"But Wouldn't That Be A Beautiful Way To Go? Being Flattered To Death. That Being Said, I Would Very

cracking open a cold one with the girls except it’s my icy heart and they’re teaching me how to love again

While she had always been independent and quite happy to do things by herself, going to a Halloween party alone had felt quite wrong. Well, she mostly didn't like the idea of entering the party alone and didn't mind the group had scattered within the first ten minutes. Apparently she hadn't been the only party-goer left to their own devices. Finishing the drink she had been nursing for quite a while, she nodded at him in acknowledgement. "The best," she agreed, trying to spot her own group of people. It was a pointless task with the amount of people packed to the venue and she soon gave up, coming to the conclusion she would find them later. "Sure, why not. Sounds like a good idea right about now."

Open Starter For: Anybody @aurorabaystarter Location: Sharky's Monster Mash

Oliver wasn't feeling like himself lately, but that's when his siblings had shown up into town and they surprised him. He was glad that they were able to come for Halloween so that he could party with them. He hadn't partied much with his younger siblings since he was always worried about taking care of them. But as usual, they took off with someone random and Oliver, dressed as Harry potter, found himself alone. He ordered himself a drink at the bar and he looked around while he waited. He looked to the person who was closest to him and he smiled, "It's so nice when you're deserted by people who came to town to see you." He chuckled a bit. "I was going to take a shot, are you interested in joining?"

Joe's Tavern had come to serve a very specific purpose for Zahra. It was dark and dingy, and the drinks were definitely cheaper than the outrageous prices she had come to expect from New York City. It had served her well during her PhD years and she hadn't really bothered trying to find a new spot.

The stranger sat next to her didn't seem to be enjoying the atmosphere quite as much Zahra. She glanced at their beer and shrugged her shoulders.

"Thought of trying anything else?" she asked, eyeing her own shot of Jack Daniel's. It was a safe choice, hard to mess up. "Just don't get the wine."

open starter @bhqextras

where: Joe's Tavern

They've lost count of how many bars they've been to since they moved to the city but they still haven't found a place they can call their place, where you'd find him every Saturday or after a work day where they'd have to deal with a lot more dunces than they'd like (one)

Trying not to snap at the bartender that asked them "a what"?" when they asked for a pint and added a condescending "you're in America, sweetheart, just say beer." as if they could erase from their brain the way they've talked all their lives because they set foot in the country.

And all of that to taste the piss poor excuse of beer the man served them. "Ugh, I don't know what I was expecting. It's like it gets worst every time I taste one of these." Theo shook their head in disgust but took a few more gulps anyway.

Zahra noticed the way the man studied their surroundings and nodded as if agreeing. “It’s pretty impressive, isn’t it?” She had spent a good chunk of her life in libraries and the Main Branch of the New York Public Library was easily one of her favorites, even if her last few trips there had been less than fruitful. When she hadn’t been able to concentrate on her writing, Zahra had spent hours people-watching and wandering around the building, desperate for any sort of distraction.

An unintended yet quickly contained laughter escaped her as he described his sister. "I have to keep that in mind. Hopefully I won’t be needing any legal counsel anytime soon, but it's good to know there are options." She turned to glimpse at the books, a look of faint disgust spreading across her face. "I guess they are. Didn't read most of them, though. They're for work."

He grabbed the bag in his arms when he noticed it was about to hive out any moment now and followed her into the library. He hadn't been in here since he moved to the city and started working so he looked around the beautiful building for a moment as he walked. He almost bumped into her even. "I'm sorry." He left out a chuckle.

"Oh yeah, my sister is a nerd but hey, if you ever have some legal troubles she's amazing." He looked at the mountain of books in his arms and back at her. "Are all these yours? Someone's been busy."

my body is NOT. a “”temple””….it is a CLOWN CAR, and NONE OF THESE BITCHES KNOW HOW 2 DRIVE

"That sounds doable. I guess there's a certain kind of catharsis to reading about someone slightly annoying, especially if they grow out of it." While she didn't seek out irritating book characters, hate-reading could act as a weirdly satisfactory way of distraction. "I think I might have to get it, to check out whether you're right about her being annoying," she admitted with a nod, having made her decision.

