Realistic or Modern GRAD NIGHT - 1995

[Geun Sae]

May 19th, 1995 - 8 A.M. - Two hours before Graduation
Thomas Abner sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror. Always having been a stickler for details, he eagerly tried to press to small wrinkles in his Gown out with his hands. He continuously flattened out his hands while smoothening out the fabric that cloaked his body. Nothing. He knew he had to throw the robe into the dryer for a few minutes while he took a shower. He had more than enough time anyways, graduation wasn’t for another hour or two anyways.

He threw the robe into the dryer then made his way to the bathroom. He cracked the bathroom window open to cool him off from the steam of his shower. Immediately, he was bombarded by the booming stereo and home sound system from the Brown house down the lakeshore. Thomas groaned, then rolled his eyes and thanked God he’d only have to shower to the Beastie Boys and House of Pain during his morning shower a few more times before he’d be off for vacation, then to college.

For as charismatic and kind as Billy was, his obnoxiously loud taste in music was only bearable for so long, as were the constant parties that Thomas never found himself being invited to.

Thomas finished his shower and began combing his hair and washing his face with a bit more attention to aesthetics than usual. He had to look good, especially for the pictures since mom and dad weren’t going to make it to the ceremony. It bummed him out that his parents took their business trip to Belgium a week before Graduation day, but there’s no way they could have predicted the travel delays that kept them trapped in Europe for two more days.

Thomas dressed, and reach for his cap as he made his way back to the dryer. His feet were still moist as he walked through the craftsman-style home barefoot. The young man leaned down to the drying machine, opened it, and immediately felt his heart sink.

The gown was nowhere to be found.

Before he had any time to process the sight before him, a burning red hot eruption of pain engulfed his back. An arm wrapped itself around Thomas’ throat and placed its grip around his mouth. He could feel blood drip down his back as he realized what had happened. The knife in his back had sliced through like butter. In his panic, Thomas did the only thing he could think of and pressed his foot off the dryer with as much force as he could, sending him and the assailant tumbling backward.

Thomas immediately gasped in pain. The knife protruded from his back as he desperately tried to get up. Immediately, the intruder reached back up and wrapped their hand wrap around the knife’s handle and unsheathed it from his flesh. Thomas managed to catch only brief glimpses of a Halloween mask and his very own graduation robe as the masked intruder swiftly stabbed Thomas again, and again.

The masked intruder took their time in enjoyment as they slashed and stabbed their way at Thomas’ body. The motions became slower and more tortuous. Eventually, the intruder would drag the blade down from the side of Thomas’ face, all the way to his shoulder blades.

And before he knew it, it was over. Just as quickly as they’d appeared, the intruder was gone once again. He didn't care where they'd gone as he slowly dragged himself across the hardwood floor. He reached for his stab wounds in pain as he mustered up whatever strength he had left in his body. Thomas immediately realized his only chance of survival was to reach for the landline on the counter of the laundry room and call for help.

It took every muscle in his arm to reach out in front of him and slowly drag himself forward inch by inch to try and reach the home phone that sat on the counter. He knew he had to hurry, god knows how long he had left with the current state of his wounds.

His heart sank in his chest as he heard a terrifying stomp of boots on the hardwood floor behind him. Before he even had a chance to turn around to see the masked intruder, he felt a powerful force strike the back of his head, slamming it against the floor.

CRACK, Thomas’ skull split on the floor. Blood gushed out as he tried one more time to scream, as the masked intruder brought their knee up as high as they could, before slamming it down onto the back of Thomas’ head as hard as they could.

As the Phantom swiftly exited the home, their left foot, covered in a layer of blood and skull fragments, left a bloody trail on their way out.

----


The Night Before

It was a perfect coincidence. The first kid listed alphabetically in the school's yearbook would be the first to get murdered. The phantom gleefully tore pages from the yearbook one by one. It's not like they were ever gonna need it, by the time they were done on graduation night, these students were going to be forever memorialized, just like the seven faces from the massacre of '85. With each page, the phantom crossed out each student's eyes with dripping red ink, sprawling threatening messages across each page, lavishing in the show of it all.

"see you soon."

"You're next"

"Happy graduation day."

Each page was different, but they all conveyed the same message. Newby County was in for more blood. The phantom scribbled the names on each envelope carefully, but just sloppy enough that it'd be impossible to guess who'd written them. Joseph, Rosa, Colt, Nanami, Jennifer. It was going to be a late night of deliveries, but man was it going to be worth it. If the plan was going to go off perfectly, The phantom was going to need to finish what Dunne started that May night back in 1985.


idalie Knight boi Walliver BELIAL. BloodThunder27 Lia temporarybliss The Cat Man @themagnoliaofutah

 

[Geun Sae]

Noon - Half an Hour after Graduation
​

Billy Brown’s parents eagerly snapped photos of their son. With every flash of the disposable camera, Brown’s father’s neatly combed hair peeked over the plastic lens. Brown’s mother squealed with excitement as Billy and his friends showed off their toothy grins and diplomas.

“Oo, oo do one with a smiley face!” She exclaimed as the flash captured the image of the three boys standing with their arms around each other's shoulders. With Mickey on his left and Rod on his right, even the 5’11 Billy looked short compared to his two main men.

“Now one with just Rod and Mickey!” Mrs. Brown eagerly exclaimed. Billy stepped aside as the two young men stood there arm and arm.

“Congrats on the scholarship Martinez, god knows you needed it,” Mickey mumbled through his grin. He tightened his grip on Rod’s shoulder. As hobbled as his leg had become, Mickey prided himself on maintaining a level of muscle mass in his arms.

Billy patted his dad’s back. As his parents conversed with each other he walked back over to his two friends, a smile glued on his face.

“Alright boys, invite everyone you can tonight. But remember Seniors only. Except for Nicole's cause, well you know.” He flashed his friends another toothy smile. “And remember, if you see Chels anywhere make sure you invite her too!” he winked at Mickey and Rod before running off into the crowd like an excited dog.

Mickey huffed. He sideyed Rod for a brief moment before dragging himself away. He had his sights set on one person in the crowds of classmates hugging and crying bittersweet tears.

“Hey, Kitt!” He shouted out. The young woman looked like she was deep in conversation, but he couldn’t contain his excitement whenever he saw her. Mickey flashed her a smile, something he rarely ever did anymore. He tried his best to straighten out his leg and keep it from dragging, careful to try and cover up his limp.

“Hey sorry if I’m Interrupting, but I was wondering if you’d maybe wanna come to a party tonight? I’m sure you heard Billy’s throwing one. I’d love it if you came!”

idalie

—

From across the football field, Billy jumped up and down at every opportunity he had to invite someone. Even pausing at the opportunity to invite the shy redheaded girl who was happy to chat with him and tell him stories at every opportunity Billy would listen.

“Hey! Maggie! You gotta come to my place tonight! I gotta hear those ghost stories of yours one more time before I’m off to Florida!” He took a step back and lowered his voice. “I know you usually don’t go out too often but it’d really mean a lot to me! Just think about it alright?”

themagnoliaofutah


idalie Knight boi Walliver BELIAL. BloodThunder27 Lia temporarybliss The Cat Man

​

 

[Walliver]

9:00 am- May 18th, 1995


——————————

Rosa stared down at the piece of paper in her hands. A yearbook page, covered in red marker. “See you soon!” the paper proudly exclaimed, plastered on over the crossed out eyes of the ‘95 graduate class. Her hands trembled and the paper slipped out of her grasp. She had to get back to Newby. She ran inside, dialing a number she knew all too well. “Hey, Joseph? Yeah, I’m driving over today. It’s gonna be a while, but I should be there around uh-” Rosa glanced over at the clock. 9:00 pm on the dot. “Around 12:00 pm. Yeah, just in time for the grad night festivities. I need a break anyway. Okay, see you then!” she slammed the phone down, quickly grabbing her overnight bag. She shoved her cat into his carrier, sitting him in the passenger seat. She slammed the door, barely putting on her seatbelt before she floored it out of her driveway.

She’d drive the whole 15 hours in one go if she needed to. But ‘85 couldn’t happen again. Not if one Rosalia Esther had anything to say about it.

