“obsession?” She Can’t Help But Laugh As That, Though It Lacks Humor. "that Is So Dramatic, Ricardo.

DEV PATEL as GAWAIN THE GREEN KNIGHT (2021)

"WELL SHIT ─  i  don't  know.  let  me  get  a  good  look  at  you."  it's  not  the  smartest  move  to  remove  her  sunglasses  with  the  hangover  she  was  currently  battling,  but  joey  will  do  anything  for  a  bit.  a  bloodshot  and  squinted  gaze  lands  on  carlos,  taking  a  moment  to  analyze  him  before  offering  a  slow  nod.  "oh  yeah.  you're  fucked,  kid.  got  a  big  ol'  target  on  that  pretty  forehead  of  yours.  you  better  watch  yourself  out  there  .  .  .   would  hate  to  be  down  an  act."  with  that,  she  places  her  sunglasses  over  matted  curls,  now  fixing  her  eyes  on  the  lake  before  them.  “you  know  what?  i  think  you  might  be  on  to  something.  whoever  is  responsible  for  this  has  got  to  be  a  real  nasty  son  of  a  bitch.”  and  ugly.  down  to  their  very  fuckin'  core.  “ so . . . is  this  everything  you  hoped  for  when  moving  to  this  shitty  little  town?"

𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.　deer lake, late afternoon on the day of kirby's death. 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵.　anyone! ( capping at five replies. )

〔　🐿️　〕　　...　　“  𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗻,  𝘄𝗵𝘆  𝗶𝘀  𝗶𝘁  𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀  𝘁𝗵𝗲  𝗵𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀  𝘄𝗵𝗼  𝗱𝗶𝗲?  ”  carlos  remarks,  a  plume  of  smoke  from  their  cigarette  and  the  cold  air  escaping  their  lips  with  every  word.  he didn't know the girl well, if at all, really, but it's all anyone could talk about today and if he didn't bring it up, it would be a little weird. it  isn't  that  he  doesn't  care  —  of  course,  the  whole  situation  is  unsettling  and  there's  a  inkling  perturbation  that  swirls  within  them  at  the  notion  of  a  killer  on  the  loose in such a small town,  but  it  seems  easier  to  pretend  that  this  is  all  one  big  joke  than  have  to  face  the  reality  of  it. it's all he can do.  “  is  this  guy  fucking  ugly  or  something?  are  they  trying  to  reverse  pretty  privilege?  should  i  have  to  watch  out?  ”

LOCATION  :  redstone  bar

STATUS  :  open  to  everyone!

 NIGHTS  AT  REDSTONE  were  rarely  dull  and  tonight  was  no  exception.  with  a  good  hour  still  left  before  closing,  joey  has already  had  to  throw  a  handful  of  people  out.  everyone  was  on  edge.  the  news  of  kirby's  death  seemed  to  have  lit  a  fire  under  the  town,  sparking  a  desperate  need  to  escape  the  so-called  ‘deadcreek  curse’  that  has  fallen  on  them  again.  was  it  grief  the  town  was  feeling?  fear?  whatever  it  was,  it  was  making  everyone  act  like  idiots—and  it  was  starting  to  piss  joey  off.

“i  need  a  shot.”  she  announces,  pushing  herself  off  the  counter  and  turning  towards  a  stack  of  freshly  cleaned  glasses.  she  picks  one  up,  pauses,  then  glances  over  at  the  figure  on  the  other  side  of  the  bar.  "you  gonna  be  a  prick  and  make  me  take  it  by  myself?"

Monkey Man (2024) dir. Dev Patel

Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin

the shock of the impact jerks their shoulder back, causing them to stumble against the wall. it's was a narrow hallway, clearly not meant for much traffic. “ow!” a hand shoots up at her own shoulder, fingers clutching at it like she received a mortal wound. damon retreats like a wounded dog but kennedy? kennedy bears her teeth like a feral cat. “fuck off!” her hand now balling into a fist, fully intent on striking if he moves closer. it’s reflexive — her body reads his frantic movements as a threat before her mind processes the apology spewing from him.

there’s a tense pause between them in which kennedy’s glare slowly morphs into a look of recognition — and concern.  “damon? oh my god, are you okay?” obviously not, kennedy! they are about to approach him to when another body bulldozes between them, this one not so keen on apologizing and it serves as a reminder that there are still people out there frantic and maybe some itching to start another fight.  they turn towards the figure leaving, catching a door just up the hallway with the worn out 'employees only' plaque. "there's probably a first aid kit in there. do you want to check?" and in case there is room to hesitate, they add, "you're looking god awful right now, d."

