• Lantas View Diner

[Isabella, ɪᴛ’ꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴇᴀꜱʏ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴏʟᴅ]

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[Kyleigh]

While Venus had agreed to meet her sister here, a part of her felt a little uneasy being at the Lantas View Diner. The reason? Well, Michael Daenerys was murdered on the path leading to the diner recently, so in her mind, her slight nervousness made sense. But she decided to go through with it. For Sera. Venus had taken the liberty to make the reservation herself, and that's exactly what she did.

There was also a matter of the incident that had occurred here a few days prior. She had read it in the paper; Draven Delacroix, cousin of her coworker Lorelei, shattered the window during an argument with August Hayden. But she didn't really think much of it, since she thought it wasn't her business knowing the full details of what exactly happened.

Venus entered the diner, noticing that Sera hadn't arrived yet. That was fine. She didn't expect her sister to be here right away. She looked at the waitress, smiling at her and walking towards her direction. "Good morning. I have a reservation for two." her tone was polite and cheerful.

The waitress smiled back, flipping through the list of reservations. "Ah, yes. Councilor Ellsworth. Right this way, please." The waitress led Venus to the table, continuing to converse with her. "It's an honor to have another councilor here since the murder. Especially since the victim was Councilor Daenerys' own father. Such an unfortunate tragedy." She paused when they arrived at the booth. "Your table."

"No need to be so formal. I might be a councilor, but I'm still just like everyone else." Venus nodded as the waitress spoke. "Agreed. It's tragic. I sympathize with Sapphira." The waitress seemed to agree. "Of course, Miss Ellsworth. I sympathize with her as well." Venus sat down at the booth when they arrived. "Thank you." The waitress smiled again. "No problem, Miss Ellsworth. Let me know when you're ready to order."

Venus nodded her head again. "Of course." She looked through the menu, deciding what to order as she waited for Sera to arrive. She seemed worried about her in the last letter that she sent, so Venus hoped that them seeing each other gave her reassurance that she was all right.

[Kyleigh]

Sera thought about the letters between her and Venus. It was nice to have letters as a way to communicate with each other while they were apart. But it would be great to see her after a while and catch up with each other. She smiled to herself at the thought.

Admittedly, she was running a little bit late. Which made Sera feel bad. She hated being late, and she definitely didn't want to keep her sister waiting. She figured that Venus was already there, knowing that she was the more punctual of the two sisters. She quickened her pace, hurrying as fast as she could.

She walked into the diner, noticing that it wasn't that busy. Which made sense. Michael was murdered nearby recently, after all. So people were probably wary of coming here now. And she didn't blame them one bit.

She walked towards the waitress, giving a pleasant smile. "Hello. I'm here for a reservation. It should be under Ellsworth." The same waitress who had helped Venus nodded, smiling back at her. "Yes. You must be Councilor Ellsworth's sister. Right this way, please."

Sera was surprised that the waitress recognized her. Though she supposed that she shouldn't have been, since she was the sister of a Voxthain councilor. She followed the waitress, seeing Venus out of the corner of her eye. "Here you are. I'll be back right to take your order." The waitress walked away, going behind the counter.

Sera smiled at Venus, giving her a hug. "Hey, Venus How are you?" She sat down in the booth, sitting across from her sister. "It's so nice to see you again. We definitely need to catch up. And thank you for agreeing to come here."

[Kyleigh]

Venus saw the waitress from before walk back in her direction again, this time with Sera. Her feeling of uneasiness went away at the sight of her sister, relieved that she made it to the diner without any incident. She knew from her last letter that Sera told her to be careful. It was sweet of her to be concerned, really. But Venus was also equally worried for Sera's safety, given the recent murders and the shadowfog slowly inching closer to Voxthain. Maybe she should meet with her sister councilor Taja about that soon. Though Councilor Hayden recently had a meeting with her sister councilor Ceonrei regarding the shadowfog, so she would have to wait when Caledonia reported back to the rest of council.

She acknowledged the waitress's words nodding her head. "Thank you." Venus turned her attention to Sera, smiling back at her and returning the hug. "Hi Sera. I've been good. How about you?" She adjusted herself in the booth to be more comfortable. "It's nice to see you again too, Sera." She smiled again before continuing. "Of course. And yes, we definitely need to catch up."