Knight boi

——————————

12:00 pm- May 19th, 1995

——————————

Cameron was ready to go back to sleep. Everyone had been so loud at graduation, so loud right after. She was really only excited about the scholarship to Emory University. One of the best writing programs in the US, and they wanted her there! Although she was a little down about not getting accepted into any Ivy League schools, she couldn’t care less at that point. She saw the jocks and popular crowd mingling, getting invited to some sort of party.

She hated parties. They were always so loud and there was so much drinking. The music wasn’t even good. No one there understood her, and they barely even knew her name. It was just lonely and sad to be at a party instead of at home, working on her collection.

She probably wouldn’t be invited anyway, what was the point of even caring about it?

(open for interaction.)

 

[BloodThunder27]

~The Ishimoto Sisters~

12:00PM - After Graduation Ceremony

Not only was Justina finally graduating from High School, but she was also pregnant. Very, VERY pregnant. And so was her Older Sister, Nanami. While Justina was expecting triplets, Nanami was expecting twins and was three weeks ahead of her. Attending the graduation was a bit of a challenge for Justina, as she was thirty-six weeks pregnant (So by this point, she was huge, even bigger then her sister because of that one extra baby). Being on her feet was a pain and getting up the steps to get onto the stage to get her diploma, which even she was surprised about because she thought that she'd be in the hospital before even reaching graduation, let alone being able to keep up with the school work after reaching twenty weeks. Thankfully, some of her classmates were nice enough to help her back to her seat. But once the ceremony was over, Justina was even more relieved...mainly because she needed to go use the restroom and was eager to go find a more comfortable place to sit. On the way back to the locker room to change out of her cap and gown, she met back up with her Older Sister, Nanami. The two smiled before their bellies touched, as right now it was impossible for a hug with the bellies in the way. Even a side hug was very awkward. "I'm very happy for you, sis." Nanami said as she straightened out her hair.

"Thanks. I'm honestly still surprised to get this. But this is my last night being humongous. I'm gonna be induced tomorrow afternoon. Not gonna lie, I'm so over being this big."

Nanami chuckled, mainly because she felt the same way. "Yeah, same here. But I'm playing the waiting game now because your Niece and Nephew are both so stubborn and wanna stay in Mommy's tummy longer then they need to."

"Their Cousins are the same way. I thought I would have had them two weeks ago, but nah. Anyway, I shouldn't keep you any longer. I need to go change." Justina said before slowly waddling away.

Once again alone, the older Ishimoto Sister started feeling uneasy. Holding her swollen belly where her twins rested, she thought about what had shown up in the mail. Her Senior Year Photo with her eyes crossed out and a message written out: You're Next, Nanami. You and your Babies...

It very much spooked her. Although she didn't know who wrote it, she was able to figure out that it had something to do with that massacre ten years ago...Exactly ten years ago. Last time, she was completely unharmed, but Stacy was killed and Patricia died in her arms at the graduation party after being stabbed. Just as she remembered blood splattering onto her face, Nanami started feeling even more uncomfortable. Sure, Dunne was dead, but who would be after them now. Because they had a good reason to come after her...considering that she had harassed Dunne's parents following the massacre in revenge for Stacy and Patricia and played a role in running them out of town. Not only that, but this time around, she was much more vulnerable; she was in the final stages of pregnancy and she was expecting twins, so tonight, if someone was watching and looking to get the drop on her, it was best for her not to be alone. Feeling one of her babies kicking, she frowned before leaving.

Meanwhile, Justina was getting out of her cap and gown and straightening out her dress. Felt good to be finally out of that. After packing everything and going to put it back in the car that she and Nanami arrived in, she proceeded to go meet up with the rest of her graduated classmates. The first person she would run into is Cameron. Oh hey, one of the quiet girls in Art Class! As she was the closest compared to the fellow Jocks, none of whom she has really spoken with since getting knocked up, Justina approached her. "Hey Cameron, how's it goin'?" She greeted the other young woman, smiling as she was mostly in a good mood after the ceremony.

---

Interactions: Cameron Walliver - Justina | Open - Nanami​

 

[BELIAL.]

Jenny Johnson

Location	Trailer Park
Company	Colt and dead air
Tags	idalie

Jenny coming back to Newby County felt like a nightmare. Even driving into Illinois, white-knuckled at the wheel, felt like something she'd only fantasized once upon a sleepless night. Staying in New York would have been the better option, without a doubt, and telling her sister she couldn't come out. It would only be best for her, mentally. But Sam was suffering, very clearly, and after ten years fighting every urge to even think about her life before, it was time. Faded memories cropped up like fog rolling in as the distance between her and her old stomping grounds grew closer. She'd managed to convince the pharmacist to give her a couple extra bottles of her medications for the road, but she had a feeling she'd be using the anti-anxiety ones like candy. Popping one even now, as she drove, she tried to still her thoughts. But they were turbulent. The White Elephant of Grad Night pressed upon her brain, near to give her a headache, and she had no choice but to absorb it in. Either that, or start beating her head against the dashboard.

This was a few days ago. Settling in somewhat nicely, though a bit cramped for space in the small trailer, Jenny only left to get groceries for her sister and the kids or to get out for a minute. She'd take a smoke walk around the trailers, hands in her pockets, hood up. She'd never been around this side of the bend before. Their luxurious home sat, occupied by someone else on the far side of town. Even Sam, cognitive when she wasn't downing a bottle to ignore the fading bruises on her arms and face, would talk to Jenny about it. Sam had been really young, only twelve, when all of it had happened. Unlike Jenny, she'd managed to forget most of what had happened that fateful year. Jenny wouldn't fill in the blanks for her.

The day before the letter had arrived. One of Sam's kids had grabbed it, hearing a clatter outside the door. Old enough to read her auntie's name, little Suze had ran straight to her with the envelope in hand. Jenny opening it in front of the little girl had probably been a bad idea. She hadn't screamed. Not that she hadn't wanted to. But she'd gone cold, real cold. Her old wounds seemed to flare, icy with intent, and her eyes had watered. The real, stomach sinking, type of pain. Fear. Jenny had done her best to be oblivious to the time of year, or what was going on in town, but things had started to line up then. Graduation. Ten years. Was it uncomfortable fate or intent? Someone was going to do something-.

Then all at once she'd commended the thoughts. Dismissed them. An angry hand, shoving the accusations and the anxiety deep away. Deep breaths, distractions bouncing a little girl on her knee. Fighting the tears. What if it was a sick joke?

She'd asked Sam about it.

"Do you think I'm so... careless to jus' go around and tell every person in the county you're back? I know you don't like it here... and you're only here for me. Maybe someone saw you, thought it'd be a cruel joke. People don't take it seriously anymore, Jenny. It's a joke to the kids here, it really is." And Sam had gone off with her bottle, grumbling and heading back into the bedroom at the back of the trailer. And Jenny would be left with her thoughts, and the babbling of an infant and the rambling of a child. Like it was no big deal. Perhaps she had been over-reacting.

By the next day she had summoned her nerve, and slamming out of the trailer with her letter in hand, she stalked around. It wasn't hard to find him. Stupid divine providence or whatever bullshit had seasoned her life this year had made it very clear that Jenny would get every memory of high-school jolted into her. Colt lived in the park. Knowing he was nearby, having seen glimpses of him, she'd thought maybe he was crueler than before. His humour had been coloured in the past, sure, but had he really sent some bullshit threat as a joke? To get her attention? It was enough to fill her with vitriol and spite. So she'd stomped over to his place, stood on the steps and--

She hadn't knocked. It probably had taken a whole five minutes of standing there, letter gripped in her hand like a vice, without any of the confidence or courage she'd even summoned to get there. Forgetting about it... Maybe that was the answer.

One knock. That's all she'd had the guts for. Then she turned, abruptly not waiting for any answer and deciding then and there to just go. There was no point.

 

[The Cat Man]

​

Aleksander Herrington​

​

Noon | Football Field​

​

Tonight was most certainly an emotional night for Aleksander Herrington, though he didn't let it show too much. His diploma on his hands as he stood awkwardly to himself in the middle of the cacophony of cheers and hurrahs as futures and stories have now just begun, it's the end of high school, they're now on their own now, it's supposed to be exciting, a new era to behold.

