#wichita and auggie

[backmaskcd]

"Of fucking course I'm right," she spat. "You fucking abandoned me." Maybe a little dramatic, but she was swinging wildly between emotions and the only thing she could voice was anger. "We had a plan. And for whatever reason, you decided to fuck off without telling me. And I got to go on the greatest fucking adventure of a life time. And I really hope you regret your choice every fucking day."

Bad luck, there. Wichita clenched her fists together so tightly that her nails dug painfully into her palms. "Yeah, Augustus, I'm fucking peachy keen. I'm stuck here, the one place I wanted to run as far away from as possible, with the only person I was stupid enough to trust. How the fuck do you think I'm doing?"

she was mad. he could almost feel the anger radiating off her. the distaste was palpable. still, he couldn't bring himself to remove himself from the spot his feet were firmly planted to. ❝ c'mon now wich, don't say that— ❞ he started and paused, she had every right to be mad at him. auggie did hope some time might've healed that but, once again, he was dead wrong. ❝ i wouldn't have, i mean it's not like i didn't want. nevermind, you're right. ❞ a sigh of defeat came out and he looked down, because even he couldn't come up with a good excuse to explain his way out of that one. paradox or not. the it all ended on the fact that he didn't show up and he'd been a coward for it ( though he wasn't sure he'd be willing to admit that last part out loud, certainly not in public ).

❝ bad luck, there. ❞ he responded after an awkward pause, he looked up at her again and that knot made a sharp twist in his stomach. another pause where he stood picking at his cuticles, trying to work up the nerve to speak again and find what words to say. ❝ are you okay? ❞ the question came out soft when it finally dislodged itself from his throat.

[huntsvillehq]

(riz ahmed) [THE SPIRITUALIST]. Please welcome [MIZHIR ‘MIZ’ SHAH (HE/HIM)] to Huntsville, WV. They are an [41]-year-old [VISITOR] who lives in [TOWN]. You may see them around working as a [IMAM at HUNTSVILLE CHAPEL]. Poor unfortunate soul. We’ll see if they survive.

(max riemelt) [THE SAVAGE]. Please welcome [TALON O’CONNOR (HE/HIM)] to Huntsville, WV. They are an [39]-year-old [VISITOR] who lives in [TOWN]. You may see them around working as a [FUGITIVE / UNEMPLOYED]. Poor unfortunate soul. We’ll see if they survive.

(thomas brodie sangster) [THE POLYMATH]. Please welcome [AUGUSTUS ‘AUGGIE’ UNDERWOOD (HE/HIM)] to Huntsville, WV. They are an [30]-year-old [RESIDENT] who lives in [TOWN]. You may see them around working as a [BOOTLEGGER / MOONSHINER]. Poor unfortunate soul. We’ll see if they survive. They are looking for [WICHITA BURTON] their [SITUATIONSHIP] Poor unfortunate soul. We’ll see if they survive.

WELCOME TO HUNTSVILLE, WV, mizhir, talon, and augustus. Please follow this checklist and submit your account within 48 hours. Do not stay out after dark, and beware the whispers calling you into the woods at dusk.

[cryptidkeepp]

Empty streets now, where used to love Our hearts out but now I'm dancin' all alone Scared to go out on my own This calmin' feeling faded into anxious breathin' In the places we were happy once Stuck inside but never home

And if I lose it all, in the blink of an eye Like a fire burnin' out in the night And my hearts stops beatin' But something's screamin'

And I, wish we didn't say goodbye 'Cause we're just standin' still And I don't really know, what tomorrow holds But I've, I've finally realized If this is our last goodbye until we're gone Who cares about the wrongs we caused ourselves 'Cause I don't want to watch the world end with someone else

Fallin' deeper, deeper into hopeless thinkin' Remember when you pulled me out Wishin' you would come around again When the room goes quiet I'm hit with my regret like a riot Reminds what I really want But have I waited for too long?

