TEEN WOLF 3.03 Fireflies
"hmm that you did." they muse, a smile tugging at the corners of their mouth. "man, you always had the best stuff." she was discreet too, which was something kennedy always appreciated about nadia. they can't even imagine what trouble they would have gotten in if their parents had ever caught wind of all the times the two smoked beneath the school bleachers, giggling about whatever nonsense was relevant at the time. they were a match made in heaven. nadia needed their book smarts to pass class, kennedy needed her street smarts to make this godforsaken town remotely bearable. an unlikely duo, but a friendship that kennedy didn't realize how much they've missed until tonight. distance ihas a watt of testing relationships and kennedy, of all people, knew that all to well. despite the years apart they still felt a little corner of their heart reserved for nadia. they didn’t know how to navigate moments like this, though. they knew she wasn’t the type to look for sympathy and it didn't feel right to bash her parents when nadia still clearly held some attachment towards them. would kennedy feel the same if they were in nadia’s shoes?
so they don’t say anything. instead, offer a solemn nod. they are sure they will ponder this later, when their brain finally manages to come up with something remotely wise. the glamorized pictures that nadia paints of their job description are far more exciting than the reality that is a gray cubicle and the sound of typing filling the air like elevator music. a laugh breaks out at nadia’s anchor-like voice and they follow suit, unhooking their arm from nadia’s to sit up straighter, raising a fist to their lips as if it were a microphone. “thank you nadia, for the local hottie report. we cut back to announce that unfortunately for everyone back at home, the glamor will end the moment the liquor leaves your system. we recommend thinking twice before sending that ‘u up?’ text.” not exactly the type of reporting kennedy does, but definitely more amusing on a night like this. kennedy’s smile falters a little as they cheer once more, nadia’s words stirring something inside kennedy. something they don't particularly want to put a label to yet. the pause between them is brief, but heavy and it seems they are both happy to choke it down with the tequila rather than addressing the unspoken truth – that despite rekindling their friendship, the years have placed them on different paths, two worlds apart. “you wanna go dance?”
kennedy's reaction is exactly why nadia finds it as indulging to tease them about santi . nadia would be lying if she didn't inwardly cringe at it , too . her grin stays large and present on her face as the two laugh . she feels like a teenager again , which is only elevated at the mention of study guides . " did i not offer you weed and alcohol aplenty in return ? " she pretends to scoff , as if the exchange wasn't still WHOLLY UNFAIR to kennedy . " i wouldn't have passed any classes without those study guides . " nadia's grades were as abysmal as anything else that requires her to spend time on it .
the warm contact of their arm around her makes her smile , almost abashed , down at the floor . they're both not huggers , but there's familiarity there . " i hear from her every now and then . " nadia replies and hopes to god they leave it at that . her phone burns in her pocket , silent and abandoned . a reminder of how her parents view her generally . " i mean your duty in the same way the royals talk about their crown . " in a way , kennedy and their job is comparable to the monarchy . nadia offers them her sweetest smile and is pleased when it works when kennedy eases up . " a fluff piece , huh ? what will that constitute of ? the night was young , and the town people were hot . . " she fakes a news anchor tone . honestly , nadia can't remember the last time she read the register , but she'd be more prone to pick it up now if it meant supporting kennedy . nadia beams , all teeth , as she clinks her second shot glass against kennedy's . " cheers to us drinking together again . who woulda thought that would happen ? 22 year old us would refuse to believe it . " it's meant to be said in a positive way , but it sounds like a horrible REMINDER OF FAILURE even to nadia's ears . she busies herself with clinking the shot glass again , with more determination this time , and swiftly downing it .
location : redstone bar
time : evening
for : taylan ( @ofvolatile )
there were two things the town seemed to be in silent agreement on when it came to the yalçınkayas. one, their kid was bad news. two, they weren’t talking about the daughter or their 20(?) cousins. wherever taylan went, trouble seemed to follow and it didn't take kennedy much convincing from their parents to keep their distance from him. and yet, it always felt like like taylan was always lingering somewhere in the periphery of her upbringing—as selin’s problematic brother, santiago’s troublemaking friend, and a thorn on redcreek's side. but with the recent murder of one alaina price, taylan's return to town was beginning to feel less of a coincidence and more like an omen. was alaina's downfall the wrath of a boy who never quite grew out of his rage?
he was a recognizable figure, even from behind. a head of brown messy waves sitting on top of broad shoulders and an aura that just screamed for someone, anyone, to just give him a reason. against carefully developed instincts, she approaches. the stool beside him creeks against hardwood as she settles herself onto it, announcing her arrival to both taylan and the bartender. “tequila soda, please.” her gaze darts over to taylan, as if to size him up, before turning back to the bartender and tipping her head towards him. “—and whatever he‘ll have.”