It was great to see her sister again, Venus thought. It had been a while since they last saw each other. How long has been? Two months, she guessed. Usually, they just communicated through letters like with their recent correspondences. But it was nice to see Sera in person again. Even though it was only a few months, it felt like years since they last saw each other.

Not wanting there to be silence between them, Venus continued the conversation. "How's work been? Anything exciting happen recently?" Sera was a journalist, and she had read some of the articles that she had published. It always made her feel happy reading them. She had some old newspapers in her office with some of Sera's articles and liked to reread them when she had time. Venus was truly proud of her sister, and Sera seemed to love her job. And she was glad about that.

[Kyleigh]

In all honesty, Sera felt weird being at the diner. She hadn't been here in so long, especially now. Not many people were around, and she could definitely tell the air was different since the murders. The waitress was probably surprised that a Voxthain councilor and her sister of all people were here. But she tried to disregard the thought. For Venus.\

She watched as the waitress left, looking back at Venus. "Good." She smiled again; this time it was wider. "Yes, it's been too long. There's so much to talk about." She looked at her watch, noticing the time. "I'm sorry that I was late. Just got caught up with some other things." She genuinely did feel bad for not arriving on time. Her sister took the time to make the reservation. The least she could've done was show up on time. Oh well. She couldn't go back now.

Despite the awkwardness she felt, Sera felt better seeing Venus. She was glad that they could be meet up at the diner now after being apart for so long. She could sense herself feeling more comfortable as she spoke with her sister. She was always there for her when she needed it when they were kids, and she was glad that Venus was her sister. They were together again. And that was all that mattered to her.

Sera chuckled before continuing. "Same as always. Not much happening. Just writing articles as usual. But the band and I have a performance coming up. I'm sure I told you in our letters, right? Any updates on work since?" Venus told her everything that had happened recently in her letters, so she knew the latest scoop. "Should we order now?

[Kyleigh]

Venus could sense that Sera was a bit on edge. Like she was. But she knew that she felt more comfortable as they started their conversation. And she felt the same way. She tried her best to remain calm so that she wouldn't make her sister feel more nervous. Sera had looked up to Venus ever since they were kids. And she knew that.

Venus smiled as Sera spoke. "That's nice to hear. Plenty to discuss." She shook her head, given her sister some reassurance. "No, it's quite alright. No need to apologize. It happens sometimes." True, Sera was a bit flawed went it came to being punctual. It didn't bother her, though. As long as Sera was here, Venus was glad to be able to spend time with her whenever she could.

In a way, it was nice that there weren't many people at the diner now. It just meant more time for the sisters to be by themselves and just chat away without having to worry about others possibly interrupting their conversation. The circumstances for that weren't great, though. Venus ignored that though and took advantage of the peace and quiet for a while.

Venus chuckled along with Sera. "Any interesting stories to talk about, though? Not even something remotely interesting that could pique my curiosity?" She paused, thinking on how too answer the question. "Yes, I remember you telling me that. I would love to come, but I'll have to see if my schedule would allow it. As for work, nothing really new going on since. Just the usual, I suppose." She smiled again. nodding her head in agreement. "Yes, let's order."

[Kyleigh]

In a way, Sera was surprised that Venus had agreed to meet here instead of somewhere else. If the culprit would kill the father of one of Venus's coworkers, then they could target one of the councilors next. Even her. No, stop thinking about the murder. I'm here for Venus. She decided to brush her thoughts about the crime away and just chat with her sister. Trying not to bring it up during their conversation.

"Right." She smiled again, relieved that Venus wasn't angry at her for being late. "Thank you. I appreciate that. I'll definitely to be more punctual from now on, though" she said with a chuckle. Next time, she thought, she would get ready earlier the next time that they meet up again.

It was weird, seeing the diner so quiet and sparse. Every time Sera came here, it was usually busy and there were a lot more people. But not today. At least they could take advantage of the quiet atmosphere and catch up. Honestly, today was probably an ideal day to come. More time to spend with each other. Until others showed up.

"Nothing really interesting except for the band's next performance. If you can't come, don't worry about it. Just something I thought that I would bring up. By the way, I talked to Mom and Dad after our last letter. It was really nice to see them again after so long?"