But not for Aleks as he looks across the field, his inner thoughts getting to him as he saw the disconnect, they're all thinking about the future and Aleks remains with the past behind his back, of course, it's the anniversary, how couldn't he think about it? More than that, Aleks has now surpassed his brother's life, how should he feel now? How should he feel that a gown like this was used in a brutal series of murders? He certainly doesn't know.

Aleks knows that, at the very least, he wishes that his father was here with him, though he understands why he isn't here, it's not very healthy to know for a fact that your own father is currently drinking himself to death.
But it's ok, it's fine, it doesn't matter.
It's ok, it's fine, it doesn't matter.
It's ok, it's fine, it doesn't matter.
He'll get his congratulations on the morning after, graduation was always just a dumb walking ritual for Aleks anyways.
...

Let's... Let's try to be happy today.
Despite everything, it's what his brother would have wanted, Aleks is just solving a problem and heading to another, now, he has to face the unknown. He just has to take a deep breath... And try to hold on just enough, just like all his school years.

So, after trying to calm himself down...
...Yeah, it's not working.
Aleks definitely needs a little more than hope right now, he can feel his hands sweating, he'll start biting his nails soon, Aleks knows when he can't hold on anymore, he knows when he needs to get back to his supply, and it's now.
There's only a few people who Aleks knows can help him right now, and even then, it's graduation night, it's unlikely that they even have anything on them.

So with nothing but hope, Aleks quietly shambled across the crowds of people, looking to find a face he knows... And he sees one.

"...U-Um, Chel, hi..."
Aleks felt thankful that his building pressure isn't going for his senses yet, there's some very ugly things that can happen if he's not careful with his attempts, Aleks can't find anyone to thank for nothing big ever happening in public, as close as it may have gotten.
"...Open for business?..." He spoke with a nervous tone to her, perhaps he'd open with a joke normally but Aleks really needs his savior right now, his body stiffened as the urge to itch builded and boiled ever so strongly.

BELIAL.

 

[themagnoliaofutah]

Geun Sae

Maggie blinked a little at the sudden invitation, seemingly taking a second or two to process it. Normally, she wasn't really invited to things - not out of anything deliberate, she was sure. People just forgot her easily. Not to mention she found parties overwhelming in the first place. The girl frowned, thoughtfully fiddling with one earring. She'd be leaving soon anyway - sure, she'd come back eventually, but she didn't really know if anyone else would.
"I... would like to, I think. I'll have to ask my dad though," she quickly added. It'd be nice to have an out if she changed her mind later. "Would - is it like, a potluck thing? I could bring cookies."

 

[Lia]

Rodrigo "Rod" Martinez​

​

That was definitely a glorious day.

Rodrigo Martinez was ecstatic. High school had been an intense time of his life, full of conquests, friendships, parties and most of all sweat. He'd had to sweat on the football field and he'd also had to sweat to get acceptable grades. And now that was over, but he was sure the memories would last forever.

He couldn't stop smiling as Billy Brown's parents photographed him and his two best friends. His mother had briefly attended the graduation ceremony, but had left as soon as the formalities were over, not even waiting to take pictures. Her husband probably didn't know she was there and would be mad if he found out: he had had a fight with his stepson a few days earlier because he was listening to loud music, and ever since then he'd been furious with Rod and hoped his wife would follow his example. So she'd had to sneak out of her own son's graduation ceremony like a criminal. She never contradicted her fucking millionaire husband.

But Rod was too excited about his graduation and the prospect of the party later on to care about that. After taking dozens of pictures with Billy and Mickey Mckinley, Mrs. Brown suggested a photograph with just her son's two best friends. Rod put his arm around Mickey's shoulder, holding the diploma firmly in his other hand. The flash blinded his eyes for a second and Mickey congratulated him on the scholarship he had been given.

A lump formed in his throat. Rod had never told his friends that the college was rethinking whether to give him the scholarship. And he also had no intention of saying anything at that moment, so he just nodded briefly. "Thanks bro. Congrats to you too. I know it was hard for you to find out your talent wasn't playing football after all."

He patted Mickey on the shoulder. Then Billy approached them and reminded them to invite their classmates to the party he was throwing that night. Chels Lucas' name in particular was mentioned and Rod quickly nodded. Unlike Billy, who walked into the crowd talking to everyone who crossed his path, Rod walked past people as if he couldn't even see them. He had to be the one to invite Chels.

It took him a while to find her on the football field. A smile formed on his face and faded when he saw that she was talking to that weird Herrington boy. He huffed but kept walking steadily towards her. "Hey! Chels!" He called out to her, waving excitedly.

As he got close to the pair, he bumped into Aleksander Herrington to force him to take a step back. "Sup loser," he grumbled, and then stopped right between him and Chels, so they wouldn't be able to see each other anymore. Glancing at Chels again as if nothing had happened, he smiled again. "I'm glad I found you. I wanted to invite you to the party at Billy's place tonight. And I'm not taking no for an answer, by the way."

Tags: Geun Sae BELIAL. The Cat Man

 

[idalie]

Location: The Highschool
Interactions: Mickey
Mentions: Geun Sae

Heather "Kitty" Kitts​

Graduation provided a clean severing, marking the end of an era. Highschool was over, preluded by the warmth of early summer and heralding the end of spring. Blooms would die off over the next handful of months, exchanging flowers for lush green hedgerows and fields of graze; a flourishing student body of alumni, setting out on the first day of the rest of their lives. Heather’s mother had been glued to her side for the week preluding, hovering after the ceremony and valedictorian speech with camera in hand - checking there was film and taking liberal photographs.

Though, on Heather Kitts terms, she’d promised herself to be in New York by the end of the month. Or she’d take that long-haul flight out West, become some model or muse, act for indie films, get married to a man twice her age and build a precarious staircase before gambling away the life insurance in Las Vegas. You could call her imagination overactive, or committed to the con of escapism.

Kitty produced a grimace for another flash, tipping her head while disguising the discomfort of her parent’s pride. By the time she’d escaped into the crowd with promises of return, Heather had stumbled into her cheerleading squad - kisses and brief hugs following long, awkward complaints over Universities and Colleges. If she was more inclined to outbursts, perhaps the blonde would’ve resorted to stamping her feet - choosing instead to fidget with her gown, prodding the sensitive skin under her broken nails, turning her pinky a sad, near-red shade of sore.

“What about you, Kitty?”

Heather’s gaze shot up from where it lingered, blankly observing the throng of people, “Huh?” Looping a strand of hair to brush up against her cheek.
“Acting? Didn’t you say? Like, drama?”
“Law.” She began to pop open the handheld purse, rifling through it for a stick of gum, “My mom’s eighteenth century, thinks I’ll be on the dollar bill for it.” Heather half bit into it with a small, docile smile, “Guess I’ll have to get out before they pay the fees, right?”

Kit laughed, savouring the pale imitation of strawberries and their chemical additives before a figure appeared in the periphery; respite from bland chatter, the cheerleader swivelled on the tiptoes of her heels. Mickey, the familiar head of dark hair and strong features lit up with uncustomary joy.

If she hadn’t known about the injury, Heather was convinced she’d of been none the wiser with the stride he put on. Her lips twitched up at the corners impulsively, “I’ll be there if you’re there, Mickinley,” She offered the open packet of gum, “Don’t tell me you’re finally getting outta this dump - I’d pin you for a Yale guy.” Kitty pouted and glanced him up and down, “Just need some cargos and a polo, we’d have you set for a date at the country club.”

She sidled closer, squinting conspiratorially with a shock of baby-blue eyeshadow, “Mind if I tag along with you back to the others? Or you got every other Mandy and Cindy on the guestlist?” Kitty teased, offering a mischievously pointed grin, “I imagine Billy has - but, you oughta be careful, Mick. If I draw the Tower one more time for someone tonight, I’ll throw all my tarot out.” Her finger landed squarely against Mickey's shoulder in a gentle prod, "And you know what they say about Cancers - not like, the condition but like, you know," She paused, gesturing upward, chewing on her lower lip with a vaguely self-puzzled expression.

Location: Trailer Park
Interactions: Jennifer
Mentions: BELIAL.

Colt B. Callaway​

Colt hadn’t started the day by any good measure, accustomed as he was to bad beginnings and rude awakenings. Head thrumming, fingers buzzing, and a wave of nausea rolling through his abdomen by the time he clawed himself upright, cocooned in a duvet which fell to the mess of bedsheets. Clutching at the doorway into the small trailer’s kitchen, Callaway stumbled, one foot after the other, gazing over the small crowd of empty bottles, overflowing ashtrays - a bachelor’s signature interior design.

