#stillwater: event

[stillwaterca]

The time is 8:00 PM and guests have been invited into the ballroom for cocktails and dancing. Lord Reginald Thornton (Mayor Weston) has made an introductory toast, welcoming the guests into his home for an evening to remember.

During Lord Reginald's speech, CHARLES FITZROY (Noah Leveson) is seen scowling in the corner with disinterest. MRS. AGNES MURPHY (Mariposa Ortiz) has been busy collecting empty glasses from party-goers and cleaning up after the guests. A curious ARTHUR DAWSON (Josh Levin) has been seen eavesdropping on conversations, eager to find a story for his next article.

[dee-voss]

"Dude." Dee took a heavy, haggard lean back against the boardwalk timbers at the side of Benny's stall - which was mercifully empty, as they finished setting up for day two of all this. He hadn't been as much help as he'd wanted to be; just as much help as he could be, still sore from the night before, that set he hadn't expected. And all that staying out and up with Elly, after...

And. Today. Tomorrow. He had those other gigs, now. Just a few; any was wild, though. Seemed like it was a hell of a lot easier to misplace a guitarist than he'd ever figured. But - rolling his neck, carefully, Dee bit down hard on a wince. Then tried to finish that thought he'd had. "How - how strong do you make those special orders? Like..." He straightened a little, shoulders squaring. "Say I -" need, "- could use some mellowing out." Sounded better than hurting less. "But I've got shit to do, later. I don't wanna get totally knocked down, just..." he wavered, his bad hand, what'd been his good hand, before, circling in the air like the right words might be drifting by on that seabreeze. "It'd be real nice, to sand some of the edges off. You know?"

@bellstrom

[stillwaterstandard]

ISSUE: 001 — THE STILLWATER STANDARD (psd credit: cavalierfou)

EVENT LISTING

Enjoy a weekend of performances from:

DAY 1

Donna and the Dynamos • The Split Lips • Ten Inch Monkeys Dogrose • Arthur's Midnight English People • Red Revival

DAY 2

Lord of the Rock Weasels • The Stains • Pink Slip • The Beats Alan Ashwood • Blue Floyd • The Ladybugs

DAY 3

Dewey Finn • King • The Smashing Gourds • Dark Web Def Tiger • Dread Zeppelin • Stevie Kicks

PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES

BIRCH BAY TRAVELODGE

Avoid traffic by staying local! Accommodations will be available all weekend at festival exclusive rates. Show your ticket or proof of purchase when booking or select one of their special entry-included room packages!

BENNY'S BAKED GOODS

Ruby's very own baker, Benny Hellström, will be selling a variety of baked goods to hungry festival goers. From cookies and brownies, to pastries and cakes, there's something for everyone to enjoy! ...They call them BAKED goods for a reason, right?

GROOVES RECORDS

Like what you hear? Pick up a record to spin at home or sport a new tee to support your favorite artist! Exclusive festival merchandise will also be sold here.

KROQ 98.9

Stop by their tent to pick up some free merchandise from the local radio station or enter one of their contests! They will be giving away tickets to the festival all weekend long, as well as access to a grand prize meet and greet with the artist of your choosing!

THE RABBIT HOLE

This exclusive pop up will provide attendees with the opportunity to score a new festival look! Shop your favorite secondhand store while listening to the music you love.

READINGS WITH MARJORIE

Have you ever wondered what your future holds? Marjorie Dennison has all the answers! Stop by for a reading or shop a variety of crystals, handmade jewelry and trinkets.

TASTEE-FREEZ

A Birch Bay staple! Beat the heat with a cold ice cream cone or sundae. Festival exclusive flavour, Goodbye Sprinkle Fest, available for a limited time!

[dee-voss]

Dee hooked Elly's little finger with his own, making their promises just like they had for forever. Or just about, anyway. "Deal." Yeah, breakfast in bed had got her good. He'd head out early - God knew he'd be awake, as if he made it through a night solid - to pick up a few things, as the stores opened. Make sure it was the big deal it oughta be. Would anywhere still have sunflowers? Maybe. He'd find out.

And if his smirk tilted towards smug at that bit about bait, well. Who could blame him? Looking at Elly, with that smile of hers; cheek still just about sparking from that kiss, like they hadn't been all over each other since he got home. Home, with her, at long fucking last. "Hook, line, and sinker, yeah. Lucky me, hey? Hell of a catch." She sure was. God, they could get back to actually planning their day, now, the wedding they'd done so much waiting on - finally, her family be damned. Just like they'd sworn, after his number got called. "Just gotta survive the rest of the whole murder mystery, first," he teased, leaned in tight to her side, eyes closing like that'd settle the dizzy, sore spin his head was slipping into as the evening went on, his back stiffening up moment by moment under that suit jacket. Still - as nights went, he'd had worse. So much fucking worse. "Like our chances..."

