#━━ ✦ 𝐍𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐄 * CHATS ‚ made ‘em sign an nda .

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the art shack, december 1st nadine + abhinav ( @b4rredteeth ) Art therapy hadn't made Nadine's end of the year itinerary, but hell, what did she have to lose from it? She was raised in a household with insufficient funds for hardly any medical assistance, relying on the urgent care that she and her brothers would drive their pick-up through the snow mounts to reach when one of them developed a cold, or worse — scarlet fever. So, you could imagine how destitute they were when it concerned mental health. Which is what prompted her to take the stranger she befriended up on his offer, stepping in through the threshold on the first of what was supposed to be the merriest month of the year. Admittedly, she had stalled the occasion, using Halloween as a crutch to why she didn't appear for so long. "... Hello?" she spoke up, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder as she awkwardly shuffled in place. "It's Nadine. Castellanos."

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It wasn't often that Nadine was bestowed the responsibility of uplifting others. The very nature of her work as a debt collector and as the rhythm guitarist of a band had dictated that she maintain jagged edges; so far, she had excelled at this, though, sometimes it was gratifying when she could let the mask of intimidation slip and reveal someone who was realistically the furthest thing from disinterested in the other inhabitants of her hometown. "I'll bet you can. You scream cool girl, you've just gotta tilt that chin up a little higher," she suggested, an impish grin curling on the corner of her mouth as she demonstrably jerked her own chin up. "Twenty-four? That's fucking sweet—honestly, it only gets better from then on out. People kind of start seeing you as an actual adult and not just an overgrown child." Though, admittedly, Nadine's youthful features had inhibited this perk in her personal experience. Still, when people caught a glimpse of her ID or the fact she posted regularly on Facebook until the internet shit out, they could begin perceiving her as the mid-twenties ex-act she was. "I spent my first birthday out of the house in L.A., I was eighteen. Needless to say, I don't remember much of it," a blithe chuckle flitted from her lips. "A pleasure, Millie. So, are you throwing a party? Now that you've got your independence?"

"Oh, a hot girl drink?" Millie repeated with a delighted peel of laughter, giddy to hear that she might be worthy of joining the legion of hot girls in town. "Then I guess I have to get one, to see if I can hang," she blurted, too entertained by the mere notion to consider that her admission might give away just how inexperienced she was with the world of nightlife and drinking. After years spent as the veritable baby of her family, even well into her early twenties, this was the first time in the vet tech's life that she felt like she was allowed to more fully explore what it meant to be a young woman (especially away from her parents' stifling influence). With any luck, and perhaps with friends like this kind stranger, maybe she could more blossom into the worldly person she oftentimes envisioned herself as. A genuine grin lighting up her pale features, Mingxia nodded. "It is my birthday! Not exactly a special number... I don't think anyways. But I hope it'll be a special year to me nonetheless: 24!" she announced, straightening on her barstool. "It's the first birthday I've had since moving out of my parents' place, so a big deal to me personally." Brightening when the other girl took the liberty of ordering a drink on her behalf, she happily replied, "Thanks, that's really sweet of you! Nice to meet you, Dina. I'm Mingxia Ruan, but my friends call me Millie."

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black dragon pearl radio, june 21st @drvgonbvnny

The extent of the damages at the radio weren't beyond repair, much to Nadine's relief. She had found a home at Black Dragon Pearl, among Dustin and Sera and their adorable son, and it was a relaxing contrast to the turbulent nature of Bastard gigs. So, when she was recruited to assist her employers in scrubbing clean the station of any cosmetic disrepair, she heartily agreed and practically leapt out of her seat so that she could join the effort sooner. After making a pit stop at a nearby payphone to call Ava and inform her why she'd be away from her landline, she made brisk steps toward her place of work and, once inside the building, was quick to acquire a broom for sweeping up any debris. "It could be worse, really," she spoke up, hands clutched around the broom handle as she absently swept at the floor, waiting instruction to begin cleaning at the more difficult places that were blackened a bit by the flames. "I heard that ranch was totally decimated. A shame, it looked like a nice place. Not that I'm much of a horse girl." A faint chuckle left her lips as she began gathering all the dust collected on the floors, brown hues glancing over at Dustin. "How's Sera holding up? You both must've been scared shitless thinking about any damage done here."