Swooping out the bin, glass chattering as it thudded into the trash, Callaway reached for a half-smoked cigarette, angling his face over the gas stove to reignite the blackened end. A huff followed, cheeks hollowing before it spiralled out in a sharp bite of nicotine; wrenching a cupboard for little orange pill bottles and half-empty foil-covered packets until three sat neatly in the palm of his hand, Colt upended them into his mouth. The leftovers of a cheap bourbon washed it down and a tall cup of stagnant coffee - knocking them back in succession while eyeing a calendar from 1992, still stuck on December.

Between the burn of liquor and off-taste of re-brewed caffeine, Callaway balanced his cigarette on the bathroom sink to brush his teeth - all mint and tobacco enough to make you gag, still a mess of bedhead and stubble between his sideburns, the vest of his was a day old and slept-in, jeans a mess of old paint and labour - Colt was looking for an argument the moment a knock sounded.

“HELL ain’t I - I -” The door wrenched open in his grip, spying the back of a blonde head. Of course Jenny was back. He knew Jenny was back. He’d done everything in his power to ignore the fact Jenny was back. He’d spied her out for a smoke more than once, bringing back groceries, that sister of hers getting the help she ought’ve. The Johnson’s were good people. Whatever your opinion was.

Instead, his mistaken complaints found themselves drawn to an envelope at his feet, crouching to fetch it while the cig balanced precariously between his fingers, smouldering away to nothing. “Jenny, what the fuck are you playin’ at? Ain’t we a bit old for love letters,” Callaway called, drawing it away from his bleary eyes, noting the handwriting. “'Cause the back of your head ain't makin' no sense either.”

 

[BELIAL.]

Location: The Highschool
Interactions: Aleks and Rod
Mentions: Lia The Cat Man

Chel Lucas​

Grad day had finally come. After pulling herself by her bootstraps, sometimes literally, and dragging her ass out of bed every day (with much hesitation), she'd finally done it. There was nothing less to be proud of, yet nothing more to come of it. But to Chel, on the outside, she did her best to show her graces. Big, smiling face seeing her brother again. Bigger smiling face seeing her brother and his family, along with her mom who'd taken time from precious sleep to show up and take pictures. Chel'd even been pliable enough to let her mother paint her face. Stupidly big eyelashes and lots of blush and lip gloss. She felt like some fuckin' doll, and was half as braindead as one. She'd gotten high as soon as morning had rolled around, though she figured the stress of the day would be over as soon as everyone did their walk and threw their caps up. Like some big silly 80s movie, except the credits didn't roll after. The film just kept playing. It never stopped.

It would never stop, in fact. Everyone's story ended in Newby. They'd part their ways, go to university, and kiss their past goodbye. Chel? She'd be stuck here for eternity. With an ailing mom and no real prospects after school, she'd be stuck waiting to do community college with whatever free time she had. The stress of it all was enough to make anyone lose their cool.

So Chel smoked. And smoked. It was a good thing the stupid fake eyelashes drooped her lids so low. No one noticed that her eyes were brimming red. They just assumed she was crying.

Seeing her brother again had been something else. He'd been all proud of her, holding her tightly and hugging her sweetly. His gratitude was enough, in a way. Maybe she would actually start crying because of it. Her mother was actually proud too, and in the gasp of breaths between her stoned mind, Chel had half of a heart to feel it clench and pull. Getting really emotional wasn't super cool, so she'd tried to compose herself.

"I'm really proud of you sweetie," her mom said in the hug, squeezing and wetting her eyes all over Chel's grad robe. Feeling her own face crumple, she could only hold the woman tighter. Then her mom pulled back, and looking to Bobby and his wife, dried her eyes and signaled to the parking lot. "You think, you can get a ride--?" Work came first.

"Yeah, Ma, I'll be fine. Heather's here, everyone's here. If I need a lift home I'll be fine." Chel brushed it off, shrugging. "You get some sleep, alright?" And Bobby offered to drive her home and in a few minutes, parting hugs, Chel was alone again. She could think clearly. Semi-clearly, anyway.

A presence came from the side of her and Chel slowly turned, confronted with a familiar face. She broke out into a smile, beaming at Aleks. "Aleks, baby, it's open all hours. I'd be terrible for reputation if I wasn't always carryin' a little somethin', somethin', you know?" Glad to be back in a familiar element, Chel rifled through the pile of curls at the top of her head, digging her hands under her cap and producing a small baggie. Just a few caps, white little pills.

"I've got some footballs, junior. You like sports?" She kept her grin wide, giving a few looks over her shoulder before clasping his hand and giving it a firm shake. "Xanax... FYI... It'll take the edge off. For now--" She'd already tucked the bag into the sleeve of his gown before she saw a roaming figure catch her eye. Senses were slow from the weed, sure, but Chel couldn't miss Rod a mile away. All handsome smile and clear intent, clearly as he disregarded Aleks back to the ether from whence he came. Chel mouthed a little 'sorry' and shrugged before her attention was fully held to Rod.

His statement made her snort, squinting her eyes (at this point they looked near closed), and she hooked a hand over her hip, pursing her lips. "Hmm.. Ya know, somethin's tellin' me I can't quite say no to this offer. I think I may have a sixth sense for this kind of thing." All goof and ease. "'Course I'll come. Billy's place is dope. Last 'hurrah' anyway."

She slid a little to look back at Aleks, hoping he hadn't left yet. "Herrington, wow, what a surprise to see you here-- You should come! We're all on even playin' ground anyway. Graduated... somethin' like that." She offered him a bonafide smile, hands grasping for pockets that she lacked. Instead, Chel patted her hips, pretending it was totally natural.

Location: Trailer Park
Interactions: Colt
Mentions: idalie

Jenny Johnson​

She froze, half a step from freedom when she'd heard the door open and Colt's call. Her face furrowed immediately into confusion and concern, looking down at the envelope in her hand. She turned on her heel, facing the twist to her gut that came from confrontation. The way he spoke her name with ease, and the way they'd just... taken to conversing like they'd been chatting the whole time she'd been back in Newby seemed to confirm whatever gut instinct said that he'd seen her around too. Of course he did. It was like Sam said, wasn't it. People probably saw her around, worse if they remembered her. She thought she looked different enough... but it didn't seem to be enough.

The comment about love letters stuck and she frowned further, looking back to the letter in her hand and then to the one in his. It looked familiar, far too much... How had he not seen it before? Had it been there the whole time?

"What are you--?" Jenny asked, voice catching in her throat she her bemusement increased. "I didn't-- That's not, that's not me. You... You're the one that sent me this? Isn't it?" Her voice had lost its confidence again, eyes locked on the letter. There was really no way he'd sent it if he held a similar one in his hand now. What did that mean?

Setting a stride she returned to the trailer, snatching the letter from his hand and looking deeply at it. The handwriting, the everything it was... the same. She didn't want to open it. But she wanted to know...

"Colt, open that letter, god dammit." She thrust it back at him, stern glare. She didn't want small talk. She hoped to god he wouldn't engage in small talk. Couldn't they just get to the point, then she'd just leave and they'd pretend it didn't happen?

 

[Geun Sae]

12:05
​

Mickey smiled, his eyes locking on Kit's round face as he stumbled to try and find the right words. For a moment, he'd completely lost his train of thought. He reached his hand out and gently picked a piece of gum.

"Gee, I don't know about Yale. Heard their acceptance rate is only like a 4%"

He'd become so jaded that had anyone else been the one to make the remark, he would have immediately taken it as a jab at his academic proficiency. "No, I'm afraid not. Off to Northeastern. You'll catch me reading poetry under some tree by the river." Even Mickey found the image funny, the hulking brute sitting criss-cross applesauce face deep in a literary classic. "Who knows though, I think I might rock those cargos and polos."

He looked around at the crowd of students around them. With every face, Mickey realized more and more that Newby had been his entire life. He'd known these people since the day he was born, knowing some of them as far back as pre-k.

"I'd love it if you did! Maybe you could give me one of those famous Kitt tarot readings?"