Sera smiled, looking at the menu. "Great! Do you know what you'll have? Or do you need more time to decide?" She quickly skimmed through, deciding on what she would order.

[Kyleigh]

Venus smoothed out the edges of her dress until they were free of wrinkles. Meeting with Sera was a special occasion after, so she wanted to look presentable. Sera probably wouldn't have cared, but still.

She laughed at her sister's remark. "Well next time, I expect you to show up on time, then. Not earlier or later than our agreed time" she teased. Venus was used to Sera being late, so it never surprised her whenever she was. Oh well. Better to be late than never show at all, she believed. Not that she thought Sera would never show up at all. Her sister would never do that to her.

Venus shook her head. "No, I promise I'll try to make it. Just let me know when it is and I'll definitely be there. Speaking of the band, how are they? Anything new with them?" She remembered the first performance she went to. Admittedly, the kind of music they played usually wasn't her style. But she surprisingly enjoyed it. And she could tell that Sera was really happy being in the band. Which made Venus happy as well.

She gave a slight smile when her sister brought up their parents. "That's great to hear! What did they say? How have they been since?" The thought of their brought Venus instantly to when their mother resigned from the council. When she was first elected councilor, she felt pressured to fill her mother's shoes and preserve her honor on the council. But now she loves her job. And she wouldn't trade it for the world.

"I think I decided" she replied. "What about you? Have you decided yet?"

[Kyleigh]

Sera laughed along with Venus as she spoke. It had been a long time since they had a conversation like this. It was nice, spending time together at the diner. She could just focus on the conversation and not worry about anything else at this very moment. Nothing could ruin it.

"All right, I'll make a note of that." Despite the teasing from her sister, she meant it. She really did need to put more effort into arriving on time. She brushed it off though, not giving another thought of it.

Sera gave a slight smile at Venus's words. "That would be great! It would make me so happy if you could come. The band's doing well. Not much has changed since our letters. Athena and Megan are the same. Tyene and Raidan as well." Being in the band felt exhilarating for Sera. Expressing herself through music was amazing. And she loved her bandmates. They were like a second family to her.

Sera's smile widened as she continued the conversation. "Not much. They just asked me how they were doing and that they were enjoying life. They also asked about you and I told them how we wrote letters to each other. And they were glad to here from me again." Admittedly, hearing them say that made Sera feel a bit guilty. She really should talk to them more often. She decided that from now on she'll send more messages to them, even if they were just brief ones.

She glanced at the menu again, nodding her head. "Yeah, I think I have. Should we call the waitress now?"

[Kyleigh]

"Speaking of meeting up, it would be nice if we could again. Do you have any ideas of where we could meet up next time?" She had a few ideas in mind, but she wanted to hear Sera out first. The Clocktower Square could be a good option. Or maybe even somewhere in Asterath despite the dangers of the gangs. She had only been there a few times to meet with Taja. But Sera was probably more familair with the city since the band performed at various locations across both cities. Maybe she could explore Asterath more with her sister.

Venus could tell that Sera loved talking about the band. It made her happy that her sister was doing what she loved. And so was she. "I'll try my best." She listened as Sera spoke, glad that band was well. "That's good. Sometimes it's nice that things or people don't change."

She nodded along to Sera's words. "That's sweet that they're concerned for me too. I worry about them sometimes too. But I guess I don't need to. It sounds like they're doing just fine." That was a relief to her. After the incident on the outer city path, she was a little on edge. She ignored her thoughts though and continued the conversation.

"We should." She looked over in the direction of the waitress, signaling for her to come to their table and receive their orders.

[Kyleigh]

Sera gave an agreeing smile. "That would be." There were several options that came to her mind as she considered the answer to Venus's question. "Maybe the Clocktower Square? Somewhere in Asterath could be interesting, but they might question us as to why we would be there." Which was true sometimes. Why would a Voxthain councilor and her sister be there in the first place? Maybe it was best to avoid Asterath. At least for now.

Her smiled widened as Venus spoke. "Thank you. That would mean a lot to me." She nodded her head. "I agree. It is nice when things or people don't change. For the most part." Sera liked to think that she hadn't changed much. Same with her sister. Venus has always been the sweet, caring person that's she's know ever since she was a child. And she loved that about her.