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"THEY SAY PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE." nadine + abhinav sometime in september, 2023 ( @b4rredteeth )

Nadine scoffed loudly at the statement. God, she reacted like one of her brothers, which made her scrunch her nose up as she caught herself — still, that didn't negate how little she agreed. "Virtues are for virgins and people who watch daytime television," she noted in return as she blew out the smoke of a Lucky Strike while waiting for her taxi with her boots shuffling restlessly on the pavement. You'd think her extended stay out of town would've tampered her rampant pessimism, but alas, there she was, though she liked to believe the time she spent away wasn't all in vain. She had plenty of time for self-reflection and relaxation like she hadn't known for years. Still, old habits die hard, including but not limited to her nicotine addiction and beliefs about Biblically-enforced morals. "But whatever you say, Doc. Want a drag? I feel bad throwing it out already, these are fuckin' expensive." The thought of Abhinav being a well-respected therapist was fleeting, and besides, who said doctors can't have fun, too?

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nadine + colson sleepy cat books — september 18th, 2023 ( @tea-rcses )

An ominous post-it note was pasted on Colson Kim's door in the wee hours of dawn, when the sun had yet to crest the horizon: AND WE WILL SING, ALL BY OURSELVES, TILL WE SWOON AWAY WITH DELIGHT... MEET ME WHERE YOU KEEP YOUR MASK. — CHRISTINE. Of course, it wasn't an overly complicated cipher, though Nadine had assiduously considered writing something more covert in Morse Code, but after leaving Anchorage behind in pursuit of happiness elsewhere she didn't feel like she could string along anyone, even those she once held closest to her heart. So, a few succinct words referencing the hauntingly relatable Phantom of the Opera would suffice. The guilt of abandoning her loved ones permeated in her gut and she was determined to not make a self-pitying spectacle of herself as a result. Instead, she would take initiative; first by placing an order at Top Pot, then picking up said order posthaste before moving onto her second destination, The Flower Basket, where she'd inquired about a shipment of black baccaras that was due to arrive that day. And, as if the stars aligned perfectly at her will, the moment the bell chimed and announced her arrival she was greeted by a grandiose display of velvety, dark red roses in the shape of an elegant bouquet. She slammed the payment in cash on the counter and swiped the flowers, hurrying in her newly purchased Demonias across town so she could arrive at Sleepy Cat on time. She had meticulously arranged a pop-up in the back of the store after having bribed the clerk to change the sign from OPEN to CLOSED thirty minutes early. The day was crawling, anyway, with little to no customers frequenting the coziest spot in Anchorage. At 9 P.M. sharp, Nadine had assembled the pop-up in its entirety: the box of warm Boston creme-filled donuts open and the smell intoxicating and inviting, overpowering the sweet scent of the roses that glimmered underneath the dim lighting of the bookstore, and beside the offerings lay a card with lovingly etched words of endearment and well wishes for another year orbiting the sun. Together. She couldn't deny how nervous she felt while waiting for Colson to arrive — a thousand little insecurities nibbling at her brain. What if the note had fallen, swept away to never be seen again? Or he had seen it and simply discarded it without a second thought? She liked to think he wasn't so callous, not with her, at least, but it had been so long. She knew she had plenty to make up for. Hopefully taking the first step would inspire him to follow her lead, no matter where the path ended for them. And then there he was. A timid smile graced her lips as he appeared in front of her, like the bewitching prince of darkness he'd always favored in how he articulated himself. "... Long time, no see, Mr. Kim." she greeted, keeping a straight face all the while not denying that she was as open a book as she ever was before standing there in front of him. "Thought it was only befitting I throw you a celebration myself after leaving you waiting for so long."