While Mickey had long ago convinced himself that Tarots and palm readings were all hoaky nonsense, he couldn't help but imagine the two of them side by side away from the party glancing over the cards while Kitt explained each one. He loved to hear her talk, and any chance to get her to was an opportunity he wouldn't miss upon.

"And I don't know about Rod, but Billy seems pretty set on inviting the whole senior student body. Seems only fitting we have our valedictorian show up too. And you know, I do kind of need a date."

Mickey could feel himself growing flushed. Ever since he missed the opportunity to ask her to Prom, all he could do was kick himself in the leg for missing out on a date night with Heather. Billy and Rod tormented him endlessly, but even the two of them, with Billy's fervent charisma and Rod's good looks, found themselves too shy or unable to ask her out. "I mean, you know or, whatever."

idalie

--

Billy pumped his fist in excitement. Tonight's party would have to outdo everything he'd done for the last four years, and what better way than getting even the most anti-social of kids to come out and let loose. "Yes! Bring cookies! But don't worry, we'll have everything covered. Snacks, booze, or uh- whatever you drink. I'm sure we have some milk in the fridge?"

"And tell your dad to call mine! My dad and he are chill, they go to dinners all the time. My dad's got us all covered. They're flying out to Chicago in a few hours, but they're telling everyone's parents it'll be a chill night with board games and ice cream and like, stuff."

Billy jumped up and down with excitement one more time. "It's gonna be awesome!" He exclaimed, lifting his hand in the air in anticipation of a high five from the meek girl before him.

themagnoliaofutah

 

[The Cat Man]

​

Aleksander Herrington​

​

Noon | Football Field
+ Michelle Lucas | Rodrigo Martinez
​

"...Man, you're a life-saver." Aleksander answered meekly as the usual pass-off happened, a little nervous but clearly glad that he got his fix, it didn't take too long for Aleks to get well-suited with the guys who can get him what he needs as he probed about within the social circles, he knows how it generally goes. While his 'medicine' (if you can even call it that anymore) tends to have a wealthy supply, Aleks does need to take care to not worry his father too much with the amount he takes and there's times were he desperately needs it in the moment, not only that, but Aleks is trying his best to get out off it, even it's just for a day.

Aleks wordlessly let himself get pushed away by Rodrigo's arrival, nodding to Chel with a small smile as he shook it off. Aleks knows the school social ladder, he knows he's at the bottom, he knows he's easy prey to many, so he avoids many fights by simply standing back and allowing it to happen, Aleks never gets too hurt by it, maybe because he just doesn't care about it as much. Besides, he's not stupid enough to interrupt someone like Rod's attempt at getting together.

It gives Aleks an opportunity to take his 'medicine', at least, shambling off to the side as he simply yawned, far enough to not bother the two but close enough that any gazes to him would be more attentive to the popular guy. It wouldn't take it's proper effect yet, but just feeling it get gulped down is reassuring enough to calm Aleks down a little bit.

"...Huh- Oh." Aleksander was surprised at the invitation, but quickly assumed the obvious, it's a trade after all, his part is missing, he looked a little awkwardly at Rod and Chel before talking further. "...Sure doesn't feel that way yet, but guess you're right..." A short smirk at her, just trying to joke without scratching the very fragile ego of a hormonal teenage boy. "...I'll pass by, won't stick for long though, I'm kind of a wallflower after all." He was being truthful here, parties just aren't really his thing, though Aleks appreciates her invite a lot, even if it's with another motive.


BELIAL. Lia

 

[themagnoliaofutah]

Geun Sae
The redhead stared blankly at the hand for a moment. "Oh! Oh." She awkwardly returned the high five, giving a sheepish laugh. "Sorry. I - suppose my mind's burnt out a little. And, um, I do drink milk, but mostly for breakfast. I like cherry cola - although Vicky always says with grenadine, which always throws me off. I'll - be sure to let him know! I really think your dad will like the new book - he, um, likes the Prohibition era stuff, right?" She quickly lapsed back into silence again - she tended to have small, controlled bursts of talkativeness, which often left her almost embarrassed. It was as if she really did have a lot to say, she just never really had the right time, or place, or person to say it to.

 

[Lia]

Rodrigo "Rod" Martinez​

​

Rod had never felt for anyone what he felt for Chel. He'd dated a lot of girls in those high school years, but he hardly remembered them when they weren't together, no matter how hot they were and how steamy their relationship was. Meanwhile, he spent hours of his day thinking about Chel, even though they weren't even in a relationship. He had invited her to prom and she had accepted, but she had also made it clear that she expected them to go as friends. During another party, they'd made out for a few glorious minutes that Rod couldn't quite remember because he was too high at the time. But they never talked about it again, as it had simply never happened.

Still, they were best friends and he remained wrapped around her little finger at all times, grinning like an idiot every time he saw her and nodding when she spoke. "Yeah, our man Billy knows how to throw a party. And it wouldn't be the same without you."

There were many other things he wanted to tell her. Rod wanted her to know that she was the prettiest girl at the graduation ceremony and wanted to ask her if she wanted a ride to Billy's place, but all his intentions were thwarted when Chel turned her attention back to Aleks Herrington. He rolled his eyes. When he'd bumped into Aleks and placed himself between him and Chel, Rod had thought he'd made it pretty explicit that he wanted him to get lost, but he was still standing there. Chel invited him to the party and Rod wanted to reply that he wasn't invited, but backed out. He knew that Mickey or Billy were going to bump into him sooner or later and make the invitation anyway, so there was no point in him bitching about it.

"Yeah. Come, don't come, whatever," he told Aleks, his voice filled with disdain. Then Rod put his arm around Chel's shoulder and gently guided her away from Aleks. If that loser wasn't going to walk away, then Rod would go with Chel away from him.

"Anyway. Wanna go to the party with me?" He asked her, making the double meaning of his question clear. As they walked, he enjoyed the opportunity to touch her, even if casually. "Like, I can give you a ride. And we can also spend some time together when we get there and shit, ya know what I mean."

Tags: The Cat Man BELIAL.

 

[temporarybliss]

​

Nicole sighed a breath of general boredom and disinterest. As the excited seniors clustered around her in their individual cliques and respective tribes, she couldn't help but be entirely apathetic. Graduation was always a weird time for her, but this year’s commencement seemed to hold a harsher sting to it.

Not only did it happen to be the ten-year anniversary of the 85’ massacre, but Nicole had to sit and watch as her favorite people left Newby County high for greener pastures. As much as she hated to admit it, she really couldn’t bear to see her favorite seniors leave. She’d grown so fond of them over the last few months, especially Billy.

At first, she was definitely off-put by Billy’s enthusiasm and chronic excitement. Nicole had convinced herself that he was one of those low-life seniors who went for the younger girls because he couldn’t get any action from people his own age. But after a number of parties and late-night chats by the fire pit in Billy’s backyard, she’d come to see him as a close friend.

As she walked on the turf of the football field, she could distinctly make out the big white smile from across the field. Billy was speaking away to some poor redheaded nobody. Nicole shook her head. As friendly as he was, Billy really needed to know who to invite and who not to.

Nicole sauntered up and tapped him on the shoulder.

“What’s up big guy? I’ve been hearing a lot about tonight’s rager. Sounds like it’ll be a lot of fun.”

She turned to the redheaded girl and gave her a condescending look. “Gotta go all out before you leave. Might have to bring a few going-away presents.” She said, pantomiming the act of hitting a joint.

 

[BELIAL.]

Chel Lucas

Location	The Highschool
Company	Rod (and goodbye Aleks...)
Tags	Lia

Chel's grin was bright and eager hearing Aleks not immediately turn down the invitation. Times were changing! Nerds and Jocks alike, brought together in a more perfect union, due to Chel's unyielding indifference to social boundaries. She understood cool from un-cool, but there was so much time in life spent focusing on the un-cool, that there was little room to ascend the cool ladder. You had to be so many different things, when all that Chel wanted was for everyone to just... chill. She took this motto to heart, and it was why she'd even asked Aleks to come. He deserved to have a good time. Though she did her best to forget, for sake of appearances and emotions, that tonight was the ten year anniversary of his brother's violent death, she did know this. Bobby'd even been stiff recounting the grad party that he'd missed. Chel, while fascinated by the horror of it all, wouldn't want to make things worse for Aleks. He'd gone to find her for some drugs anyway, hadn't he? It wasn't like that was entirely often, either.