She studied the woman briefly before moving on to the next shelf to check out its offerings. Zahra was in no hurry to leave and the peaceful bookshop, having realized flipping through the books kept her mocking thoughts at bay. "I take it you read a lot. I mean, you don't work here, do you?"

maddox nearly laughed at the other's question; one she would ask as well. she looked up at the ceiling as she recalled the beginning of the book. "it's not so much that she's annoying in a painful way. she's just annoying in a 'why are you so pessimistic?' type of way. but the more you get to know her and the more she learns and grows throughout the series, the more you let that annoyance fade," she explained, shrugging on shoulder.

"i'm personally not one to go easy on annoying characters. in fact, the only reason i even continued to read the book was because of how perfect the villain was. so if it makes you feel better, there is so many other things to focus on and it'll be over before you know it," she promised.

“Of course not. That would be really boring and unrealistic,” she agreed with a small shake of her head. “I like reading about people who have flaws and who do dumb or morally questionable things, but framing definitely matters. None of those shortcomings are interesting if it feels like the author actually believes that being a shitty person is some sort of a virtue.” While Zahra could be quite withdrawn and even standoffish to a point, she genuinely and evidently enjoyed a good chat with almost anyone as long as she didn’t have to discuss her personal life in any particular detail. “Oh yeah?” she asked with a raised eyebrow, the corners of her mouth twitching, “well, I can’t blame you. Can’t say I’m the biggest fan of that book myself. But I suppose there’s some merit to it.”

She nodded along as the stranger spoke, grateful she seemed to take the lead. “Could’ve fooled me. So, you know, I am sure you would make an excellent bookseller as well. You seem to know your stuff." It wasn't a lie; she was clearly passionate about literature and had no problem approaching strangers to recommend things to them. "I suppose that's true. I wish I had more time to read fiction."

"i do fully believe that not all characters have to be likable in order for the book to be good. i will say, however, there's something so bothersome about them being framed in a way that suggest they're supposed to be likable. i try not to judge too hard, but sometimes i can't help it. catcher in the rye? i think that's maybe the worst book i've ever read," she rambled. she could go on, but she cut herself off with a shy laugh. not everyone wanted their ear talked off about books. "well when you make your assessment, you're definitely going to have to give me an update," she replied.

maddox flushed ever so slightly at the question. it wasn't the first time she'd been asked it. "ah, no i don't work here. i'm actually a tattoo artist. but if i weren't a tattoo artist, then working at a bookstore would probably be my first choice. i do read quite a bit. i've tried to tone it down though. i've learned the unfortunate truth that the more you read, the less stories feel unique."

Aiysha Hart as Dr. Miriam Shephard in ‘A Discovery of Witches’

"I can imagine. Did you like LA? I mean, I feel like it would be vastly different from New York. Never been," she admitted. While she had nothing against he West Coast, California or even Los Angeles, she had never had any real reason to visit. The family she had in the states lived mostly in the Midwest, and she had spent her adult years in the Southeast and East Coast. "Different vibe, right? I guess you could say the weather is nicer."

Zahra didn't have to open the menu to know what she wanted. She could be a creature of habit, often frequenting the same restaurants she had once deemed good. Still, she took a look as if trying to make recommendations. "All of the pasta is pretty great. Can't say a lot about the meat since I don't really eat it."

They took a turn around the corner and he followed her to the place she knew as they continued chatting. He found it really easy to talk to her even though she seemed very serious and wanted to shake him off at the beginning, she warming up to him apparently and it felt nice. Uncomplicated. "I've lived in LA so I'm pretty used to having options of things to do. Too many options actually. When I first got there at eighteen, I wanted to do everything all the time. The last couple of years I was in bed by ten." He laughed at himself. Thirty-nine hit pretty hard.

Once inside the place, he rubbed his hands together, looking around. "Okay, what's good here? I'm actually starving." he chuckled.

zahra hamed as ellen ripley from alien

i got you, you son of a bitch.