1.5 - New Moon

Sirena hated Sundays. 

On Sundays, she was the designated “seer” for Kismet–the unlucky employee who was tasked with fabricating fortunes for the kind of broken people who flocked to a new age store for guidance.

None of them were ever real mages. No, they were just occult-oriented dilettantes who bought cheap crystals and questionable oils and claimed they were “manifesting their best lives.”

“What do you see?” A hungry voice intruded on Sirena’s monologue.

She glanced up from the crystal ball to her client. The woman across from her was--if Sirena was generous–odd, awkward, and desperate. Her hair was, for some reason, wet, and there was a smudge of lipstick on the right side of her mouth.

“You’ve been struggling recently,” Sirena said, speaking melodically.

The woman nodded. “Yes, work hasn’t been very…welcoming recently.”

Sirena watched her face for any further clues. “Someone is testing you.”

The woman’s eyes widened slightly.

“A man,” Sirena declared.

She nodded meekly. “Noah, he–”

“Pushes you around? Yes, my dear. I can see that.”

The woman gulped. “What else do you see?”

“Well,” Sirena’s eyebrow raised, “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about Noah much longer.”

She smiled hopefully. “He’s–he’s leaving? Fired?”

“Oh, sweetie, no,” Sirena said, “you’re the one who's going to lose their job.”

The woman burst into tears and Sirena’s heart soared.

Sirena trudged through the front door. Her foul mood had returned with a vengeance, crashing through the short-lived high that comes with wrecking someone’s day. As she entered the living room, she froze–someone was in her bedroom, betrayed by the slam of a closing dresser drawer. She took a deep breath to steady herself, then threw her bedroom door open.

“Nova?” 

Nova spun around, pulling some of the contents out of the dresser drawer she had been rummaging through in the process.

“Hey,” she laughed, “sorry, I thought you were working today.”

“It was a half shift,” Sirena said. “What are you doing?”

“Oh, this? Um, Carwin and I are going to the movies later and I was looking for something to wear.”

“In my underwear drawer?”

“Well–I think it’s going to be pretty quiet in the theater, and–”

Sirena grimaced. “Girl, I’m happy to loan you clothes, but panties are where I draw the line.”

“Sorry,” Nova smiled.

Sirena half-heartedly waved her hand. “It’s fine, I just need them in pristine condition in case, you know, I ever manage to meet someone in this hellhole.”

“Hey, are you okay?” Nova asked.

“Yeah, it was just a shitty shift,” Sirena yawned, “nothing an angry-nap can’t fix. What are you doing at home? I figured after dinner at the bistro you’d be, hmm, indisposed.”

“Stop,” Nova slapped her friend on the shoulder, “I’ll have you know it was a really elegant evening and I was a proper lady.”

“I’m sure,” she snorted, “so what have you got going today?”

“I’m headed to an audition,” Nova smiled, “it’s for the Spooky Day Festival. I’m not a shoo-in or anything, but I feel pretty good about it. And then I’m having dinner with Carwin.”

“Nice! Break a leg and all that.”

“Thanks,” Nova glanced at her phone. “I should get going. Maybe we can hang out tomorrow?”

“That’d be great,” Sirena nodded

Sirena frowned as the door closed behind her friend.

Nova was lying.

Sirena lifted her arms, coaxing her anger to the surface. This had been happening with increasing frequency, Nova’s lies: they started small, that she didn’t remember something but she had been growing bolder.

Nova hadn’t spent the night at Carwin’s. Her hair was wet (she’d showered here, instead of at her boyfriend’s); her clothing was fresh and unwrinkled, from the closet (not from the cache she left folded in Carwin’s drawers); oh, and she was snooping, not looking for underwear (really, no explanation needed).

Sirena clenched her jaw and forced her eyes shut. This was frustrating, so frustrating. She tried so hard with her, and Nova was just shutting her out. Every little thing she did was met with self-centered aloofness, and she was sick of it.

Her eyes fluttered open, and her furniture crashed back down to the ground.

It had been a long time since Sirena had gotten that mad. Calm down, she thought, and breathe.

She inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth.

Tomorrow will make it better, she told herself. She would repeat that line many more times that day.

***

Alex’s home had no right to be this cute. The flamingos, the garden, the haphazard color scheme–it was all too much for Nova to take in. It was the kind of home that had been restored with passion and love. Nova doubted that either came from Alex. 

Compounding the charm was Foxy, his dog: she quietly greeted Nova upon her entry, nuzzling and licking her hands.

“You bring everything?” Alex asked as he ushered her in.

“Hello, Alexander,” Nova said through a patronizing grin.

He raised an eyebrow.

“How are you today, Alex? Hmm?”

He gave an exhausted shrug “What is this?”

