fromcharliehale

[fromcharliehale]

charlie thought back to her first morning in this place. waking up in ellington's house, confused as hell about what was going on and then being shown to the diner where everyone had a communal meal together. it was a lot to take in but after while, charlie was starting to think of it as normal. two months in and now it was her turn to explain things.

"manners are important, even here," charlie said with a laugh. "yeah, i haven't been long here and it's still pretty weird to me. but it does get a little better." she gestures towards the diner for her to follow before walking towards it. "if we're lucky, we'll get some fresh berries too. i think they just harvested and whatever isn't preserved goes to the diner." it was still strange how much she knows about the workings of this place. two months ago she thought everyone was crazy but now? maybe she was also crazy.

she glanced back when gemma introduced herself. "i know," she says, a little embarrassed. "i recognized you. i mean, that's not why i offered to help, i'd help anyone but- uh- yeah, i know who you are. i used to watch your videos all the time, well before i ended up here. i'm charlie." she offered a smile, hoping she didn't just embarrass herself too much in front of this niche micro celebrity. "but i promise, the pancakes are pretty good." charlie holds the diner door open for her before stepping in after.

Gemma blinks at the stranger's response, her brows knitting together as she processes the words. Money doesn’t matter here. Trade. Free food. It all feels absurd, like the punchline to a joke she doesn’t understand yet. Still, the casual way the girl says it, like it’s the most normal thing in the world, pulls a wry smile from her.

“Free pancakes?” Gemma echoes, a faint laugh escaping her lips despite herself. “I guess it’d be rude to say no to that.” She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, brushing a strand of hair from her face as she glances down the street, half expecting the surrealness of this place to shatter at any moment. But it doesn’t. It never does.

“That’d actually be... helpful,” she adds, her tone softening. “This whole—” She gestures vaguely to the street, the buildings, the unsettling quiet of it all. “—thing still feels like some weird fever dream. But if free food’s part of the deal, I won’t complain.”

Her gaze flicks back to the stranger, and for the first time, she really takes her in. There’s something about her easy demeanor, the way she’s talking like none of this is out of the ordinary, that makes Gemma feel slightly less like she’s untethered. “I’m Gemma, by the way,” she says, offering a small, tentative smile. “And if the pancakes live up to the hype, I’ll owe you one.”

[fromcharliehale]

charlie glanced inside the truck, spotting all the boxes. if there was one good thing to come from this, at least these two would have all of their belongings. though, she had a feeling a lot of it might go into the communal stock. even outside of colony house, this place had a 'what's yours is mine' way of living since everything was so scares. she wondered how these two would take that once they learned the truth. but she wasn't going to be the one to tell them right now. "so you made it through the night, that's good," she says with a smile. "i'm charlie," she introduces herself. "do you need some help looking for something?" she didn't mind helping and this guy seemed nice enough. he wasn't yelling at her like most of the newcomers she's seen since it was her as the newcomer.

Lainn listened to Tali's explaining where he put it. Then about a few other things he helped to pack into the truck. Lainn nodded and moved to look over at the back of the truck. It wasn't everything from their house back in Birdseye, as there had been one other truck one of his friends had offered to take the night before he and Tali left in their own. Lainn reached over toward one of the boxes, and started to tug on it before Tali had reached over to grab his shirt, giving it a tug at the same time Lainn had heard the stranger's voice.

Turning away from the back of the truck, Lainn looked at them and knocked his head in greeting, responding with a “Hey.” He looks her over before saying, “Yeah, we did. About, say, three PM yesterday.” He wasn't really sure, actually. Lainn wasn't sure so far how to approach the situation, at the moment. But he figured, whatever kept these people docile was going to work in his favor, “I'm Lainn. And we're good-just needing to get something out of the back.” He felt, as he said this, that he shouldn't just leave it there, he should ask her about herself, people like that, “What about you?” He faced the open truck again and pulled the box out, reading what was written on the side of it before placing it to one side.

[fromcharliehale]

charlie continued to look up at montana as she explained what she was doing. at the mention of rain, she understood but god, she hoped they never had another storm like that again. everyone said that was the first but she didn't want it to become a regular thing where they were trapped inside for more than just the night. the nights were hard enough. "shouldn't that be a job for cam or ellington?" she asked with a chuckle. "not that i'm sure they wouldn't appreciate the help but..." she didn't want to call her out for looking like she was struggling, but charlie tried to not laugh at her choice of words. instead she answered her question. "yeah, is your sister working? want to take a break and grab something with me?"