"I worry about them too at times. But I suppose we shouldn't if they're doing fine." She chuckled after she spoke. Maybe it was a bad thing to worry too much. With everything that's happened though, she exactly blame herself or other that felt the same way. Including Venus. Ignore it and keep going, Sera.

Sera watched as the waitress came to their table and smiled at them. "Hello ladies. Have you decided what to order yet?" She looked over at Sera first. "What would you like, dear?" She gave a cheerful smile back at the waitress. "I'd like a Lantas cheesecake with coffee, please. And may I also get a glass of water?"

"Of course" the waitress said. "And what about you, Councilor Ellsworth?"

[Kyleigh]

"I was actually thinking of the Clocktower Square. And that's true. They might wonder why we were there." Unless it was for a meeting with her sister councilor, they probably wasn't much of a valid reason for her to be. She didn't want to get caught up in any possible danger in Asterath. So the Clocktower Square it is.

"What day and time would work best for you? Just so we know for future reference." Venus was very meticulous when it came to planning things. She liked to plan ahead of time so would know how to prepare beforehand. Which she supposed was why she was generally on time or early. She didn't want to parrot Sera again, so she simply nodded her head in agreement.

Venus chuckled lightly. "Right. Last time I spoke to them I told them that they should be careful. They just reassured me that everything would be all right." Which was true, She knew her parents better than that. They would never recklessly potentially put their lives in danger. Especially since they were getting older. She was just glad that they were safe and sound.

She smiled at the waitress. "I'll have a chocolate cake. And a coffee and water too, please."

"No problem. Your order will be ready soon." Venus gave the menu back to the waitress. "Thank you."

[Kyleigh]

Sera smiled again when Venus spoke. "Perfect! Sounds like we're in agreement, then." In all honestly, she was a little relieved when her sister didn't suggest somewhere in Asterath. She didn't want to deal with them recognizing Venus, which most people there most likely did. And the possible questioning of others, either. But she supposed that Voxthain was becoming more dangerous as well. In her mind though, some aspects of it made it safer. To an extent, at least.

'I could do Wednesday. What day would you be available on?" Lately, Sera felt like she was always busy, between work and the band. So it was rare for her to have some free time to herself or with others. It was nice, not having to worry about work or the band for today. A day to just relax and be with Venus.

Sera laughed along with Venus. "Sounds just like Mom and Dad." She knew that their parents tended to cautious, especially with them when they were younger. But her and Venus were lucky to have parents that cared so much for them. Unfortunately, she couldn't say the same thing about other people.

Seeing that Venus gave her menu to the waitress, she gave hers back as well. "Thank you" she said, repeating her sister's words.

The waitress nodded, walking back behind the counter to prepare their food.

[Kyleigh]

Venus grinned back. "That we are." Good. She didn't want to disagree with Sera on their next meeting. That was something that she didn't want to deal with right now. And she didn't want the possibility of hurting her sister's feelings, either. Not that she believed that Sera would be offended by that, though.

"Wednesday is good for me too. I'm looking forward to it." She smiled again at the thought. Venus was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "By the way, thank you Sera. For agreeing to meet me here. Especially since we've both been so busy lately, it's good to relax and just have the day together." She wasn't exactly sure why she was thanking her sister, but she thought that it would be the polite thing to do. It wasn't often that they got to see each other, so Venus wanted to cherish this moment for as long as she could.

"Exactly." She knew their parents well enough to know what they would say. Especially her mother, the woman that she had admired most growing up. And still does to this day. She worked hard to help the people of Voxthain as best as she could. And now that Venus was a councilor, she wanted to be just like her mother. Kind, compassionate, but also not afraid to beat around the bush when needed. Her dream came true, all because of her mother.

Venus watched as the waitress left. Honestly, she felt bad for the waitress, with the diner not having much business lately and working hard with her coworkers the make the sure it was still running smoothly. She glanced around the diner before turning her attention back to Sera. "The diner seems very quiet, huh?"

[Kyleigh]

Sera simply nodded her head, not saying anything else on the matter. She wondered what other ideas Venus would have suggested instead of the Clocktower Square. But she decided not to worry about it. Why should she? They already agreed, so there was no point in wondering.