Eloise might be grumbly about it, but she was still nodding in agreement as she tucked further into him. She had to admit, she didn't feel great and she'd like to feel better instead of consistently feeling like crap. If that meant taking a day or two and actually dragging herself to the doctor, so be it. ....Or so she was saying now. She might be singing a different tune come morning if she still felt gross, but she'd already given him full permission to nag her into compliance. "Cross my heart," she agreed with an over-exaggerated roll of the eyes (paired with a smile, at least, before she ducked in to kiss his cheek). "Provided I'm not feeling better, we'll go to the doctor tomorrow." Because, well, if she had to go she was dragging him along with her, especially since he'd already offered to drive. "After breakfast, in bed, because you've already bribed and I took the bait."

[bellstrum]

. » benny hellström as "samuel o'malley" ...the mansion's enigmatic groundskeeper

[rachelzeglerstyle]

Rachel out in Texas || March 8th, 2024.

Rachel Zegler wore the Aritzia ‘Evie Midi Dress’ ($148) and her Greige Stillwater ‘Kai Sherpa Denim Jacket’ ($59). She may have also been wearing the Aquazzura ‘Olie Plateau sandals’ (Sold Out).

[tales-from-elysivm]

Jinx x f!reader and their first kiss, date, time, fight, all that couple stuff short little pieces of girlies being cute

★。／ get jinxed ＼。★

pairing: jinx x f!reader

fandom: arcane

word count: 1,612

tw: canon typical swearing/slang, some light spoiler warnings, and some suggestive/NSFW content! MDNI!

notes: this is a fic i am really excited for! Thank you again for the request anon! It was really fun to write, and i got through it pretty quickly to be perfectly honest because of that haha. Not proofread because im tired, and i have no shame :D enjoy!

! be sure to like and reblog if you enjoyed !

➼ first date with jinx 

You worked under Silco delivering shimmer across Zaun. Of course, you knew you shouldn’t have been doing this, it could get you arrested without question and you’d find yourself in Stillwater. But it paid well, and working so closely with the Eye of Zaun meant you didn’t have to worry as much about danger in Zaun. People saw you as a god-send, you gave them their weekly hit, if anything, the danger made them respect you. 

It was during this time that you met Jinx, while picking up your next delivery of shimmer from Silco’s warehouse. She had been there to speak with him privately about some arson issue that happened in Piltover. You had heard briefly about a lanky, blue-haired girl that would build bombs in the open space beneath the warehouse, but it was rare that anyone had ever seen her. But you managed. Somehow.

She intercepts you on your trade route, setting bombs off in the street just across from one of your clients. Jinx claims to recognise you from skulking around the warehouse. And at some point her chaotic energy and her strange inability to sit still seems to lull you into some sense of security. She’s just the perfect idea of unpredictability that you needed in your otherwise boring Zaunite lifestyle. (Though you were very lucky, all things considered.)

Your first date is a simple diner one. At first, you didn’t even know it was a date, just that she wanted to do something fun with you. She takes you in to meet her favourite bartender Chuck, who seems to almost slink beneath the counter when she drags you in. I feel like Jinx would give you a little monkey bomb as a gift for your first date - though it isn’t set, it’s pretty harmless. Other than that she bombards you with strange bursts of Jinx-aligned humour, and rambles at length about her various inventions, promising to take you down to her workshop to show you everything, while tightly gripping your fingers with chipped blue nails. 

And something in those bright, blue eyes makes you think that maybe this unpredictability could be quite fun. 

‘Don’t ya get bored frownin’ like that?’ jinx drums her nails on her glass, the clinking echoing throughout the empty bar. It was quite odd, you reckon, for it to be this quiet, but maybe its just jinx. 

In her own way of trying to get a smile out of you she starts spouting some random jokes. Tries telling her own funny stories. They all mostly revolve around bombs or explosive presentations she’s organised at piltover events. Mainly the absurdity of it all gets a laugh out of you, or you just smile at the giddy, child-like happiness you see in her eyes. Something that seems so pure (ignoring the fact that she’s probably an arsonist and on several watchlists)

‘There ya go!’ she cheers, grabbing onto your hands and interlacing your fingers. You think maybe you should paint your nails too to match her, see if it makes her happy. ‘You look so much prettier with a smile, trinket’

➼ first kiss with jinx 

It was after your third or fourth date that you ended up spending your free time in the warehouse. Jinx begins showing you all the new inventions she’s making, and all her designs for cartoony monkey bombs, you even help her draw out a few, including a cutesy little cat one that she isn’t as fond of, but she still makes one for you. 

Most of your relationship consists of Jinx making you little trinkets, like keychains, safe bombs, little bracelets and rings, and strange, misshapen sculptures made of leftover metal pieces. 

She loves you, in a very Jinx-way. She’s touchy but never very pushy. Long hugs, cuddles on a couch that she has balancing on a metal propellor in her warehouse, letting you braid her hair when she’s tired (please brush her hair, she will melt, and she needs some softness), holding hands in Zaun or dragging you to her private meetings with Silco. Whether you like it or not, you have the Eye of Zaun as an adopted father figure now. He isn’t quite sure what to think about it either. 

It is one of those cuddle sessions, after she is plagued by the voices that taunt her, that you end up just holding her face into your neck and sitting with her. These are the most important to her, like she can feel safe for once. 

