[Set-mena]

Location: San Francisco • Date: January 12

Set-mena smirked, leaning back on the bench he was sitting on, his arms spread out on the back. It felt good to be in California, where the sun was shining and there were plenty of things to do. It had been his turn to choose where they next settled, and he had given it no second thought. California was where he wanted to be, attending music festivals with his soulmate and enjoying life to the fullest.

It really was the best life.

He had let his hair grow out in recent years, fitting their image as young "hipsters", an aesthetic they had both grown to appreciate and one that fit the lifestyle they wanted. It was strangely fun to sit back, sipping iced coffee out of one of those fancy tumbler cups and listen to indie music. And the best part was that they were still together.

Set-mena glanced up, the corners of his lips curling up as a figure appeared in front of him. "And I was beginning to think you'd abandoned me," he said in a wry tone, his eyes sparkling.

[Anat]

Anat sipped on her smoothie as she walked back to where she had left her beloved. "I considered it," she winked, her lips curled into a smirk. "But then I finally got to the front of the line at that smoothie stand I love. I might need to find a new place, it appears."

She sat down, leaning into him for a second. "I did pick you up a blueberry a...kai." She handed him a cup. "And maybe accidentally dumped my first kale smoothie on the stand when they laughed at my pronunciation." Her eyelashes batted innocently.

[Set-mena]

He instinctively dropped his arm around her shoulders, holding her close and taking the cup. Set-mena gave a hearty chuckle, lightly kissing the side of her head. "What a little spitfire you are," he said, squeezing her shoulder and straightening up, glancing over in the direction of the smoothie stand. "If you point out the bastard who laughed at you, I can give them another little reminder."

He gave her a knowing smirk, pausing to take a sip. "You'll have to try acai one of these days." He winked at her, crossing one leg over the other. "So, what should we do today?"

[Anat]

She leaned in closer to him, tilting her head up slightly. "It's 2025, my love. I need to learn to fight my own battles if we want to fit in." She gave a gentle smile then paused to take another sip. She then smiled back up at him, a twinkle of mischievous-ness in her eye.

"Old habits do die hard, they say. So maybe after our smoothies, we can see if he's still around and in need of further teaching." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "And then maybe we could stroll the boardwalk?"

[Set-mena]

Set-mena chortled. "Right, yes, feminism. Shame the mortals still haven't quite figured that one out properly." As she looked up at him, he stole a brief kiss, his fingers lingering against her chin, tipping her chin up. "I've been fully devoted to a single woman for over a millennium and I've never felt you lesser than I, my dear." He paused. "Not even in the days when we had to masquerade."

With that, he went back to his smoothie. "I do enjoy your plots, and it does seem like a nice day for a stroll." Set-mena leaned back against the bench again, allowing the sunlight to wash over him. "We truly picked a beautiful spot to settle, and I thank the gods every day that we can enjoy the sun."

His eyes sparkled and he swiped her cup, taking a sip and pulling a face. "Whoever decided putting greens in a drink was a good idea, anyway?"

[Anat]

Anat pouted as he pulled away after kissing her, wanting nothing more than to just spend the day cuddled up to him. "I'm glad it was your turn to pick where we stayed."

She chuckled, grabbing back her cup, taking a long drink. "At least kale is easy to pronounce. And it is supposed to be good for... something."

Once she slurped up the last bit of her smoothie, Anat bounced off the bench and turned to face him. "Shall we?" She extended both her hands, rocking on her heels.

[Set-mena]

Her energy was infectious. Set-mena took her hands, rising to his feet and slipping an arm around her waist. "Might I say, darling, you look positively radiant today," he murmured close to her ear, beginning to lead her off towards the boardwalk.

As they walked, his heightened hearing picked up on something. "Do you... hear that?" he asked, glancing sideways at Anat.

[Benny Stark]

"YAHOO!"

Benny kicked off the ground, picking up speed as he weaved between the tourists on his skateboard. He didn't really have an idea of where he was going, but that didn't bother him. All he wanted was that rush he got every time he went racing down the boardwalk, clipping past people, ignoring the sounds of protest.

Because if he couldn't get any sleep, at least he would enjoy every moment of his life.

He jumped a low bench, continuing on his way until he blinked and two people were suddenly in his path. "Watch out!" he shouted, before colliding with the man, knocking him to the ground. Benny landed on top of him, immediately rolling off to the side.

"Dude, I am so sorry," he drawled, glancing up at the woman, then back at the man. Then he noticed his skateboard beginning to roll off and lunged for it. "Aw, man, ya dinged my board!"