about bundling up better despite my best efforts." A soft smile rested on her face as she spoke, not having the slightest bit of annoyance towards her aunts. She had long since come to realize that any lecture she received from them was out of love and was well intentioned. "They might be a little protective when it comes to things like that." She said with a shrug, knowing she was equally as protective of them. How could she not be? Her aunts were the most stable thing in her life after all and provided a space where she felt at ease.

Her attention fell back on Ocean, "My name's Priya." Though she didn't take to strangers, she was open to conversing with them, if solely to get a feel for the type of person who moved into the town she called home. "Once the temperature really starts to drop around here I'll have to check back in with you to see if you still feel that way." Quiet laughter trailed after her words. Part of her wondered if this winter would be a shock to him and the other part of her was curious about what brought him to town in the first place. Maybe it was a subject that she shouldn't push though, considering it could get flipped on her. "California sounds nice. Then again, almost everything I know about it all comes from movies." She admitted. "Is this place much different in general from where you lived?"

Ocean wasn't swimming tonight. After his cold plunge the other day - which admittedly had helped him clear his head - he knew that wasn't a thing he was going to do often in the cold weather, especially since it was even chillier now than it had been when he'd done it. But even if he wasn't swimming in the lake, he just liked being there; he always felt more himself when he was near the water. Sometimes Ocean wondered if he'd feel that way had his name been something unrelated to the water, but he supposed there was no way of knowing that for sure. Either way, Ocean felt so at peace in or around water, and he needed that more and more these days, so he was heading to the lake again just to enjoy the solitude. Only instead of being alone, Ocean found that someone was already there. He'd seen her out here before, though Ocean didn't know her name. She happened to be sitting in his favorite spot, and normally Ocean would have just found another. However, maybe it was because he was at the lake, but he felt just the tiniest bit more confident right now. So when the woman started talking, Ocean decided to sit down next to here, albeit with a bit of space between them. He was still a stranger to her, after all, and the last thing Ocean wanted was to make her uncomfortable. "Who says you can't still come out here?" Ocean asked. "You can bundle up and just sit and watch the frozen lake and the snow. I think that sounds really...peaceful." Even thinking about it brought a smile to Ocean's face. "I'm from California, so we don't really get a classic winter. I'm looking forward to experiencing it." Looking over at the woman, Ocean suddenly felt self-conscious, like he always did when talking to someone new. But he wanted to keep this vibe going, so he said, "My name is Ocean by the way."

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"You know, I'm starting to think I should've taken your bar game skills into account prior to suggesting a bet." Not that Sterling truly cared who won and who lost, the bet was such a trivial matter in the grand scheme of things. Besides, they were looking for a distraction of sorts from a few strange occurrences far more than they were looking for bragging rights over a game of darts. And he was in luck when it came to the former, easily pushing unanswered questions to the side for an evening in the presence of a friend.

He mimed throwing a dart with less wrist movement as instructed as she spoke, "The real question is, are you really offering me helpful advice or is this a way to further ensure your victory? Not that you would have to go out of your way to do so at this rate." Though there were plenty of areas where Sterling was overly competitive, this was not one of them, so he comfortably poked fun at himself. Their amusement at themself shifted to amusement at what the other said. "Of course I did, I'd like to maintain the slightest bit of honor in front of any onlookers." Laughter followed their words that they had barely gotten out with a straight face. "Now all I have to do is manifest a better outcome for my own throws." Their face scrunched up ever so slightly when they only managed to do slightly better than they previously had. "Which is proving to be the harder task."

Cece couldn’t help but laugh as she watched her friend miss the mark yet again. “It’s okay,” she reasoned with a voice that was a little unsure, stifling another giggle as she covered her mouth “there’s still next round.” And she was glad for that, because she was enjoying herself. She didn’t really go out much, not like this, it was a fun change of pace for her.

“Never going to happen, dear Sterling. Dream on!” She laughed again, nudging him gently “Bar games are my forte.” And it really was, growing up in bars watching her mom sing gave her a lot of time to practice. Not to mention all the tips and tricks she received over the years from the oldhead’s who frequented those spaces. “And besides, you’re moving your wrist too much.” Cece said — honestly, even if it was amusing to watch him throw the dart like that. “Keep it steady and maybe you’ll have a chance to beat me this time.” Céleste took the darts from the board before setting herself up behind the line of tape on the floor. She held one in her hand before throwing it, and then the next one, both not going exactly where she wanted. She flustered and put her face in her hands before declaring “You manifested that!” Cece threw the last one, landing it much closer to middle than the last.