‘Thank ya toots,’ she curls around you, straddling your lap and looking down on you with an innocent pout on her face. You don’t have to ask what she’s thanking you for, this has become a pretty regular occurrence. 

In her moment of calmed silence, you untie one of her braids and begin to brush through her long, blue locks with your fingers. She immediately melts into your hands, leaning forward to lean into your chest, gazing up at you. 

‘I feel like ya deserve somethin,’ she says absently, tapping her chin with one nail. Then a mischievous smile crosses her lips. ‘C’mere!’

She eagerly grabs your cheeks, barely giving you a second to register what’s happening before she smushes your faces together. Her lips are chapped, but her kiss is so enthusiastic that you have to take a moment before returning it. Your hand grips her hair in between tight fingers. 

The rest of your cuddle sesh is spent with soft, hurried kisses.

➼ first fight with jinx 

You don’t often fight with Jinx, you don’t like to yell at her or be upset, and watch her usually gleeful expression drop into that of a kicked puppy. But you were worried about her this time. 

She had gone up to piltover against Silco’s wishes again, most likely to stir up trouble, so he decided to send you after her to drag her back to Zaun. When you had gotten there however, you found only the debris of her explosions, the spraypaint she loved, clouds of coloured smoke, and guards everywhere. 

And no Jinx.

No sign of her or where she could be, you had no choice but to return to Zaun before you got dragged into the oncoming investigation, empty-handed. You spend the rest of the day worrying over where she might be in her workshop, sitting with your head in your hands on the couch. Is she hurt? Captured? She could be dead for all you know.

So when she shows up again, seemingly ignorant to how long she has been gone or the stress she has caused, you can’t help but raise your voice, crying about how you had expected the worst. You scream back and forth for a bit before she leaves you to burn off her energy.

‘Hey trinket,’ the door to her warehouse screeches open, and she stands in the entrance, looking at you as you sit on the couch, barely even looking at her. ‘Ya still mad at me?’

She sighs when she doesn’t get a response, coming close to wipe at the dried tear-stains on your cheeks, setting down her tools and her guns to favour your face between her hands. Jinx makes sure you can see only her.

‘I’m sorry i vanished, i didnt mean to scare ya, honest.’ she pulls you down to lean into her shoulder, still stroking your cheeks with her fingers. ‘Can ya forgive me, trinket? I’ll make it up to ya, i promise.’

Jinx cuddles with you on the couch for the rest of the day, showering you in kisses at your request. Safe to say, you can’t stay mad at her for very long at all.

|| ! mdni content below ! ||

➼ first time with jinx 

Jinx has always loved touching you, whether it’s a hand on your knee, an arm around your shoulder, or a hug from behind. She just loves to be close to you. But when you begin talking about the idea of sex with her she immediately jumps on the idea (and probably jumps on you as soon as you bring it up, you only barely manage to drag her somewhere private)

She’s an enthusiastic lover in all things, of course. Fucking you isn’t going to be any different. But she’s gentle the first time, despite it all, she doesn’t really know what she’s doing, i don’t think Silco really prepared her for intimate relationships. 

But still, having sex with Jinx is amusing, its not serious, always cracking little jokes or tickling each other and finding little ways to be comfortable with the process. You can’t really find it in you to be nervous. 

She’d start slowly with you though, if you wanted, just to make you comfortable <3 

‘God trinket, ya look s’ pretty like this for me,’ she’s already slightly breathless, skirting her hands and dragging her chipped nails over your ribs. She lays you down on the couch in her warehouse, sitting between your thighs, looking up at you with half-lidded eyes.

‘Ya feel alright?’ she checks in occasionally, just to be sure. 

But she lets her hands wander at the same time, she can tell you aren’t going to say no just by the look in your eyes, urging her to continue. She lets her hands travel over your stomach and down in between your thighs, but she doesn’t hurry where you need her. No, she prefers to tease you. Just a little bit to get you squirming. 

When she does finally reach your core, dipping her fingers in between your folds, does she finally let up and give you what you want.

[b-lossm]

•+*Wilshire

FWB vi x reader hcs

Suggestive 18+

Synopsis: Your energy matched

•You and Vi met when Caitlyn Introduced you two, it was after she got out of stillwater and Cait realized that she left something vital to her case with you

•It was already late so you offered to let them stay at your place, you cooked a small dinner for the three of you and you and Vi just.. clicked, basically eye-fucking cross the table

•Next thing you know she's going down on you and poor Caitlyn Kiramman catches you

•That marked the start of yours and Vi's weird friendship

•You two where insanely close, sleeping together whenever you could, and when you weren't you where just together, enjoying each others company, she even took you on a handful of dates.

•You guys spent about two weeks together, only skipping like one day

•The day the explosion happened you where terrified, terrified that you wouldn't see two of your best friends ever again

•When you see Cait and Vi again everything is different, Vi suddenly didn't know what to talk about at all, only being able to recount the events of that night

•One night Vi visits you again but things are different, she tells you that you might not see each other agian

•you where obviously a mess, you and her had such complicated feelings about her but you always thought they would end with you two getting together by the time this whole jinx issue resolves

•After a week or so, Caitlyn comes back with no Vi?