Montana has seen Charlie around. Noticed her, maybe even got caught looking during the Halloween Party. And yeah, normally she'd go up and talk to people she found interesting or refreshing or new -- but to go up to a girl she found cute? Well, that was one skill she did not have. So she froze, for a second, as the other asked a perfectly valid question back, and then tried really hard to make her boring and very random patch job on the roof sound even remotely impressive.

"Uh, just, fixin' this bad boy up. Figured, if it's gonna keep on rainin' from now on, can't have a shitty roof same place we keep the food. Kinda gross, even for our standards..." there's a breath in as she swallows, quietly, intentionally, and her legs are dangling off the board she she was sitting on making her feel stupid as hell. "Bet you're wondering why I'm fixing the roof from the inside like a m-moron and, honestly when I first saw this whole thing I wondered the same fucking thing but trust me...it's the only way. I'll get on top once I'm done here." --- "On top of the roof, I mean, of course..." she bites her lip and eyes narrow hoping the other would forgive her that one. "You're...off to get breakfast?"

[fromcharliehale]

charlie headed to the diner, mostly for something to do and kill time. it was weird to come from a life where she constantly had distractions and things to do, to now live in a world with very little. right about now she would either be in a lecture or skipping said lecture to hang out with her friends and scrolling on tiktok. now, she was wandering around trying to find anything to pass the time.

hearing a voice call out to her, she looks up to see montana up in the roof. "why are there a bunch of rusty nails on the floor in the first place?" she asks with a laugh, stepping aside them but still looking up at the girl. was she busy? not at all, though from the looks of it, charlie probably wouldn't be much help for whatever she was doing. "uh, not really. what are you doing?"

open to all. the diner, back room.

Montana liked to keep busy, nothing good ever came of sitting by idly as the clock ticked away the hours. She used to lay with the sunset and rise with the sunrise, back when it was consistent, now she found herself following a pattern that no longer existed. Slightly more on edge than usual, she walked around town practically begging for shit to fix -- thankfully, she didn't have to beg nor search too hard, the whole thing was falling apart. "Hey watch your step! There's bunch of rusty nails on the floor so 'less you're up to date with your tetanus shots, I'd walk around the whole thing." she says, sitting on the roof panels of the old diner storage room. She must've been making a lot of noise to attract passerby's. "Do you need help with something? Scratch that, are you busy?"

[fromcharliehale]

charlie was on her way to her shift at the store when she spots a moving truck and two people she hadn't seen before. she has started to get used to not being the new face around town in the two months that she's been here, there has been a handful since she arrived. but it still didn't make it easier to know that more people were getting stuck here like she was- like they all were. since there wasn't really much of a rush to get to a store that was pretty much there for normalcy, she decides to take a detour and see if they newcomers were okay.

"hey there," she says as she rounds the truck, glancing inside for a second before looking at the man. coming in with a truck full of your things was probably about the best anyone could ask for when being stuck in this place. they were luck, all things considered. "you guys doing alright? did you just get here?"

With: Anyone Location: Near Fuel Stop Gas When: Early morning.

Opening the door to his house, he glanced around, taking stock of the area around the small little town. It wasn't too different from his own hometown. Smaller, sure. But, going by what he was told on the first day he arrived, despite his continued skepticism. He was sure if this were a normal town run by normal people, it would have been nice to spend on outdoor retreats. If you enjoyed a swampy environment. It was early. He couldn't really sleep in this strange place. Which was really interrupting his usual sleep routine. As Tali trailed behind him, he closed the door behind his son and began walking beside the other toward the more active part of the town.

Lifting his right hand up, he hissed under his breath, feeling the sting in his palm from his nails the night before. Tali looked over to Lainn and revealed what had happened, “Really? Wasn't too scary, was it?” Tali shook his head and said he had only been worried Lainn would hurt himself. Lainn turned toward the moving truck and opened up the back, “You think we packed the first aid kit near the front or the back?” Staring into the back of the truck, he frowned, not looking forward to going through items in it just to find anything like that. Not that it really mattered at all anyway, given their current situation. It couldn't all sit in there, anyway.

[fromcharliehale]

stopping in the middle of the street when she hears someone speak up, charlie turns to see a stranger standing in front of her. man, there really were a lot of newcomers lately. it was weird to think she was no longer a newcomer. she's been here for almost two months now, she was old news, basically a regular now. she listens as the woman asks about buying things and has to stop herself from laughing because she remembers when it was her who was asking those things. timidly going up to bruna and asking how to get clothes. it felt like forever ago at this point.