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the streets of anchorage, march 9th with vern. @hawyeein

Nadine's schedule was relentless, but she liked it that way. It kept her occupied — that and dreams of the sugar plum fairy she'd acquainted at the banquet, of course. She liked maintaining a steady pace when it came to life, worried that if she discovered too much of a gap between events that she'd slide through and disappear forever. Which is precisely why she'd hauled ass out of the station, guitar case heavy on her left shoulder as she traversed the streets so she could arrive to band practice on time. She was plenty of thing, late was not going to be one of them, not when it concerned her band. At some point, she'd felt her case make contact with a passerby, and she halted in place. "—shit, my bad," she said, spinning around on her heel, still in motion before she tilted her head curiously at the figure she'd come across. "Hey, I... Think I know you. Are you on Dread Air?"

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107.4 black dragon pearl radio, late november nadine + dusty ( and crash ) ( @drvgonbvnny ) Maternal instincts hadn't occurred naturally for Nadine. She was the youngest of five, all her elder siblings boys who were forced by the absence of their father and the declining health of their mother to rear their baby sister on their own — though she mostly credited her survival thus far to Gabriel, the second youngest Castellanos. The rest couldn't have cared less about her once she broached her insolent preteen years. So, as a result, she had little inclination to act as a mother toward anyone; she hadn't even adopted a pet as a sort of pseudo child that could've potentially prepped her for parenthood. However the fuck it was meant to do that. She just witnessed far too many of her peers coddling their animals as a means of staving off their parents' burning questions regarding real offspring. But here, in the warm cocoon that was the radio station, she found that babysitting wasn't as daunting as she previously surmised. A smile had even blossomed on her features while she kept baby Crash entertained as his parent worked diligently nearby. "He's really well-behaved," she couldn't resist praising, bouncing the babe on her knee. "My brothers' kids are all menaces. One of them bit me once. Thank God this one doesn't have too many chompers yet."

[othcrside]

What Nadine could already find herself admiring the most about Ava was her genuine nature. Too few people in the world felt confident enough to display who they were and what others would be getting; Nadine thought she was a dying breed by acting that way, however the other was quickly reminding her that she hadn't been so alone after all. It was an immensely comfortable environment that'd already been fostered between them upon first meeting that she couldn't recall it replicating anything she'd felt before. It was brand new, which made it all the more exciting and affording her even more incentive to keep things going out of curiosity of where they might end up.

Mulling over the notion, it wasn't difficult for Nadine to find a point in Ava's word. "Yeah, I mean, hand-me-downs kind of sound like they suck," she admitted with laughter that echoed into the night. "But I could definitely stand without being chased around with sharpened sticks and getting thrown into sub-zero temperatures in my pajamas," Her tone came off as playful and nonchalant, however she couldn't deny that those years had truthfully been the harshest of her childhood — she was thankful that in the end she did have someone like her youngest brother to look out for her, otherwise she knew she'd have wound up worse off. Possibly even dead, considering the questionable choices she made while in the heat of stardom. "Same goes for mine nowadays, really," she returned as a grin crept upon her features and she held a hand out in jest. "Easiest deal I've ever had to make. I avoid complimenting him too much if I can help it."

She found it endearing how considerate that Ava was. You'd think by the way Cyrek would complain about his clan of siblings occasionally that they would be worse people, alas, that didn't seem to be the truth in the slightest. Then again, she hadn't met the dancer sister or the one who claimed to be a witch yet, so that could easily change. Maybe she and Ava would remain rare breeds. "Hey, do whatever you want to them. Half of it's PR, anyway, so it's never been worn," she said, hoping the fact would serve as more of a comfort for Ava to do what she liked rather than attempt at bragging. "Two of a kind. I could believe it, honestly," And she did. It wasn't such a common occurrence, she found, and the prospect of Ava being akin to that of her other half was undeniably exciting. "And I love taking risks," she commented with a lopsided smile as she felt her stomach whirl delightfully at the feelings of their fingers fixing together. "Oh, definitely. I'd love that."

At the sound of Nadine's laughter, the blonde felt her face growing warm, a childlike grin playing at her lips. Try as she might to play it cool and mysterious, Ava had never been very good at hiding her feelings, for they frequently appeared all too readily on her features of everyone to see. By no stretch of the imagination was the hairdresser infallible, but for once, she didn't feel like masking her delight or trying to brush off her interest with an aloof scoff and toss of her bleached hair. Fighting against every instinct of self-preservation she'd built up since her teenage years, the young Adler allowed her countenance to be as expressive as she frequently was—a little vulnerability to let Dina see exactly how enchanted she was to get to know her.