•She tells you that Vi is somewhere in the underground and that she was too busy for her bullshit

•So you set off to go and find her

•Eventually, you find that she became a Pitfighter, and a good one at that, at least at the beginning

•You get enough money too attend one of her fights, when she got into the ring ouh, she looked stressed, the kind of stressed you knew exactly how to take care of

•and follow her to a bar afterwards, she almost spits out her drink when she sees you, swallowing her swig and leans in to feverishly make out with you and take her to her little apartment.

•yk what happens after....Dogtooth

———————————————————————

Tbh I only named it Wilshire because i kinda felt like it went with my idea of love at first sight but having to keep it fwb but also i hate cheaters so I'm not gonna write a fanfic about it.

[stillwaterca]

The time is 12:00 AM and guests have all submitted their ballots to DETECTIVE MORGAN. The ballroom is quiet as suspense fills the room, eager party-goers ready to claim their prize.

Finally, the detective opens the envelope, turning his attention to the crowd for pause before revealing that the killer is none other than...

Miss Clara Beaumont

Clara (Nour El Farouk) was seeking to secure her future by marrying into the Thornton family. Originally, she was just after the money, but genuinely fell for their son. When Harvey proposed, Reginald threatened to cut him off for marrying beneath their status. Despite being in love, Clara knew that they couldn't live without the wealth Harvey was accustomed to, so she murdered his father, knowing that if he died, they would be able to marry in peace and collect on his inheritance.

"Which means that we have two winners, Oliver Nielson (Louis René Janvier) and Charlotte Walton (Eloise Meadows), who will both receive our date night prize pack, including movie tickets to a show at Valley Oak Drive-In, free dinner at the restaurant of their choosing, and wine vouchers for The Mint." After announcing the winners of the contest, DETECTIVE MORGAN returns to the corn maze to invite SIR REGINALD THORNTON (Mayor Weston) inside and let him know that the game is over. Only when he reaches out to touch the man's shoulder, he's completely unresponsive. And uh oh... Is he breathing??

[dee-voss]

Shit, the Boardwalk was just about standing room only; which was usually a good sign, but. Dee could feel all the standing, yeah, and heaving, and lifting, and so on he'd done already today. This week. That's why he'd stopped in at this whole festival deal early - early, seeing as Elly wouldn't be done with work and ready to meet him for a while yet. He'd wanted to feel it a bit less. And if he was gonna stay and listen, he was gonna have a drink. Obviously. Just a Jack and coke - he had to drive back to Willowdale, at some point. That in hand, Dee... glanced through the crush of buzzed, beaming faces, checking the precious few seats he'd clocked on his way to the stage. Feeling it, yeah: the sharpening of that so-far dullish ache cutting around and under all those insensible streaks and knots of scar, knee to neck. He started on his drink, already regretting that he'd made it a single. Force of habit.

Sidling, stiffly, through the slow between-set churn of the crowd, Dee came up alongside a bench somebody else had half-claimed, the red of her long hair copper-bright in the sunset. "Hey, uh - you mind?" He'd pointed out the space, then, quick, did his best to brush aside the sorta things she might've thought. "I'm just here for the bar and the music, man. No bullshit. Promise."

@psychedelicsunflwr

[dee-voss]

Should've been sooner, but. Dee half-nodded through that prickle of guilt. He'd needed a little longer than he'd figured to find his way to some kinda privacy; there should've been plenty. (Who needed a house this size? Christ.) But the whole damn town had turned out, seemed like, and so he'd had to go hunting. Toking in a bathroom was too damn high school - that was the kind of smoke he'd needed, though. Just a couple drags to quiet the way all those singed nerve endings had got to buzzing, like white-hot filaments about to burst inside a bulb. Then a minute, two, in the night. Just to air out. Soak it in.

And come back better. If a touch out of it. That Dee? He blinked, about as surprised as Nour. "Guess so? Wouldn't've figured there were too many of us to choose from," he grinned, starting on the glass of champagne he'd snagged on his way back in. No, he'd... never met another, come to think of it. "Yeah, we -" Dee paused, trying to think of how best to put that. How they'd met, already. Elly didn't need the details; the first time, that'd been a private sort of thing. Breaking down, like that, it always was. He wasn't gonna embarrass Nour any by bringing it up. Or - or get into what'd taken him to the post office, for their second meeting. Seeing as he hadn't solved any of that, anyway...

"We have." There. Enough. "That's sweet, man," he added, veering towards what Elly'd said about who Nour was, to her. One of my best friends. Cool. God knew he'd needed plenty of friends, over there. Of course Elly would've, too. "I'm just - I'm glad you had some more people around, for everything." That smile curled high enough to scatter crow's feet around his tired eyes, sliding from Nour to Eloise; always, back to Eloise. "Elly's as good as it gets, hey? Best friend anybody could ever hope for," he went on, smiling through a soft kiss to Elly's temple. His best friend, and then some.

