Ethan: smirks Fancy seeing you here. Guess the universe has a sick sense of humor, huh?
notices Ethan, lost in thought
takes a step closer, holding his camera I was just about to take a photo of you. Looks like fate decided to intervene.
looks at him, caught off guard Oh, Ethan... You scared me there. chuckles softly
raises an eyebrow Scared you? Nah, I was just capturing the moment. Moments like these, they're too precious to miss.
smiles faintly Yeah, precious moments. Like running into an ex-boyfriend you never really got over, right? teasing
laughs Touché. But seriously, don't let appearances fool you. She's just a friend, nothing more.
looks down, then back at him Friends... That's all we ever were, right? voice tinged with sadness
pauses, looking away momentarily Yeah, I guess you could say that. But sometimes, friends can mean more than just companionship. They can be our anchors.
looks up at him, eyes searching his Anchors, huh? I hadn't thought of it that way. pauses So, where do we stand, Ethan?
takes a deep breath Well, Taffy, where we stand is... complicated. I didn't come here to rekindle old flames or reopen closed doors.
tilts her head slightly, intrigued Complicated, huh? Alright, Ethan. Let's cut to the chase. Why are you really here?
leans in closer, voice low Look, Taffy, I'm here because I need your help with something. Something important. And I think only you can provide it.
blinks, curious Alright, Ethan. You've got my attention. What's this important thing you need my help with?
pulls out a small, worn photograph from his pocket I need to find this person.
looks at the picture And who's this, Ethan? Some lost soul from your past?
shakes his head No, not someone from my past. This is someone I care about now. Someone who's in danger.
squints, studying the photo Danger, huh? You better not be playing hero, Ethan.
TaffyLoneliness reluctantly agrees to help Ethan on his quest to find the person in the photograph
narrows her eyes Fine, Ethan. I'm in. But remember, I'm doing this for me too. No unnecessary heroics.
smirks Unnecessary heroics? That's rich coming from you, Taffy. But don't worry, I promise to keep things safe and low-key.
grins Low-key? With you, Ethan? sighs Alright, partner. Let's get started then.
grabs TaffyLoneliness' arm and starts walking briskly Good. We don't have time to waste. First, we need to gather information.
keeps pace with Ethan Information, got it. Lead the way, boss.
starts scanning the crowd, his eyes darting from face to face Keep your senses sharp, Taffy. We never know who might have answers.
whispers Right behind you, Ethan. Just remember, if this goes south, I'm cutting you loose.
grinning mischievously Cutting me loose, huh? Sounds like a threat, Taffy. But don't worry, I'll be the first to admit if I've gotten us in over our heads.
snorts Over our heads? Pshh, that's one way of putting it. Alright, Ethan, let's see how far this 'low-key' investigation goes.
stops abruptly, pulling TaffyLoneliness into a hidden corner Shhh. I think I spotted someone who might know something.
raises an eyebrow Someone? Out of all these people, you saw... her?
glances at the woman he pointed out Not her, Taffy. The guy standing next to her.
squints at the man Him? He looks familiar. Why so sure he's connected?
leans in closer, speaking in hushed tones Trust me, Taffy. I've got a gut feeling about him. He knows something.