"You say that now, but there have to be some benefits to being the only girl in your house growing up, right? Even if your brothers were borderline feral. Like... you never had to fight your sisters over clothes or get stuck with their hand-me-downs," the blonde reasoned, a smile tugging at her painted lips at the happy memories from her own unconventional childhood. Fights with her sisters over who's turn it was to hog the bathroom had only devolved to physical violence a handful of times, and never more than a shove or hair pull, but they were good memories all the same. Unfazed by the biker's comments about her brothers (and finding it privately humorous to think of glamorous Nadine growing up among nothing but rowdy boys), Ava couldn't help but playfully roll her eyes at the mention of her own brother. "Eh, Cy's alright... I mean, I guess when he's not in a mood, he's not such a bad brother. He can actually be a great brother when he feels like it. But don't tell him I said that, either. I keep your secret, you keep mine?" she offered in a conspiratorial stage whisper, extending a pinky towards Dina.

An unmistakable sparkle in her brown eyes at the prospect of rooting around in the other's discarded designer garb and an implied invitation to her place, Ava bounced once on the balls of her feet, trying not to let her excitement get the best of her. For the love of God, be cool, dummy. "Sounds like a plan. And if I steal anything, I promise to bring it back in the exact condition that I found it," she sing-songed sweetly. At the revelation that people used the word "crazy" to describe her companion as well, the fashionista felt a serene expression come over her features. "Huh... you and me might be two of a kind, then." Is this what it felt like to be... seen? Was it too soon to tell? Ava decided to take it one step at a time, but the thought comforted her regardless. "Oh, spiced hot chocolate sounds like it could either be delicious or disgusting. High risk, high reward." A genuine grin fixed firmly on her lips, she took Dina's outstretched hand with no hesitation, lacing their fingers together. "You've got yourself a deal. What's life without a little risk, right?" she reasoned. "And if it turns out to be good, maybe I can still take you up on that drink some other time?"

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Very rarely ever stationary, Nadine had instead found a life lived in hermitage wasted; besides, she had more people relying on her than ever before, so, it was reasonable to assume that her personal time had dwindled a considerable amount in the past twelve months. That day, however, she had found a pocket of solace. While trudging in gradually disintegrating platform boots that could not withstand the sub-zero temperatures they flirted with after the autumn equinox, she had ventured for a coffee while in transit between her radio gig and the more covert lifestyle she upheld as a debt collector. As she leaned forward on her elbows that were propped on the counter, she didn't pay mind to her surroundings until an unfamiliar voice caught her ear. "Well, at least someone around here is having a good time," she chuckled lowly, an amused grin materializing on her full cheeks as her chin pivoted and she faced the stranger. "What's got you all gung-ho about life? Most people here are fucking miserable."

open: THE CREAMERY ICE CREAM & COFFEE BAR.

it seemed life had been going too well for emmeline in the general sense despite tragedy constantly encapsulating the town. perhaps she had failed to avoid a crack int he pavement that day or indeed had gone under that very ladder for it to strike her a few minutes later. it had been a scary ordeal for her, enough to shake her. she had been in pain but her prescription was working and it felt so surreal to her. staring at her drink with a straw in it without saying anything, she then hummed to herself. "goodness, i don't feel like i've been this calm since that retreat in 87. or was it 86?" in all honesty, she wasn't sure but she knew it was when she'd finally started pulling her life back together. "things do hurt but something is telling my brain it's not. how funny." @anchoragestarters

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The biker, whose moniker was intermittent nowadays as she mostly assumed her given name Nadine instead, sauntered from her newly furnished apartment to the diner where she had once spent her days unleashing all her teenage angst onto the innocent blank lines of a composite journal. She had found solace in the brick and mortar of the establishment; the distinct scent of coffee beans permeating the air and always inspiring her to order another cup of espresso — could you even cut off someone from coffee? She was keen on figuring it out.