@nourfk

I just need to find him. Nour smiled, but she was sure Elly was too wrapped up in finding Dee to figure that her eyes said otherwise. As she started looking amongst the crowd, Nour began panicking. Every fiber in her being was begging her to escape. She started to reason that Elly would understand if she told her she wasn't feeling well. That they always had 'next time.' As far as she knew, Nour was as excited to meet Dee as much as Elly wanted them to meet. She had to be happy. But she wasn't— and she knew she'd feel this way, one way or another, but she never imagined it'd be this soon. It was a silly thought, of course. Nour had known Dee for a few months now, but she supposed it was her own delusion that protected her from what was real. And now, it was coming to bite her in the ass.

She spotted him almost the same time Elly did. She immediately looks away, hoping he wouldn't spot her right away. Nour turns off to the side as he makes his way closer, fixing her hair and outfit nervously. She heaves a deep breath as they start speaking, turning slowly with a pressed grin. Their eyes meet and Nour responds by raising her brows in an effort to seem surprised. She was a good liar, but that only proved to be true in letters and over the phone when she'd talk to her parents. She didn't really know if that was also true in person. "Oh!" she pulls back, pointing at him. Her heart starts beating fast, but she ignores it. Or, at least, she tries. "Dee? —Wait, you're that Dee?" Every line made her stomach churn, her smile falling every time she didn't have to speak. @eloisemeadows

[stillwaterstandard]

ISSUE: 002 — THE STILLWATER STANDARD (psd credit: cavalierfou)

Mayor David Weston has died. In a chilling turn of events at the annual Halloween Party at the picturesque, historic Merill Branch Estate, Mayor Weston, who had been portraying the murder victim in the murder mystery game, "A Murder at Merrill Branch Manor," met a truly grim fate last night. What began as an evening of spooky fun and intrigue quickly escalated into a night of real horror when the game's fictitious crime scene became all too real. The murder mystery game, a tradition cherished by the town, was set to unfold in the sprawling Merrill Branch Manor. Eager partygoers had donned their 19th century best, ready to immerse themselves in a tale of deception, suspense, and, ultimately, discovery. Mayor Weston, known for his enthusiastic participation in community events, took on the role of the ill-fated victim. As the evening progressed, tensions rose within the confines of Merrill Branch Manor, and excitement reached its peak. Then, amidst gasps and startled whispers, a chilling scream filled the air. What was initially thought to be a part of the game turned into a grim reality when it was discovered that Mayor Weston had been genuinely, and tragically, murdered. The Stillwater Police Department swiftly cordoned off the area and initiated a thorough investigation. At this time, details surrounding the murder are scarce, and authorities remain tight-lipped about potential suspects. Detectives are reportedly combing through clues, witnesses' statements, and any evidence that might shed light on this unexpected tragedy. Town residents, friends, and colleagues of Mayor Weston have expressed their shock and sorrow, remembering him as a dedicated public servant and a beloved figure in the community. The abrupt end to this Halloween night has cast a somber pall over the usually festive occasion, leaving the community in disbelief.

Anyone with information about the murder is encouraged to contact the Stillwater Police Department.

[archangeldyke-all]

Something with like cellmate prisoner!sevika?! 😭😭😭 idk I just think like her being all dangerous and powerful, having a shit ton of friends but like selectively, no one messing with her maybe even hating how just mean she is. And then comes in reader and yk. I’d love if the story was smutty but u can chose ofc 🫦

i love this so much

men and minors dni

living in zaun is shit. but the one thing that's always kept you and a majority of your fellow citizens in line, was the ever-looming presence of stillwater prison just a few miles away. you've watched countless people enter those prison walls. you know very few who ever came back out.

and now, through a series of unfortunate events that lead to you assaulting an undercover enforcer, you're going to find out first hand just how horrible stillwater really is.

you don't think you've ever been so nervous in your life as the enforcer guides you-- restrained and already hating the itchy fabric of your new life-long uniform--down a long, long hall of cells.

he's chewing a wad of bubblegum, casually, like you aren't about to piss yourself with nerves. "listen kid." he says, looking you up and down. "i read your file. seems like you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." he says, shrugging. "no prior arrests, clean record-- honestly i'm surprised they sent you here, but i guess you did break marcus' nose." the enforcer chuckles here.

"you know that asshole?" you ask. the man guiding you snorts.

"'s my boss." he mumbles. beside you, a prisoner lunges at the bars of their cell, screaming at you. you jump, and the guard laughs. "as i was sayin'-- you seem like a real peach. like you'd be a good influence on some of our... rougher prisoners." he mumbles.

dread starts to curl in your stomach. you have a pretty good idea of where this conversation is headed, and you don't like the outcome. you just hope you aren't cellmates with someone real bad: like genie the counter-fitter who got caught two years ago; esmee the weapons expert who successfully set an entire square block of piltover's wealthiest neighborhood ablaze; or, god forbid, sevika.

she'd been caught just weeks ago, smuggling an entire airship's worth of shimmer into piltover's loading docks. it was big fucking news.

sevika's a big fucking deal.

and you want absolutely nothing to do with her.

which is why, of course, the guard pulls you to a stop right outside of the only cell with a light on, the low, dim glow of a reading lamp and the quick flickering light of a lighter. you feel like you're gonna barf.

sitting in the shadows of the cell, puffing on a hand-rolled cigarette, sits sevika, silco's second in command.

if he's the eye of zaun, she's the arm. he might be watching-- but she's doing. she's nothing but bad news; everything you've tried your best to avoid while living in the undercity.

well, look how well that turned out for you.