“obsession?” she can’t help but laugh as that, though it lacks humor. "that is so dramatic, ricardo. i was just asking you a question." the silence that now envelopes them is not as comfortable. there's no solidarity no mutual understanding of how to navigate a story. what little patience they had for ricardo's antics is quickly depleting the more he speaks. "jesus, we get it. you're in a different tax bracket! do you really have to remind everyone of that every chance you get?" they are suddenly regretting the decision to accept the blazer. if he is intent on treating them like a child about it then they would rather freeze to death. kennedy meets ricardo's gaze as he scoffs at their plan, brows twitching into a frown. then they sigh, as if truly disappointed. “i must have mistaken you for someone with initiative,” they respond, fixing her gaze ahead of them once more, a newfound determination finding it's way to their bones. “fine — don’t help me gather intel. ill do it myself.” they don’t need him. they don’t need anybody. it was foolish of her to think the common goal or whipping up some notoriety was enough for them to work together. kennedy does remember him vaguely saying something like that to them and at the time, they bit their tongue. figured it was just him adding some good old corporate fear to the work culture. besides, what the hell could they possibly uncover in red creek? but now, their journalistic instinct tells them that there might just be a story to be told tonight and they aren’t interested in letting anyone’s ego get in the way of that.
they pick up their pace slightly, enough to step in front of him and put both of their strides to a pause. “i’m afraid there’s been a misunderstanding between us, sir.” their voice shifts into a more professional tone but make no mistake — there is a definite bite in there. “i am sorry if i gave you the impression that i'm some lackey who's value rests on writing fluff stories for the piece of shit station you decided to burrow yourself into." it’s clear he doesn't know anything about them. the articles they’ve written, the stories they’ve uncovered, the damn book they wrote. and it's even clearer now that he simply doesn't care . "so let's re-evaluate each other's professional expectations, should we? how about you stop acting like i'm some inconvenience to have at your side and i'll stop mistaking your interest in the news as a willingness to help?" as per my last email, fuck you.
HE SCOWLS AT THE LINE OF QUESTIONING . what may be harmless to others , royally pisses ricardo off . he doesn't like small talk . he doesn't like incessant questioning . this is the worst thing that reporters do and something he now only has HIMSELF to thank for picking the register to buy . inadvertently he's surrounded himself with nosy freaks . " what's the obsession with whether i watch movies or not ? are you planning an exposé on ricardo garcia's watching habits ? " it's not a snap , but it's close . his eyebrows set and his expression shutters off . he allows silence to wash over them as they continue walking , but he notes the way kennedy hugs the blazer slightly closer to their body . " don't spill anything on that . it's worth more than a year of your pay check . " he can't help add .
he silently agrees that the killer may be one for dramatics . a part of him wants to drive deeper and ask kennedy about their thoughts on what it means . why halloween . why that street . why that time . did they know people would be out ? was it accidental or planned ? but ricardo doesn't quite enjoy inciting conversation and a stronger part of him is worried that kennedy will take it as an invite to pester him with more questions in return . instead, he hums in agreement at their sentiment . ricardo glances at kennedy , with a scoff . " divide and conquer ? no thanks . i'm not your coworker . you ought to remember that . " he shakes his head . " i don't divide and conquer and i definitely don't take orders from my own staff . " he lifts a hand up , waving it . " what did i say on my first day here again ? something about ' you get me something interesting and you get to keep your jobs , otherwise , don't bother me ? ' tonight's hardly a call for us to sing kumbaya and collaborate . " ricardo feels restless then . itchy . he remembers why he doesn't like talking to people and especially shouldn't talk to his own workers . he doesn't need friends . he doesn't need anyone . he is uncomfortable because he knows , deep down , that's exactly what he needs . but a man raised a wolf will always only bare his teeth . it is in his nature . " no . " ricardo says flatly . " go find some sad loser to drink with you . " he's sure there's more than plenty still wandering around .