After ordering her regular and partaking in a sip to ensure it was to her liking, she scouted for a seat among the plenty of empty chairs available so early in the morning. However as she shadowed a stranger that she had nearly disregarded, her eyes caught on one of the words displayed on the crossword. "Carnage, diagonal in the left corner," she spoke up simply in between sips of her drink.

open starter // @anchoragestarters

THE UGLY Mug Cafe & Diner was certainly not the fanciest of places to eat at on a Saturday morning, nor did it appear that this was the most popular of times to patronize it. It's the latter reason why David chose to get breakfast there today.

The diner's walls provided a barrier against the biting morning chill; despite this, David still kept his jacket on and relished the feel of his hot beverage. The coffee's alright, the food was acceptable - although he figured it's probably hard to screw up scrambled eggs and bacon.

The early morning crowd gave off murmured chatter, and David appreciated the lazy atmosphere. It was comfortable enough that he might even finish the today's crossword. He tapped the butt end of his pencil against the table, so consumed in thought he didn't catch the feeling of someone approaching him until their shadow darkened the tabletop. Even so, he hesitated looking up. He rolled the pencil between his fingers, then deliberately - carefully - erased an incorrect column. He leaned back in the booth seat and pressed his tongue to the back of his teeth. With his free hand, he reached over to take another sip of coffee, and as he did so, turned to address whoever had approached him.

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As a night-time enthusiast, Nadine didn't delight in venturing beyond the limits of her workplace during daylight hours. She was a fanged little thing, not accustomed to the garish sun that shed its light in heatwaves that left her dogged. Normally, she would adorn a pair of thick-rimmed sunglasses and a stylish hat before she sought out enrichment in places outside of work, but she'd found herself in a jam that morning—she had placed an order of food at The Ivy and was due to pick it up around lunch, and while in a frenzy she had forgone her accessories and braved the world without any armor. She wouldn't complain too excessively about it; however, she would manipulate any short-cut she could just so she didn't have to suffer standing out in the rapidly evolving weather.

She was making long strides throughout the park, seeking a path that would lead her directly from her doorstep to the front stoop of the higher end establishment. To take the edge off, she'd lit a cigarette and let it dangle from the corner of her mouth before an unfamiliar voice caught her attention. Raven-hewn locks swept over one shoulder as she pivoted her head, two trails of smoke being exhaled from her nostrils. "I live in Kingpin, there isn't a day where I don't see stray animals," she said, matter-of-fact. "What kind? Dogs or something? I might've noticed already, my boss has got a chicken—should he be worried about them?"

( the local park, october 5, afternoon ) @anchoragestarters

Looking around at the crowds of people milling about the park that Saturday afternoon, Bernadette wondered belatedly if this was a horrible idea. Call it immersion therapy if you want, but for some God-forsaken reason, the illustrator got it in her head recently that the best way to beat her aversion to crowded places filled with strangers was to stick herself right in the middle of one. She had to take a moment to remind herself that this undertaking was ultimately to help her mother, and that if she got overwhelmed at any point, she could easily blend right into the crowds and slink back home to the safety and seclusion of her apartment. But she couldn't sulk off in defeat until she'd at least made an attempt to find the animals that had escaped from the veterinary clinic. And how best to go about this? She supposed she'd just have to ask around.

Cautiously clearing her throat as she steeled herself for the challenge, Bernie approached the first person that crossed her path. "Excuse me. I'm sure you must have heard what happened at the local vet a few days ago. There was an escape of sorts, so a lot of animals are roaming free around town. I was just curious: have you seen any packs of stray animals recently? We've been searching, but a lead would be helpful to steer us in the right direction," she explained, trying to mirror the verbiage used by the reporters in her orbit at work.

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"And that should only take an eternity and a half," Nadine jested halfheartedly. It went like that for a majority of the world, she found, but it was particularly gruesome in Anchorage — which was ironic, considering how much the town did and didn't rely on technology simultaneously. It was a living, breathing, somehow still functioning paradox, and she wondered sometimes what kept people so tethered to its shores. Family, she first thought, but then again, some people didn't even have that. It must've been the endless intrigue that was coupled with residency you took up there. No matter what, you were almost always guaranteed some kind of catastrophe, and wasn't that a bit addicting in and of itself?