@backmaskcd || auggie & wichita

'Cause if I lose it all, in the blink of an eye Like a fire burnin' out in the night And my hearts stops beatin' But something's screamin'

And I, I wish we didn't say goodbye 'Cause we're just standin' still And I don't really know, what tomorrow holds But I've, I've finally realized If this is our last goodbye until we're gone Who cares about the wrongs we've caused ourselves 'Cause I don't want to watch the world end with someone else

[cryptidkeepp]

It'll be fine by dusk light I'm tellin' you, baby These things eat at your bones and drive your young mind crazy But when you place your head between my collar and jaw I don't know much but there's no weight at all

And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't 'Cause if I say I miss you I know that you won't But I miss you in the mornings when I see the sun Somethin' in the orange tells me we're not done

To you I'm just a man, to me you're all I am Where the hell am I supposed to go? I poisoned myself again Somethin' in the orange tells me you're never comin' home

I need to hear you say you've been waitin' all night There's orange dancin' in your eyes from bulb light Your voice only trembles when you try to speak Take me back to us dancin', this wood used to creak

To you I'm just a man, to me you're all I am Where the hell am I supposed to go? I poisoned myself again Somethin' in the orange tells me you're never comin' home

To you I'm just a man, to me you're all I am Where the hell am I supposed to go? I poisoned myself again Somethin' in the orange tells me you're never comin' home

If you leave today, I'll just stare at the way The orange touches all things around The grass, trees and dew, how I just hate you Please turn those headlights around Please turn those headlights around

@backmaskcd || auggie & wichita

[backmaskcd]

"I prefer annoying," Wichita snapped back, blinking blearily a few times. "I don't know. Something whacked me in the head." She didn't even think about it, just took Auggie's hand as instructed. "Very, very annoying. It's July 19, 2024." She felt a little uncoordinated, but frowned. "I - kraken? Are you sure I'm the one who got hit in the head?" She remembered, vaguely, the tentacle. "That's a pretty big jump. I'd say octopus alien."

he thought he heard her and he gave a frantic look around until he saw movement. auggie pushed through the last of the people moving out of the area just in time to be met with a much louder, clearer indication of where she was. ❝i prefer determined,❞ he quipped, running over to her and looking her over. ❝what happened? are you okay? open your eyes and tell me what year and day it is.❞ he was no trained professional but he knew how to do a concussion test after years in the nurses office and several rough sibling fights. ❝we got to get out of here, give me your hand you can tell me all that as we walk.❞ dark eyes shot over to the water to see if there was any movement. ❝i don't know if the kraken is coming back but neither of us should be here if it does.❞

[cryptidkeepp]

we had a plan, move out of this town, baby west to the sand, it's all we talked about lately i'd pack the car, bring your guitar and jane for smokin' first thing at dawn, you'd cue the songs and we'd get goin' but you weren't home, waited on the porch for ya sat there alone, all throughout the morn 'til i got a hunch down in the gut and snuck around the back empty cans, and i'll be damned, your shit was never packed did your boots stop workin'? did your truck break down? did you burn through money? did your ex find out? where there's a will, then there's a way and i'm damn sure you lost it didn't even say goodbye just wish i knew what caused it was the whiskey flowin'? were you in a fight? did the nerves come get you? what's your alibi? i made my way back to la and that's where you'll be forgotten in 40 years you'll still be here drunk, washed up in austin hunstville

@backmaskcd || auggie & wichita

A hell of a bluff, you had me believin' How many months did you plan on leavin'? What happened? Bad habits? Did you go back? Go batshit? I loved you, how tragic, oh-oh Did your boots stop workin'? Did your truck break down? (Truck break down) Did you burn through money? Did your ex find out? (Ex find out) Where there's a will, then there's a way And I'm damn sure you lost it Didn't even say goodbye Just wish I knew what caused it Was the whiskey flowin'? Were you in a fight? (In a fight) Did the nerves come get you? What's your alibi? (Alibi) I made my way back to LA And that's where you'll be forgotten In 40 years you'll still be here Drunk, washed up in Austin Did your truck break down? Did your ex find out?