FOR : open, come on in ! LOCATION : redstone bathroom ( or just coming out of it for accessibility ) TIMESTAMP : 2:43am

" great fucking job, damon. hilarious, really ! why not start a fight on the night someone's fucking murdered. genius ! " loud nonsense from a split - opened mouth. they're not speaking to anyone in particular, but their own reflection in the dirty mirror. they're not sure how bad they look, but they're definitely going to feel it in the morning. head, swimming. knuckles, aching. " gonna have a blackeye ... christ. " they smack their own face just to feel the sting. spring themselves from the disorientation of adrenaline and mixture of alcohol.

this is their cue to stop mulling and find a place to sit until the crowd settles down. slip away with an opening. otherwise, who could say they wouldn't start another fight? with their unsteady movements ... a threat of this already appears. shoulders knock into someone and they're immediately scrambling back like a wild animal. " shit — " their hands move in a sporadic manner of surrender. palms up, moving around in a circle in front of them. " sorry. i'm sorry — not trying to start anything else. swear it. "

VIKRAM SHAH'S POLICE INTERROGATION

can you state your full name and age , please ?

"vikram shah. thirty five." he replies, voice steady despite the nervous bouncing of knee. it's clear that he is uncomfortable, has his hands resting on top of the interrogation table, his left thumb and index pressing on the valley point of his right hand. a pressure point known to reduce stress and migraines.

are you aware of why you're here today ?

"i'm assuming it's because of the knife right?" he looks between the two officers, frantic eyes hoping for validation. answers. anything. "does it have anything to do with... with the body that was reported?"

when was the last time you saw or spoke to alaina price ?

vikram doesn't like that they answer his question with one of their own but he tries to push past it. tries to focus on giving good answers rather than how clammy his hands suddenly feel. "alaina price?" he frowns. "i don't remember." a pause "please don't look at me like that. i really don't. "

what was your relationship with the victim ?

he looks away. hates feeling like he is under a microscope. his gaze lands on the corner of the table. uninteresting in every way but it's better than meeting the officer's analytical gaze. "i um, didn't have much of one. i don't have any kids so i never needed her services. i would see her around town sometimes but i rarely spoke to her."

were you aware of anyone who would want to hurt the victim ?

"no." he answers firmly, a sigh escaping him as he does. "no. as far as i know, everyone loves her. she is—" was? "—a valuable member of the town."

can you describe your whereabouts on the night of october 31st , 2024 ?

"i was um, out and about with everyone else in town."

is there anyone who can corroborate this ?

"i was with hana for a good portion of the night. before the warehouse shut down. then i spoke to kirby for a bit. made sure she didn't stray too far from the crowd." he closes his eyes then, knee still shaking, trying to recollect who he spoke to. "and in redstone uh, i think the only person who saw me was avery. everyone else was too preoccupied with their own shit." never one to throw around curse words, the profanity feels dirty on his tongue. reminds him of his younger, rougher days.

did you see and or hear anything unusual on the night of october 31st , 2024 ?

"aside from a body being found?" vikram scoffs and for a second it almost sounds like it might turn into a sob. death, he was accustomed to. but murder? "god, i was walking home when i saw azizi... standing over a bloody knife. it was behind the diner, so there wasn't a lot of light there. for a second it almost looked like.. i don't know. like he planted it there." it's all word vomit now, the stress of the situation settling in, heavy against his chest. if the officers exchange a look at that, vikram doesn't notice. hasn't looked back at them yet. "i don't think he did. it just, looked like it. i thought it was a prop at first. even made a joke about how real it looked. azi was the one who suggested we call the cops and so— here we are."

