Braden walks into the bar, barely taking time to shrug off his soaked jacket. "Flo, there's a really weird vibe in town today. What happened at that meeting yesterday?!"

She’s so glad to see him she almost spills the pint she’s pouring. A quick save and she’s right there. “Glad you’re here. It was quite a meeting! I told them what you’d said about no squirrel’s bodies and then Sophie said that you’d said you thought someone had cut the wires deliberately. Did you say that?” She doesn’t give him a second to answer as the words keep pouring out of her mouth. “Then it all turned a bit murder mystery and there was some finger pointing… which I may have made worse…” Flo looks a little awkward. “I just said that anyone who cut the wires would probably be someone who could survive without power… and then someone pointed out that we have a generator here… and then Rowan got a bit weird and the meeting kind of fell apart… sorry I’m rambling! Do you think someone is cutting the wires deliberately???” She looks around to check no-one is listening in, suddenly aware of how publicly they are chatting.

Braden goes white. "No! What?" He takes a quick pause to put his thoughts in order. "Okay, I guess I can't say that the idea that a human cut it didn't cross my mind. But who and why? An islander would know that it was easily fixed, and it would hardly be the first time we went without power for a bit anyway, you know? And no offense, but I'd expect a mainlander would be much more dependent on having power. I don't think either possibility makes much sense."

“I think people are just up for a fight, you know….? Sophie’s sister Sally… wow! She’s so different to Sophie. And she does not like us mainlanders. So… but she was very defensive. And Rowan was weird. God! I’m getting all conspiracy theory now. Sorry Braden. You probably just came in for a drink!” Florence smiles. “Oh, and Sophie said to ask whether there’s be any more fish this week. With everything running so low, and us feeding a lot of people here, it’s just useful to be able to plan.”

"Sure", Braden says distractedly, "we've got another ten pounds or so in the freezer, and Dad or I can go fishing in the river again tomorrow." He looks hard at Flo, then seems to make up his mind. "Look, this is worse than a conspiracy theory," he says, "but I want someone to know what I'm thinking, even if it sounds crazy." He takes a deep breath. "This storm has been going on more than a month now. That's... that's not what weather does. Not naturally."

Florence looks back with an expression that says she knows what he means. She nods and says quite seriously “We’re swimming in uncharted waters.” She hopes a sea based reference might be comforting but also knows that just by saying it she’s made herself feel less comfortable. She feels that flutter again like a flicker in the corner of her eye. She looks but there’s nothing there. “Thanks for confiding in me Braden. Not everyone is so welcoming or trusting of us mainlanders. I’m grateful for your…” She wonders if this is overstepping but his face makes her hope not “friendship. We can face the storm together!” She smiles.

Braden gives her a shy grin. "Hey, all our families were mainlanders once too." He fought back an urge to start singing Dougie Maclean -- he did not feel ready for this storm at all.   "Anyway," he continues, "if the storm is something trying to physically separate us from the mainland, then cutting the power would make sense as a first, tenuous attempt to sever communications with the mainland." He shrugs. "Or maybe we breed tough squirrels in these parts."

Florence is struck by Braden's use of words. "Something?" she asks.   Is he talking about the Fae? Florence realises she doesn't know which side of that fence Braden sits so doesn't say anything more.

"It's... Jean taught me a few tunes she said she was told came from fair folk." Braden teaches for words. "I mean, there's no such thing as Santa Claus. I've got a cell phone in my pocket that will let me search the Internet, science is real. But..."

Florence smiles and is even more grateful for this burgeoning friendship than she was before. She's not quite ready to share her strange experiences but she is happy to hear others talk about this stuff as if it isn't total craziness. "But... there's more to life than what we can see with our eyes right? And that doesn't mean Science isn't real or that you have to give up your phone!" She laughs. "Have you spoken to Jean about any of this? What does she think?"

"I haven't spoken to her since... the storm seemed to be getting ridiculously long." He frowns. "I don't know why, I definitely should check on her."   "But yes, I'm pretty sure she believes in the fair folk. Never claimed to have seen one herself or anything like that -- at least not to me."

"If you want someone to come with you to check on her... I'd love to meet her." She realises how stupid that sounded as soon as she's said it. She is looking for something, she doesn't know what but she thinks that an 85 year old fiddle player might... Oh God, is the storm getting to her. "Sorry! Not that you need help checking on your friend... Sorry."

"No, no, that's perfect," Braden says. "If you'd like to meet her, having someone to introduce her to is a great excuse where it's not just me blatantly checking in on her. If you know what I mean?"

This young man is smart and compassionate beyond his years... "Great then. I'd love to."

Florence is out for a walk in a break in the rain and bumps into Braden. “Hey Braden. Haven’t seen you this week. Do you still want to go and see Jean at some point?”