[cryptidkeepp]

CONFRONTATION AT SAMMIE'S

who: wichita burton & augustus 'auggie' underwood what: discord wrapup of this thread.

auggie: ❝ yeah, ❞ he agreed with a nod, ❝ yeah, i know. i regret a lot of things. ❞ the second part came out softer, defeat laced in his tone. ❝ i'm— ❞ he looked around, suddenly aware of how many people were a witness to this conversation. a very private conversation. ❝ look, ❞ he stepped closer so only she could hear him ( despite it being in arms reach ). ❝ i know you're pissed at me and that's fine, i probably deserve that. ❞ he definitely deserved that, but he was hoping to save himself a little face. ❝ i mean, i want to talk to you about it, give me a chance to tell you what happened, but— ❞ he looked around again, then back to her. ❝ not here. ❞ he waited a few beats before opening his mouth again. ❝ i'm sorry you ended back here but i'm not sorry to see you again. i missed you, whether you believe it or not. ❞

wichita: "You fucking better regret a lot of things," while there was constant venom in her voice, the last thing that Wichita expected was for Auggie to get any closer to her. Did he have a death wish? But the closer he was, the more the anger in her chest turned to a searing ache. She could smell him now; something familiar, the crook of his neck a place she used to often bury her face. Looking at it now, she wasn't sure if she wanted to seek comfort or rip out his jugular. "Not probably, Augustus. We planned for ages. And you left me." Her jaw clenched. What a selfish fucking thing to say. "Your choices are the only reason you haven't seen me in the last twelve years, Auggie. Think about that while you mull over how to explain everything to me." She quickly turned on her heel, fingers still curling and uncurling at her side as she stormed off, pausing only to raise her hand to flip him off as she retreated.

END.

[cryptidkeepp]

who: @estherwestfall

where: town lake

❝well if it isn't my favorite outcast,❞ auggie greeted when he spotted esther. ❝are you letting loose or still strict on the no fun policy?❞ he teased, joking of course. she'd done quit the transformation since they'd been force to do things together in their formative years. ❝do me a favor and let me know if you see wichita lingering nearby?❞ he glanced around just in case. ❝she looked a touch homicidal when i saw her earlier.❞ he chuckled nervously. to think they'd been inseparable once. now she was just someone else that hated him, except she had a good reason. unlike most others, this one hurt.

[cryptidkeepp]

@backmaskcd || auggie & wichita

[cryptidkeepp]

who: @ofescapisms ( amy )

where: lake event

he had no idea why he was there. it's not like anyone wanted him there ( other than to drop a batch of the latest distilled product then kindly seeing himself out ). too bad. he was staying for at least a burger and a snow cone. take that people in this hypothetical situation he'd conjured in his head! though, one sighting of wichita and he was rethinking that decision. auggie immediately changed directions and headed to a more secluded location. ❝hey,❞ he said with a nod in amy's direction when he took his spot. ❝why don't you have a drink?❞ he looked around, then back to them. ❝want me to go steal some booze from the party i wasn't invited to? because i will totally go grab you something.❞

[backmaskcd]

(Maia Mitchell) [THE VENGEFUL]. Please welcome [WICHITA BURTON (SHE/HER)] to Huntsville, WV. They are an [30]-year-old [RESIDENT] who lives in [THE COMMUNE]. You may see them around working as a [SALES PERSON AT HAVERSHAM'S BOUTIQUE]. Poor unfortunate soul. We’ll see if they survive.

Full Name: Wichita Rae Burton Birthday: August 18 Age: 30 Hunter or Gatherer: Neither Sexuality: Straight Height: 5'6 Relationship Status: It's Complicated

Born and raised in one of the poorer areas of Huntsville, all Wichita wanted to do was go anywhere else. The only person she ever felt had her back was Augustus Underwood, a boy who lived a few houses down from her. They often built blanket forts, hiding under it and mapping out where they would go if they could, until they were both too old to play pretend; but their closeness never really changed.

