#〔 🦂 〕 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗯𝗼𝘁 ﹕ threads.

[enternights]

𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.　funeral home. 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻.　early evening, kirby's wake. 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵.　rebecca talbot. @bledrose

〔　🦂　〕　　...　　𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁  𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮  𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲,  𝗮𝗻𝗱  𝗻𝗼𝘄,  𝗸𝗶𝗿𝗯𝘆  𝘀𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗻𝗲.  nathan  could  not  believe  that  in  less  than  three  months  he'd  already  attended  two  funeral  wakes.  he's  making  his  way  around  the  room,  lips  curled  in  a  polite  smiles  as  he  offers  condolences  to  the  rest  of  kirby's  loved  ones.  he's  at  odds  with  his  own  attendance,  unsure  if  he's  here  as  a  family  member  or  as  the  mayor,  the  lines  blurring  between  them,  mask  slowly  slipping  from  his  face  every  time  he  looks  towards  the  open  casket.  she  looks  different,  normal,  so  unlike  the  state  he'd  last  found  her  in.  anyone  has  yet  to  know  that  he'd  seen  her  at  her  most  tragic,  devoid  of  life  by  the  front  doors  of  the  town  hall,  taken  from  everyone  who  cared  about  her  so  savagely  and  for  reasons  nathan  cannot  figure  out.  all  he  knows  is  that  someone  is  out  to  make  sure  he  suffers  the  consequences  of  something  he  did  not  do  —  an  indication  of  something  all  too  familiar.

from  the  corner  of  his  eye,  he  catches  sight  of  her.  a  mix  of  emotions  sitr  within  him  at  rebecca's  presence,  but  most  of  all  irritation,  as  he  marches  up  to  her  with  a  stoic  glare.  the  nerve  to  show  up  now,  after  all  these  years.  he  and  his  niece  may  not  have  been  close,  but  there  was  no  denying  nathan's  protectiveness  over  his  own  flesh  and  blood,  even  if  it  was  against  another.  “  what  the  hell  do  you  think  you're  doing?  ”  he  asks,  dragging  her  out  of  the  room  until  they  were  somewhere  they  could  be  left  alone.   “  you're  out  of  your  kid's  life  for  years  and  suddenly  now  you  want  to  show  up  for  her?  a  little  too  late  for  that,  don't  you  think?  ”

[enternights]

𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.　the talbot residence. 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻.　10am. 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵.　griffin talbot. @chappcdlips

〔　🦂　〕　　...　　𝗶𝘀  𝗶𝘁  𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳  𝗼𝗿  𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁  𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴  𝗵𝗶𝘀  𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁  𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻  𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲  𝗮𝗻  𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿?  despite  his  familial  ties  to  kirby,  she  was  more  colleague  than  kin,  the  only  string  connecting  them  being  his  sister  —  her  mother  —  with  whom  they  both  were  too  estranged  with  to  ever  consider  a  genuine  bond  together.  the  age  old  cliche,  i  should've  done  more,  sits  in  the  back  of  his  head,  but  would  he  have  really?  or  is  he  only  thinking  it  because  he  no  longer  has  the  choice?  his  breath  hitches  when  he  hears  griffin's  footsteps  padding  down  the  staircase,  not  yet  quite  ready  to  face  the  situation  with  his  youngest  son. not after what he's seen and been through.  “  i'm  sure  you've  already  seen  the  news.  ”   it  was  inescapable.  like  driving  past  alaina's  house,  or  seeing  the  missing  posters  with  daniela's  face  plastered  all  over  town.  “  how  are  you  feeling?  ”  he  asks,  voice  dropping  to  a  gentle  whisper.