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Tension that they didn't even realize they held in their shoulders eased up at the other's words, relieved they didn't cause some sort of conflict, no matter how minor, in the middle of the aisle. "I get it, it's always a bummer to basically waste an hour and half or more hoping that whatever you're watching will get better or more interesting." Roni had seen plenty of movies that left them groaning as the credits rolled for that reason. It was even worse when they'd seen them at the theater and outside the comfort of their own home. "I don't think there's anything wrong with revisiting an old favorite from time to time. It's sort of comforting in a way, knowing exactly how the plot will unfold. I'm beginning to think that's what I'll end up doing tonight too." It'd be easier to grab an old favorite they knew their grandmother loved than try and guess if the film they grabbed would be of any interest to her. "You can't really go wrong with Carrie." They added.

"No need to apologise, I'm in the same boat," Maude dismissed the apology with ease. She would have been a complete hypocrite if the other's indecisive presence bothered her, considering Maude was struggling to decide what film she should take home, too. "You're asking the wrong person," she laughed. She didn't mind the conversation, but she didn't feel of use, that was for sure. "I'm trying to find something I haven't seen before, but it's proving hard because I don't want to risk wasting my time with something I don't like," she stopped in thought for a moment. "I know that's the risk that comes with watching a new film, but I'm just not in the mood for disappointment, you know?" She looked forward at the vast selection in the aisle the stood. "Maybe I should just watch Carrie again."

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"You guys don't watch them together anymore?" Roni assumed the other's husband's tastes may have simply changed over time. That was a thing that happened, right? Their eyes drifted down towards their feet, "I don't mind the gore in horror movies," in fact, they liked it, wondering how the makeup artists and special effect artists managed to pull it off, "but I'm really supposed to be looking for a movie to watch with my grandmother tonight and she's really not into that sort of thing." They could already hear a lengthy complaint about the amount of violence in some horror movies and truth be told they weren't feeling up to listening to it. And besides, it didn't feel fair to make their grandmother endure a movie she had no interest in. "There's always another night for horror, I guess."

˙ ˖ ✶ Roni & Kit

"No you're totally fine, I love horror movies. My husband and I used to watch them all the time when we were younger." Kit said catching himself still using husband in present tense, but now Reid's face was slowly fading into Ludwig's image. "There are some amazing selections here, some far too gory for most viewers but if you're into that then do it. Life's too short to deprive yourself of something you enjoy."

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Priya's fingers played with the frayed edges of the blanket she sat on as she listened to the other speak. She couldn't completely relate to his words. Even though winter meant less time in the warmth of the sun, there were still a few things here and there in the colder months that didn't completely taint her memories of them. "Have anything in mind to make this winter a little more pleasant?" She'd rather pry in a matter that didn't concern her than offer up some sort of cliche response along the lines of 'no time like the present' or 'there's always time to turn things around', especially when she wasn't sure she even believed the latter. "If you can, I'd try to get all your shopping done in town. All the holiday shopping around here doesn't get as chaotic as it does in the cities." She made the mistake of shopping in a nearby city one holiday season and it was one mistake she'd never make again.

˙ ˖ ✶ Priya & Ducky

"I don't have the best memories of winter, but maybe it's time I make some good ones," Ducky stated as he sat on a patch of grass, his eyes tracing the pattern of clouds as he remembered those cold winter nights when he didn't have a home. Winter's grasp making the nights restless and cruel as the elements show no mercy. Hunger, the thought of never knowing when that next meal would be always in the back of his mind. "First time I'm able to get gifts for the people I love, so that's exciting for me." Ducky mused with the little things he had in store for Floyd and his grandmother, even the other friends he had in town.

