zetaxstcrow-blog

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arnavwaters‌:

arnav sat at his tiny, usual table at the black cat cafe. while it was not uncommon for him to be there, it was uncommon for the place to be so packed. he, luckily, had gotten there just before a large crowd of rather annoying exchange students had swept in and claimed every remaining seat in the cafe. 

he found the noise quite difficult to concentrate, but after already ordering his usual beverage (hot chocolate, but replace the chocolate with black tea leaves and replace the marshmallows and cream with more hot water) he found himself unwilling to procrastinate on his more numerical schoolwork any longer. 

in an incredibly coincidental and not at all shoehorned plot coincidence, the seat opposite arnav remained the only empty seat in the cafe. some would say that his books, spread across the table like a very fractured depiction of studenthood, made him look busy, and therefore unbotherable. unfortunately for him, he was not unbotherable, and he did not feel he was going to get much work done. his attention was drawn away from his work as a shadow fell over his table, and he raised a single eyebrow at the individual blocking his light. 

“can i help you? i am really quite busy. you can tell by my many books and the fact i am wearing a uniform.”

Zeta walked into Black Cat Cafe and was rather surprised by the number of people there. She was surprised because it was normally much quieter and a lot less people in the space. She could barely find a place to sit. After she ordered her cup of green tea, she stood by the counter, searching for a place to sit. Normally, she would have left, but after a long day standing on her feet to restore a few sculptures, Zeta desperately wanted some tea and somewhere away from the studio to relax. 

Unfortunately, the one spot that was open was in front of a young boy who appeared to be doing his work. She only thought he appeared to be doing his work as he had all his books spread across the table, but his attention seemed to just about anywhere else. Zeta smiled politely at the boy, hoping not to frighten him. At times, Zeta herself felt like a small child because she didn’t know herself or where she was going or what she was doing. “Hi. I was wondering if I could sit here? At least until another seat opens up and then I’ll leave you with your work. Would you mind?”

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“Hi! I have a piece of art that I’m delivering to a...Mister...” Zeta looked down on the card. “Thlunaut?” She furrowed her eyebrows as she read the name that was strange, but she didn’t recognize. “Thlunaut...” she repeated, mostly to herself. She looked over to the person in front of her who didn’t seem like the type to own a painting of a ship in the middle of a storm on the high seas. It was a rather expensive painting and this William Thlunaut guy paid her a lot of money to restore the piece. “I don’t think I’m in the right place.” She looked around, completely confused about where she was. “Um...do you know where Magnolia Crossing is?

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stellaflores-firestarter‌:

@zetaxstcrow @rubyxcohen

               The Ludicrous Lockdown

The Lockdown seemingly came from nowhere, with no warning, and certainly no time to grab a tray of hor d’oeuvres while being ushered away from the crowds by security guards. Stella had just began to enjoy herself when she forced begrudgingly to the garden, with a small group of complete strangers.

When it became clear that they were not getting back inside any time soon, she glanced around at the others who were stuck in her situation. There was a familiar face or two, but no names came to mind when she looked at them. One face seemed particularly familiar - Zeta, who had stumbled upon Stella in the middle of an experiment during the blackout, though she hadn’t bothered to remember her name.

Stella sighed, and sat defeated on the edge of a low-lying wall. It was already cold, and she couldn’t light a fire without raising suspicions. 

Zeta didn’t want this to be true. She didn’t want to be locked in a room with a bunch of strangers and then questioned by the police. She knew she hadn’t done anything wrong, but she couldn’t help but feel anxious. She gritted her teeth as she was pushed into a room without a chance to grab anything to drink or eat or even spot someone she knew. She sighed a little in relief when she realized that they were pushed into the garden. At least it wasn’t some drab room and it was a little more like a courtyard with lots of plants. 