Their lives always somehow stayed intertwined; constantly in each other's classes, often turning to each other for homework help or whatever else cropped up that might need a second opinion. Wichita never bothered to think about it too hard. The only thing she did think about too hard was how to get the hell out of dodge. She'd do any jobs anyone would be willing to pay her for - babysitting, cleaning services, yard work, until she was old enough to get a proper job. She kept Auggie in on it all, and while she didn't pressure him to get a job or save up money, she always talked about it like their next great adventure.

When Auggie got a girlfriend, it's not that Wichita cared; but she cared that the girl seemed hell bent on keeping the two apart. Maybe she was threatened by how close they'd grown over the years, how often Wichita felt like Auggie's body was an extension of her own, or because she'd heard about their plan to leave Huntsville as soon as possible; either way, she wasn't thrilled about the wedge that was being driven between them. At least it seemed to be all on the girlfriends end though; Auggie was more than happy to keep making time for her.

Finally, with high school almost behind them, Wichita was convinced that enough had been saved up, and she didn't want to wait any longer. Spring break would be a good time to say they were just going to have fun, but then actually pack up all their things and never look back. Sure, they still had a half a semester left before graduation, but they could always just get their GEDs once they got to anywhere but here. Auggie had agreed, so you can imagine how hurt and angry she was when it seemed like he backed out and disappeared so as not to face her wrath. Furious, she more or less said fuck you too, and sped out of Huntsville. This was barely a month before the Paradox hit.

She went to Florida for a while, then Louisiana, and up to Chicago, every place she traveled to after her lease was up. She'd take odd jobs, waitressing, not really knowing what she was supposed to do out here on her own. Resentment and bitterness started building up, and while she was having fun checking out all the big cities and events she always wanted to, it felt hollow without her partner in crime.

Traveling around for the next twelve years, she basically stayed in twelve different states before inadvertently winding back up in Huntsville. Learning what had become of her home - and why no matter how many angry texts she sent Auggie, none of them ever got a reply - caused her heart to ache, and instead of trying to move back into the family home - which she was sure was either repurposed, or would just be a dark reminder of what she lost - she opted to move into the commune, trying to make herself useful and reconnect with the friends she had before she refused to look back in the rearview mirror.

She's seen Auggie from a distance - at least he's alive, you can't be mad at a dead man without feeling guilt - however the two of them have not spoke since she arrived a few months ago. She has no doubt he is also avoiding her, and there's only so much longer they can do this before they inevitably wind up at the sasquatch at the same time and have a screaming match (or at least, she'll be screaming. She has no idea how he'll react to her at all.)

[backmaskcd]

closed starter for @cryptidkeepp (auggie) location: outside the sasquatch

This had been the moment that Wichita had been dreading. It was inevitable, really, but somehow, she still had not been prepared for it. She was walking home from work, and apparently it was just her luck that Auggie had some business (or pleasure) that brought him to the bar. It was unavoidable; if she stopped walking, that would bring more attention to her than if she kept walking. She told herself she shouldn't say anything, but as they got closer, she made the mistake of looking up at him - and making eye contact.

"Augustus," she decided on the most curt greeting she could, nodding her head a little at him. "So you never got out of this town, huh? I hope you didn't charm someone else into thinking you'd break out of here with her."

[thirtecnth]

"Damn, how long had you been planning that? Maybe they panicked when the reality sunk in." She knew nothing of the situation or very little just going off what Wichita was telling her. Lilith didn't blame her at all for still choosing to head out without whoever it was, however. "I know of Auggie. Yeah..." That was when it sunk in. "Oh! You were trying to sneak out of town with him?"

"It's okay; it's not hard to stay out of sight when you're trying," Wichita grumbled, but shrugged. "My best friend and I planned to get the fuck out of Dodge. Our senior year, during spring break? We were supposed to just leave. Except he decided to hide and not meet me. So I left, and never heard from him." Wichita wrinkled her nose. "Clearly, this place didn't let any of my messages go through, but even an explanation wouldn't be good enough at this point. You know Auggie Underwood?"