"yeah, money doesn't really matter here, most stuff you can get by trading," she says with a chuckle. "and food is free at the diner, everyone gets rations. would be kinda fucked up if we didn't." thank god for that. things may be limited but thanks to the livestock and the greenhouse, there was always food to be found. "want me to show you? i was just heading there anyway and they make some pretty good pancakes."

Gemma stood in the middle of the dusty street, clutching her jacket tightly around herself against the evening chill. The faint hum of conversation and clatter of dishes from the diner nearby was oddly comforting—normalcy amidst the strange, suffocating stillness of this town. Her stomach growled, a sharp reminder that she hadn’t eaten since yesterday. But her cards were useless here, and she hadn’t thought to pack cash for what was supposed to be just another shoot. Spotting someone walking toward her—a local, she guessed, based on their calm, practiced ease—Gemma hesitated before stepping into their path. She offered a small, apologetic smile, her voice low but insistent. “Hi, sorry, um... I have kind of a stupid question.” She fidgeted with the strap of her bag, glancing nervously toward the diner. “How do I... I mean, if I don’t have cash, is there another way to get food? Like... trading something, maybe? I just—my cards don’t work, and I don’t really know how things work around here yet.” She paused, her fingers tightening on the strap. “I’d really appreciate any help. I can’t exactly pay you back right now, but...” Her voice trailed off, and she bit her lip, clearly uncomfortable asking for favors but running out of options. “I just—if there’s a way to make it work, I’d really like to know.” @fromcharliehale

[fromcharliehale]

at first, charlie didn't understand why they needed jobs in a place like this. sure, they needed the doctors and the sheriff and the cooks, but the rest of them seemed pointless. like, this place was cut off from the real world and money didn't matter so why work? but now that she's been here for almost two months, she was starting to get it. even with a boring job as a store clerk, she was starting to enjoy the routine of it all. it got her out of colony house and kept her mind busy so it wouldn't drift off into dangerous territories even if all she was doing was rotating out clothes from dead people so others can switch out their wardrobes. sometimes she would even snag a couple items for herself. it wasn't so bad. seeing mason enter the store, she drifts over, mostly for something to do other than folding clothes. "hey, no need to fight," she says, putting her hands in the air. "i just work here," a laugh slips out with her words.

where: second chance thrift to: open

—

being stuck in this town shaped prison put a limit on the amount of hobbies mason could half-heartedly start and stop when he got bored. but where there's a will there's a way, and he was in desperate need of some kind of distraction. ever since the storm there was a certain unease that had seeped into his skin, even more prevalent than it had been before. it was growing increasingly harder to sit still.

so he decided to go thrift shopping. there was a feeling of normalcy that came with sifting through racks of second hand clothing, even if the options were considerably slimmer than he was used to.

there was already a vague idea bouncing around in his head of how he'd DIY whatever he could salvage into something he wasn't embarrassed to be seen wearing in public. but the hunt was proving harder than he'd thought. cold and slightly shaky hands came up to rest on a hanger, his gaze raked over the item when he noticed the other person in his peripheral vision. " i'm willing to fight over these pants, " he was joking, mostly. " i'm usually a pacifist but desperate times and what not. "

[fromcharliehale]

charlie will go to her grave denying that she was a smoker, but the second she had a bit of alcohol in her system and someone was offering, she will never turn down a cigarette. so when alex holds out their pack and offers her one, she jumps at the opportunity. and right about now, she could just about kiss alex just for offering. "yes, please," she says with a grin as she takes one from the pack and brings it to her lips, leaning forward for alex to light.

leaning against the wall, she nodded at alex's question. if there was one thing she could do, it was talk about her time in college. she was filled with stupid stories of all the dumb things she did. hell, one of those dumb things was the reason she was here in the first place. it was starting to feel weird to accept that she'll never go back, but she tries to not think about that right now. "yeah, a bit of both. i do love a good party and went to a lot, never did a keg stand though. but i like to think i was learning some stuff too. at least, that's what i tell my mom. but i did have to take some time off because i went a little too crazy in my first years and didn't really do the work." she still remembers the disappointment in her mom when she had to tell her that she was taking a year off. "what about you?"

you didn’t have to tell alex twice. permission from one person was all they needed, and they sure as hell weren’t about to wander around the colony house party collecting more approvals like hall passes. with a practiced flick, they opened the battered pack of pre-rolled cigarettes—an ancient relic of a bygone era, long past its prime but still serviceable. alex held the pack out to charlie first, the unspoken offer clear. “want one?” they asked, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of their lips.