"Perfect. Wednesday is it, then. I'm looking forward to it as well. What time works for you?" She wanted to be as prepared as possible for their next meeting. After all, Sera didn't want to be late again. Not after she promised Venus that she would be on time.

Sera smiled cheerfully at her sister's words. "Of course, Venus. I'll always make time for you when I can." She felt another twinge of guilt as she spoke. She knew that Venus understood, but she couldn't shake the feeling away. She pushed the thought away though, turning her attention back to her sister.

"I'm sure that Mom is proud of you. I think you're doing a great job as councilor." She gave a reassuring smile before she continued. "I know you sometimes feel pressured to be just like her and follow her example. But you don't have to. Just keep doing what you think is right and everything will be fine." And she meant it. Even if she didn't always show it, Sera was one of Venus's biggest supporters. And she wanted her sister to know that.

"Yeah, it is. It's usually busy. But I guess it makes sense why. The staff are working so hard. I can't help but feel bad for them." The only sounds were the slight ticking of the clock and the other few that were present chatting away. It was quiet. Too quiet, she felt.

[Kyleigh]

"Does seven PM sound good? I'll be off work then." She would've suggested a time in the morning, but she felt like she wouldn't have enough time before then. She couldn't just simply skip work, even for her sister. The people needed Venus. And she wouldn't let them down.

Venus smiled back. "And I will always make time for you, too. So there's no need to worry about that." She could sense the slight guilt Sera had in her voice. "And don't feel bad, Sera. I'm busy too, so there's need to feel guilty about not spending enough time together." Admittedly though, Venus felt the same way. But she tried her best to not show it. Not in front of her sister.

She listened to Sera's words, a little surprised, but nodded along. "You think so? And thank you. I appreciate that. But what was the speech for, Seraphina? That seemed to come out of nowhere. Not that I'm not grateful. Really, I am." The thought never occurred to her. Was she trying too hard to be like their mother? Maybe so. But regardless, she appreciated her sister's kind words.

"If I may ask, how do you feel about working for the Seaveys? I don't think I've heard you really talk about them much." She knew that all journalists in Voxthain worked for the family since they ran the newspaper. They were known manipulators just based on some of the articles she read in the newspaper. A part of her wondered if would prefer to be an independent journalist. Though she couldn't exactly do that in Voxthain.

She nooded her head in agreement. "Me too." A part of her worried the diner would continue to struggle due to the lack of business. But maybe things would pick again once the murders had been solved. Venus hoped, at least.

[Kyleigh]

"That will work. I should off work by then as well." Well, that worked perfectly. Fortunately, today and Wednesday were the rare times where they could be together. Perfect. More time with Venus is always a good thing.

"Thank you, Venus. That means a lot to me." How did I get so lucky to have such a kind and understanding sister? Sera was truly grateful to have a sister like Venus. Always looking out for others and wanting what was best for them. An example of how a sister should be, in her mind.

Her smile widened as she spoke. "Of course. And you're welcome." In all honesty. Sera was a bit embarrassed by her sister's remarks. "I just wanted to make you feel better. I don't want you stressing yourself out so much. No one's perfect, Venus. Just don't think too much about it." She knew how much Venus admired their mother. But she was her own person, of course. And to her, that was more important than being like their mother.

Sera raised an eyebrow at Venus's question. "The Seaveys? Well to be honest, I don't really interact with them, so I can't really say what they're like in person." Of course, she knew that they were manipulators. Everyone in Voxthain did. In a way, she felt a little weird working for them when she was the exact opposite of the family. But it wasn't like anyone in the city had a choice if they wanted to be a journalist like she was. She tried her best to push the thought away though and just continue doing the job that she loves.

"When was the last time that you came here?" Personally for Sera, she didn't come to the diner much, even before the incident. She looked out window, being able to see Lantas from here was spectacular. "The view from here is beautiful, isn't it?"

[Kyleigh]

Venus smiled at Sera's remark. "Perfect." She paused before continuing. "After the Clocktower, would like to have dinner at my apartment? I can make one of Mom's recipes if you'd like." Venus had gotten the apartment shortly after she became a councilor and had lived there since. It was a lovely apartment with her own personal touches to it. Her most treasured possession was her mother's cookbook with all of her recipes written down. It reminded Venus of her childhood, and would make some of those recipes when she missed her mother's cooking.