[enternights]

𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.　the talbot residence. 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻.　early morning. 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵.　charlotte talbot. @clandestone

〔　🦂　〕　　...　　𝘁𝗵𝗲  𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵  𝗼𝗳  𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻  𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀  𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻'𝘀  𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗹𝘀.  his  hearbeat  threatens  to  clamor  out  of  his  chest,  the  thumping  reverberating  in  his  ears like a goddamn gong.  he  clambers  out  the  car  and  spills  the  contents  of  his  stomach  out  onto  the  driveway,  the  events  of  the  last  hour  coming  back  to  hit  him  like  a  mallet  to  the  back  of  his  head.  kirby  is  dead.  more  than  a  co-worker,  his  niece. his family.  he'd  seen  her  there,  as  lifeless  as  the  night  had  been  when  he'd  received  the  message  to  come  to  town  hall.  the  image  of  her  corpse  clings  to  his  mind  like  the  blood  on  his  sweater,  and  then  the  money,  and  the  board,  and  all  the  evidence  that  had  he  not  done  anything  would've  incriminated  him  for  murder.  he  wipes  his  mouth  with  the  back  of  his  shaking  hand.  he'll  deal  with  the  mess  later  —  for  now,  he  needs  to  get  clean.  he  stumbles  into  his  home  like  a  drunken  man,  expecting  to  be  enshrouded  in  a  lonely  darkness,  only  to  notice  that  the  living  room  lights  are  on.  “  lottie,  ”  he  manages to utter in shock and exasperation when he sees her there,  voice uncharacteristically  soft  and  helpless.

[enternights]

𝖫𝖮𝖢𝖠𝖳𝖨𝖮𝖭　:　the talbot home, after 3am 𝖲𝖳𝖠𝖳𝖴𝖲　:　closed for avery talbot @ichorstained

to  say  that  nathan's  night  has  been  stressful  would  be  a  severe  understatement.  he'd  been  up  late  coordinating  with  the  sheriff's  department  and  preparing  the  stament  he'd  have  to  make  in  the  morning  regarding  alaina  price's  death.  and  now,  this.  as  if  the  night  couldn't  get  any  worse,  his  daughter  got  caught  in  the  middle  of  a  bar  fight  and  ended  up  injured.  “  oh,  sweetheart  .  .  .  ”  he  clicks  his  tongue,  brows  furrowing  as  he  tries  to  figure  out  his next move.  “  no  broken  bones?  no  other  wounds?  come  on,  let's  get  you  on  the  couch. do you want to stay tonight? your room's still how you left it.  ” he doesn't know what to do with  his  hands;  he's  scared  that  if  he  touches  her,  she  might  break.

[enternights]

〔　🦂　〕　　﹕　　𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲  𝗮𝗿𝗲  𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲  𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀  𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲  𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻  𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀  𝗳𝗼𝗿  𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗿.  well,  he  always  does  these  days,  but  take  away  the  terrifying  situation  they're  in  and  the  worry  is  still  there.  he  knows  she's  strong  and  capable,  but  he  thought  the  same  thing  about  his  brother,  and  he  thought  the  same  thing  about  himself.  look  where  that  led  them.  “  i  understand  that,  piper,  but  we  need  to  focus  on  the  present.  history  is  history  for  a  reason.  ”  the  fact  that  he  refuses  to  talk  about  his  past  is  his  greatest  weakness.  over  two  decades  of  unprocessed  trauma  burrowing  deep  into  his  psyche  and  dictating  his  every  move.  the  possibility  of  finding  a  pattern  between  then  and  now  scares  him  more  than  this  being  completely  separate  from  history  —  it  implies  a  cycle,  and  cycles  never  end.  it  implies  that  this  nightmare  will  never  end.  “  we'll  never  move  on  if  we  dwell  too  much  on  it.  we  could  be  dealing  with  something  entirely  new  here,  and  we  might  miss  new  details  if  we  keep  thinking  it  isn't.  ”

♤ ⋰ hook, line, and sinker — she's satisfied with his answer, finally feels like she's pulled all of the political tiptoeing aside. ❝ i can handle worrying, dad. isn't that a solid thirty - percent of the job ? especially with all of ... this happening. ❞ she may be a bit concerned that no one is whispering in the ears of the mayor about two alarming crimes in his town, but that's a bridge she can cross when given the chance to pick a deputy's brain. the inherit compliment, that she's good at what she does, has her sitting a little straighter in the seat. pride warming her chest because her father notices her strengths. ❝ i'm paying attention, i am. everyone is just so flighty right now, & you know everyone's weird about talking about the dark ages or whatever you wanna call them. i think considering our history is so important. ❞

[enternights]

𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘.　kieran's apartment, november 4th, 12pm 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛.　kieran talbot @horrorphase

𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻  𝘁𝗵𝗲  𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳’𝘀  𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁  𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱  𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻  𝗼𝗳  𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲  𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱  𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼  𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴,  his  heart  dropped  to  his  stomach  upon  hearing  kieran’s  name.  what  did  he  have  to  do  with  this?  they’d  attempted  to  ease  his  nerves,  assured  him  that  this  was  all  initial  investigations  to  gather  evidence,  but  the  nagging  feeling  that  there  was  more  never  leaved  him  alone.  everyone  knows  what  kieran  is  like  —  more  importantly,  everyone  knows  what  he  isn’t  like.  he  isn’t  what  one  would  imagine  a  talbot  would  be. he isn't the man nathan expected him to grow into when first held him in his arms and looked him in his eyes ( the ones that look just like his. )  in  fact,  almost  everything  about  him  was  also  everything  nathan  stood  against.  the  anger  that  used  to  stew  in  him  for  the  way  his  eldest  turned  out  is  now  replaced  with  fear,  because  now  there  are  very  real  consequences  for  the  way  he  acts  beyond  how  he’s  perceived  and  how  that  reflects  on  nathan  and  their  family.  do people believe he  could’ve  done  this?  that  he  could  be  capable  of  murder  because  of  the  way  he  carries  himself? that there might be more than meets the eye to his unconventional interest in jacob thorne?

nathan's  lucky  charlotte  possesses  a  copy  of  kieran's  apartment  key.  his  son  seems  almost  impossible  to  reach  these  days,  though  it  might  just  be  for  him,  and  nathan  can't  exactly  blame  him  for  that.  he’s  sitting  on  a  recliner  in  the  living  room  when  the  front  door  finally  swings  open.  he  doesn’t  even  give  kieran  a  chance  to  notice  his  presence  before  he  clears  his  throat  to  get  his  attention.  “  sit  down,  ”   nathan  commands,  casting  a  stoic  gaze  upon  his  son  as  he  gestures  to  the  couch  across  from  him.  his  voice  is  stern,  rigid,  but  it's  mostly  there  to  disguise  the  real  feeling  settling  in  his  gut  —  worry.   “  do  you  wanna  tell  me  what  the  hell  you  were  doing  on the night alaina price was murdered  to  warrant  police  questioning?  ”

[enternights]

𝖫𝖮𝖢𝖠𝖳𝖨𝖮𝖭　:　the cemetery, 8am 𝖲𝖳𝖠𝖳𝖴𝖲　:　closed for kingsley tau @ins1ders

mornings  at  the  cemetery  are  strangely  calm.  despite  its  reputation  for  being  haunted  and  macabre,  there's  an  uncharacteristically  tranquil  ambience  that  washes  over  the  place  just  after  the  break  of  dawn.  one  that  allows  nathan  to  ruminate  in  his  thoughts,  hand  running  through  his  windswept  hair  as  he  stands  over  alaina  price's  grave.  she  didn't  deserve  this.  the  town  doesn't  deserve  this.  he  only  wishes  that  whoever  is  responsible  isn't  the  same  person  who'd  haunted  his  nightmares  twenty  five  years  ago.  the  crunch  of  leaves  snaps  him  out  of  his  musing,  and  he  turns  to  look  at  the  source  of  the  noise.  he  hopes  to  see  that  strange  little  goth  kid  who  worked  here,  or  another  visitor  passing  through,  but  of  course,  he  happens  to  run  into  him.  “  good  morning,  kingsley,  ”  he  says  through  a  forced,  tight-lipped  grin,  in  anticipation  of  whatever  the  younger  man  has  to  say.

[enternights]