Zeta found herself pushed towards the back next to a girl who looked incredibly familiar. It took her a moment, but finally, she was able to pinpoint the girl and remembered seeing her burning things during the blackout. Stella. Yes! That was her name. Then, the girl to Zeta’s right was someone she remembered, Ruby. Ruby worked for the Mayor and once went on a bad date that Zeta helped her escape from. 

Stella didn’t seem too approachable, but Zeta took the chance anyway. “Hi. I don’t know if you remember me...but we met awhile back,” she said. She focused her attention on Ruby as well. She pursed her lips. “Did either of you happen to sneak anything to eat or drink out here?”

@rubyxcohen​

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diana-balotelli‌:

“Just other parties, I’ve got a bit of a wide social circle,” Diana explained, though there were definitely events that ended up with her impersonating Dutch and vice-versa, “Well it is terrible, but considering that it was also delayed, life tends to go on.  Which is a horrible way to think about it, but at the same time it’s the truth. The world can’t stop over one person, despite all of the deaths that we seem to be having lately,” Di rationalized, “I guess that’s fair.  They’re the lucky ones that everyone wants to be, but I’ve always preferred to be the in the background.  I like it better.”

"That’s really nice to have a wide social circle,” Zeta said with a smile. She wished she had a bit of a wider social circle. She was thinking that hopefully she would soon since she knew Nora and recognized James, the guy from the library. Maybe she could become friends with this woman. She seemed nice enough and outgoing. “I suppose that’s true,” Zeta mused. She wondered if anyone was looking for her and if someone’s world stopped when they realized she was gone. “Why do you prefer the background?” Zeta didn’t blame her. She also liked the idea of being in the background.

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diana-balotelli‌:

Once upon a time, Diana had loved parties, however now if she attended there was a good chance that she was working. There were people to talk to, codes to send, messages to decipher, and on top of it there was a secret society to keep from the outside world.  It was almost as if parties were no longer for having fun.  “A lot of them are like this,” Diana admitted to Zeta.  She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to be talking to the woman, truly there was enough to be concerned about with her that it was probably a giant red flag.  And yet at the same time, Diana was curious, and since at any moment Zeta could remember something about her past it was better if she was there when it happened than someone else, “but I get that. Sometimes it helps me to just remind myself that celebrities are just regular people though, makes them less intimidating.”

"Have you been to a lot of film premiere afterparties? Or is it just other parties? I know a lot of parties are thrown around this city all the time,” Zeta said with a small smile. She wished she could have been like all those people going to parties, living a stress free and carefree life. “It is rather terrible though that they have this party after the death of that young man,” she added. “But I suppose it is nice in a sense as well. They could have not had this party at all with no memorial for him or kept it closed to people who aren’t famous.” She shrugged her shoulders and then started wandering towards the drink cart with the other woman. She picked up one glass and handed it over to her. “It’s still hard to imagine them as regular people. You read about their lives so much in the Daily Punctilio even if it’s false.” Zeta wasn’t a celebrity exactly, but some members of the public were very active in wanting to know more about her.

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drvivekvarma‌:

Vivek found himself asking why he was at the after party when he was only really interested in the film itself. There was only one kind of party he was interested in, and they were usually held in casinos. He couldn’t even remember what fearful thought led him to this one. He stayed at the sidelines, waiting for a good time to leave when he heard the woman next to him speak. “Not in my experience, no.” He said, in answer to her question. “Though, I don’t often go to parties like this, so you’re not alone.”

Zeta smiled at the man and held her hands behind her back as he spoke. She recognized him as a doctor at one of the hospitals. After she was first found, she went to all the hospitals in the area so they could check her head and see if there was a cause of her amnesia. They never found anything wrong with her, but she became familiar with many of the doctors and nurses. “What brought you to this party then?” she asked him. He was dressed very nicely and was well groomed. If she didn’t recognize him as a doctor, she would have thought he was one of the local celebrities.

