#opposite: kalina slater-horne

[atticuscortes]

for: @screamqueen-slater

when: february 16th (night of the blind dates)

where: a bench outside the lighthouse

"I'm really glad I wasn't the only one not digging the vibe in there."

It'd been a calculated risk, asking Kalina if she wanted to get out of the stuffy Neptune atmosphere before their appetizers had even arrived, but Atticus liked to pride himself on being able to read people pretty well, and he'd been able to tell almost immediately that it didn't really seem to be her scene, either.

Whether that had to do with her present company or not was part of the risk in asking, along with her potentially thinking he was making some sort of move, but either way she'd agreed, which he took to mean that he hadn't made too bad of a first impression.

The night was still young, though.

"Also really glad that the waiter took my bribe and put the wine in to go cups for us. He was a real one for that." Taking a sip of the wine in question (through a straw, classy), Atticus racked his brain to try and figure out what they'd been talking about at the table before his intrusive thoughts had won out. "I don't think I caught what you said you do for work?"

[atticuscortes]

"Oh, shit Kal, no," Atticus laughed awkwardly, shaking his head. "That's definitely not what I meant. But seriously, like...fuck anybody who ever made you feel like that. And for what it's worth, I've never thought that at all. I always like talking to you."

He hadn't expected much to come out of that blind date from months ago, but to have made a friend like Kalina from the experience was more than worth the $3 he'd paid for it.

"I might have to draw the line at shark teeth, though. Don't those motherfuckers have like an insane amount of them?"

"I think she's also got her own theme park, which is pretty fucking sick." He points out. "But you know, like Florida Georgia Line, Kacey Musgraves--Taylor Swift, obviously. All very danceable, if you ask me."

@screamqueen-slater

“ unfortunately it’s not an act. That is years of being treated like a weirdo that has made me this bad at talking to people. “ kalina noted with a small smile as she looked at Atticus. She would love to be seen in the way he had described her. It sounded pretty powerful and confident but she couldn’t say she related to that image fully. Only when she was recording did she actually feel sure of herself. “ I would love to be a shark though. The teeth are pretty badass “ she added giving him another smile

She could tell he was teasing her and she did really like it but she just didn’t know how to react to a lot of it. Kali just wasn’t used to attention or going out and doing things with people that weren’t her best friends. It left her a little unsteady and nervous always and she knew she was blushing still she could feel it against her cheeks.

“ she’s kind of the greatest. Never a bad word out of her mouth and always protecting people. “ she noted before shaking her head . “ what kind of newer stuff ? I don’t know. I might have to think a second about which songs I like versus which songs can be danced to. Those are wildly different lists “ @atticuscortes

[atticuscortes]

"Oh, if you're up for the task, she says." Atticus scoffs, sliding Kalina's drink closer for the taking. "You know, you might have everyone else fooled with this nice and shy act, but I see right through you, sweetheart. I know a shark out for blood when I see one."

He winks and grins around the rim of his own glass. He can practically feel the heat radiating from her cheeks, though that could have just as well been from the sheer amount of bodies packed in so tightly around them. Atticus hovers his free hand between Kalina's shoulder blades to guide them out of the way of the line for the bar.

"We all love Dolly." She could say that again. "We weren't big on country growing up in my house, but I got a little into it during high school. Mostly the newer stuff though, so maybe tonight I can broaden my horizons a bit. You got anything you wanna request from the DJ before you wipe the floor with me?"

@screamqueen-slater

“ especially an old west ghost story? There’s something weirdly intriguing about those because you know the spirits have to restless form back then” she knew all the good and the bad when it came to that time period and the fact that there had to be some interesting stories tied to that point in history.

Kalina got instantly red at the mention of it being a challenge. She hadn’t meant for it to come out that way but it was kind of true, she rarely dance with people who knew what they were doing save one or two persons. She was just being honest, but as she looked at Atticus her smile only grew. “ I wasn’t trying to make it one, but if you’re up to the task I wouldn’t refuse “ she added

She definitely needed the drink though first because she always had this nervous energy when it came to dancing or being possibly seen by others. She always straddled that like of wanting to be invisible and being seen. “ I guess I’m more in the lover camp. I like a lot of old country or country by women. We all love Dolly. I think there’s something that can be so tragic and a little haunting with older country songs “ @atticuscortes

[atticuscortes]

"Oh hell yeah, dude. Who doesn't love a good ghost story?"

Aside from his aunts and uncles, whose dislike for them most likely stemmed from Atticus's penchant for scaring their children with them after dark during family get together's. He stands by that it's their fault for lighting the fire pit: a campfire practically demands a scary story. Well, that and s'mores.