Anything to avoid any kind of 'Revenge of the Nerds' situation happening ten years down the line, fueled by vengeance of ostracizing in high school. Some people didn't let things go.

Rod, Chel noticed, seemed less than excited by the idea of Aleks coming, but she simply shrugged it off. His arm slid around her shoulder and she curved a look over her side back at Aleks as they departed, throwing a shaka and shaking it, still smiling back at him. If he needed more help enjoying himself, she'd be there. Everyone deserved to have a good ass night, getting fucked up and moving on from high school and into the real world.

Everyone but Chel, of course.

Raising a brow at the comment of going with him, then at the quick amendment, Chel snorted a laugh. "Well duhh... Wasn't gonna peel off as soon as we get there. 'Course we'll hang out, dude. And sure, I'll take a ride I guess. Gotta check back with Kitty, though. I think she'd want to come too--"

Seeing in the field Kitty talking it up with Mickey, Chel burst into a laugh. "Ope. Well, she's coming. Hopefully, at least. No idea if I'm gonna be seein' her later, or if they'll conveniently disappear into some back room. Kids will be kids." Another laugh and a smile. She made a note to check in with Kitty later, give the girl a pep up. Lord knows the blonde didn't need it, but hey, that's what childhood bestfriends did-- along with getting the gross and gritty details later.

Chel looked up at Rod, squinting to focus on him and relaxed into the casual embrace. Sucking in her cheeks and making a noise of consideration, she settled on her thoughts. Snatching a hand up she grabbed at his cheeks, moving his face to and fro, getting a good angle of things.

"You're totally unblitzed right now, aren't you? You're breakin' my heart, man!"

 

[themagnoliaofutah]

temporarybliss
Geun Sae

The bespectacled girl's meek smile quickly faded at the remark, replaced by her usual expression of subdued worry. In her mind, "going all out" meant either higher risk of getting herself hurt, or seeing someone else get hurt. She wanted neither. "Oh, um, uh... yeah. Sure." She took an awkward step back, her pale pink flats barely visible under her graduation gown. The younger girl terrified her - family history aside, something in her bearing made Maggie feel like she'd be happy to hit her at a moment's notice. And the last time she'd been too friendly with someone like that, they HAD ended up hitting her. Granted, Amy moved away a short time later, but Maggie still had a small scar on one ear to show for it.

 

[Walliver]

Cameron turned quickly, a biting remark on the tip of her tongue, before she saw who she was talking to. Justina, one of the few people she really tolerated. She was nice, left her alone in art class. “Oh, I’m alright, graduation and all. Got a scholarship, so that’s fun. How are the uh-” Cameron gestured to the other woman’s swollen belly. “-the kids? You almost up or what?” the question was blunt, as was Cam’s nature.

She was also genuinely curious. Not that children were her favorite subject, there had been a history of far too many complicated births in her family tree for her to even have one of her own. And she wasn’t a big fan of kids anyway, they were loud and annoying. But she supposed it was polite to ask, seeing as Justina had come up to talk to her first. And then the guilt that came with most human interaction settled in. “Didn’t mean to be weird by that or anything. Just curious.” she tacked on the apologetic statement to her previous question, feeling the wave of guilt subside.

BloodThunder27 - Justina

 

[idalie]

Location: The Highschool
Interactions: Mickey
Mentions: Geun Sae

Heather "Kitty" Kitts​

Mickey’s comment elicited no laugh but a serious, quiet frame of contemplation; her head tipping forward in a curtain of blonde, “Y’know, you’re a sweetheart really Mickey, outta my mind why you oughta hide it.” Heather glanced through the awry locks, smile bunching up beneath her eyes, “Anyone who reads poems has tried to write one, so don’t forget today too quick, alright?” The Cheerleader straightened up, surveying the crowd, “They say artists immortalise - like all those silver screen actors, the ones on rerun all the time.”

Heather adored those black and white reels, often put on cheap on a Sunday morning to occupy the empty cinema. They looked flawless, soft white skin and dark lips, men and their stoicisms. You could say it was one of those contributing factors which led her to a fascination with film. Type of unrealistic, stiffly portrayed transatlantic accents that took you up on cloud nine.

Her cryptic though not unusual remark followed itself up with an excitable clasp of her fingers threading through each other, purse clutched under her elbow, “Oh they’re not famous,” Kitty laughed, disguising the flattery of it, “But you know, I’m feeling like tonight is the last night for a reading - I’m gonna trash them,” Heather confided with a near-whisper, “I don’t want to see what happens next, that's the excitement of it.”

Running a hand through her hair as it pushed across to her shoulder, short enough it didn’t hold itself there, the blonde’s attention snapped to Mickey’s flush invitation. A pouted expression of thought crossed her features, dusted now with a hint of rosy blush, “Better call it a date then.” Kitt twisted the tip of her shoe into the ground, pulse unusually unsettled.

Hell, of course, she liked Mickey. Who hadn’t? Even now after the accident he cut a figure, and the boy sitting under some tree by a river in his little exaggerations perpetrated the feeling of unusual closeness. He wasn’t entirely the same on the surface as underneath it. A childish observation but one she’d made with her favoured of all friends and acquaintances; Chels, Maggie, even Aleks. Perhaps they’d never understand each other fully, but it was a start.

Heather's pinky reached for Mickey’s, intertwining for a brief shake of his hand, “It’s a promise or bust, capiche?" She punctuated with a wink.

Location: Trailer Park
Interactions: Jennifer
Mentions: BELIAL.

Colt B. Callaway​

“Sent you what-now?” Colt scrutinised, envelope snatched from his hands as Jennifer examined it before briefly thrusting it back between his palms. His features softened something fierce, observing the sincerity of her expression - and for a second, he ought to have been seventeen and stupid. Stuck on a Highschool sweetheart, still smoking the same-brand cigarettes, with a calendar frozen in December. Nothing changed in Newby, save for the faces. Prettier, older, newer.

But Jenny, Jenny was sadder.

His gaze didn’t leave her, running a fingertip to tear at the wrapping - “Thought I’d get mad if I ever saw you again, know that, Johnson? Thought I’d give you that reply I’d been sittin’ on since what you said to me. Seems I waited too long. Any earlier I’d ask you for a kiss to read this old thing, I mean what? S’carpet advertisement -” He shook his head with a laugh, not grasping the weight of the situation.

Callaway looked down, humour fading from the twinkle of his eye. Wordlessly he flipped it for Jennifer to see. “Y’tryin’ to tell me y’expected to see this? Y’tryin to tell me y’think I sent you a copy of this crap? Shit Jen. Oh you’re real high and mighty since you been livin’ in New York, huh? What else you got? Dunne’s corpse on a pulley back there? My apologies - I'm a real villain for tormentin' young women tryin’ to forget.”

He ran a hand back through the mess of bedhead, running a palm over his sideburns, “Good time to be back in Newby, excitin’ enough yet?" Callaway began to screw it up between his palms, "'Course theres a reckonin' the moment you walk your sorry ass into town."

 

[Geun Sae]

12:07
​

Mickey could feel his heartbeat faster in his chest. He could feel his tongue-twisting in knots as he tried to find the right words to say. For a moment, it felt like the last four years were all building up to tonight. He checked his leg and noticed he was leaning. He slowly corrected his stance, careful not to slouch too much. He shook her hand casually, trying desperately to hide the feverish excitement from within.

"Y-yeah! It's a promise. I'd offer to pick you up but, you know haven't driven much since the injury. Do you have a way to get to Billy's place? Thinkin' maybe around eight? Otherwise, Billy or Rod could totally pick you up!"

He knew it was a bad look. The worst part was it'd only been half the truth. Mickey hadn't done much driving since the injury, Mickey hadn't done much driving at all. There wasn't much to be driving around to in Newby, plus everything was within walking distance. Beside Billy's house and a few other homes on the fringes of town, Mickey didn't need a car, and if he did Billy was always happy to hitch him a ride.

"Plus, I think Chel's is coming over too. I don't know if she's going with anyone but, you know." His voice trailed off.

idalie

--

"Grenadine! Yes! We have tons of that stuff. My mom's on the wagon so she drinks tons of Shirley temples and Roy Rogers."

