Posted by Civilian Karilan Massat (Owner, Quill and Parchment Books) in The Quill & Parchment: TMODJ (PRSIM)

Posted by Civilian Rafael Torres (Resident) in The Quill & Parchment: TMODJ (PRSIM)

(snip)

Back inside the bookstore, Karilan walked slowly back to the coffee bar and looked at her new employee. “Mr. Torres…” She began softly, “…I… I’m so sorry. I know you and Mr. Jones were close. And that was no way to find out. Please, have a seat. I’ll make us both something.” She gestured to one of the tables and then went about making a special coffee fou d only on Delta III.

Raf pulled the last bag out of the crate and then collapsed the container, sliding it to the side. He moved to the table and sat down with a sigh.

She set a cup in front of Torres and took a seat. “How do you feel?” she asked gingerly.

Karilan

His hands slipped around the mug, soaking in the warmth just until the point where it became uncomfortable. “He and I… we’ve lost a lot of the people we’ve known. Dash was the only one who truly made it out when he was younger.” Raf lifted his gaze to meet Karilan’s. “And honestly I’d rather have heard it from her than from some news report. I guess… I just never thought Dash would go before me, ya know? Given our lives and all.”

~Raf Torres

Katilan watched him closely and opened themselves up to what Torres was feeling. “Our fates are not set in stone, Mr. Torres. They are shaped constantly by our choices and actions. Mr. Jones seemed like a good man. And I know many will feel his loss. But right now, I am only concerned with how that loss impacts you.”

Karilan

Raf sipped his coffee, letting the steam waft on his face for a moment. “Dash was always like a younger brother to me. We grew up together, but didn’t really become friends till that ass of a father of his died. Then Dash was always around. I took him under my wing, but I can admit I wasn’t always the best big brother. I didn’t look out for him the way I should have. I regret that. I wanted to make it up to him somehow. I guess if he could see I was really trying, that things would be better between us.” He ran a hand over his head, dragging his nails through his scalp. He could feel that tension inside, that gnawing that he could never could get rid of. Oh, it had been better since rehab, but he knew all too well how easily it slipped back in.

He dropped his hand and looked at Karilan, eyes full of despair and sadness. “It’s not fair,” he said quietly. “For him or myself.”

~Rafael Torres