"sevika, meet your new cellmate." the enforcer calls out. a pair of silver eyes snap up from her book and lock on yours. you shiver.

"fucks' wrong with her?" she mumbles. you gulp.

"nervous, i'd assume. 's her first-offense." the guard says. he shoves you into the cell and you jump as the bars slam shut behind you. "you ladies have fun." he says, before turning and walking away, the smacks of his gum echoing behind him.

sevika inspects you from her chair.

"how'd you fuck up so bad you ended up in a cell with me from your first offense?" she asks, seemingly intrigued.

"punched an undercover enforcer." you whisper. sevika's eyebrow hitches up, a little amused.

"yeah?"

"think his name was marcus, or something." you mumble. she sputters.

"ha! really!?" she asks, a little smile growing on her face. you nod. she takes a drag off her cigarette, then points at the bunk beds. "i get bottom. don't go thinkin' 'cause we're cellmates it means you get to touch my shit. i got people outside pullin' big favors for met to get shit like this." she gestures to her cigarettes and lamp. you nod. "don't look so nervous. i won't bite unless you piss me off."

you try to stop shivering. you don't succeed. "s-sorry."

she studies you for a moment, her smile growing as she does. though she's no longer armed with shimmer, her arm's still in perfect working condition, five little daggers gently tapping on the table top as her eyes dart across you. "you from the lanes?" she asks. you nod. she snorts. "you know who i am?" she asks. you nod again. she chuckles, then stands. she approaches you, circling around you like you're prey, then chuckling and leaning back against the table, crossing her arms over her chest. "you scared'a me?" she asks.

"shouldn't i be?" you choke out.

it seems to be the right answer. sevika laughs, then sits back down at her table, picking her book back up, chuckling intermittently for minutes after.

she's not a bad roommate. she's surprisingly tidy, always quiet, her nose usually buried in a book. she smokes like a fucking chimney, and you've come to find she gets her tobacco-- and sometimes a bit of weed-- from one of the guards every tuesday night.

she's got special privileges among most of the guards. they're always sneaking her books and flasks, letting her get away without cell-searches, letting her read past lights out and have lighters and screwdrivers and other dangerous, weapon-like tools.

you, on the other hand, do not have these privileges. and, keeping in line with sevika's one and only rule, you don't touch her shit. all of this means that while sevika smokes and works on her arm and reads and works out, you spend your time just... sitting on the top bunk. watching her.

sometimes, during open cell time, she gets visitors. you're surprised that none of these visits end in shady dealings-- sevika doesn't seem to need to trade her stash of goods for anything. most of her visits are quick, and most end the same way: a small scrap of paper being shoved in sevika's hand.

she burns the scraps after she reads whatever's on them.

she's... pleasant, sometimes. it's rare, but it happens. one day, you'd forgotten to make your bed before you went to breakfast. you returned to find it neatly made, and when you thanked her for helping you avoid trouble with the guards, she had just waved it off. "don' get used to it. i won't always be here to fix your mistakes."

once, a fight broke out while you were in the showers. you were sent back to your cell soaking wet-- your hair still lathered in shampoo. she had chuckled, called you a "wet rat", and helped you rinse your hair out in the tiny sink in your cell.

and... she's kinda pretty. it occurred to you one evening while the two of you were partaking in your nightly routine: sevika reading in her chair while you study her, pretending to sleep. she'd glanced up at you and whispered. "why're you always lookin' at me?"

you shrugged, then nearly choked on your tongue when 'you're pretty' almost slipped out of your mouth. "uh... i got nothing else to look at." you'd ended up saying. she seemed to accept this.

"you don't have any prison girlfriends?" you ask. sevika's in a particularly jovial mood today: the note she'd been delivered earlier in the afternoon must've had great news. she's decided to share her joint with you. the question slipped out the second you took your first puff-- your tolerance astronomically low from being without for so long.

sevika laughs. "nah."

"but..." you cut yourself off before you get yourself in trouble, biting your lip. sevika chuckles, then nudges your leg.

"y' can say it." she says. you smile at her, then speak.

"it's just... i had a few friends who work at babette's." you say. "i figured you'd have as much of a reputation here as you do there."

she takes a second, tilting her neck side to side as it cracks, then sighing. "i got shit to do in here." she says simply. you raise an eyebrow at her, biting your lip again, and she chuckles. "say it." she demands again.

"you just read all day." you laugh. sevika nods.

