#⋆ 𝒘. 𝑊𝐴𝐿𝑆𝐻‚ ❪ int. ❫

[talismns]

polaris movie theater, with finn walsh   /   @wiseacrs

polaris is almost always busy, so she’s lucky when wendy manages to catch the movie theater in a relatively empty state. she spots finn quickly, talking loudly and for probably too long, so she sidles up to the counter by mimicking a yawn. “jeez louise, i didn’t realize you got paid to monologue to your coworkers. shame you never discovered a love for theater.” wendy flashes a conspiratorial smile to his poor coworker, and thankfully they take the gesture for what it is: an excuse to exit the conversation. she turns back to finn. “how much longer you got? what’re the odds on you cutting out early?”

[talismns]

it’s not a joke, but wendy laughs anyway. “i don’t know, i was trying something out.” the word had wrapped around her tongue strangely, fighting to be spoken. it occurs to her then how little she speaks of red creek in california. it’s not exactly light dinner conversation. she smiles then, mostly to herself, her expression still shadowed by the hour. the cloak of night is what allows them this conversation. daylight is too harsh, too unforgiving. “good thing we’re only at twice for a serial killer running around town then, huh?” wendy tugs the zip up she stole from finn closer to herself. “the optimist in me would like to say that they aren’t real, or that, even if they are— there must be a way to break it.” another pause, then an exhale of breath. “besides, as a born and raised red creek native, my hand’s not entirely ideal but i’ve still got a lot to be thankful for.”

"  is  that  what  y'all  c  -  call  yourselves  ?  "  that  small  town  culture  wasn't  lost  on  her  —  knowing  everything,  everyone,  a  place  where  where  home  was  a  marker  of  character,  integral  to  one's  identity  whether  you  liked  it  or  not.  detaching  from  circumstances  so  similar,  especially  another  community  whose  togetherness  only  tightened  its  reins  with  every  subsequent  reminder  of  the  rot  that  infected  its  soil. elyse�� would  have  assumed  that  a  hint of bile & bitterness  would  surface  at  the  parallel  revelation —  they  were  surprised  when  the  opposite  had occurred.  instead,  a  snort  instinctively  spilled  past upturned lips.  then, mirrored  the  blonde's  shrug,  all the while pulling  at  sleeves  of  well  -  worn  wool,  the  night  breeze  set  in  before  she spoke  again.  "  how  many  —  how  many  times  does  it  gotta  happen  'fore  it  t  -  turns  into  a  curse  ?  what's  that  s  -  sayin'  ?  twice  is  a  coincidence  ...  three's  a  curse  ?  somethin'  like  that.  "

[talismns]

wendy doesn’t like lakes. truthfully, she doesn’t trust any large body of water but lakes are easily her least favorite. so, despite living in red creek all her life, she’s only been to deer lake a handful of times. it’s a good place to be alone though and she can’t remember the last time she wanted such a thing. “got something to say about red creekians?” she cocks her head, and tries her best to give away as little as possible in her features. she’s always been a little too close for comfort to the murders, and still now the gap is only narrowing. “well, bad karma’s a thing for sure, but a curse?” wendy pauses, lets the word hang in the air for a moment as she contemplates her opinion. then she shrugs and lets it fall between them. “i could be convinced of its existence. what do you think?”

to  elyse,  stranger  danger  was  nothing  more  than  a  tactical  method,  one  whose  purpose  was  to  suppress  and  illicit  that  specific  fear  of  the  outside  that  kept  kids  at  the  compound  in  line.  to  them,  now,  was  a  whole  world  was  out  there  for  exploration.  danger  was  the  cliff  one  must  leap  from  to  cross  over  to  the  side  of  connection  —  it  was  necessary  for  all  things  real,  all  things  human.  it  was  why  she  sat  here  now,  intentionally  occupying  a  seat  directly  beside  a  face  only  obscured  by  the  shade  of  night,  attuning  their  ears  to  the  ringing  of  crickets  and  splashes  of  freshwater  fish.  the  more  self-doubting  parts  of  elyse  hoped  that  her  fidgeting  and  lack  of  words  wouldn't  be  mistaken  for  meekness.  instead,  she  remained,  silence  interjected  with  momentary  glances  over  at  the  other,  some  that  lingered  while  others  did  not,  hoping  to  not  startle  them.  “  do  you  —  ”  they  began,  voice  adding  to  the  subdued  chorus  of  nighttime  noises.  “  do  you  think  people  can  -  can  be  cursed  ?  ”   

LOCATION — deer lake, sat around one of the crackling firepits

TIME — early nighttime

CURRENTLY — accepting replies !

[talismns]

“and go back to paying for my movie theater snacks? god no. i’m out of plato’s cave and you can’t make me go back.” it’s mostly a joke; she’s lucky enough to not need a real job at the moment anyway. it all makes her life feel even less real than it already does, like everything’s on hold— with her actual life still waiting for her out in california. the m&m bag is accepted wordlessly, a familiar dance. “nothing. i’m bored,” she drags out the end of the word, just on the verge of whining. “should we get tattoos or something?” her fingers drum against the counter, restless, hankering for something she can’t even name.

“the fuck are you doing?” finn snaps at wendy as his coworker wanders off. “you can’t just waltz in here and start shit talking me, an innocent employee. do you want me to get fired?” though realistically, given the way polaris is run, obnoxious monologuing would likely get him a raise and an employee of the month award. “this is my place of work, a serious business establishment.” his scolding is undermined by him sliding a pack of peanut m&m’s across the counter to her. he snorts. “kellan wouldn’t notice if i ran naked through the lobby setting off fireworks. i can leave whenever. why? what’s up?”