"Anyone who knew what they were doing, huh? Is that a challenge I hear, miss Slater-Horne?" His eyebrows raise in genuine surprise, but his grin remains. "Well I promise to do my best to knock those boots right off your feet."

But first: drinks.

Leading them to the front of the bar, Atticus adds two Whiskey Sours to his tab, leaning against the counter while they waited.

"So, where do you actually fall on this country music spectrum? Lover? Hater? Just here for the Beyonce? All perfectly valid, by the way. No judgement from me."

@screamqueen-slater

Kalina still always had this pet of her that was gonna be the shy awkward teenager she once was but when it came to theme nights and dressing up, it put her in a whole new element that she loved. She also always felt better when around someone like Atticus. He was just incredibly kind to her and he was able to pick up on their first meeting that crowds and fancy situations weren’t her thing. Not everyone was that observant with her let alone with people in general. She had nothing but respect for him and a little bit of admiration for him.

“ I was thinking about it. Do you know how many old west mysteries there are? A lot of them are ghost stories, but maybe I could take a little trip into ghosts for the week just to play with our theme “ she noted giving him a smile. She was always excited to talk about work and Atticus allowed her to just ramble. “ well then I’m going to have to see this two step in action. I’ve never danced with anyone who knew what they were doing “ @atticuscortes

[atticuscortes]

Atticus knew he could've done way worse on a blind Valentine's Day date than coming out of it with a new friend, one he was genuinely pleased to see tonight decked out in her spin on the event's theme. It was something he'd admired about Kalina from even just that first meeting, both her unique style and clear sense of self.

She seemed to be somebody who knew exactly who she was, and who she was was someone that Atticus definitely wanted to know.

"Should I be expecting a special cowboy episode of the pod this week or what?" He teased, one hand hovering behind her back to begin to steer them in the direction of the bar. "I think you've got yourself a deal, little lady. I feel like I've gotta warn you though, I've got a mean two-step."

@screamqueen-slater

There was something about how Atticus would compliment her, that made Kalina feel really happy about. She thought it was because she knew he was always being sincere to her. With their valentines match up, she felt like she got to know the man in a way that made her feel like there was always a genuine tinge to how he talked to others.

“ thank you. I had no idea what it meant before I got here, but I kind of love it. I think this is me now “ she joked a bit before frowning a bit on the drink names. Well, nothing was perfect.

“ Damn. I guess the puns stop at the door. “ she mused before giving him another smile. “ I do. And you’re on. After that it’s my turn and if you wanna dance I’d love to dance with you “ @atticuscortes

[atticuscortes]

Y'all'ternative--?

Atticus's brows furrowed as he turned to see what that could possibly mean, but as his eyes landed on the familiar shape of Kalina, and took in her outfit for the evening, he couldn't help but grin.

"Well I'll be damned." His head shook, tipping his hat towards her. "Now that's y'all'ternative if I've ever seen it."

It suited her too, the dark and mysterious. He wouldn't want to find himself on the other end of a showdown with her, that was for sure.

"Don't think you're in luck with the menu, though. Definitely on theme, but I wouldn't say punny." He held up his own drink, aptly named Gold Rush. "You into whiskey sours? You might like this. First round on me."

@screamqueen-slater

Location: Oasis Status: Open @aurorabaystarter

“ Someone told me when I walked in that I looked ‘yall’ternative ‘“ Kalina explained with a smile as she walked up to a friendly face. “ I’ve never heard that before but I kind of really like that. Or maybe that’s just the fact I really like puns. I hope the drinks are that clever “

[atticuscortes]

"Never?" Atticus's eyebrows raised, before shaking his head. "No, I totally get that, and coming from someone who does understand and like sports...even I'm mostly there for the food. Maybe we can hit up a game sometime."

There was still awhile before the season started, and obviously it depended on how the night went, but from where he sat right then, Atticus didn't think he'd mind the company.

"Don't worry, it's cute." He laughed around his own straw before setting his cup back to the floor.

"No? Too busy or what?"

Atticus couldn't exactly say the same about himself, always at least in some sort of talking stage with somebody when not in a serious relationship, the last of which had been with Noah. If something a dull ache beats in his chest at the thought of his name, he'd blame it on a too fast sip from his wine.

"So no pressure there." Atticus rolled his eyes, grinning to show he was only teasing. "Well, if there's anything I can do to make this just, I don't know, only the best date ever, do me a favor and let a guy know?"

He thought he was doing pretty well for himself, but any Kalina specific pointers couldn't hurt coming from the woman herself.