"You're welcome." Another twinge of guilt went through Venus as she spoke. Her words were true, but it was so hard to find time for Sera when they were both busy. Alas, that was the life of a councilor. Working for and helping the people of Voxthain was her passion, something that never had any regrets for.

She couldn't help but chuckle at Sera's words. "I appreciate that, Sera. I really do. I'll definitely try to stress less about it. But don't worry about me, trust me." Maybe that wasn't the best reaction to have. But it was laugh of joy, not for making fun of Sera. Her sister's kindness was one of the many things that she loved about her. She's such a good sister,

Venus nodded at Sera's response. "Well, I suppose that makes sense." She personally never interacted with the Seaveys that much either. There were truths to some of their articles, but others were just lies that Venus easily didn't believe. Heck, when she read the newspaper on Michael's death, they attacked Sapphira for missing the food drive. Which upset her. Who does that to someone whose father was just murdered? Talk about being incredibly insensitive to her poor coworker's feelings.

"A few weeks ago. What about you?" She looked out the window when Sera mentioned Lantas. "It really is." That was one of the reasons that Venus liked to come to the diner sometimes. The view of Lantas was amazing, glowing brightly in the sky. Something that you couldn't see from the rest of Voxthain.

[Kyleigh]

"That would be great! I'd love to have dinner with you." It had been a while since she had visited Venus at her apartment. It would be a nice change of scenery, which Sera liked. "I miss Mom's cooking." The idea of the delicious food their mother made for them almost made Sera's mouth water. From her homemade brownies and stew to seafood, the sisters were always excited to eat her cooking. It didn't compare to Sera's own cooking. She acknowledged that their mother was a much better cook than she would ever be.

Sera placed her hand on Venus's shoulder. "Of course. I just want what's best for you. And I'm sure that the people are thankful to you, too. But I'll take your word for it." She loved how hard of a worker her sister was. She was worried that Venus was working herself too hard, though. But maybe she should stop worrying, She knew that her sister was more than capable for the job. And that was all of the reassurance that she needed.

She nodded her head. "Yeah." If Sera was being honest with herself, she found it frustrating to work for the Seaveys sometimes. She could never understand why they felt the need to manipulate most things that they published. Did they think that the people would be stupid enough to believe everything that they wrote? It was honestly laughable how bad some of their lies were. Sera didn't want to give up on her dream, though. She always worked to be as honest as possible, even if the Seaveys didn't.

"Last month." She smiled to herself. Such a brilliant glow.

She heard footsteps coming towards them, seeing that it was the waitress, carrying their orders. "Here you go, ladies. I hope you enjoy." Sera's smile widened. "Thank you."

[Kyleigh]

A smile spread across Venus's face as she heard Sera's reply. "Great! Would you like me to make anything specific?" It had been a while since she made one of her mother's recipes. "Me too," Each bite she had of her mother's cooking always made memories flow through her head. Ah, the nostalgia. She savored each bite and loved it.

Venus smiled again, placing her hand on Sera's. "Thank you, Sera." She gently removed Sera's hand from her shoulder, placing it on the table. "I appreciate your support. It means a lot to me." What would she do without her sister? She loved how much she cared and how supportive she was. Sera was one of the most kind and genuine people that she knew. She would hate to imagine her life without her.

"It honestly makes me mad. Did you read what they say about Sapphira after Michael's murder? They criticized her when she understandably didn't show up at the food drive. I don't get why they would attack her like that." Venus was not one to anger easily. But how could they do that when Michael's murder was literally on the front page of the paper? She couldn't believe that the Seaveys twisted it to make look like Sapphira was a bad person. She certainly wasn't. Venus might not have interacted with her coworker much, but she still considered her a friend. Poor, poor Sapphira.

She brushed it off, nodding her head. "Last month? We should really come here more often, then" she said with a chuckle.

Venus heard the waitress's voice as she brought them their food and drinks. She smiled at the waitress, repeating Sera. "Thank you."

The waitress smiled back. "You're welcome, If you need anything else, just let me know." Venus nodded again. "We will."