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Sterling half hoped all his talking would've distracted the other at least a little bit. With that being said, they had no negative feelings towards the outcome of the bar game - it was hardly their biggest loss. That, and his competitiveness remained with academic pursuits and displays of magical talents, the things his parents cared so much about. "Well, it was a good game on your part, I'm not sure I can say the same for myself. I suppose I should just be thankful, I managed to hit the board for the most part." A chuckle accompanied his words as he shook the other's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Leo. I'm Sterling. And I'll have to take you up on that drink. If your bartending truly is as good as your dart throwing, you just might be the best bartender to grace Cardinal Hill. Not that I have anything against any previous or other current bartenders here." That would've required him to spend more time drinking at the bar, something he was only opposed to because he'd rather spend his late nights pouring over research on some topic that had only just piqued his interest earlier that day. "Is there a particular drink you enjoy making?"

For awhile now, Leo had been watching the bar patron throwing darts, and to be frank, they weren't great at it. It wasn't like Leo was some pro, but he'd gotten pretty good since he started working here (he too used the dart board, and often at that). So when he went on his "lunch" break (even though it was the evening), instead of eating, Leo had gone over to the customer. And now somehow they were in a competition. Leo's intention had been to help this person get a little better, but instead he was playing against them for money. Tips had been slow tonight though, and besides, it wasn't like they'd bet a lot. Laughing at what the other had said, Leo replied, "Not gonna happen," throwing his dart. He didn't quite hit dead center, but he was pretty close, and Leo said, "I think that clinched it for the win. Good game." He held his hand out for the other to shake, as if this were some important competition, but Leo couldn't keep a straight face and began to laugh. "Why don't you let me make you a drink," he suggested to the other, leading them back to the bar. "My name is Leo, and luckily I'm as good a bartender as a...dart thrower? Is that what they're called?"

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Sorry I can’t come over my tarot cards said no

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A small smile pulled on the corners of Roni's mouth at the other's words. Maybe they really would still grab the movie to watch later in the night after their grandmother went to bed, or some other time when they had a free moment. "I've heard great things, I've just never got around to watching it." There was a small twist in their stomach at their own words. Never got around to it was an all too familiar sentiment when it came to them. And sure, they were still extremely young and had plenty of time to catch up to the rest of their peers, but that would also require them to know what exactly they wanted to do with their life, and that was...a whole mess they didn't want to think through in the middle of the video rental store.

"Oh, I'm Roni." They snapped themself out of their thoughts and brought their attention back to the conversation at hand. "I'd call myself a bit of a horror fan. To be honest though, I should probably be browsing in a different section. I promised to watch a movie with my grandmother tonight and it's safe to say she's not a huge horror or gore fan." Which was fine, to each their own, it just meant Roni would have to settle for at least one movie they might not be too interested in. Despite their words, they didn't move from their spot, eyes drifting back towards the VHS they had been contemplating. "I'll probably end up settling for a feel good type of movie for her." The only problem was they weren't too sure what fell under that umbrella. "I'll have to check out the second Friday the 13th one day, though. I've lost track of how many of those movies there are."

Copper was in the mood for horror. He'd always been a big fan, and while no one would be surprised if that changed after what he'd been through, that hadn't been the case. Instead, horror movies and novels and the like actually helped Copper process the very real horror of his life. It was like it trivialized it and made it feel less real, which Copper knew wasn't exactly the healthiest way to deal with something. There were a lot of ways that Copper dealt with things that weren't exactly healthy, and that was a problem for future Copper. Tonight was a night when he needed to do some processing, so he was at Rewind Rentals in an effort to find something to make his trauma feel a little fuzzier. Heading straight for the horror section, Copper found someone already there, and he saw what they were looking at and smiled. "Great movie," Copper told the other person. "I still remember the first time I saw that movie. It was on a date, and we saw it in the theater. We...weren't feeling very romantic after." Copper laughed at the memory before remembering who he had been on a date with, and then his smile fell right off his face. But a second later, Copper smiled again, pushing the moment back down. "Anyway," he said, "I'm looking for a modern classic," and then Copper grabbed a copy of every Friday the 13th movie off of a nearby shelf. "The second one is the best, but it's fun to watch them all in a row. Though afterwards I never want to go anything resembling a cabin or a campground or something." Again Copper laughed, though it felt a little less authentic this time. "My name is Copper," he told the other. "Are you a fellow horror fan, or are you just browsing?"