Her eyebrows perked up in amusement at the mention of a youth-translator app. "You and me both, my friend. I left for a few months and I come back to the kids speaking total gibberish. I'm starting to actually feel my age nowadays." An impish grin pulled at the corner of her mouth before a wave of relief painted her features at the mention of a drink. "Coffee would be great, honestly. Just an espresso. I feel like I'm going to need it today."

Bijan ignored his phone for now, he’d made up his mind: he would not be able to call his doctor today, so it would have to happen another day. He could make use of the landline when he got home as well. He took a sip from his coffee. “I guess this will be something we’ll have other people figure out, usually I ask IT to take a look at it by now.” His intelligence sadly didn’t account for everything, and while he was amazing in his own field, he couldn’t reboot a computer to save his life. Though in his defence: they renewed those programs almost every single year, he couldn’t keep up.

He chuckled. “Never been good at those,” he attempted to return in banter. “Like technology, my speech instantly reverts back to the Middle Ages as well when I do not have my youth-translator app with me. Or at least Victorian Era.” The students at school were always trying to teach him the latest slang, to everyone’s frustration. Bijan’s because it made absolutely no sense, the students because they couldn’t explain it well enough that it would. “I’ll need more coffee to brave the world as is, could I interest you in a coffee or some beverage as well?”

[othcrside]

After her traumatic expedition renting an apartment in the city, Nadine didn't foresee herself returning to a life lived beneath the thumb of a megalomaniacal landlord. However, when hell broke loose for the thousandth time unto a metropolis of fools and thieves, she found herself drawn once more to the clusters people would form when panicked. King Pin was home, but places like Seal Harbor and the Marionette were far more intriguing—the scene and the people working in tandem to create a mystique unfound elsewhere. Since recovering from her recent injury, she'd also grown restless. The one thing that had kept both her feet firmly on the ground was Ava, in truth, and when she was absent, so were most of Nadine's morals. Not that she was much of an upstanding citizen anyway. "Figured you could use some wine and a listening ear," she said, innocently raising a specially chosen bottle of merlot and wiggling her eyebrows. "The times they are 'a' changin', after all. I find it's best to be tipsy while they do."

Location: Nari's apartment at The Marionette When: evening, June 21st Cap: 0/4 @anchoragestarters

after receiving the box in her work locker, nari has been a bit paranoid about everything happening around her. she'd already turned the box and its containments over to the police, hoping they'd find something out. though her thoughts about the anchorage police dept. wasn't very positive. considering what happened last time she tried to get answers from them. Engrossed in her thoughts while reading the latest newspaper, nari was startled when a loud knock on her door snapped her back to reality. setting the paper aside, she made her way to the door and cautiously opened it partially, her eyes fixed on the person standing outside her doorway, "what are you doing here?"

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Peachy. Nadine visibly stiffened as she calculated how best to approach her cohort going further. At the very least, she was relieved that Fallon — and by extension, most other Bastards — didn't express their discontentment like her brothers, who were well-accustomed to staging hissy fits and breaking through the drywall in their fragile trailer with balled up fists. Upon returning from her overseas excursions, she had clung onto a childish hope that she had long since outgrown that those boys, now men, would've grown with her. Alas, they had remained ever the same, though she wasn't entirely disappointed all she had left to rely on was her biker family. "It is fucking cold, which is why I'm not leaving you out here," she insisted as she advanced toward her, noting how she was in evident search of a fix and, on instinct, the raven-haired procured a metal tin from her back pocket. "Here. I carry them in case of emergencies," A muse flitted from her lips as they pulled sideways into a crooked grin, flicking open the case and offering a stick. "Never know when one of your brothers or sisters might be in need. I've got a light too, somewhere..." she hummed lowly while fishing through her jacket pockets.

complaint came in the shakiness of muscle as fallon pushed herself a foot away from the wall. just so that she could sidle along to a fresh patch of frozen asphalt and slide down the establishment for a seat. no need for pretenses when it was only nadine who had unfortunately witnessed her undoing. not that it was a lack of importance, no. more that nadine hadn't turned tail at the first sight of ill and instead cared enough to stick around. such was the found family. a sore subject as of late, as detailed by roiling innards. "peachy. i'm alive, right?" wiping backhand across her mouth, a mirthless chuckle fell. glancing up at the younger, with a sigh, "you won't find me dead by the dumpster — you can go back inside. fucking cold. i just need a minute to not have a fucking panic attack or somethin'." a smoke would do wonders to quell within, but a quick pat down of her jeans and there was nothing to her name. if someone really were to find her body in some mishap out here, half ice by morning, there would be nothing to identify her. there was something oddly freeing about having nothing but the clothes on her back in this moment.