𝖫𝖮𝖢𝖠𝖳𝖨𝖮𝖭　:　the register, 12:30pm 𝖲𝖳𝖠𝖳𝖴𝖲　:　closed for effie floyd @c0nnectdots

despite  the  news  that's  been  plaguing  the  town  for  days  now,  one  thing  prevails  in  nathan's  mind:  keeping  up  a  facade.  of  course,  it  isn't  like  he's  being  forced  into  this  charade,  in  fact  his  intentions  are  halfway  to  genuine,  but  playing  pretend  when  everything  else  is  falling  apart  around  him  is  easier  than  having  to  face  the  wreck.  so  here  he  is,  standing  by  the  front  desk  of  the  register  with  two  cups  of  afternoon  coffee,  one  to  give  to  his  beloved  wife  whom  he  is  allegedly  wholly  committed  to  —  except  charlotte  isn't  there,  because  apparently  she  just  left  for  lunch,  so  now  he  looks  like  an  idiot  standing  by  the  entrance  with  two  quickly  cooling  coffees  and  a  mildly  bruised  ego  over  his  failed  attempt  at  being  a  good  husband.  that's  when  he  sees  effie  in  the  corner  of  his  eye,  and  turns  on  his  heel.  “  miss  effie  floyd,  ”  he  calls  out smoothly,  sauntering  over  with  a  picture-perfect  grin  plastered  on  his  face.  “  must  be  a  busy  day  today,  ”  he  remarks,  gesturing  around  him  as  various  employees  walk  in  and  out  and  around  the  bulding.  “  how've  you  been?  there's  been  . . .  quite  a  number  of  interesting  stories  as  of  late.  ”

[enternights]

nathan  often  wonders  what  would've  happened  if  this  town  wasn't  intrinsically  tied  to  his  legacy,  to  his  name.  he  would've  left  a  long  time  ago,  taken  his  family  with  him  the  second  heather  visser  died  the  way  charlotte  had  mused  after  learning  of  alaina's  shared  fate.  go  find  and  live  in  a  town  that  isn't  cursed.  the  sobering  reality  is  this:  nathan  is  nothing  without  red  creek.  he's  spent  so  long  cultivating  an  image  that  has  everything  to  do  with  serving  it,  that  he  doesn't  know  who  he  is  without  it.  his  only  job  is  to  make  sure  the  town's  reputation  doesn't  go  up  in  flames,  and  so  far  he  isn't  doing  a  very  good  job  at  managing  that.  nathan  talbot,  mayor  of  dead  creek.

he  thinks  he's  been  holding  his  breath  for  so  long,  he  might  as  well  pass  out.  relief  is  not  an  option  when  the  threat  still  looms  over  like  a  storm  cloud.  but  lightning  doesn't  strike  in  the  same  place  twice.  so  this  can't  be  that.  it  shouldn't  be  that,  but  all  signs  point  to  repeat  of  the  history  he  never  wished  to  touch  again.  “  i  don't  know.  i  don't  know,  dem,  it's  —  it's  supposed  to  be  over.  i  thought  i  —  ”  nathan  sighs,  hands  coming  up  to  rub  at  his  face  in  frustration.  his  voice  drops  to  a  whisper.  “  jacob  thorne  is  dead.  that  should've  been  the  end  of  it.  ”  except  it  isn't,  no  matter  how  hard  he  tries  to  delude  himself  that  it is and that whatever situation they're in  is  entirely different.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ a force, tight-lipped grin is plastered on demetrius' face as the person leaves the office . he follows close behind, presence daunting, feet nearly stepping on the back of their shoes as he "subtly" pushes them out until the two of them were left . swiftly the door shuts with a light click, but the sheriff wasn't done making sure they were alone . “ not today, ” he grunts, making his way over to the window behind the mayor's desk to draw the blinds, “ but i wouldn't be surprised if that's the case by next month . ”

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ dread sits heavy on his chest . “ just what the fuck is going on, nathan ? ” the stress in the sheriff's tone couldn't be disguised, voice barely above a hushed whisper while feet dragged to the front of nathan's desk . “ years . it's been years and this shit- ” demetrius places a hand on his hip, the other balls into a fist and comes close to his mouth as he shook his head, not wanting to utter the words that plagued his mind since alaina was found . “ please tell me you heard or saw anything, anything that tells me this is not what we're dealing with . ”