“Oh,” she feigned surprise, “I was wondering if you’re always so short with lady companions, or if I’m a special case.”

“Watcher help me,” he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Hi Nova. Thanks for coming. Make yourself comfortable. By the way, did you bring everything?”

She smirked and handed him a folder. “That’s everything I found. Some old ID cards, some mail I found in Sirena’s room, and, like, a heckton of receipts I found in my running shorts. Be grateful I rarely do laundry.”

Alex spread everything on the coffee table. “A lot of receipts,” he remarked.

“They have sentimental value,” Nova replied as she settled onto the couch.

“I’m not complaining. This is perfect,” he shuffled through the pile, “there’s a few months here.”

“Okay,” she frowned, “remind me what we’re doing. Why did you ask me to collect all of this stuff?”

“We know that we’ve met before, but we don’t remember. We both have gaps in our memory, though yours seems worse,” he said, “I think we need to create a timeline, figure out where the gaps in our memories are in that timeline, and then try to figure out our movements during those gaps. What do we have in common? Where did we possibly go together?”

Nova nodded. “Okay. Well, that makes sense. So luckily we’ll only have a few months to look at. I only moved to Lucky Palms earlier this year.”

Alex tilted his head. “Earlier this year?”

“Yeah, that’s what Sirena–my roommate–said. Like in the spring. I don’t remember. That’s going to be a recurring theme. Sorry.”

“I moved to Lucky Palms in May.”

Nova wrinkled her nose. “Well that’s one hell of a coincidence.”

“Hmm,” Alex’s eyes focused on the coffee table, avoiding her gaze.

“Alex–why did you move to Lucky Palms?”

“I,” he paused, “needed a fresh start.”

“You don’t so sure of that.”

He sighed and shook his head. “Back in Sunset Valley, I was working at a three star restaurant, picking up the kind of things that would help me open my own place someday. And now I’m working at an absolute dive. It doesn’t make sense.”

Nova leaned forward. “Oh?”

“I had a great job. I had a girlfriend. We were going to move in together, and things were getting serious, and then…then…” His brow knitted.

“And then what?”

“And then I’m here, in Lucky Palms. And when people ask why I moved here, I say ‘because I needed a fresh start.'”

Nova frowned. “Do you remember actually moving here? Like, renting a van, packing up your stuff, that kind of thing?”

He looked up to her, and her heart skipped a beat. When unsure, his gleaming brown eyes were so incredibly sad. “No,” he shook his head, “I just remember being here.”

Nova’s face fell, drawn down by sympathy. “I’m sorry, Alex. That’s…disturbing.”

“I’m going to make coffee,” he announced, standing up. 

“And you said you don’t remember anything?” Alex asked as he poured a cup of coffee, “at all?”

“I’ve been remembering more and more,” Nova scowled defensively, “I had a dog named Kiki. And I took ballet for ten years.”

“But do you remember moving here?”

“No,” Nova shook her head, “Though,” she paused, “sometimes, when I really focus on it, I remember these lights, and then my body just, like, hurting. Aching. My friend Sirena says I was in a car accident though, that caused amnesia.  But I don’t remember anything else, and Sirena says it’s shaky as to what memories will come back and which ones won’t.”

“And do you believe her?” He stared intently at her, and she knew no matter what she said, he would glean the truth.

Nova paused. “Not at all,” she finally said.

“Agreed,” Alex sighed, “and I’m pretty sure amnesia doesn’t make you forget everything. It just changes what kind of memories you can recall.”

That sounded correct, and Nova felt foolish–all this time, and she hadn’t even considered looking up her so-called condition.

Alex chewed on his lip. She had already learned this tell, that he bit his lip when he was thinking. “What is it, Alex?”

“I’m going to ask a question that’s possibly rude but may help us figure this out. You're not a berry sim, are you? You aren’t human?”

“What gave it away?” She snorted, “No, I’m an alien.”

“Nova, I only ask because–because I’m not human, either.”

She perked up. “You’re a witch? Like Sirena?”

“Ew, no. I’m a werewolf, thankfully. Though,” he looked thoughtful, “she’s a mage?”

“That’s why we’re friends,” Nova repeated a line Sirena had often given her.

“Interesting,” he took a sip of coffee.

Nova’s phone chirped. “Oh shit,” she hissed as she opened her messages.

“What is it?” 

“I forgot to text my boyfriend when I got home last night. Oh Maker, he’s going to be so mad.”

Alex scoffed. “That you didn’t text him?”

“That I ditched him at dinner to go find you.”

“Wow,” he cringed. “Well, good luck with that.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Nova slipped her phone in her pocket and rushed out the door.

“I’ll be in touch,” he called after her, “after I go through all this.” He muttered as he surveyed the pile of papers she had left behind.