"so it sounds like you're having a good night?" even in her current state, hana's magnetism and her ability to command a room seems as prevalent as ever. even a man like vikram, who tended to navigate through spaces with a downcast gaze, can't help but have his attention on her as she weaves ( bulldozes? ) them though the crowd. his eyes are trained on white bunny ears, watching them bob in tune with the buoyancy of her steps. next thing he knows, he's settling himself into the space next to hana, sandwiched between her and another group of partygoers trying to catch the bartender's attention. hana beats them to it and while he can't really make out just what exactly she is ordering, he does manage to at least place his card down for the bartender to take. "goals for tonight?" he repeats the question slowly to give it some thought but before he can, hana takes off with her own ideas. the more animated she becomes, the more dread vik feels and suddenly his free hand clasps over hers, giving it a small, desperate squeeze.
"hana... please." it's almost a whisper, barely audible if it wasn't for the proximity. "have some mercy on me tonight. can we settle for... a dance, maybe? i don't think anybody wants to see me on top of anything." if he didn't have a fear of heights and djs, he certainly does now. "how about the goal is that i make it to midnight without wishing i would have stayed home?" there's a bit of a joke in there. somewhere. his eyes land on the drinks placed before them and is immediately weary of it as hana hands one over to him. he swears he can smell the heartburn from here. "oh, do you want to do that thing they do in movies? where they lock arms?" see, he's not a total stick in the mud! ahaha.
☾ hana is ever so grateful that vikram simply goes along with her plans. there's an internal moment of triumph whenever she manages to chip away part of the shell — even if it always seems to be temporary. ❝ perfect. 'cos i've had, like, so many shots already. gotta get you caught up, vik. morgue-a-ritas, mystery mimosas, green goblins . . . whatever will get the job done ! ❞ she shimmies her way between people at the bar with an over - zealous excuse me, pointing to something on the special drinks menu as soon as she can catch the bartenders attention. she pulls vik in too, wordlessly insistent that he take up space too. ❝ do we have any goals for tonight ? like, ummm . . . infiltrate the dj booth ? climb the tables ? ❞ hana's teasing, of course — suggesting bogus options to see the reaction they pull. no sooner do their drinks hit the bartop (a concerning shade of green) before she's pushing one glass into his hand. ❝ bottoms up. ❞
kennedy does one better than closing the door. they lock it. in one sharp motion, unwilling to let anyone get wrapped up in the shit storm that is about to ensue... they turn back to face him, expression a melting pot of emotions— anger, disdain, disgust, and just when it's about to flicker into something more vulnerable... he opens his goddamn mouth. "don't—" they raise a cautionary finger. the smug calmness in his response only serves to stoke the fire burning inside them, their pulse pounding in their throat. "don't act like you have the situation under control. dimwit officers? don't trust the sheriff?" it wasn't that kennedy didn't share the sentiment. they're certain they've made a passing comment about the incompetence of most police departments to ricardo. but in the world of journalism, there were rules to play and pissing off the most reliable source of information had rookie mistake written all over it. "you fucked us. you fucked me." and he doesn't pay her enough for that. "where did you even get this information? why didn't you share this with me? or effie?"
ricardo knew this was going to happen . he's never been an idiot , but he does move fast enough that sometimes it makes people consider he COULD be an idiot . cunning always is worn in a certain way when it comes to him . WHEN HE GOT THE PHOTOS - he did think of kennedy . he thought of them straight away . he knew exactly how they would have looked at the photos in reverence and awe . kennedy would have known exactly the way to deal with it . the best way to write it . the PUNCHIEST statements to click ' enter ' on . ricardo hates to admit that he needs anyone , let alone kennedy . but if she had been in the office with him that morning , things might have turned out differently . ALAS SHE WASN'T . he was as alone as he was born , and like wolves do - he struck as quick as he could . RICARDO CLOSES HIS EYES AS SOON AS HE HEARS KENNEDY ENTER . the rage within her in imminent , it vibrates through the walls of the register . " close the door behind you . " he greets back , pleasantly . he doesn't need to look down at the newspaper to see his own typed words and the photos BLINKING BACK AT HIM . he's spent enough time with them . " you're mad . " he notes .
salvador emerges from the heavy back doors, both hands clutching oversized black trash bags that reek of grease and kitchen waste. the shift from the suffocating heat of the kitchen to the sharp chill of the night air sends a shiver up his spine, making him painfully aware of the sweat clinging onto his brow. he exhales sharply, annoyed that his hands are too occupied to swipe it away. then his gaze lifts—and locks on her. henrietta nivan. the woman of the goddamn hour. salvador had clocked the moment she walked into the diner, could hear the commotion of surprised patrons through the sizzling of the stove and the blaring baseline of his coworker's shitty playlist. even he couldn't resist peering through the ticket window to catch a glimpse of her as she left the diner. she’s back. he doesn't expect to see her out here though.