[othcrside]

Nadine's disposition was much more well-defined than the jaded state in which she'd allowed it to decay even a year ago. She had learnt many a hard lesson in just the span of twelve months — encouraging her to give up the benumbed biker chick act and assume more of her natural self around others. Not to say she didn't utilize her resting bitch face whenever she deemed necessary, but, well, what was ever the use in pulling well-meaning civilians into your own bullshit? She hadn't seen any, and felt a protruding sense of guilt for letting that kind of melodramatic teenage angst drive her so far ahead in life. So she would offer more smiles, shake more hands, kiss cheeks and whatnot. It felt fraudulent at first until she settled back into the mold of her own skin and realized that everything she once thought was corny and overrated were symbols of maturity she was staving off. "I'm always down for some games and junk food. Performances, though?" A grin crept upon her features. She adored live shows, no matter the capacity. That was one thing that persevered throughout her tumultuous youth: her obsession with all things performing. "I work with him at the radio, yeah. Helped out with Crash a few times. Super cute baby, huh? I guess it runs in the family."

THIS WAS ALREADY GOING IN THE DIRECTION that Dorothy was horribly stressed that it would, that she would inevitably end up embarrass herself with something that was described to her such an easy task, something no one else had issues with helping with. Or at least that was what had been repeated to her when her first reaction was one of hesitance. But just as the idea of approaching someone minding their own business was horrifying as was actually speaking up for herself to someone of authority, which lead her to exact position now. Just as it was dawning on her that she had broken the unspoken rule of public places that no person wearing headphones was someone who wanted to be bothered, Dorothy was prepared to profusely apologize and back away with her tail between her legs when she reached for the flyer. A bit of surprise overtook her face, as she had already prepared herself for an unpleasant interaction. "Oh." A matching smile was already was already sparking up on her own face, feeling some of the concern melt away. "Yeah, you should definitely take a day to come! Especially if you like games or super unhealthy fried food, and all the new performances added after the holiday break!" The excitement about it was much more natural when it wasn't a given spiel. It shouldn't have surprised her to be recognized due to one of her siblings, especially considering all three of their warm personalities. "Uh huh, that's me. Are you a friend of his?"

[othcrside]

What is this? What's going on? Nadine felt a self-satisfied chuckle escape her glossy lips — she kind of liked the feeling of this, hiding in the shadows and materializing out of thin air. Maybe she was spending too much time with Mindy... Regardless, she kept her expression as flat as she could despite the amusement that crackled like a stoked fire in her chest. "I think you know what's going on, Val," she returned, one booted foot stepping in front of the other calculatedly. "You owe us. So, are we going to make this easy or not?" She was still polishing her speeches for events like these, considering this was her first foray into the role of debt collector. "Don't worry, Ros. You can step out, if you want." Not that she anticipated the other to do so. They seemed like they'd stick close enough together.

A third voice echoing in the cavernous space, the blonde nearly jumped out of her skin at the revelation that she and Rosalind were not in the storage rooms alone. Valerie recognized the newcomer as one of her brother Dustin's employees, having seen Dina before on her many visits to the station, but everything about her entrance and tone made the normally cheery performer stand at attention, her features uncharacteristically stony as her heart thudded painfully in her chest, adrenaline coursing through her veins. This didn't feel like a happy coincidence... far from it. "Nadine? What is this? What's going on?" Glancing back at Rosalind, the acrobat took a protective step in front of her friend. She had no idea what business the biker could have with her, what she possibly could've done to warrant such an unprovoked confrontation, but she didn't feel right about any of this. "If it's me you were looking for, then leave Ros out of this. What do you want?" ( @rosfms )