fromcharliehale

[fromcharliehale]

Milly Alcock for Louis Vuitton at the Paris Fashion Week.

[fromcharliehale]

of all the things she seen and learned in this place, one thing she has yet to get used to was the different ways people see this place. some are hopeful to get out but then there were a few, like jo, who had a totally different outlook of this place, one that seemed way more morbid than charlie wanted to believe. "i mean, i guess. death is a part of life but what happened to her... it feels wrong." she's seen what those things can do, but this seemed different. emerson was just sat there, as if they left her there waiting for them to find her.

she looks at jo at her curiosity. she could have a point there. an example for them? could that be why they left her out? maybe it was to show them that they didn't know everything about this place like they thought. it wasn't just them waiting for someone to step outside and attack them and leave their bodies for the morning. those things could think and plan and do something like this. "can they feel anger?" she asks absently. "or are they just bored with us and wanted to play a game?"

josephine's face did something close to softening upon seeing the other ; a younger individual , both in age and how long she had been one among them in oblitus . empathy was something she had been taught , but she questioned often if she truly felt it ; being able to resonate with another's emotions . josephine hardly knew her own sentiments , let alone how to share the burden of grief or the delight of joy with someone else .

" it can be sad , " josephine sighed in response , sandwiching her palms beneath biceps as she pushes hands deep into the fabric of her unzipped hoodie . " — but death . . . it is part of this , isn't it ?? " of purgatory , she meant . technically , they had already abandoned their living bodies , their souls now tethered to this place - the in between . were they really dying here or were their deaths being completed ??

jo nodded slowly , rolling her lips together , marinating on the observation she too had been having about emerson's body . as natural as death was , there was something odd about this one — peculiar . " perhaps whoever did it was trying to set an example for the rest of us , " josephine offered after a moment of palpable silence . the reaper did love their lessons . " maybe she did something to anger them . too bad we cannot ask her . "

[fromcharliehale]

charlie chuckles lights as she takes another drink of her cup. "yeah, i just keep hoping the more i drink, the easier it'll go down." so far it wasn't working but it was making her care less with each sip she takes. maybe by the end of the night she'll be a regular to this stuff. "honestly, i don't eve think anyone would notice. i'm sure there's loads of people smoking in here. cameron might be pissed tomorrow but i'm sure she'll have a lot more to clean up than some smoke so go for it." god, the chores that all of colony house were going to do tomorrow was going to be annoying. but rather than think about that now, she just takes another sip and listens to alex. they seemed like the loner type, someone to sit quietly and watch people than be involved in a big party like this. "i can see that actually, regular at a bar or something. i was definitely a party person but i think that was just the college experience. i'd probably turn into a barfly in a couple years if i wasn't here."

the drinks are catching up with them now ⸺ a faint swirl in their head sends a dizzying ripple through their thoughts as they clutch the edge of the kitchen island for balance. a laugh escapes their lips, light and self-deprecating, as they nod along with charlie's words, “hasn’t stopped me from having a few too many myself.” despite the haze of alcohol, alex speaks with an unflinching candor. “think anyone would care if i smoke in here, even with no window cracked?” the question hangs in the air, knowing full well the consequences: yellowed walls, smoke seeping into the very fabric of the house. but a cigarette seems like the only thing that could numb the buzz. “i wasn’t much of a party person back home,” they muse, their words slightly slurred but steady. "you’ve gotta be the type of person people like to invite to parties... i was more of a barfly, y’know?"

[fromcharliehale]

something seemed a little off about cherry. she didn't know her well enough to know what it was, but it was almost like she was far away from their conversation, uninterested in everything going on. maybe it was just halloween and what came with tonight that was making everything seem off, but maybe something else was going on. maybe charlie could be a good distraction, she was pretty good at doing that for people. "aye aye capitan," she says happily as she follows after cherry up the stairs. making their way into an unoccupied room. "you know, living here is kinda fun, it's nice having people around, but i still don't have a bed. how fucked is that? i'm still the newbie of the house and everyone already has dibs on the beds." she was talking mostly to fill the silence. "maybe i should have picked the motel instead." she puts the cigarette to her lips before realizing she doesn't have anything to light it. "do you have a lighter?"