her greeting is quick to fill the silence between them and a laugh from him shortly follows. "please." he scoffs, the corner of his lip twitching upwards as he turns away from her to finish his task of hauling trash over a grimey commercial garbage can. "nah, hen. no kids." none that he knows of anyway. he shoots a sideways glance her way, full of feigned expectancy. "⏤ unless you have news for me?" the last bag is tossed over and the lid is closed with an echoing thud against the metal. he wipes his hands on his apron, uses his forearm to finally clear his forehead before stepping back towards her. “i’d give you a hug but i’d hate to ruin that fancy blouse you got on.” an outfit he never once saw her wearing if he's honest. prim and proper and so unlike the girl he remembers fooling around with. it wasn't a bad look. just... different. “are the city cops after you for raiding hilary clinton’s closet or something? that why you’re back in town?”
ꜜ ﹙ 🪞 ﹚ ﹕ homecoming was its own specific kind of hell⸻ sat on the corner booth of dolly's, the cracked leather of the seat pinching at the back of her thigh with every shift. the clatter of forks & plates punctuated the low hum of conversation that seemed to crescendo with each passing minute, whispers and glances sliding off the walls and settling right on her shoulders as they finally recognized her. church friends of her parents, high school classmates who had never left town, people well-aware of the nivans name, all of them orbiting, pausing at her table with bright smiles and the mind-numbing idle chit-chat. do you remember me ? you've grown so tall now ! is that a wedding ring on your finger ? didn't think we'd see the day, hen ! fingers drummed against the chipped tabletop until the small talk finally clogged her throat, jaw finally hurting from her everlasting polite smile, appetite shriveling beneath all the tedium of smalltown reunions. henry excused herself to attend some imaginary business, throwing down enough money to cover the pancakes, lukewarm fires and watery cola ﹕ the door's bell shrilling her departure. but henry didn't get anywhere too far, the alley behind dolly's was cooler, quiet, gravel crunching underfoot as she leaned into the rough brick wall and reached for her lighter. that silence didn't really last very long however, smoke curling from her lips as she noticed the backdoor swing open ﹕ and there he was, salvador, an apron splattered with grease tied around his waist. “ so, ” hard stare pressing against him, lips slowly tugging into a smile, almost as if trying to formulate a theory on salvador's life during the last eight years she had been away. “ did you ever manage to knock someone up ? got all sorts of welcome, only thing that's really missing is someone telling me i'm the godmother of a child i haven't met. ” @brntout
BOBBY BRIGGS TWIN PEAKS | 1.04
❝ 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙶𝚄𝚈𝚂 𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝙹𝚄𝚂𝚃 𝙰𝚂 𝙵𝚄𝙲𝙺𝙴𝙳 𝚄𝙿 𝙰𝚂 𝙸 𝙰𝙼 , 𝚈𝙾𝚄 '𝚁𝙴 𝙹𝚄𝚂𝚃 𝙱𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙰𝚃 𝙻𝚈𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚃𝙾 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁𝚂𝙴𝙻𝚅𝙴𝚂 𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚃 𝙸𝚃 ! . . . 𝚈𝙾𝚄 '𝚁𝙴 𝙻𝙸𝚅𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙾𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙱𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙺 𝙹𝚄𝚂𝚃 𝙻𝙸𝙺𝙴 𝙼𝙴 ! ❞
// ( natasha lyonne . cisfemale . she/her ) . ⸻ JOANNA ‘JOEY’ HARLOW, a forty four year old, has survived another day in red creek where they have lived for her whole life . THE BROKEN RECORD is known for being audacious and destructive and is often associated with cackling laughter over loud music, chipped red nail polish, a pack of camel cigarettes tucked in a back pocket, a crude sense of humor . in a small town where they work as the owner of redstone bar, word travels fast . it’s hard to keep a secret , and it looks like the boogeyman knows that [ REDACTED ]
𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳𝚂 | 𝙼𝚄𝚂𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂 | 𝙼𝙸𝚁𝚁𝙾𝚁 | 𝙴𝙳𝙸𝚃𝚂 | 𝙿𝙻𝙰𝚈𝙻𝙸𝚂𝚃 | 𝙿𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚃
𝐀 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐘 𝐈𝐍: the trailer park life, sobriety chips scattered on the floor of a 1985 ford f150, making a bad situation worse, gaslighting yourself into believing you’re tougher than you really are, constant reminders of everything you've lost, looking for dopamine in the worst places.