"i'm... working." she says. you just nod along, pretending you understand what she's alluding to.

it happens in the strangest way but you and sevika start to become... friends.

she sits alone at lunch, and you sit alone too, on the oppisite side of the cafeteria. but you're so used to looking at sevika, that you find yourself watching her even when there are much more entertaining things to look at, like the handful of fights that break out every meal.

you notice she loves the jello cups you guys get once a week. so you pocket yours and toss it at her later that night. the way she smiles lights up the room even brighter than her tiny lamp. you make it a habit.

she starts loaning you her books, finds you a crate to sit on by her table while you guys read together at night.

and when sevika gets jumped in the middle of the night-- you don't even question it before you jump out of your bunk, grab sevika's screwdriver where she left it on the table, and start swinging in the dark, blindly.

"what the fuck?" someone squawks when you manage to stab something in the dark.

"what?" sevika whispers in the dark.

"sevika, your bunkmate fucking stabbed me!" her attacker's voice rings out.

a light flicks on. you cringe at the sudden brightness, then blink in confusion as sevika and a guard with a screwdriver sticking out of their shoulder stare at you.

sevika's grinning. the guard is scowling. you hold your hands up in shaky fists, preparing for a fight. sevika chuckles.

"relax, sweetheart." she says, swinging her arm around you and tugging you into her side. "ran's a friend." she whispers into your ear. you blink at the bleeding guard, then back at sevika.

"so, what, we're taking your girlfriend with us now?" the guard-- ran-- asks. sevika looks at her friend, then looks at you, a calculating look in her eye. she smirks, shrugs, then looks back at the guard.

"she threw herself between me and a uniform-- can't just throw that kinda loyalty out, now can i?" she asks, smiling.

you don't know what's happening. you're about to ask-- when suddenly you black out.

the first thing that comes back to you is your sense of hearing.

voices.

"sevika, fuck, you can't just throw a wrench in the plan like this--"

"i can do whatever the fuck i want--"

"on the night of the breakout?! no heads up!?"

"do i need to remind you which one of us is second in command, here?!"

"...fuck. c'mon, help me load her in the van."

the next thing is your sense of touch. you're laying on the rumbling cold steel of a van floor-- currently in motion.

you're shivering, but then something warm and wool and smelling like cigars is draped over you.

you're head keeps bumping uncomfortably with every crack in the road. someone gently picks your head up and puts it in their warm nap, a hand coming down to scratch your scalp.

your voice comes next. "mmmh?"

"it's okay." sevika's voice comes. you groan, cracking your eyes open, only for her face to be grinning down at you. "fuckin' maniac." she giggles.

"wha?" you groan. you're seeing double, your head is pounding.

"ran knocked you out. 's what you get for stabbin' 'em." sevika chuckles. "but, you're lucky, 'cause they don't hold a grudge. they helped me lug your ass outta stillwater."

"wha?!" you ask again, snapping up. sevika laughs as you look out the front window of the van-- the depths of piltover surrounding you as you head, presumebly, to the last drop.

you recognize the man driving-- a tall, muscular, tattooed man who'd recently been added to your cell block's guard rotation. in the passengers' seat sits the guard you'd stabbed-- bandaged and watching you with amusement.

"wha's happenin'?" you mumble, looking back at your cellmate as you clutch a hand to your throbbing head. you've been shrouded in a red cloak-- sevika's already out of her prison uniform and back in her 'second in command' look. she smirks at you.

"y' really think i was jus' sittin' around, servin' my time?" she asks. you shrug.

"figured somethin' was goin' on. y' kept gettin' those notes. didn't wanna ask." you groan. sevika chuckles.

"well, you shoulda. or i shoulda warned you, so you didn't try killing my crew." she chuckles. you blink over to the person in the passengers' seat, cringing.

"s-sorry." you mumble. they wave it off.

"'s cool. knocked you right the fuck out, didn't i?" they chuckle. "we're even."

you turn back to sevika. "you broke me out of prison?" you ask. she shrugs.

"'re you mad about it?" she asks. you gawk at her.

"uh... just... a little surprised?"

sevika cackles. you smile at the sound, despite your headache. "i wasn't plannin' on it! then you started givin' me your jello, 'n readin' all my books, 'n..."

"she's got a crush on you." ran fills in from the front.

"i didn't say that!" she shouts.

"she's not denying it though--" the man driving teases.

you choke on your spit. sevika huffs, rolls her eyes, and speaks. "i... i kinda got a crush on you, yeah." she mumbles. "and i swear i'm not sayin' this jus' 'cause i think you're cute but: you should really stay with us at the last drop until things calm back down, since, y'know... you're kinda wanted now..." she says, rubbing the back of her neck.

you blink... shocked.

you don't really know what to think. you tried your whole life to stay out of trouble, and it managed to find you anyways in the form of a drunken under-cover enforcer deciding to smack your ass when you'd had too many drinks to hold your punches. you tried to stay out of trouble in stillwater until you were saddled with sevika. you tried to stay out of trouble with her until she dragged you-- literally, you were unconscious!-- out of prison along with her. it seems like trouble's meant for you.

but if there's one thing you're certain of, it's sevika.

you smile at her, then reach up to cup her cheek. she looks more nervous than you've seen her in all your months in stillwater together.