CHERRY IS PLEASED ENOUGH WITH THAT DEAL TO NOD IN REPLY, HER LIPS TWITCHING AT THE WAY CHARLIE'S GRIN WIDENS . " sounds good to me ." cherry replies with an easy shrug, or at least an attempt at one . it's been a shit night over all, but if cherry squints and tries very, very hard not to think about it, it's like the awfulness of it all is right in her periphery . yeah, she can still see it . yeah, it weighs kind of heavy . but it's not right in front of her as long as that cowboy hat isn't in her direct field of vision, and that's truly the best she can ask for . so when cherry registers charlie's question she can only shrug, making an attempt at a tone that's easy as she says, " yeah, sure ." cherry moves to make her way to the stairs with probably more authority than she should have considering she doesn't live here . " they've got rooms upstairs ." she offers as she glances to charlie behind her, brow arching .

[fromcharliehale]

"fuck," charlie says under her breath when catie shares that she just arrived here. she assumed it, but to hear she just came, it was strange. there hadn't been any newcomers since charlie found her way here with the group of others right before the storm. it was strange to know that she was no longer new and now there were more people coming. it was sad too, that more people were forced into this town. "i'm sorry," she says genuinely. she didn't know this girl but no one deserved to end up here.

charlie nods and looks out at the room as well, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms across her chest. "yeah, honestly i'm still wrapping my head around it all. i ended up here-" she pauses to try and count the days, "about three weeks ago and i still barely know anything about it. my first day was awful, huge storm, it was dark for like 16 hours and those things were out the whole time. i think i'd take this fucked up party than doing that again." she looks back at catie and realizes she probably thinks she's crazy or something. she seems well adjusted now, but her first couple of days involved a lot of panicking and running out to the woods. "sorry, i'm rambling and you're probably super confused right now."

Catie’s eyes narrow slightly, her gaze steadying on Charlie as if trying to read her. The girl looked too casual. Almost unfazed by the chaos around them. Almost. But Catie senses there's something underneath it. 'Yeah,' she says. Two days ago. Just in time for everyone to pretend that dressing up and dancing somehow makes any of this okay.” She glances around the crowded room, watching people laugh, drink, and avoid looking out the windows. 'I’m trying to wrap my head around it, but everyone just…rolls with it. Acts like it’s some new normal and not like, like-' she hesitates a second then points at Charlie. 'Like a literal horror movie.” She lets out a short, bitter laugh. 'It's fucked. Beyond fucked.'

[fromcharliehale]

charlie nods enthusiastically. she was desperate even if she swears she's not a smoker, but one drop of alcohol in her system will have her begged anyone who happens to have a pack of cigarettes on them. thankfully here, despite being cut off from the world, everyone seems to have some on them at all times. when cherry finally gave in, charlie could've cheered. "i still got it," she said with a wide grin as she takes the cigarette from her. "anything you want, i got you." she may regret that because cherry seems like the type to always cash in her favors, but charlie didn't care right now. "come on, want to find a place away from everyone?" honestly, she just wanted a chance to sit and catch up because the drinks were making her feel good.

CHERRY CAN'T HELP BUT GRIN AT CHARLIE'S EXCITEMENT, EYES SPARKLING WITH IT AS SHE LAUGHS . " you want one that bad, huh ?" cherry replies in amusement, which she supposes she can't blame the blonde . cherry spent near every day in this place needing a cigarette . it's honestly a surprise that charlie has waited this long . her grin grows at charlie's groaning for an instant before she's rolling her eyes at the pouting with a light huff . " oh come on . the puppy dog eyes ? really ?" the words have no heat to them and are punctuated by cherry tapping charlie's forehead gently . " i mastered those a long time ago . i'm immune !" despite the words cherry ultimately sighs as she rolls her eyes and moves to offer the cig to charlie in earnest . " but you're lucky i like you . you just owe me a favour ." and likely a useless one at that . after all, charlie's did just get here . cherry's got no idea what she'd even ask for, and to be honest, laundry doesn't sound bad .

[fromcharliehale]

it's officially been a month since charlie was taken from her home and some how brought here but it didn't get any easier. halloween was a fun escape but the scene they walked out to the next normal was just a reminder of where they were and that no one was safe. she only knew emerson in passing, she was the one who supplied the town with cigarettes, she knew that much. she wished she knew her better but now she was gone. those things having propped her up like some doll. by everyone's reactions, she knew that couldn't be normal for them.

seeing jo staring at the place where she was left, charlie wondered if she was mourning or just trying to piece together what happened. "hi," she says when she has her attention. "yeah, it's always sad when we lose someone." she thinks back to the storm that happened right after she arrived and the amount of people they lost that night. she didn't know any of them, but this was her first that she did know even if it wasn't well. "weird how she was left like that. i still don't know much about this place, but that doesn't feel right."

𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝘧𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦

josephine stood on the curb with the toes of her boots just barely hanging over its edge , balancing on the balls of her feet . denim-encased arms wrapped around her slender frame , a means of self soothing , as her misty gaze concentrated leftward towards the town center where emerson's body had been found the night prior .

it wasn't that jo was unmoved by her passing , not necessarily , but in purgatory ( as well as life ) , death was the inevitable means to an end . the people of oblitus could only hang in the in balance for so long — eventually , the reaper would come for them all . josephine's brows furrowed together , lips curling inwards to press into a fine line , gaze slightly narrowing as if trying to see through space & time to witness emerson's dance with the reaper first hand .

the clearing of a throat gave her a start , jumping , as if she had been yanked out of a hypnosis by the snapping of fingers . josephine's face flew to her right , meeting the eyes of who appeared to be looking for her attention , head cocking like that of a confused feline as the bridge of her nose scrunched . she took a step back , feet now fully flat on the sidewalk .

" hello , " her voice felt raw , like she had swallowed shards of glass . her shoulders loosened , sinking from where they had shot up to her ears . jo sighed , stare returning back to where the cooled corpse had been just hours earlier ; " — sad what happened to her . "

[fromcharliehale]

el seemed like someone to always keep things to themself. she thought back to their time stuck together in the storm. they told her just enough to let her know where they came from but not enough to get too deep. and even now, they seem so far away and distracted but refuse to talk about it. charlie wished she knew them better and knew how to tell. she didn't like seeing her friends upset and she would like to consider el a friend considering all she's been through with them.

"okay, i wont push. but if you change your mind, i am all ears," she said with a smile. "and i've been told by many people that i give great advice." she was sure that they wouldn't take her up on it, but it was worth a shot.

charlie laughed lightly and wrapped her hands around el's bicep, leaning into their side for a second. "there you go, saving my life again," she joked before letting her hands drop loosely to their elbow. el flipped the conversation back to her, just like they did before, and she was okay with that. they could both be distractions for each other. charlie was good at drunk rambling. "i'm doing okay, settling in as best as i can," she explains. "i think i have a crush on someone so by my standard, that mean's i'm pretty good. but i feel like it could be super messy so i don't really know. feels like i'm still at college, only here i can't go out at night."

Ellington blinked, half-smiling at Charlie's attempt to lighten the mood. Her giggle felt like a warm pocket of air in the cool, crowded room, and her question settled into the quiet spaces Ellington usually kept to themselves. They chuckled, trying to keep things light, though the weight of the night clung to them.

“You’re right. Halloween just wouldn’t be complete without a bit of chaos,” El said, glancing at the rowdy scene around them. “Guess I’ve been on autopilot tonight…too much on my mind, maybe.” They paused, looking down at the drink in their hand, feeling the familiar ache of thoughts they'd been trying to bury.

Ellington’s smile softened at Charlie’s offer, but they shook their head, taking a sip from their drink. “Thanks, Charlie, but it’s nothing worth digging into,” they said, trying to keep their tone light. The weight of the night pressed in—the hopes they’d carried with them around Cherry now felt faded, like the remnants of some once-bright possibility. Another close connection slipping away. It was a feeling they’d grown familiar with, but that didn’t make it any easier.

They nudged her shoulder with a grin. “But I’m definitely down to keep you out of the line of any Halloween-related toilet disasters.” The joke didn’t quite mask the tiredness in their eyes, but Ellington focused on Charlie, letting her warmth and laughter pull them away from their thoughts. Tonight wasn’t the night to dwell on what was already starting to feel like another missed chance. "How're you doing? With everything?" they ask, opting for a lighter topic.

[fromcharliehale]

charlie had been drinking a bit too much, mostly because she loved a good party, even if the reason was because there were murderous monsters outside waiting for one of them to step out the door. maybe she shouldn't be the one talking to a new person, but then again, charlie was still pretty new herself. "yeah, trust me, i don't fucking get it either. i mean, i love a good halloween party but we basically live in a horror movie now." she looked at the girl for a second, sensing that she was probably totally freaking out, just like charlie had been when she was first here. "did you, uh," she still didn't know how to say it. she felt too new to be a welcomer. "did you just get here?"