"Oh, yeah, no, it's total motivation to get my ass in gear. You're not gonna catch me slipping." Laughing, he went to pop another shrimp in his mouth, but stopped mid-chew as she answered his question. "No shit?" He implored, once he'd swallowed. "That's crazy. What was the case?"

@screamqueen-slater

“ I’ve never been to a baseball game. I don’t want to sound like a cliche but I don’t really understand sports “ she admitted with a small shy smile. She spent most of her free time with movies and horror. She had never actually been the type to go to any games. “ I love the food though “

The next compliment had Kalinas cheeks heating up. She wasn’t used to these kinds of compliments. Anyone who ever was like that with her was just a friend or it turned out that they didn’t feel the the spark that actually hit her. It was surprising to hear something like this from someone she barely knew. It had her nerves and bashful demeanor coming out.

“ I don’t think my cheeks could get any brighter “ she noted before taking a sip from her cup to hide her smile. “ I changed a couple of times too. Even messaged a friend for help. I don’t normally go on dates “ she added. Her own dating history was very messy and nonexistent. She wasn’t sure if anything would come from this. It she appreciated how he was being nothing but really sweet to her. Kalina needed a little more sweetness in her life when it had otherwise been pretty cruel at times

“ oh?! Does it help you with working out then? Cause I feel like I’d be running a lot faster if that was the case “ kalina replied laughing a bit at his response. Between what Axel said and this she was starting to realize people actually listened to her more than she thought. “ not closing it yet, but I did find something that helped reopen a cold case!”

[atticuscortes]

"Oh, yeah, no, definitely not shitting on a good hot dog combo. Give me that and a ice cold beer at a baseball game and that's as good as any Michelin rated meal to me."

That could be because Atticus had never actually eaten at a Michelin rated restaurant before, but that was neither here nor there.

He couldn't help but feel accomplished at her response to his compliment, finding the bashful ducking of her head incredibly endearing. He'd meant what he said, she did look beautiful, and regardless of how the night went, he was grateful that he hadn't ended up sat alone at that table--well, bench now--for two.

"Guess I'll just have to keep reminding you, then." He shrugged, taking a nonchalant sip from his to-go wine and letting the implication hang in the air. "And thanks, by the way. I think I changed at least three times, so I totally get being nervous...but here's to conquering our fears?" He held up one of his shrimps from his cocktail in toast.

Cross my heart and hope to die. That was cute; Atticus echoes the sentiment back, going as far as to cross over his heart with a wave of his index finger.

"I do." He nodded eagerly. "Usually when I'm working out; you do such a good job at building suspense, sometimes when I'm on the treadmill I feel like I'm running from some serial killer or something, it's crazy." Atticus laughed. "Has that happened to you before? Someone heard you discussing a case and came forward with details that ended up closing it?"

@screamqueen-slater

“ it is a little surprising with the cost but everything looks so good. Plus I mean a hotdog and bag of chips in terrible either though” kalina mused with a smile on her face. She had enough money to get by, but she also didn’t live beyond her means either so they did have a dinner like this was actually really exciting. But there was something to be said for the simpler kinds of food. It was just depending on the company you were with.

Kalina looked down at her dress, and felt her cheeks get a little warm at his complement. She didn’t really consider herself beautiful or anything, most likely due to some self-confidence issues when she was younger that translated to being an insecure adult,but she really liked to get dressed up. It always made a huge difference when she got to have a little bit more fun with her clothes.

“ I was nervous I won’t lie to you or anything but I figured this is the best way to meet people. And thank you I don’t hear that kind of a compliment a lot. You look handsome.”

“ cross my heart, hope to die” she added with a small smile at being told not to say anything about the waiter, packing up their food and the drinks. She preferred the cool night air versus the stuffiness of the Neptune. She was glad it was still dark out again, because her cheeks got even more warm at the mention that he listened to her podcasts. She had no idea that many people listen to her, but after talking to Axel, and then now that she realize that maybe her show had a little bit more of a reach. “ you do?” She replied a little nervous at the admission. “ no, it’s a really upsetting case. I would lot of the cases where there isn’t. A concrete answer are always the ones that stay with you. I try not to do too many unsolved ones though it kind of can be a lot, but there’s a few that I always want to highlight in the off chance that someone could have answers”@atticus-cortes

[atticuscortes]

"Yeah, when you think about it, the whole $3 admission thing is misleading as fuck." Atticus pointed out, reaching for the to go bag their respective three course meals had been packaged in. "I mean, I'm not complaining, though. Three bucks for all this? Sure as hell beats the chips and a hotdog it'd get you anywhere else."

In this economy? Probably more like just the hotdog.