Billy smiled. He couldn't fathom why someone would tag along to a party and not drink, but he appreciated the fact that Maggie would make the effort to try and come out. To him, every classmate was part of the experience of growing up in Newby, and as hard as leaving the town behind was gonna be for him, leaving his friends was even harder. He tried to console himself with the fact that they'd eventually have reunions, or that maybe he'd see a few of them every now and then when he came back to coach. But he knew that things would never quite be the same. Some kids would get the hell out of dodge, some of them would just become boring, bitter adults. And some of them wouldn't even remember who he was, at least he hoped not.

"Yeah! My dad loves that prohibition stuff. He's super into knights and wizards and kings. Like that new Mel Gibson flick! Braveheart!"

Billy felt a tap on his shoulder, he turned and looked down to see Nicole's familiar face.

"What’s up big guy? I’ve been hearing a lot about tonight’s rager. Sounds like it’ll be a lot of fun. Gotta go all out before you leave. Might have to bring a few going-away presents.”

He put both his hands on Nicole's shoulders. "You. Are. My. Hero"

He turned back to Maggie "Be at my place around nine. It's gonna be awesome!", he exclaimed. "I gotta go invite some more folks, I'll see you guys tonight!" he shouted as he took off back into the crowd, giddy with anticipation.

themagnoliaofutah

 

[The Cat Man]

​

Aleksander Herrington​

​

Noon | Football Field
- Michelle Lucas | Rodrigo Martinez
​

Aleks just silently and shortly waved over in response as Chel left with Rod obviously leading her away, completely ignoring the jock. Michelle was always kind with him on Chem class even if she was generally asking for some help, a handful of people were gentle too, but Chel was certainly one of note, though perhaps it's just his mind knowing to lean towards the girl because of what she can get him. However, there's times where he feels like he's just treated nicely out of nothing but sadness for him by many, it's not the commandering glares that hurt Aleks the most but the apologetic glances of knowing how shattered you are.

As for Rodrigo, well, what can Aleks think about someone who completely ostracizes him whenever they rarely interact other than dislike born out of self-preservation? It's not like Aleks hates him per say, in fact, he assumes there's a cool side to Rod if someone like Chel is friendly with him, just a necessary wariness to survive in these school hallways, you don't want to be a target, and he's been doing well in avoiding it to the end, at least, he believes he isn't on anyone's crosshead.

As Aleks looked across the fields for his last gaze in this ending chapter of his life, he tried to get one last look at the people Aleks had some sort of friendship with but failed to truly know in this troubled time of his life.

There's Mickey and Heather mingling closely with each other. Mick was ok in Aleks' eyes even if he's a little bit like Rod sometimes, everyone knows the local deadbeats and he understands what it's like to feel that home isn't really home anymore, they have some good talks when they do. Kitty is... definitely unique, she has a lot of interest in the occult, which Aleks had to admit is pretty intriguing, but maybe she's kinda too bold sometimes, he still feels a little freaked over whatever 'The Hanged Man' was... Brr...

Maggie is one of his fellow outcasts, at least, that's what the school labeled them as. Maggie is just as interested in the occult, though certainly not as upfront about it as Kitty, she's nice, nerdy in a good way. And next to her is...
Nicole Dunne.
Aleks is... Well, uncomfortable with her for obvious reasons, she did help him out some very few times but... He can't help but feel the way he does.

And there's Billy going around through the crowd. If Chel didn't invite him, he probably would, that's the type of guy he is, he's cool.

Nonetheless, Aleks' decided to vanish into the shadows of the crowds on the sideline, just watching as the families dispersed and as the friends smiled together, it feels sad for him but he's sure it'll pass, and Aleks... doesn't feel like staying home alone will do any good to him, so he's trying to avoid being there as much possible, besides, just maybe, his father might actually come.

Many withering memories remain in places where there should've been new ones.
It's about time to replace them, right?

 

[themagnoliaofutah]

Geun Sae
Maggie awkwardly waved goodbye, managing to bring back her smile a little. "Uh, see - you later." She awkwardly sidestepped away from Nicole, gravitating back to the (literal) sidelines. She sat down on the grass a little apart from the others, setting her purse at her side and taking out a small compact mirror, fiddling with her hair and glasses again.

 

[Lia]

Rodrigo "Rod" Martinez​

​

As usual, Chel didn't seem to realize that Rod was hoping to turn the party into a date. Then they spotted Mickey and Kitty, who were standing a short distance away from them, and Chel made a comment about how those two would probably end up conveniently disappearing into a back room during the party. Rod was so jealous of his best friend that he could even punch him. God knew he would give anything to be able to disappear into a back room with the girl he liked.

But that anger didn't last more than a few seconds. When Chel touched his face, all of his troubles dissipated, and he flashed her a crooked smile that highlighted the dimple in his right cheek. He let her move his face as she pleased and nodded when she mentioned the utter sobriety that tortured him at that moment. "Tell me about it." He sighed, pretending to be suffering. Then he reached out and touched a soft lock of her brown hair. "What do you have for me, corazón? You know I'd hate to break your heart."

Although Rod hardly spoke Spanish unless he was talking to his own mother, he had a cute Spanish nickname for Chel. Sometimes he just couldn't imagine calling her anything else. They kept walking as they talked and were already so close to Mickey and Kitty that they would have run into them if they weren't paying close attention. Rod didn't feel like talking to them, but if Chel wanted him to offer Kitty a ride, he could as well do that as soon as possible. And of course he was also going to call Mickey, since he was there too.

"Wait a sec." He told Chel, then waved at Mickey and Kitty and started yelling much louder than it was necessary to be heard. "Yo lovebirds! Just wanted to let ya know that I'm driving you guys to the party. I'm feelin' pretty generous today, but don't get used to it."

Some people stared at them, but Rod didn't give a fuck. He loved being the center of attention. "Be ready by eight. And by the way, bro, wait outside the trailer park. It's fucking hard to drive out of that hellhole." The last part of his sentence was obviously aimed at Mickey. He had already tried to drive his Chevrolet Camaro through the narrow passages of the trailer park and it took him about ten minutes to get out of there. He didn't feel like going through that again.

Having nothing more to say, he again ushered Chel in another direction so they could finally find a place to get high.

Tags: BELIAL. idalie Geun Sae

 

[BELIAL.]

Location: The Highschool
Interactions: Rod (and Mickey and Kitty)
Mentions: Lia

Chel Lucas​

Her smile warmed, laughing lightly and rolling her eyes at the nickname. She... still didn't know what it meant. It sounded Spanish-- or was that some German? She didn't take Rod for one to speak German but, well, stranger things had happened. Regardless, it always managed to make her somewhat elated. He could be a real goof when he wanted to.

At least he was a guy that understood how important it was to get high. Chel had to remind herself that getting high wasn't the end all be all to life itself. It unlocked many doors, and made existence a little less shitty, sure but... Well, perhaps it really was all that and a bag of chips.

As she contemplated what poison she'd inflict on Rod, Chel raised an eyebrow when she heard him call out. But she saw that it was directed at Mickey and Heather. Chel, giving a nasty grin at Kitty's direction, threw up one hand to 'hide' an obscene motion she was making with her hands. Of course Mickey would be able to see, and probably Rod too, but Chel was hardly able to give any more fucks on it. Either way she laughed and smiled wickedly, waggling her brows up and down. Whatever they were doing, she'd help. It was cute, really.

Plus, Chel had some amount of hope in Mickey. They weren't fiercely friends, nor did they show their soft sides... But she could see the signs of it in the writing club they shared. Chel was a fan of films, and the scripts and metaphors and meanings, all for that reason. What was underneath. It mattered to her, though gore and viscera was pretty exciting too.

Giving a wave as they passed by, Chel began to prattle on.

"You know, I'm honestly so fuckin' pumped that we don't have to do any of... this anymore. Barely able to drink legally, sure, that fuckin' drags, and never bein' able to smoke freely... Is also a drag, but like... No more bleachers bullshit! Although... I may come to miss my old stomping ground." She mused romantically on the subject, thinking to the signatures and drawings she'd cut into the underside of the bleachers.

Right now there were still a lot of families around, and their time would probably be short and brief. Still, just a quick puff and a spritz. Weed was good for that.

