(Untitled)

[sky_from_sea]

Anna has ventured out of the--is she allowed to call it a compound?--today, in search of blood

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[bass_line_blues]

There's a familiar strain coming from the bass in the corner.

It sounds a lot like "Paperback Writer."

[sky_from_sea]

Anna, however, is far, far, far too far into her head to notice.

Yet.

[bass_line_blues]

That's okay.

Preston'll go on playing until the song's done. He really does like it! And he doesn't want to disturb the Writer Hard At Work, either.

[sky_from_sea]

It might be the silence after he finishes that makes Anna look up.

She smiles after the few seconds it takes to get her brain back from her work.

"Preston. How've you been?"

[bass_line_blues]

"Decent."

Preston grins at her.

"Kinda cool to see you writing."

[sky_from_sea]

Anna blinks.

"Oh, yes. It--I missed it."

[bass_line_blues]

Preston nods. Doesn't feel the need to say anything more on the topic; he knows how he'd feel if he couldn't play bass, and Anna probably knows too, or can guess.

"Feliz navidad. By the way."

[sky_from_sea]

"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, as well. If a little late for one and early for the other."

[bass_line_blues]

"Hopefully the new one'll be better than the old," Preston agrees.

Beat.

"Not really much place to go but up, all things considered."

[sky_from_sea]

"I feel like I've heard that before."

She smiles, though.

"I live on hope--it isn't much of a change."

[bass_line_blues]

"Maybe so. I'm an optimist, anyways."

He glances at her, and adds, "Glad to hear it. Too many people don't have much of that."

[sky_from_sea]

"Oh, there've been times. But I'm stubborn. It seems to help."

She laughs quietly.

"And I'd never have guessed. About the optimism, I mean."

[bass_line_blues]

"Yeah, I hide it well," Preston agrees. (His deadpan is pretty good.)

"Seriously, though, 'm not ashamed. To hope for better things. Or believe in them. Whatever."