"...but you could've fooled me, by the way." He added, handing over her chosen appetizer. "If I haven't said it already, you look beautiful. Thanks for not leaving me stranded tonight."

(He was sure Maverick would've thanked her too, considering Atticus' backup plan had been to just third wheel his date.)

"I won't snitch if you won't." Besides, Atticus figured there was so much going on back there tonight, who would've even had the time to notice?

He flipped open his own takeout box, reaching for one of the shrimps from his shrimp cocktail as he listened to Kalina speak. He was mid-bite by the time her answer registered, wide eyes turned in her direction.

"No shit?" He knew her voice had sounded familiar! "I listen to you, like, all the time. I just finished that episode about, fuck, what was her name? Maura...Maura Murray? It's actually kept me up at night...mostly because my cousin's name is Maura, but also because, sorry, what the actual fuck happened to her?"

Atticus loved a good unsolved mystery...other than the whole unsolved part.

@screamqueen-slater

“ it was a little too formal for me. I didn’t realize it wasn’t going to be more casual “ kalina explained.

She knew she needed to get out more. To make friends and connections with people that made her happy. She had started to go back into her work mode which meant that the friends she made last year were also in need of time being spent with. She just was never good at balancing these things. It was probably why her one crush on someone in the past had gone up in flames as soon as a kiss had happened.

She was grateful at being asked if she wanted to leave because Kalina preferred the fresh air. She also knew going with someone she just met to a more secluded place was probably his half her true crime stories started but she knew this town. She wasn’t scared of that sort of thing here.

“ hopefully he doesn’t get caught. “ she mused looking at the cup. Before taking it to take a sip from it. “ oh?” She replied before setting the cup back down. “ well I have a YouTube channel where I talk about horror movies which is a fun side project but I mostly run a podcast called Scream Queen Slater where I talk about true crime. @atticus-cortes

[atticuscortes]

"I can definitely do that. I'll be, like, your very own personal baseball guide. It'll be great." Atticus grinned. "We could always start smaller, too. I actually play on a rec softball team for first responders--I'm a firefighter, and a hell of a center fielder, if I do say so myself."

Not to brag...but mostly because he wasn't sure that would mean anything to her, anyways, if her knowledge was really as limited as she said it was.

"I mean it. It's cute." Which probably wasn't helping, but was the truth. He liked knowing the effect he had on people, and even more so when he wasn't even trying that hard to elicit it. He knew he had the ability to burn too hot too fast, so he was more than happy to take things at Kalina's pace, and savor the night. "No, I get that for sure. Dating's hard, even when it feels easy."

Maybe especially when it felt easy. That's usually when Atticus got caught up in his head, overthinking and feeling as if he was doing something wrong, like he wasn't trying hard enough or was missing something.

"I'm glad, though." That she seemed to be having a good time. He could honestly say that he was too.

"You ever see Zombieland? Cardio is the number one rule." He informed, reaching for his salmon and potatoes. "That's literally insane, though. Is that something you're interested in pursuing? Like real FBI shit?"

@screamqueen-slater

“ No I’ve never gone. Not that I dislike sports or anything I just admittedly don’t know a lot about them” she explained. She didn’t want to come off at all like she was better than sports, it just was an information blindspot to her. One she did have room for if she went with the right people. “ yeah? You might have to explain some stuff to me” she added feeling a bit nervous cause it wasn’t often someone asked her to hang out again let alone once.

Kalina really hadn’t been in this situation before. She’d been kissed a few times but her own sort of dating history was nonexistent because she believed she was bad at it. She also wasn’t sure if she connected with people like others did. She had Cassidy but they worked better as friends because the physical intimacy got to her. She almost wanted to hide behind her cup just because he made her nervous. Not the bad kind but the kind where you wanna kick your feet in the air cause a boy called you cute sort of way.

“I don’t think I can get more red “ she added hiding behind her own hand for a second as she tried to hide her smile. She was able to get herself back together when it came to dates and then she set down her food for a moment. “ not exactly. I don’t get asked out often and when I do I’ve been a bit awkward at it. “ she explained before shaking her head feeling more confident and sure of herself than she had before. “ considering my limited experience, you’re already heading to the lead “ she added giving a reassuring smile. “ I love my spooky things but sometimes just good conversation is more than enough “

“ very smart. People underestimate how important cardio is when running from monsters and serial killers. “ she noted with a a small smile before going to see what else she wanted to eat from her to go box. “ it was a missing persons case in the Inland Empire. I guess me talking about it and asking the police department brought it to the attention of the current staff there. It made them want to reopen it which was good because the victims mother is getting older so she was worried she was running out of time for answers” @atticus-cortes