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"Sounds like a productive weekend if nothing else." With a little luck, the distraction on something a bit brighter like holiday shopping would at least temporarily lift the other's spirits. There was no denying that Priya cared for the community here in her own way, even if she distanced herself from it every now and then. "I should follow suit, the holidays always manage to somehow creep up on me each year. I've lost track of how many times I've left it to the last minute." A soft laugh fell from her lips. Neither her nor her aunts really celebrated Christmas, but they still took to the gift giving aspect after Priya moved in since it was something she used to do with her parents.

"Who knows if I'll actually get around to it this weekend, though." Shopping wouldn't be as distracting as she wanted it to be. "I have to work for part of the weekend so I'm not sure my plans will be that much more exciting either." She hoped for some sort of rush during her shift to at least make the time fly by faster. "Aside from that," her eyes drifted towards the ceiling as she tried to think of how to have a slightly interesting weekend, "I might spend sometime at RollerBlaze, see what kind of fun there is to be had there. If all else fails, I might kill some time at Breaking Glass. I'm sure someone is bound to do something ridiculous there at some point over the weekend."

Dorothy appreciated the understanding; it was a hard time for more than just her in Cardinal Hill, she understood that, and while she would never have wished it upon anyone else, the shared experience did provide a certain amount of ease for Dorothy as she suspected it would make those around her more understanding and less demanding. It wasn't that those in her life had necessarily been demanding when she had experienced her previous loss, but there undoubtedly had been times where Dorothy thought that their good intentions - such as wanting to care for her - became too much. Loss was such a tricky thing to navigate, as Dorothy was reminded of by these recent events.

Pondering Priya's question was a nice distraction, even while Dorothy still couldn't rid herself of the weight pressing against her chest. "I was actually thinking of starting my Christmas shopping," she told her. "I feel like my list of who to buy presents for grows each and every year, so I want to get ahead of myself just a little bit." Dorothy prided herself in really knowing her loved ones, and so she always liked to put in a lot of effort when it came to gift giving. "That's the extent of my plans, though," she continued, meaning that she hadn't actually formally organised anything - as per Dorothy's usual style. "Do you have anything more exciting in store?" She pondered.

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STATUS: Open to all @cardinalstart

LOCATION: Breaking Glass Bar

A look of disappointment sat upon Sterling's face as yet another dart missed his intended target in a quiet corner of the small town bar. The look didn't remain on their face for too long and was quickly replaced by an easy grin, "I suppose lady luck isn't on my side as much as I had anticipated tonight." Perhaps the use of divination magic prior to making a bet would've been a smart play. However, it felt a little too dishonest and ultimately, paying for the next round of drinks wasn't a major inconvenience for them anyway. Whatever the results of the game, they were just pleased to spend an evening among the community they knew and loved. "I'm hoping for some kind of miracle at this point - a wild distraction to break out and throw you off your game, for your skills to completely abandon you, something along those lines." He continued on as he stepped to the side for the other to take their turn.

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STATUS: Open to all @cardinalstart

LOCATION: Glasswater Lake

A restless feeling still stirred around inside Priya following the news about Avalon Rivers, and the strange occurrences as of late certainly didn't help this feeling either. Wanting a moment of peace, no matter how brief, it was only natural that she found herself among nature. She sat upon a blanket close to the edge of the lake, bundled up in warm clothing fitting the season and pulled her knees in towards her chest. "I'm going to miss spending more of my free time out here as winter rolls in." She lamented with a soft sigh to her present company. The plummeting temperatures unfortunately meant less time among the serenity of nature. "Are you at least looking forward to the upcoming season?"

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STATUS: Open for all @cardinalstart

LOCATION: Rewind Rentals

Roni paced up and down the aisles of the video rental store, looking for something to occupy their evening with their grandmother. They ended up in the horror section with their hand hovering over a VHS of John Carpenter's The Thing before it fell back to their side. As much as they were interested in it, they got the feeling their grandmother wouldn't want to sit through it. Then again they could still pick it up for themself to watch on their own some other time. They gnawed on their bottom lip, contemplating their decision when they noticed someone out of the corner of their eye. "Sorry, I was just weighing my options." They paused for a moment, "What were you thinking of picking out?" Maybe the other could give them some movie suggestions.