Catie stumbles back slightly from the collision, irritation flashing across her face before she catches herself. She was already on edge, not quite believing they were throwing a party in this overcrowded madhouse while literal monsters lurked outside. And now, between the crush of people and the stifling heat of the room, her nerves are wearing thin.

'No kidding,' she mutters, glancing around at the crowd pressing in around them. She sizes up the stranger—someone she hadn’t seen before either, but who had the air of someone slightly more...settled than herself. 'I don’t know how everyone is just going along with this…whatever this is.'

[fromcharliehale]

charlie wasn't surprised by the hug, she loved hugs, but it was the first hug she's gotten since being in town and it felt so good coming from bruna. ever since her first day, the other girl always made her feel safe. she was honest about things without being a total downer, she really helped her transition into this place easier. "yeah, it's probably the biggest party i've ever been to!" considering the entire town was crammed inside colony house, it had to be true. she still didn't fully understand why they did this. she was told the monsters are worse tonight so it made sense to have everyone together and safe, but why throw a party? but that thought was pushed away when bruna asked her to smoke with her. "absolutely!" she said with drunken enthusiasm as she was lead through the kitchen. "no i didn't even know we had a basement." she wondered what was down there that needed to be locked up but unfortunately, she wouldn't learn tonight. "no, lock picking is not in my skill set."

@fromcharliehale colony house party.

She'd not seen the other since their trip to the lake, and the little devils lettuce gift she'd given her at the time. Bruna spent her nights since, at the small room in the back of the community kitchen, and mostly kept to herself. So now, as she got here, stoned and fed and ready to let loose, she was truly in good spirits. Better than she'd been since she got here. No thoughts of a damned book, no memories of her sister, it was all left outside, in the dark and the person she was now was loose and happy and pretending -- life was normal, this was a normal party, normal circumstances, normal encounters. A normal hug -- which is exactly what she instantly went for at the sight of Charlie. Having always been a touchy person, there was also a sense of relief seeing the other had not ran off into the woods, gotten herself ripped apart in the days she'd not been around. "You're here!" she'll cup her face, taking a short step back but staying close enough to be heard over the noise and the crowd. "Hi! Uh, wild party huh? Bet the frats had nothing on this banger..." it's a joke, kind of? "You look good, come...come smoke with me..." she'll throw an arm around the others shoulders, leading her through the crowd to where the kitchen split into the hallway and stopped in the first relatively quiet corner. "Basement is right behind those doors, you been yet? Creepy ass place but, off the limits tonight." which was too bad really, she wished she'd had the key. "You don't by any chance know how to pick locks, do you? The smoke in this place is making my eyes water, if the monsters don't get to us the lack of air sure will..."

[fromcharliehale]

MILLY ALCOCK as MEG ADAMS Upright, 2.02: Tomatoes

[fromcharliehale]

"perfect!" she laughed. her hand slid down their arm to grasp their hand and lead them through the bodies of people crowded around the hallway until they found an empty staircase for them to sit. she loved a good party, but she knew when the room started spinning, it was time to sit down and take a breather.

el seemed a little out of it, but charlie was pretty drunk and el always seemed like they had a lot on their mind. she wondered if they ever talk about it or if she was one of those people to keep everything bottled up inside. she was assuming it was the latter.

"hey, you saved my life, i had to repeat the favor," she said with a giggle. "well, would it really be halloween if it didn't fee like going through hell?" she cocked her head at them in question. "want to talk about it?" she could guess what the answer was, but still, she had to try.

"oh, just learning that moonshine and homemade whiskey is way stronger than the drinks i was used to back home and i don't want to end up with my head in a toilet."

El’s head feels heavy, a mixture of too much booze and the lingering ache from their talk with Cherry weighing them down. They’re half slumped against the wall, nursing a drink they probably don’t need, when Charlie’s familiar voice and tug on their arm break through the haze. Her smile is bright, a beacon in the dimly lit chaos of the party, and despite themselves, a hint of a grin pulls at the corner of El’s mouth.

“Charlie,” they mumble, setting the half-empty glass down on a nearby table, grateful for her interruption. Her happiness to see them feels like a balm, something steady to grab onto. “Yeah… yeah, I could use a breather too.” Their voice is low, tinged with a roughness that says more than they’re letting on.

They let her guide them to a quieter spot upstairs, easing down beside her with a sigh. The music and laughter filter up through the floor, muffled and distant enough to feel separate, like a different world they’re momentarily stepping out of. They lean back, letting their cowboy hat tip forward, casting a shadow over their eyes, and breathe out a tired chuckle.