"you gotta crush on me?" you ask. she gulps.

"i'd say it's a little more than a crush seeing she broke you outta stillwater as your first date--"

"ran!" sevika hollers. you chuckle.

"is this our first date?" you ask, raising your eyebrow at her. she shrugs.

"it's... jus' don't expect the next dates to be this exciting." she chuckles, rolling her eyes. you grin, then dart forward and press a kiss to her lips. when you pull away, she's wearing that same nervous look again.

"you okay?" you whisper. she licks her lips, nuzzles a bit against your hand on her face, and nods.

"'m just kickin' myself for not puttin' the moves on you sooner. coulda been fuckin' you to pass the time in prison instead of readin' all those boring books." she mumbles. you burst into laughter, and she grins.

taglist!

@fyeahnix @sapphicsgirl @half-of-a-gay @thesevi0lentdelights @sexysapphicshopowner @shimtarofstupidity @love-sugarr @chuucanchuucan @222danielaa @badbye666 @femme-historian @lia-winther @gr0ssz0mbi3 @ellsss @sevikaspillowprincess @leomatsuzaki @emiliabby @sevikasbeloved @hellorai @vikasub

[nourfk]

When & Where: KROQ98.9 ... in the early afternoon! (Day 2)

📻 @swstarters

Nour never really considered herself to be the 'groupie' type. To even consider herself a 'fan' of someone was a far stretch. Everything seemed to change, however, when they announced that Pink Slip would be performing. Nour had stumbled upon the girl band by chance, immediately falling in love with them when she heard them on the radio. It was a wonder why she had never called herself a fan until now, considering how excited she was just to see their name on the lineup. Standing near the tent of KROQ98.9, Nour was determined to earn some merch —or, if the heavens wanted— a meet and greet! She had been waiting for the announcements for Day 2's contest for a good while now, anxiously watching the hosts replacing merch not for Pink Slip. She sighs, wondering if she'd have to wait for The Stains to finish their set before she got to hear anything about the band she's been waiting for. "Excuse me, were you here yesterday?" she asks the person nearest to her. "Do you happen to know when they're gonna announce the next contest?"

[mfniccals]

"Was it the accent or my impeccable British features?" The only thing that stands out besides the sickly skin color is his nose, which was probably once very prominent just like his fathers. If only it hadn't been broken eight times. "I'm from Stoke-on-Trent. You must be from the Cartoon Alterworld..."

He does NOT allow Danny a second to think about that.

"Like it? It's practically my whole life," he pats a hand on the case he's wheeling around. "I'm solo musician at the moment. Or I am trying to be...Bass, guitar, drum machine, banjo....you know someone looking? I'm trying to figure out...this thing"

He wheels the containers back and forth slightly. From the label attached to it, it's equipment for a bass and synthesizer. The Stillwater Pizza Incident is currently lacking someone to handle the Korg, though looking at this guy he's pretty sure that he isn't the same. Those hands look too soft, no strong callouses.

"Murdoc Niccals, you've never heard of me."

Well admittedly, he wasn't sure he'd ever seen a human like this. But hey, it took all types to make the world, right? Given his sensitive sense of smell, it wasn't... the most pleasant situation to be in. But it was a change from the constant chocolate, and strawberry of the malt shop, that was for sure. At least he hadn't ruined any equipment, thank goodness.

"Squirrel? I'm a cat, see?"

He emphasizes his tail, which isn't anywhere near as fluffy as a squirrel's would be. It's long, yes, but it's also thin, much like the rest of Danny's body. Did red squirrels look the way he did? He wasn't sure, back in Kokomo, the only squirrel he'd met was the owner of the repair shop, and he was a light brown squirrel. Pretty standard for the area.

Darker fur meant warmer insulation.

"I'm not sure, really. Y'see, I've only been here for about three weeks. But I'll be a big name someday! I'm gonna be a star, I've been singing and dancing since I was a kitten!"

The feline's face brightened up. If Murdoc was looking for exploitable targets, he'd just found one. This cat was still embarrassingly gullible when it came to other people. Probably because everyone back home was so genuine, he never had to develop the skill of avoiding manipulation.

"I take it you're not from around here either?"

His smile grows a bit nervous. Look how sharp those teeth are...

"Do you like music?"

[bellstrum]

When & Where: Benny's Baked Goods... late afternoon! (Day 1)

🍪 @swstarters

As a large crowd starts approaching Benny's booth, he starts up his speech again without much thought. "Cookies, sliced pies, chocolate-covered pretzels— we've got it all," he says loudly, pausing when he meets eyes with those that are listening. "Well, we might have it all." He then gestures to the samples placed before each bagged good; cookies cut into small pieces, pie, and brownie cubes displayed before them. "Take a sample— but only take one. I'm watching," he adds menacingly... though not intended. As a few start approaching him, Benny gives them a smile, feeling a presence at the end of the line. He briefly eyes them, looking back at the family circling around the cookies. "Interested in anything specific?" he asks, taking a moment before turning to them. Perhaps they were interested in something... specific.