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james-armstrongg‌:

He couldn’t quite place the woman’s face at first. But the more that he looked her over, the more familiar she seemed. They’d definitely met before. The library? Or had he seen her at the police department on one of those trips to try and get face time with the lead detective? “It certainly seems like a good opportunity. I’m glad that they actually went through with it. It’s been a dark few weeks in The City – no pun intended.” He smiled, watching as she moved to the beat of the music playing in the background. “I think Victoria Bradshaw has quite an eye for cinema. There were so many hidden details that I couldn’t look away for even a second. The acting wasn’t half bad, either. Did you have a favorite part?”

Zeta held out her hand to the younger man. “I’m Zeta,” she said, shaking his hand. “I don’t remember if we ever introduced ourselves at the library.” She gave him a friendly smile. She laughed when he made his unintentional pun. It was nice to be somewhere and be mostly anonymous. She didn’t have to focus on the prying public and she could enjoy herself. It was particularly nice to see a familiar face in the crowd. “I read that her father is also an actor and teaches classes. I haven’t seen any of his films, but I heard that he is very good. Victoria is lucky to have a father who understands the craft that she’s interested in,” she said. “I really liked the part where the Fisherman goes out and fights that sea monster. It think it was a kraken, but they called it Scylla.”

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rubyxcohen‌:

Seeing Zeta walk up, Ruby felt a smile tug at her lips. The two seemed to run into each other under odd circumstances, but their exchanges were always pleasant. “Oh he’s shown up to the mayor’s office a time or two - but one of the perks to working for the mayors is having security officers to kick out weirdos like that. Oh, and thank you again for helping me escape that terrible.” That date for sure made her list of worst dates ever. At least he now took the hint that she did not want to meet up with him ever again. “That would be lovely. I should really be getting you one, though, as a thank for your assistance. Are you sure you don’t want anything?”

"That is very good to hear,” Zeta said with a laugh. “Hopefully, he has gotten the message by now and if he hasn’t, surely your boss can figure something out to keep you safe.” She reached over to the drink cart, selecting two flute glasses and bringing them back over to Ruby. She handed one over and held up her glass to have a toast. “Let’s have a small toast to finally running into each other when it’s not a very freakish disaster,” she said with a grin. She clinked glasses with Ruby and then took a small sip of the champagne. 

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james-armstrongg‌:

Even though he didn’t typically enjoy events like this one, James felt like the after party was just the kind of thing that he needed. After all, the blackout had brought a metaphorical gloomy cloud over The City, leaving everyone to sort of rot in their own funk until the power came back on. The premiere of “The Valiant Fisherman’s Demise” was an opportunity to change that. It was a way to get people out and about again. It was something to do. And James couldn’t help but notice the ever-present V.F.D. in the film’s title – if there was any code to investigate, he wanted to get to it first. At first, he didn’t think he would enjoy the after party much at all. But it became clear, after only a short time there, that it was more fun than he originally thought. “I wouldn’t know – I don’t typically go to these things, either. But it seems like one way to get people out again, and gives people a reason to come together after the blackout. It’s a great idea, really. – But I get what you mean. I’m not quite sure I belong here, either. I mean, I’m just a waiter with some spare change and empty schedule.”

Zeta smiled as she saw the familiar face. She’d met James at the library and the two talked briefly, but the two had to run shortly after that. She remembered he was working on a school project and that he was a waiter at the Herring Houdini. Zeta would be lying if she said that she didn’t keep little notecards on some of the people she’d met. She feared losing her memory again and completely forgetting people she’d met yet again. “I agree. It is a nice idea to open this to the public after everything everyone has been through,” Zeta said, nodding. She swayed a little to the music and then looked over at James again. “What did you think of the film? I thought it was really...different. I mean I liked it, but it wasn’t what I expected. I thought that Victoria Bradshaw was very good in it as well as the actor who played the Fisherman.” 