❝ 𝙸𝙵  𝙸𝙼  𝚁𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃  𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚃  𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂,  𝙸  𝙲𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳  𝚂𝙰𝚅𝙴  𝙰  𝙼𝙰𝙽'𝚂  𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙴.  𝙳𝙾  𝚈𝙾𝚄  𝙷𝙰𝚅𝙴  𝙰𝙽𝚈  𝙸𝙳𝙴𝙰  𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃  𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃  𝚆𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳  𝙳𝙾  𝚃𝙾  𝙼𝚈  𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺  𝚂𝙰𝙻𝙴𝚂?  ❞

 // (  destiny  ryan.  non-binary.  she/they  )  . ⸻ KENNEDY  STUART  ,  a twenty  eight  year  old,  has  survived  another  day  in  red  creek  where  they  have  lived  for  eighteen  years  and  has  been  back  a  couple  of  months . THE  PRODIGY  is   known   for   being  ambitious  and calculative and  is  often  associated  with  murmured  self-affirmations,  a  creeping  curiosity,  doing  whatever  it  takes  to  exceed  expectations,  picture  perfect  smiles,  pristine  trophies  on  full  display .  in   a   small   town   where   they   work   as  a  journalist at  the  register  and  an  author,  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: being the golden child, a gnawing ambition, restless nights, being a pawn in your parent’s game, the need to be ten steps ahead, doing whatever it takes, always comparing yourself to others, when will it ever be enough? 

[ Ⅰ ]  .  .  .  𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒 

full  name.  kennedy  noelle  stuart.  nicknames.  ken,  kenny, .  age.  28.  race.  black. nationality.  american.  birthday.  may  20th.  zodiac.  taurus.  gender.  non-binary.  pronouns.  (  she  /  they  ).  sexual  orientation.  pansexual.  birthplace.  redcreek,  michigan.  occupation.  journalist

[ Ⅱ ]  .  .  .  𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘

mother  :  suzanne  stuart  herrera father  :  marcus stuart   stepfather:  jonathan  ‘jon’  herrera stepbrother:  santiago  herrera

[ Ⅲ ]  .  .  .  𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

∗  kennedy  was  marcus  and  suzanne's  last-ditch  effort  to  stabilize  the  marriage  between  a  narcissist  and  a  small  town  primadonna.  the  attempt  lasted  for  a  few  years  on  and  off  which  resulted  kennedy  having  to  spend  their  early  years  alternating  between  two  homes ∗  kennedy  was  the  spitting  image  of  the  both  of  them  and  the  two  were  painfully  aware  of  it,  pushing  the  young  kid  to  be  the  best  version  of  themselves . .  .  they  just  had  different  definitions  of  what  that  was. ∗   for  marcus,  it  was  a  sharp  mind.  days  with  him  usually  consisted  of  activities  that  involved  intellectual  improvement  -  playing  chess,  reading  books,  watching  documentaries.  as  for  suzanne,  she  preferred  more  physical  charms  -  sports  &  beauty  pageants  mostly. ∗  the  combination  resulted  in  a  kid  who's  learned  quickly  that  they  earn  most  praise  when  they  are  not  only  good  at  something...  but  better  than  expected.  a  mindset  eventually  turned  to  a  desire  at  being  the  best  in  whatever  they  set  out  to  be. ∗   in  2006  suzanne  started  seeing  a  local  man  named  jon  hererra  and  before  kennedy  had  a  chance  to  process  their  mother's  new  relationship,  they  were  asked  to  pack  their  bags  to  move  in  with  this  stranger  and  his  son,  santiago  herrera. ∗   while  kennedy's  father  was  still  in  their  life,  it  was  apparent  that  he  had  decided  to  take  a  step  back  (  no  doubt  betrayed  by  how  quickly  his  former  wife  moved  on  )  and  began  only  taking  kennedy  on  the  weekends. ∗   life  with  the  herrera's  was  different.  suzanne  had  taken  to  bragging  about  her  child's  achievements.  an  energy  that  their  stepfather  quickly  matched  .  he  became  invested  in  advancing  kennedy's  talents,  perhaps  hoping  that  their  excellence  would  rub  off  on  his  son. ∗  unfortunately,  kennedy  had  a  hard  time  relating  to  santiago.  perhaps  it  was  the  age  difference  or  the  resentment  in  their  parent's  union.  whatever  the  reason,  it  made  building  a  healthy  relationship  difficult. ∗  kennedy  tended  to  focus  on  their  academic  pursuits  instead.  editor  of  the  newspaper,  head  of  the  speech  and  debate  team,  goalie  of  the  girl's  soccer  team...  they  had  their  hands  full!  eventually  they  graduate  with  honors  and  got  accepted  at  NYU  on  a  full  ride  to  become  an  investigative  journalist. ∗   after  college,  they  booked  a  job  at  the  new  york  times  amd  became  a  travelling  journalist,  moving  from  country  to  country  to  write  pieces  about  whatever  was  relevant. ∗   during  their  travels  they  came  across  an  interesting  case  that  was  ongoing  in  italy.  there  was  a  unexpected  string  of  murders  happening  in  a  small  countryside  town  and  with  the  help  of  the  local  police  department,  it  was  determined  that  the  local  catholic  priest  was  poisoning  the  offerings  during  their  mass  and  would  either  pretend  to  heal  them  with  the  power  of  God  or  let  them  die. ∗  the  article  kennedy  wrote  didnt  garner  much  attention  but  they  were  so  invested  in  the  story  they  decided  to  write  a  book  about  it  named  'death  at  the  altar'  and  lo  and  behold  -  it  became  a  best  seller! ∗  it  was  such  a  hit  that  kennedy  had  to  take  a  break  from  their  journalistic  endeavors  to  go  on  a  book  tour.  as  exciting  as  it  was,  kennedy  found  it  awfully  tiresome. ∗  after  some  thought  and  some  nudging  from  their  mother  &  step-father,  kennedy  decided  to  take  a  break  from  it  all  and  move  back  home.  they  took  up  a  job  at  the  local  newspaper  because  they  figured  it  would  be  easy.  some  fluff  pieces  here  and  there  while  they  focus  on  their  next  big  hit.  it's  red  creek,  michigan  after  all.  nothing  ever  happens  here.

