Intrigue

(I meant to have this up earlier in the day, but it looks like I scheduled it for next Sunday by accident! sorry for the delay 💙 trigger warning for... well, for someone being triggered)

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Kana loved gigs at this time of day. They were as good as invisible in their corner of the coffee shop, a sculpture to be occasionally admired but not interacted with. They took complete advantage of it; people would say all kinds of things in front of them when they'd forgotten they were there.

At a table near the stage, a couple was looking at house listings, planning to buy their first home together. Another couple near the bar was having a fight, speaking in tense voices that said they really wanted to be yelling but didn’t wish to do so in public. A well-dressed man sat at a table near the middle of the room, waiting for someone; judging by the set of his shoulders, it’s for business, not pleasure.

Three people came through the door, two smiling women and a third person that looked… familiar, somehow. Kana tried not to get too cozy with the locals, but they’ve been in Nivio often enough that they’re probably bumping into the same people once in a while. Interesting, but not enough to dwell on it.

The three new people sat down with Mr. Business Casual, and Kana didn’t pay them anymore mind.

Slowly, the room got busier as the lunch rush arrived, and with it came more voices. Kana closed their eyes, taking it all in.

Hey, Mom, it’s me. Call me back when you get this message.

Ugh, I’m so glad I’m finally done with that paper. I’ve proofread it so many times it doesn’t look like words anymore.

You know other Seers?

One or two.

Dude, just call her. If I have to listen to you go on about her again I’m gonna--

Over the din, they heard the click of a flip lighter being opened, then shut. It carried like a discordant note, and they threw their eyes open, scanning the crowd for the source.

The sound again to their left, and they jerk their head in that direction, a white-knuckle grip on the neck of their guitar the only thing keeping them seated.

There’s a young girl, probably in her late teens, leaning against the wall, opening her lighter and clicking it shut in obvious boredom.

It’s not him, Kana told themself. It’s not him.

They put away their guitar with shaking hands, flinching at every click of the lighter. Done, they hurried to the door as quickly as they could, weaving through the crowd with ease.

The person in front of them wasn’t so lucky. They bumped into someone who wasn’t paying attention, stumbling backward. Without thinking, Kana reached out and steadied them.

They turned in surprise, and Kana was equally taken aback to find the somewhat-familiar face from earlier staring at them. They were tempted to ask the person’s name; it wasn’t an urge they had very often these days, but if they were going to be literally running into each other, it might be nice to have a name to go with the face.

Before they could ask, the person started to leave again, muttering a “thank you” as they left.

“Anytime,” Kana replied automatically.

They turned back, and for just a moment their eyes met. There was something haunting there. Powerful. Awesome, in the old and terrifying meaning of the word. It felt like they’d accidentally stumbled on an old god, but Kana knew well enough that the gods weren't real - or at the very least, weren’t real gods.

And then they turned away, and the moment was over.

But when Kana loaded their guitar into the backseat of their car, their hands were perfectly steady again, the click of the lighter nothing more than a distant memory, their thoughts instead full of haunted, familiar eyes.

They climbed into the driver’s seat and closed their eyes, listening to the wind as it blew through the open door.

“West,” they said to themself, as if answering a question. “Let’s go west.”

Decision made, they closed the door and started the car. An hour later, they left the city of Nivio behind - at least, for now.