#hi james n veer ... blame xan 4 the length. do NOT match.

[horrorphase]

ꜜ ﹙ ⚰️  ﹚ ﹕ he hadn't really been here before, but the apartment, as it was now, felt like a foxhole, a sanctuary from the disorder of the world outside. sun-warmed wood, lovingly cluttered corners⸻ and he could just stay like this forever, watching the soft beams of morning light sprawled across the floor, such careless elegance that set every speck of dust adrift in gold. if only █████ was here, then he'd have everything he needed here. there was an echo of comfort here ﹕ it wasn't taylan's childhood bedroom, but there was still something grounding about the rough scrape of posters and the scattered remnants of his friend's life— hockey gear propped in corners, a stick resting against the wall, its tape frayed and peeling like a secret kept too long. kieran rubbed at his eyes, the fabric of taylan's shirt shifting over his shoulders, loose and comforting, such a rare thing for him to sleep as deeply as he did, for his mind to go still, for his body to just surrender into sheets. but he could just blame it on last night's exhaustion ﹕ muscles still carrying soreness from running after the boogeyman, a leftover hum of adrenaline.

but he couldn't stay like this forever, not when there was another body disemboweled, another murder to solve ﹕ that blissful moment of emptiness when you just woke up finally fading away and making room for reality. kieran pushed off from taylan's bed, the creak of the frame sounding like childhood memories of sneaking out, and stepped into the hallway, where the warmth spilling in from the kitchen greeted him. and he followed as selin's silhouette moved against the backdrop of the morning⸻ stopping just a short distance from her when he noticed the cat, bare feet grounding him to the space as he watched pasha let out some accusatory hisses and meows, tail twitching like a metronome of distrust. and before he could say anything, selin swiveled with a frying pan that could have probably knocked him out if only she actually acted on that impulse. instinct jolted through him, but he didn't move, lips pulling into a crooked smile. “ y'know, i used to remember you threatening people with words when tay's fists didn't work. guess you've advanced to kitchenware now ? ” the words rolled off his tongue dryly, but they were punctuated by the small, genuine laugh that escaped him, lifting his hands up in feigned surrender.

“ i have two younger sisters, sel. ' course i know how to make breakfast, ” an almost offended response, but kieran didn't hesitate to move towards the fridge, grabbing a carton of eggs, shaking it lightly. “ sit, ” he gestured with his chin, tone flat and unhurried, a command that was softened by the morning. “ i've got this. ” and it had been awhile since he had done this, breakfast often skipped, but today, here, kieran let himself sink into this ﹕ the clink of a bowl, the scrape of a spatula, the sizzle of oil, the scent of frying eggs. and maybe he was just trying to make her feel more comfortable before the next revelation⸻ “ hope you don't mind that i inspected the place last night when everyone was asleep. ” gaze flitted towards the cracked-open kitchen window, eyes mapping the frame. “ window's loose. one shove and you're in. ” a glance toward toward the front door then made him snort quietly, the sound more breath than laugh. “ that lock might as well be a decoration. deadbolt's a joke, could be picked with a hairpin. most of the frame had gone soft, too. could probably be forced open with some pressure. ” he stepped away from the stove for a few moments, pointing out the window at the far corner of the living room, its curtain drawn lazily to one side. “ that one's a bit trickier— sills a little more sturdy, but if you know how to jimmie the latch, it opens. probably takes a bit more finesse, but not impossible. ” and of course, there was taylan's window, but they didn't need to talk about that. kieran paused for a second, maybe two, or ten, trying to remember if there was any other entry points he was missing ﹕ but train of thought was then derailed by the scent of burnt eggs. “ SHIT. ”

FOR : kieran , june , & taylan ( @horrorphase @bittenmoths @ofvolatile ) . LOCATION : selin's apartment . TIME : early morning , november 1st .

she can tell it's early by the way the sun peaks through her curtains , the lacey shadow casting an intricate pattern across her hardwood floors in the way that always made selin itch to trace over it , to make it permanent with some paint and a brush . in the safety of her bedroom art supplies are scattered freely , tucked into corners and piled onto desks , adorning her bookshelves in the way they never used to within the walls of her childhood home . her apartment was her sanctuary , and her bedroom the most intimate room of all ; pieces of her heart were scattered everywhere , displayed in the pictures taped onto her walls and the boxes of old birthday cards and love notes by her bed , tethered to the clothes overfilling her closet and the trinkets she's filled a many jewelry box with . she's careful not to wake june as she slides out from under her comforter and into her slippers — and there's a piece of her heart there , too , locked tightly inside the sleeping mass selin's vigilant to note is alive and breathing , counting the gentle rise and falls of their chest before she's content enough to venture into the kitchen . pasha greets her with a headbutt to the legs and a disgruntled meow , so croaky and cranky from being denied his spot in her bed it draws a laugh out of her . " i'm sorry , baby , " she coos , to which he offers another meow , taking his place by his bowl . she fills it mindlessly , pats his furry head , still groggy with sleep and only just beginning to register the throbbing of her bruised eye , more swollen and tight than it had felt last night . she's tempted to crawl back into her bed , but there was no falling asleep again without pain killers , and there were no pain killers without breakfast . november had brought with it a chill that warranted pajamas warmer than the old high school class t-shirt and mismatching shorts she was wearing , but it wasn't the temperature outside seeping in from the only half decently insulated walls that has the hair on the back of her neck standing up , or goosebumps trailing down the length of her arms . it was the feeling that someone was behind her ; a feeling confirmed by the tabby cat who was no longer crunching on kibble , but hissing at a shadow too lanky too belong to her brother . her heart jumps into her throat , a million thoughts crossing her mind , but only two registering . is this what alaina felt ? and then is taylan okay ?

she doesn't spare another second thinking , leaping to action in a way she didn't know herself capable of until that very moment , shaking fingers clasping onto the handle of her frying pan before she whips around , unbrushed curls bouncing , what could have been a scream tearing from her throat before it dies off into a stunned silence . there was no boogeyman poised with a knife , ready to slash her organs from her body . no , her intruder wore a familiar face , and selin lowers her weapon just a fraction before hissing " — kieran ? " disbelief at the picture in front of her has her staring as she waits for it to register kieran talbot's standing , very much uninvited , very much unfazed , inside her apartment . and maybe that's why her suspicion refuses to back down entirely as she says " i don't remember letting you in . " with every second her heartbeat settles closer to normal comes clarity , sense returning with every blink of her dark lashes . the clothes he's wearing — she recognizes the shirt , and old tee's of her brother , which could only mean two things : either he'd spent the night in taylan's room , no doubt climbing through his window like june had , or he'd killed her brother then taken the shirt as some sort of sick prize . it wasn't even a question in her head , which reality made more sense . " i really need new fucking locks , don't i ? " she groans , more to herself than to kieran , frying pan returned to it's spot on the stove , relinquished from her panicked grasp from only minutes before . and then selin spins back around to face him , hands placed squarely on her hips as she fixes him with a look there was only one right answer to . " well do you know how to crack an egg , at least ? "