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Zeta shouldn’t have spent her money on some movie ticket, but she also felt like treating herself. She’d made a little extra cash from making some fake IDs for some kids and decided “what the hell.” She got herself a ticket for the premiere of the interestingly named film “The Valiant Fisherman’s Demise” and along with that came the after party. She wasn’t sure if she was the partying type, but she figured she’d give it a try. “Are all the parties in the City like this?” she asked the person next to her. She decided to give Dr. Sanders’s advice a go and branch out and talk to others instead of waiting for them to come to her. “I’ve never been to one. That’s why I’m asking. It’s a great party. It’s very nice. I don’t think I’ve ever been to the after party of a film premiere. Honestly, I feel like I don’t entirely belong here because there’s so many local celebrities here.”

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rubyxcohen‌:

Not for the first time this night had Ruby been bombarded with questions for the Mayor. But Mayor Parish needed some air (i.e. may have been dodging some questions) so she was left to stave of the crowds momentarily. One of the ‘perks’ of being the one members at the office available to attend the after party. At least she was getting some compensation…and maybe she could do some sleuthing while here. There were some figures here she’d been meaning to track down and ask a thing or two, but she’d lost them in the thick of the crowd.

However, an approaching figure caught her attention. “Oh, if you have any questions for the Mayor, I hate to inform you but, he’s out for a few minutes. But I’m happy to assist you if possible…unless I’m just standing in the way of the drink cart again.” Was she doing that again? If so, maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea to just take one - she could definitely use some relaxation about now.

"Oh, I didn’t come to ask about the Mayor,” Zeta said with a light laugh. “I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to know how you were doing and if your awful date ever tried to contact you after you escaped.” She smiled at Ruby, happy to see a familiar face. It was her first time at a party, at least as far as she could remember, and she was nervous about going. Luckily, as everyone was still pretty occupied with recovering from the blackout, they weren’t looking at her. It seemed that they’d moved onto their next mystery and their next front page story that was the mysterious death of Scott Sheffield. “Do you want a drink?” she asked, smiling at the girl. “I wasn’t going to get one, but if you are I’d be happy to get you one. You do all that work for the Mayor, seems like it’d be nice for someone else to get something for you for once.”

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HONEST HOUR

Today is our Honesty Hour Friday! Please refer to the main for more information regarding rules for honesty hour.

You may send (anonymous) confessions to each other as well as the Daily Punctilio blog! HOWEVER! As a twist, you can only respond with a gif of your character and they cannot say anything back. For those with limited resources/zero gifs, feel free to write a super short blurb with how they’d respond or feel without saying anything.

You can participate if you wish, but you do not have to. Honesty Hour is completely optional! Please reblog this post if you are participating this week. And remember, have fun!

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nora-sanders‌:

“I hope that it does,” Nora nodded at her with a warm smile as she picked up her pen and absent-mindedly started tapping it on the table, “Well I’m in the middle of writing a new novel, so that’s going. I’m still trying to find out what happens at the end, but it’s rare that I know the ending of my stories before I get to them.  It drives my editor crazy, but it’s just a part of my process.”

"I should go and get one of your novels from the library,” Zeta said. “I keep saying that I will and haven’t yet.” She laughed lightly. She really loved her art and kept getting so preoccupied with that and trying to search for answers. Talking with Nora, she was starting to realize that maybe it was best to start living her new life and not get so bogged down by her unknown past. “What is this new novel about so far?”

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Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or 1 horse-sized duck?

I think I’ll pick the 100 duck sized horses. I could have a little army of tiny horses. How could I fight them when they’d be so adorable?

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Do you think that there's anyone looking for you?

I hope so. I’d like to believe it. But I don’t understand how they haven’t found me yet when I’ve been in the news all over the City.

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What is the strangest thing that you have learned about yourself?

I found out that I like peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches with a little honey. It’s a great midnight snack.

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Do you think that you had a happy childhood?

I’d like to think so. I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything that might remind me of my childhood. I don’t feel sad or anything when I see children’s books or toys. So...I guess I can’t possibly have had a sad childhood.