[ Ⅰ ] . . . 𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒
full name. joanna mae harlow. nicknames. joey, joe, jm. age. 44. race. white. nationality. american. birthday. december 21st. zodiac. sagittarius. gender. cisfemale. pronouns. ( she / her ). sexual orientation. pansexual. birthplace. redcreek, michigan. occupation. owner of redstone bar.
[ Ⅱ ] . . . 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘
mother : helen harlow father : cameron harlow siblings: tristan harlow ( presumed dead ) , might make a wc for more siblings!
[ Ⅲ ] . . . 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
TW: brief mentions of death, grief, & substance abuse.
* in a small town where everyone knows each other, it's easy to get an idea of someone's character just by the stories attached with a surname. for the harlows, their name was often associated with trouble because wherever there was any to be found, it was almost always guaranteed that a harlow kid was involved in one way or another. * comfortably nestled in a trailer park just a couple blocks away from the main road, this family of misfits were known to be loud, crude, and quick to piss off. damn proud of it too -- wore the title of redcreek's trashiest family like a badge and joanna harlow was no exception. * a firecracker of a kid, known to have the mouth of a sailor and the disposition of a renegade. she had a talent for playing the bass guitar, a talent that she gained from her older brother - tristan. it was an ongoing joke that joey was tristan's mini-me. they were the spitting image of each other, both in physicality and temperament. * joey was nineteen when tristan went missing and that was when her world turned upside down. her family were among the many broken by the events. many in her inner circle felt like they had to distance themselves from joey, finding her familiarity to tristan too much to handle, including her own parents * TW: DRUG MENTION: so with everyone in her life too busy dealing with their own grief, joey all but isolated herself further by turning to the first break she could find – drugs. she had her first taste of them when she was looking through tristan's room, in search for answers to what could have happened to him. instead of a note though, she found a stash of fine white powder tucked in little tiny ziploc bags. * the rest of her life from there has been a blur. she never left redcreek. never managed to fulfill her dream of becoming a big musician. somehow managed to sober up and gain enough money to buy a shitty building and turn it into what is now known as redstone bar. * one doesn't always know what they will get with joey. she’s just as likely to start a fight as she is to offer a drink so most people tend to proceed with caution.
𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 : a girl who was set on a path of bad decisions by her rambunctious family grows to become a mess of a woman, ricocheting between recovery and relapse. her dreams of leaving town and becoming a rockstar were squashed the moment her brother went missing. punk meets small-town hick.
[ Ⅳ ] . . . 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 ─── all connections are open to any gender unless specified otherwise.
wc pinterest | wc tag
[ Ⅴ ] . . . 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘
+adventurous+unapologetic +protective -selfish -unreliable -volatile mbti : ISFJ natal chart : ↑ aquarius, ⊙ sagittarius, ☾ aquarius inspired by : natalie scatorccio ( yellowjackets ), mercutio ( romeo & juliet ), eleanor shellstrop ( the good place ), fleabag ( fleabag )
"yikes, dude. they got you good." kennedy winces when he gestures towards his face. "people are losing their goddamn minds — did sel make it out, okay?" they ask, though they wouldn't blame him if he didn't know. maybe they should text her. a tender smile grows at santiago's offer. god, when was the last time they slept under the same roof? "it's okay, i can take the couch. i have to whip something up for work by 5am." they can still make it, they think. if they borrow santi's laptop and chug some water. "i don't think i could sleep even if i wanted to... do you have work tomorrow? how is that going?" is now the time for them to have some small talk? probably not but if the tremble of their fingers as they aimlessly smooth their dress down is an indicator for anything, it's that they would rather not be alone right now.
⁑ the corner of his mouth quirks into a smile when he's humored. ❝ glad you're okay too. ❞ and he's genuine about that. santi doesn't mention the body that police found tonight, but he's sure they know about it. ❝ fuck, i don't even know. i was walking to catch up with sel and then— i dunno, boom. smacked in the head. ❞ he gestures to the bruising part of his face. he hesitates for a moment, then offers, ❝ you should stay over tonight. i can take the couch. crazy night. ❞
𝐢 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝐢 𝐀𝐌 !
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