“You’re a lifesaver, you know that?” El says, glancing sideways at her. “Been one hell of a night… and not in the fun way.” They offer a weak, self-deprecating smile, their fingers absentmindedly tracing the worn leather of their jacket. “Needed a break more than I realized.” They’re trying to keep it light, but the crack in their voice betrays a little of the hurt simmering just under the surface.

“So,” they ask, doing their best to shake off the weight of it all, “what’s got you sneaking away from the crowd?”

[fromcharliehale]

charlie's eyes lit up when cherry said she was packing. thank fucking god. she needed to figure out where everyone was getting cigarettes around here because they didn't sell them at the store she was forced to work at. there had to be someone growing it around here. not that she would ever admit to being a smoke, it was just something she did when she drank, obviously. drunk cigarettes don't count. that's what her roommate always said when they were sitting on their fire escape in the middle of the night. "god, i could kiss you!" she says excitedly as cherry pulled out a cigarette and points it at her like it was a gun. but then of course, nothing is free, even in a town with no money. "ugh i hate this trade and barter system," she groaned. "i don't know, i'll do your laundry or something. pleaseee," she drew out the word before jutting out her bottom lip.

THE PARTY IS IN FULL SWING AND CHERRY IS GLAD FOR IT . it's hard to think too much with all the activity around her, all the chaos of it all . it's welcome really ; all the distractions . so by the the time charlie comes up cherry can only perk up at the greeting, blinking at her before her grin is going crooked and wide . " you're lucky i'm packin' ." cherry replies with an arch of her brow, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she reaches into her pocket to pull out a full pack, and, okay, maybe cherry was less packing and more swiping . but she's almost sure that some of these newcomers didn't need their cigs as much as she did . they've gotta be way too busy freaking out to smoke . it takes cherry two tries to open the packaging considering the significantly more than two drinks she's had but after a beat she's holding a cig out to charlie like a it's a pistol, closing one eye to aim it her way before asking, " what've you got for it ?" cherry teases, her brow arching in curiosity .

[fromcharliehale]

"ooh okay, yeah i can see it!" charlie said with a laugh. "never watched it. i heard about the bathtub scene and decided it was best to stay away from it." her roommate loved it but it didn't sound like something charlie would like. "oh, i'm not dressed up," she looks down at her outfit of barrowed colony house clothes. it wasn't what she would normally wear to a party, but she had to make due. "i wasn't really sure what the vibe was but now i wish i did."

Adrien looks at her and laughs.

"Close enough, I suppose," he says. "I'm going for that guy in Saltburn? But forest fairy might be sexier."

He snickers and shimmies to shake the wings.

"How about you?"

He looks her up and down, studying her outfit to see if he can put together what she is.

[fromcharliehale]

closed event starter @hcartcorruptcd

as the night went on, charlie loosened up more and more thanks to the drinks. but with that, she needed take a break from everything. the night was going to be long, she needed to pace herself. which was why she found herself trying to sneak away upstairs and hopefully away from most of the crowd. though, that was proving to be harder than she expected considering there were people in every room. seeing ellington, she grabbed on to their arm and looked up with a wide smile. "el! i'm so happy to see you! come, sit with me for a second, i need a breather."

[fromcharliehale]

closed event starter @fromsaudades

the house was crowd but there was a buzz in the air that charlie hasn't felt since the party she was walking home from that caused her to end up in this place. it was almost comforting. "you know, if i forget literally everything about this place, it almost feels like i'm back home at a regular halloween party," she says as she pours herself another drink, glancing at alex. "i just wish there were better drinks." was it too much to ask for some delivery truck driver come into the town on their way to a liquor store? that would solve so many problems.

[fromcharliehale]

closed event starter @rampents

charlie has gotten used to colony house being a crowded free-for-all in the three weeks that she's been here, but tonight it was on a whole new level. this house was not meant to have this many people in it. she was having a good time pretending like it wasn't hell outside if she didn't think too hard about it but it was starting to feel claustrophobic. she broke away from the crowd and was trying to make her way to one of the bathrooms, that were sure to have a long line, when she bumped into someone. "shit, sorry, there are way too many people here." she said as she spun around to someone she didn't recognize. sure, she was still pretty new herself, but it didn't take long to get to know everyone. the town wasn't that big. was this another poor person who got stuck here?