***

A cool wind rolled over Palm Lake, providing a small reprieve from the late afternoon heat. But Carwin wasn’t in any space to enjoy it. His arches were killing him, he had a stitch in his side, and no matter how fast he ran his brain was outpacing him.

He slowed to a saunter, inhaling deeply. He felt for his phone in his pocket–still there, still on, still in service. So why hadn’t Nova texted him back?

He knew the answer: he had fucked up.

Carwin brooded as he hobbled home. He needed a plan, something to keep him occupied that night. He could get ahead on his work, he supposed. And he had a neglected Simflix account he could turn to. But no matter what, he knew he would be up all night thinking about…

Nova. His heart swelled. There she was, sitting on his front patio. Something had distracted her–she was staring across the water, her eyes gently focused on something beyond his perception. He always found her oddly striking in these moments, when she was still enough for him to observe her.

“Hi,” he said, regretful that he had to startle her out of her meditation, “you’re here.”

“Carwin,” she smiled, refocusing her eyes on him. “Yeah, I came because–because I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry about,” Carwin sat next to her, “you wanted to help your friend and I was–well…”

“You were what?” Nova asked.

“Less than understanding. Maybe even a bit of a jackass.”

“Well,” Nova tilted his chin upward to meet his eyes, “I can’t disagree with that.”

“So you came to, what, berate me?”

“No,” she frowned, “I really did come to apologize. I don’t think I took last night very seriously, and I realize now that it was probably pretty important to you.”

“Well,” he stalled as he tried to work his way towards a diplomatic answer, “yes. It was. And you were, well…”

“I was what?”

“You were out of your element. And your friend had an emergency. It’s fine, we’ll do it sometime again in the future,” he said, “maybe someplace with a little less pressure.”

She frowned as she searched his eyes, then leaned forward, brushing her lips against his. “You’re lucky you’re cute,” she said.

***

Sirena always looked forward to Nova’s shows. Her friend shone in these moments up on the stage, all eyes on her. It reminded her of what had drawn her to Nova in the first place: her radiance.

Her performance was bewitching–even a mage as established as Sirena had to admit that.

“I loved it,” Sirena said as she pulled Nova in for a hug, “seriously, that might have been your best show yet. 

“Thanks,” Nova said, barely out of breath, “I think that’s the first time in a while I haven’t caught my hair on fire.”

“Brava! I’m proud of you.”

“Excuse me,” Carwin cleared his throat. Sirena rolled her eyes, doubly so at Nova’s obvious elation.

“You came!” She beamed, “I thought you were working late.”

“A white lie,” he smiled as he proffered a bouquet of flowers to her, “you were incredible.”

“Thank you,” she inhaled, breathing in the soft smell, “hey, it’s great you’re both here. We should all go to dinner.”

“Sounds great,” Carwin smiled at Sirena. She countered with a steely glare.

“Sorry, early morning tomorrow,” she feigned a yawn, “you two crazy kids go on without me. I’ll catch you next time.”

“Oh,” Nova deflated, “okay. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Have a good night,” she said. Nova wouldn’t be home that night. Sirena was counting on it.

Most magical creatures hated the new moon–werewolves couldn’t shift and spells lost their potency–but for Sirena it brought her hope. Without competition, the stars were bright and glittering, seemingly endless. 

And even though she hadn’t come to Lucky Palms of her own free will, she stayed by choice–in part due to the magic of new moons in the desert.

They came at midnight on every new moon, always arriving at the same location: a small patch of desert circled by Joshua trees and cacti, about a mile northwest of the road. She had marked it with a circle of stones and protected it with a ward. She had no pretense of understanding what was happening, beyond the basics: she brought an offering for Them, and the people They brought were gifts in return. She would handle those gifts appropriately.

Sirena lifted her chest, raised her head, and spread her arms out. A deep rumble signified Their approach.

The lights were beautiful, and Sirena stood in awe of them even after almost a dozen sightings. 

It was a familiar dance. They would whir above, the creatures in Their strange, metal ship. A hatch would open underneath, and a light would beam down. Within that light would be her gift, one that rarely disappointed. 

And this moon’s specimen was perfect: broad, tall, with a full beard and a disheveled outfit.

She caught the stranger as he collapsed forward and lowered him to the ground. “I got you,” she murmured, “you’re fine. I got you.”

“Where–where am I?” His voice rumbled from his chest, but despite the depth it was boyish–innocent even.

“You’re home,” Sirena smiled. Her teeth gleamed, and he shuddered.

***

Author’s note: Alex appeared before in my last legacy as Karl Leifsson. I made him a little slimmer and played with his face a little. Karl was a dumb werewolf. Alex is a smart one.

Bruno, the lovely man who appeared at the end, was helpfully provided by Windermere Simblr on Tumblr.