Chel raced ahead a bit, turning on her heel and pacing backwards in front of Rod. "Tell me... Five things you wanna do before you die. And I mean FIVE, aiight? None of this one and some crap. FIVE. Then... you may receive your reward, my good sir."

Like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat, Chel plucked a small joint from her cap. Wiggling it before sliding it back under, before any staff or parents could see, she dragged them off to the hidden space beneath the bleachers.

Location: Trailer Park
Interactions: Colt
Mentions: idalie

Jenny Johnson​

She heard him alright, but Jenny didn't want to listen to it. Against her better judgement, pangs of regret and shame seemed to make their way through her chest. Him saying he'd ought to be mad at her, that he'd have asked for a kiss to open the stupid letter if it was any other time, any other year. That comment made a ridiculous, unconscious flush race across her cheeks, though it was masked by her own growing annoyance.

She didn't want to think about how long it had been since she'd been back in Illinois. She just wanted to know if the letter he held, the letter with the same writing on the envelope as hers, was from the same person. He was oblivious to the importance of it to her, and Jenny just wanted to write it off as a prank. Maybe it was a fluke, a one time thing--

Her heart sank, though she did a good job of masking it on her face, when she saw familiar scrawl and another page from the yearbook.

Crossed out. Red. All red.

Jenny fixed her jaw, eyes flickering between the paper Colt held, and the anger in his voice as well. His words hurt, though she did her best to stomach them.

He didn't look his best, she couldn't lie to herself. His hair was a mess, he smelled like stink and lost hope, and he had a furry rat all over his lip. But his eyes... they were the same. All baby blues and big, staring like some sappy dog.

A violent flashback launched her to their last moment in the hospital room. The both of them bandaged up, ten years younger, and her words that stung like a hot, burning knife. She'd not regretted them; but had wished they hadn't hurt him as much.

Ten years later and she shouldn't have cared about what he said. She should have moved on past it. But it lit a fire beneath her, and she felt a cold anger lace through her.

"You know, you're a real piece of work," Jenny said through gritted teeth, clenching her fist at her side. God, she wanted another pill. "I mean-- God, what, you think I'm some kind of hot shot danger beacon? I left, Colt. I didn't do anything to anyone. I didn't murd... I-It doesn't matter. I'm not rotting in my trailer, bringing up a bullshit breakup from ten years past, that's true. But I didn't come because... I didn't come because I had a bone to pick, Colt, alright?"

Her anger seemed to dissipate though her words were still painted with a spiteful, envious green once her gaze settled back on the letter in her hand.

Her shoulders visibly deflated, Jenny's expression crumbling from indignant anger to... fear, was it? Apprehension? The sweat that bit at the back of her neck wasn't from the midday sun.

Gently, though her hands shook violently, she extracted the paper from the envelope. The one she'd gotten. Holding it out to him, now, she felt her lip tremble a bit. See?

"My best guess had been you. I dunno it wasn't... It wasn't like I figured you were some creep trying to freak me out or anything. I'd just..." Jumped to conclusions so that I'd have a reason to come see you? Not bother with saying hi again-- we're too old for that, jumping straight into the 'Are you stalking me' bit?

She bit her lip, running a hand through her hair, tugging at the strands. "It's probably some stupid kid trying to scare us. I'm-- I'm over-reacting. Just... just forget about it."

 

[BloodThunder27]

~Justina Ishimoto~

Talking To A FriendJustina was elated to hear that her friend had gotten a scholarship. "That's wonderful to hear. Where you headed with the Scholarship?" She asked, wondering what school Cameron was now going to attend.

Unfortunately, she had to give up hers due to her pregnancy as she wasn't going to be able to play basketball again anytime soon. But plans have since changed as she wanted to spend the next year off of school taking care of her three children while also helping Nanami with hers. There were going to be five kids in that house, but it was big enough, so Justina wasn't all that bothered. But five crying newborn babies? There wasn't going to be very much sleep for either of the Ishimoto Sisters. Thankfully, their parents were coming back soon too, so there would be some help. Although they had reacted negatively at first, they were now excited to be grandparents and have since changed their stance. Even though Justina was still a little young, both parents were overjoyed with the fact that both of their daughters were pregnant at the same time. Shortly after the Graduation Ceremony, they had left to go catch a flight and wanted to allow their Youngest Daughter enjoy her Grad Night in peace. Her train of thought came to a stop when Cameron asked about the triplets. "Oh, they're good. Doctors said that they're healthy and so am I." She took a deep breath as she began holding the belly. "Believe it or not, this is also my last day being this...well, huge. I'm gonna be having them tomorrow morning."

Overall, that was something Justina was not gonna be looking forward to. Because it was likely for the babies to be delivered by Cesarean Section, the recovery was probably going to be taking a little longer then most. Even though chances of it were slim, Justina still hoped that she could deliver them naturally, but heavily doubted it due to the pregnancy itself being a high risk as it was. The thought of having an incision made had her terrified, or having any sharp objects near her belly for that matter. Still, had to hope for the best, even if it as one in a million, or in the case of how she got knocked up with triplets, one in seven-hundred thousand. Her train of thought stopped once Cameron spoke.

"Didn't mean to be weird, just curious."

Justina still smiled. "It's alright. A pregnancy like this one will do that. Either way, I'm really excited to finally meet and hold them. And I don't know when you're planning to leave for College, since we still have one last summer vacation after this, but I'd love it if you could come over and meet them when I bring them home from the hospital. I know you're not a big fan of kids like we've talked about in class a couple of times, but meeting my kids might change your opinion." She then looked around. "Hmmm, wonder what the rest of our former classmates are up to." She said as her Pager went off in her purse.

~Nanami Ishimoto~An Uneasy Visit

After paging her younger sister, Nanami went back to her car. After getting comfortable and getting the seatbelt under her swollen belly, she started up the car and proceeded to leave the parking lot slowly and quietly as to not attract any attention. The thought of the letter once again entered her mind. She thought wrong when she believed that she had finally moved on, after College, after Therapy...After traveling for ten years. Why did old wounds have to start being reopened? Why now? When her Little Sister was finally graduating, when they were in the final stages of their respective pregnancies, when they're about to become Mothers? This was supposed to be an important chapter in both their lives, and now it was about to be turned upside-down. Possibly even taken away if whoever sent that message got what they wanted, which was likely murdering her or even her Sister. Taking a deep breath, she felt one of her babies kicking. "Sorry kids, Mommy's really scared right now..." She said, trying not to cry as she made a turn at a stoplight that was green.

The thought of being killed while pregnant was just appalling to her. Being killed before giving her children a chance a life, before she could give birth to them. No, that can't happen. Finally, she made it to the Office. After pulling into the Parking Lot, she shut off her car before slowly getting out. Sadly, with how big her belly had gotten, Nanami spent a few extra minutes just struggling to get out after taking off her seatbelt. Straightening out her dress, Nanami adjusted her purse and started walking into the Sheriff's Office and entered quietly. The Receptionist looked up at her as she entered and the door slowly shut behind her. "Good afternoon. I'm here to see Sheriff McKenzie."

"His Office is down that way, last door on your left." She said, seeming rather unbothered since it wasn't often that the Sheriff's Office got any visits.

The last time that Nanami was here was when Sheriff McKenzie, then a Sheriff's Deputy, arrested her for Vandalism, Arson, Harassment, Stalking and Verbal Assault against Dunne's parents in the days following the deadly massacre back in 1985. However, the charges didn't really stick as McKenzie had quietly gotten a Criminal Defense Attorney and they were dropped in court. While there wasn't an alibi, the motive was enough for the Judge to drop all the charges and clear Nanami, which was enough for the Dunne Family, or what remained of them, to leave town as they likely believed that if Nanami got off Scott-free for charges that serious, she'd probably come at them again. About a month after they had left, Nanami moved to Los Angeles to attend school. Ten years later, she came back home to see her Sister graduate and hopefully within the next week or two, welcome her twins into the world. Slowly, she waddled down the hall and made her way into his Office, knocking on the door even if it was already open. "Um, hello, Sheriff McKenzie? We need to talk." She said as she entered the office, her hand on her back...and her swollen belly being at eye level with McKenzie since he was sitting at his desk.

Interactions

Nanami - Sheriff McKenzie Geun Sae | Justina - Cameron Walliver​