[cryptidkeepp]

❝hit, maim, severely injure... possibly murder.❞ auggie ticked off the possible scenarios if wichita chose to confront him again. he took a moment to assess his cousin's stance. ❝bad? bad, how? are you tanked already, noah?❞ auggie laughed as if he had room to do so. he was convinced everyone there hated him and his ex was out to kill him, with very little factual basis to go on. plus he'd had quite a bit of augaides ( essentially a cute tee for moonshine and lemonade with whatever fruit was available thrown in ). ❝either way maybe we ought to go get a hot dog or something, yeah?❞

Noah didn’t know what he was expecting but it wasn’t his cousin hiding behind him when he was drunk on his father’s liquor and margaritas. He stayed put, unsure really of what they were hiding from but still looking to help. "Does someone want to hit you? That's all I need to know." Avoiding confronting someone versus avoiding a fight were two very different things. Still, when he asked how he was, he shook his head. "I think I'm bad but I cannot tell."

[backmaskcd]

The chaos that erupted in the minute that tentacle emerged from the depths wasn't something anyway, let alone Wichita was prepared for. She'd taken a canoe paddle to the head, going down hard. The black out was temporary, but she stirred a little as she heard someone yelling her name. "Auggie?" She sat up, eyes squeezed shut tight. Her head hurt. Standing up carefully - most of the crowed seemed to have rushed past her, but she would have done the same. "You're so needy!" She huffed, extending her hand and waving it a little in the air, but the usual bite wasn't in her tone. "My head really fucking hurts."

who: @backmaskcd ( wichita )

where: lake party post tentacle

it was kind of funny, actually, that the entire time he'd been down at the lake, he'd been trying his hardest to avoid running into wichita. but the minute that the octopus thing from those pirate movies decided to wave at the town of huntsville, the first person he went looking for was wichita. he'd lost her once already and he didn't want to lose her again. even if it meant she hated him for the rest of their lives, at least he knew she'd be safe and alive to do so. ❝wichita!❞ he called out, winding through the crowd toward the last place he'd seen her. ❝wichita!❞ he called out again, scanning the crowd for a familiar head of brown hair. ❝damnit, where are you? say something if you can hear me.❞

[backmaskcd]

She felt like steam was about to come pouring out of her ears. How was he so fucking calm and collected? She realized with an intense pang that she must have never even meant anything to him at the end of it all. She scowled at him, and had to take a moment to compose herself so she wasn't screaming at him in the middle of the day when there were too many eyes on them.

"Yeah, good one," Wichita snarked, hands balling into fists at her sides. If she thought it would make a difference, she would have slapped him right then and there. "Of course it doesn't matter, Augustus. You never would have come after me anyway. That was pretty crystal clear." She was itching to touch him - she wasn't sure if she wanted to slap him or kiss him more, and she stayed frozen in place. "I didn't really mean to. I was just gonna drive through since I was over here, and clearly, I never should have."

he hadn't tried to approach her, why would he? all those years spent together dreaming of getting out of huntsville and, eventually, making plans to do just that. only for auggie to back out last minute in the worst possible way. he simply didn't show up and hid. it wasn't that he didn't want to go, he definitely did but his family wasn't keen on the idea which caused trouble when they found out and then there was his ex who'd gone absolutely bonkers at the idea ( which honestly he could care less, it was annoying but he'd been over them for years ). ultimately, he chickened out and then the storm happened which made it impossible to fix his mistake even if he wanted to ( which he did because as he quickly found out, he'd been in love with her for years ). now wichita was back and he was too much of a coward to make the first step in trying to repair things.

that is, until the sasquatch brought them together and there was nowhere for him to go to avoid it. ❝ wichita, ❞ he answered back, clearing his throat and pausing to finish the shot of apple pie shine he'd brought the owner but poured a bit out for himself first. ❝ ha, yeah, good one. ❞ he shifted and a wince fell over his features for a brief moment. ❝ s'pose i deserve that. will say it didn't help that the town went to shit not long after y' took off. not that it matters in the uh, grand scheme and all that. ❞ he waved his hand, awkwardly searching for what to say knowing full well no excuse would be satisfactory at that point. ❝ um, what brought you back, anyway? ❞