“so, college, huh?” they waited a beat, then plucked a cigarette for themselves, lighting it with a deft motion. the first drag was sharp and acrid, but it melted away the lingering nausea and chased off the last ghosts of the evening’s regrets. the thin smoke curled lazily upward, a gray ribbon winding through the dim light. “what was that like?” alex asked, their tone carrying equal parts curiosity and mischief. “all parties and keg stands, or did you actually manage to learn a thing or two?”

[fromcharliehale]

"i suppose not," charlie thought for a moment. before coming to this town, she had never really experienced death. she had lost a grand father when she was a kid, but she was so young and barely knew him. she was more annoyed that her mom made her wear an itchy, uncomfortable dress to the funeral than what the funeral was actually for. now, every day they could be waking up to a new body on the ground with no warning.

the way jo spoke, it reminded her of elm. they both had a strange way of talking about these things. she wasn't sure if she really bought into it all- that the monsters had feelings. she thought back to her first night and how she was chased by those things. maybe that was them playing her with too. "well they do always smile. maybe that's why, they like playing with us. maybe emerson was just their latest toy or something." it was morbid to think about. "i don't know if i want to know more about these things or just keep pretending like they don't have brains." it made it worse to know that they could do things like this.

" does death ever feel right ?? " josephine found herself inquiring , though there wasn't a cynical bite to her words . instead , they seemed to almost possess a flicker of whimsy — the question floating along the breeze as if it were nothing more than a mere curiosity as opposed to being an existential observation . her tone was dull , lilting only with the punctuation that finalized her thought , charcoal eyes fixated — focused — on where emerson's physical body had been left to rot .

josephine could feel the younger's eyes on her , the inquisitiveness that held her stare firm and made jo's skin flare with an almost embarrassed warmth . " i think everyone , and everything , can feel anger , " josephine said carefully , pressing her palms against her own ribs , feeling the cage of bone's strain as struggling lungs pressed against it . " — maybe both. monsters playing with their food. perhaps they find it amusing . " leave it to monsters to have bad table manners .

[fromcharliehale]

"yeah, i was more worried i'd go crazy being alone. i've lived with a roommate for the past six years and i would definitely end up talking to those things in the window if i had no one else to talk to." she says it with a laugh even though it was a pretty dark joke. she wondered if that was common, talking to the monsters as if they were people. sounded like a good way to end up dinner. she looked back at cherry when she asked who's room this was. looking around, she tried to find some sign of who it belonged to. "um no, i think it's maude and her friends' room, they seem pretty cool. hopefully they don't mind the smoke," charlie chuckles as she takes a hit of the cigarette. "they totally don't. nothing counts when you're drunk. cigarettes, eating a whole pizza by yourself, bad hook ups you regret; it's all wiped clean as soon as you wake up." she's lived by that many times in college and she will keep living by that philosophy here. "i should start doing that- not that i'm a smoker. but good to have around."

" YEAH, I FIGURED ." cherry replies with an unbothered shrug ." kinda like to have my pick of who i share that space with i guess ." she moves to push open the door of a room and perks up at finding it unoccupied . she leaves the door open for charlie as she moves to skip into the room and plop down on the corner of the bed . she bounces with the movement before faltering and asking, " this room doesn't belong to someone gross does it ?" the question is mostly a precaution as cherry squints charlie's way, but it's not long before she's shrugging once again and moving on with a, " it's what i would do to be honest . especially with how free love things are around here, y'know ?" despite the confidence with which the words flow out of her mouth cherry isn't entirely sure of them . sure there was one point where she would've done that kinda thing without hesitation, but now ? the idea of shacking up with someone random makes her stomach twist in a weird way that she doesn't particularly want to examine . and considering she's been ignoring it for a year, she feels pretty prepared to close her eyes to it again, instead scrunching her expression as she looks at charlie in amusement . " okay, i feel like they definitely do ." cherry replies first, her eyes twinkling in amusement . " so let's start there, but second," she glances over at the night side table curiously before moving to open the drawer, poking around it idly . " i borrowed those ." a distracted shrug . " but sometimes i roll if i'm desperate ."

[fromcharliehale]

"no, i get it. that was me too not too long ago. where did you come from?" charlie wondered if this was how she was in her first day. a lot of people commented on how calm she was, but inside, she was anything but calm. her mind going back to when she woke up on ellington's couch the morning after she came here and how much she freaked out at them. how they needed to calm her down and tell her everything all over again because she was too drunk when they first rescued her from the night. "hey, it's cool. i totally get it. i lost my shit on my third day." she went running off into the woods, just like everyone said she would. "yeah, about that. i'm still trying to get used to things myself. i've met some girls who have been here since they were kids, now that is hard to wrap my head around."