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 :  a  smart  kid  who  watched  their  parents  divorce  and  was  forced  to  join  another  family  along  with  her  outrageous  mother.  left  town  as  soon  as  she  could  but  recently  decided  to  move  back  home  after  writing  a  best  selling  true  crime  novel  named  'death  at  the  altar'.r'. 

[ Ⅳ ]  .  .  .  𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 ───  all  connections  are  open  to  any  gender  unless  specified  otherwise.

wc  pinterest | wc  tag

[ Ⅴ ]  .  .  .  𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

＋clever  ＋analytical  ＋curious －unsympathetic  －stubborn  －judgmental mbti  :  ESFJ natal  chart  :  ↑  capricorn, ⊙  taurus, ☾  cancer inspired  by  :  gale  weathers ( scream   ),  nancy  wheeler ( stranger  things ),  monica  geller ( friends )

matilda's offer to let him stick by her side is sweet and a man with vikram's disposition can't help but immediately lean to decline the offer. "i wouldn't want to get in the way of your fun." then he remembers what his therapist who may or may not look like gabriel luna and be played by flea said, about allowing himself to be open to new experiences. "–but i might actually take you up on that... uh, if you'll have me." awkwardness and all. her laugh encourages one of his own, as he shifts a little in place, as if to settle more into the conversation. "no whispering tonight– i can do that." he's gonna have to if she has any hope of hearing him talk over the music. "yeah, wasn't he in that jumaji remake? i haven't watch it but i like the original."

vikram nods along as matilda explains the reference, trying not to show any confusion that would expose how chronically offline he is. has no idea why the local teens have taken a liking to calling him demure recently. "i don't think i've seen the picture. you'll have to show it to me when i see you tonight. get the side by side." vikram feels like his costume is not as clever or relevant in comparison. "i'm dressing as the phantom. from phantom of the opera? figured it was an easy enough costume to put together last minute." he already had the suit and the broodiness that came with the character. all he really needed was the mask. he wants to ask her if she's read the novel but instead thinks it would be better to take advantage of the fact that they rarely get to meet outside of the library to focus on a topic other than books. "are you heading home right now? would you like some company?"

“You know, if you want, you’re more than welcome to stick by me, since I’ll be doing the same. But either way, I’ll gladly take you up on that drink, if it means talking to you at a level above a whisper,” she said, a laugh bubbling out of her. She’d planned on chatting with him at some point that night anyway, but the realization that she had a Pavlovian effect on the volume of Vikram’s voice only made her more determined. “Um, yeah. Do you know The Rock? Like, the actor?” She stumbled over her words, suddenly very conscious of the idea that she could be explaining her costume all night. “There’s this picture of him with a fanny pack, in a turtleneck. I was gonna do that, but maybe switch the jean pants for a jean skirt and some heels.” Matilda made a mental note to save the picture to her phone, for easy access if anyone wanted to see it. “What about you?”