'Confused doesn’t even cover it. Two days ago, I was halfway across the world. Now I’m here and everyone here is acting like it’s just another Thursday.' Her tone is edged with frustration, but there’s a crack underneath it—fear, disbelief, exhaustion. She exhales, running a hand through her hair. 'Sorry.' Her voice softens just a bit. 'I’m just—trying to not lose it. And I don’t get how anyone else hasn’t.' Her gaze flicks back to Charlie, studying her again. 'You said you’ve only been here three weeks?'

[fromcharliehale]

how did she get dragged into this? charlie hasn't been to the woods since she first came here a month ago and had her little breakdown. she had made it a point to avoid this place and now she was following after alex as they chase after... something. she honestly wasn't even sure what it was but alex was pushing forward with a strange determination. "where are we going?" she called after them as she tried to keep up.

they stop at a clearing and charlie finally catches up to them, panting hard. god, why did she skip the gym back at school? all her friends would go obsessively and she would just sit at her apartment and laugh at them like they were crazy. she was really regretting that now. "which way who went?" charlie asks. "who are you following?"

you hear a barking, you've heard it before. there is a dog outside your door. it barks at you, wagging its tail. it wants you to follow it. dogs are trustworthy, right? it's totally not weird that you can never find the dog when you go looking for it but it always seems to be able to find you. it walks towards the forest, it wants to show you something. deeper and deeper into the trees, never looking back to see if you're following it. it barks and runs through the woods but when you think you catch up to it, the dog is gone. you're standing in a clearing. there is nothing there besides a single tree in the middle. it seems like an ordinary tree. why did the dog bring you here? what is so special about the tree? do you investigate it or do you go back to town and try to forget about it like all the other times the dog has come to you?

work boots are sodden ⸺ their soles heavy with mud that clings like whisper in the dark. the storm had left its mark across the forest floor: damp patches splotch the earth, slight remnants of that fated night’s rage. yet, the barking presses onward with a determined pace unfazed by the mire. almost forgotten, those lingering puddles, pools, and thatches go unnoticed.

a howl bark rings out again—sharp, long and insistent—cutting through the silence like a thunder above the gray skies. it echoes, a sound so familiar from alex's very dreams. they are reminded that reality is never as certain as it seems⸺

as the dog ahead advances, those peels grow fainter, more distant, swallowed by the endless stretch of shadowed trees. "come on," they urge, their voice rough with a thread of desperation. "keep up." they couldn't afford to lollygag now. not when they were so close to catching the canine.

the clearing ahead feels like the only refuge, once it's finally in full view. "did you see which way he went?" / ( 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐋𝐋 )

[fromcharliehale]

"it's not so bad most of the time, but the lack of personal space is a big thing." she did spend two years in a dorm in college and it was pretty similar to that. cramped rooms with a stranger in the bed right next to her, sharing a bathroom with ten other people, fighting with people because they ate the food out of your mini fridge without asking. it was pretty much the same besides the fact that the housemates ranged in ages from 22 to 40 and some of them can be pretty weird. when cherry says that she should make her way into someone else's bed, charlie laughed uncomfortably. "i'd be lying if i said i haven't considered that," she says, hoping her face hasn't turned red. she was probably just drunk enough to do or say something stupid that she will probably regret in the morning. thankfully, cherry lights her cigarette for her and charlie takes a much needed hit of it, basking in the feeling that comes. "well first of all, i am not a smoker," she says with a grin. "drunk cigarettes don't count. and second, i came in here with jack shit on me and i still can't figure out where to even find cigarettes even though everyone seems to have them."

" THAT'S WHY I COULDN'T LIVE HERE ." cherry says offhand in reply to charlie's words, trying to focus on them and putting one foot in front of the other . she feels like alcohol is sloshing around in her head a bit, but she feels like that so often that she's kind of used to it . it's more the other stuff making her feel off balance really, but she's doing her best not to think about that . so instead she says, " love the culture, but i don't share well and i like to have my own shit ." a shrug as they make their way to the unoccupied room . cherry lifts her arms in a stretch as she adds, " also don't do well with being told what to do, and that's kinda cam's whole gig ." a beat before her head tilts as she drops her arms to add, " y'know, if you're really hard pressed for a bed you can just bunk up with somebody ." cherry waggles her brows playfully with the words, her grin growing a bit crooked even if it doesn't quite reach her eyes . she makes a noise of surprise at charlie's question before shifting to reach into her bra and pull out a novelty lighter with a quickness . this one's got a pair of dice rolling around in the lighter fluid through the clear paneling . cherry lights charlie's cigarette as she asks, " you smoke but you don't got a lighter ?"

[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 .