[enternights]

there's  no  easy  way  to  put  it:  nathan  is  fucking  terrified.  he  was  naive  to  think  the  nightmare  ended  when  jacob  thorne  took  his  own  life.  he  refused  to  see  daniela  estrada's  disappearance  as  anything  but  a  coincidence.  and  now,  twenty-five  years  after  heather  visser's  murder,  another  body  hits  the  ground.  he  has  to  face  it  —  there  are  no  coincidences  here.  it's  hard  to  think  when  it  feels  like  someone's  taken  an  jackhammer  to  his  skull,  the  thrumming  in  his  head  feeling  louder  than  his  own  thoughts.  “  . . .  thanks,  ”  he  utters  quietly,  taking  a  tentative  sip  before  placing  the  mug  down  on  the  coffee  table  and  shaking  his  head.  it's  surreal  to  think  that  half  his  lifetime  ago,  he'd  been  in  the  same  exact  situation  feeling  the  same  exact  fear  (  there  are  no  coincidences.  )  “  have  you  heard  from  the  kids?  the  party  was  shut  down  a  few  hours  ago,  so  who  knows  where  they  ran  off  to.  ”

closed starter with: charlotte and nathan (@enternights) setting: 1:15am, the talbot home

It was impossible to ignore the knot in her chest- the way it took on a life of its own, ceaselessly twisting and tightening. Making her way from the kitchen to the living room, she carried two full mugs, hands surprisingly steady despite her frayed nerves. “Need a pick-me-up?” Charlotte offered one of the mugs to Nathan, hoping he’d see it as the olive branch she’d intended it to be. They’d have time to be cold to each other another day- for now, she could use all the warmth she could get. “I put a little Bailey’s in it. Not too much, in case you need to stay sharp. Just enough to make this all feel a little less fucking horrifying,” she rambled, sitting on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her, and pulling a blanket over her lap. Bear, who had stationed himself firmly at her side at the first sign of distress, laid his head in her lap, and she mindlessly stroked his the top of his head. “They won’t need you down at the station, will they?” 

[enternights]

〔　🦂　〕　　...　　𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗺,  𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱,  𝗮𝗻𝗱  𝗶𝗻  𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹.  that's  the  face  mayor  nathan  talbot  puts  on  as  he  stands  before  the  crowd,  a  million-dollar  smile  on  his  lips  and  a  practiced  speech  resting  on  his  tongue.  however,  beneath  his  undisturbed  exterior,  fear  and  anxiety  bubble  like  a  pot  of  boiling  water.  he  knows  the  names  must  be  bigger  than  a  sick  prank,  but  he  couldn't  tell  the  people  that.  he  couldn't  let  them  feel  the  same  things  he's  been  feeling,  can't  let  the  town  spiral  out  of  his  grasp  and  lose  faith.  he  opens  his  mouth  to  speak  —  but  his  own  voice  beats  him  to  the  punch.  crackling  through  the  speakers,  a  private  conversation  aired  out  for  everyone  to  hear.  nathan's  blood  runs  cold,  eyes  searching  for  his  family  in  the  crowd.  for  charlotte,  for  his  kids,  but  it  feels  as  though  the  world  is  spinning.  he  wonders  if  cooper  had  set  him  up,  but  the  moment  he  catches  darshan  cuffing  him  he  feels  as  though  he's  been  vindicated.

still,  he  has  to  keep  his  hands  shaking  as  he  stares  stares  back  into  the  crowd,  no  longer  under  the  spell  he'd  cast  on  them  as  they  break  out  into  whispers.  but  then  nathan  hears  her  through  the  noise,  like  a  knife  cutting  through  butter,  and  his  gaze  falls  directly  onto  his  younger  sister.  a  talbot  through  and  through  with  the  way  her  voice  catches  everyone's  attention.  grief  and  anger  punctuate  her  every  word,  like  little  stabs  of  accusation  as  she  steps  closer  to  where  he  stands.  he  knew  he  had  to  tell  her  sooner  or  later  the  predicament  he  found  himself  in  that  night  in  town  hall,  but  he  didn't  want  it  to  be  like  this,  not  in  front  of  hundreds  of  people  watching  his  every  move.

nathan  steps  off  the  podium,  tries  his  best  to  keep  his  facade  up.  “  you  know  damn  well  i  didn't,  ”   he  whispers  throught  gritted  teeth,  voice  beginning  to  shake.  “  she  was  de  —  ”   if  there's  anyone  on  this  earth  that  could  get  nathan  to  truly  break,  it  wouldn't  be  anyone  else  but  rebecca.  “  —  she  was  already dead  when  i  got  there.  ”

⸻ 𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 , deerlake clubhouse / feb 15th, 20:05.

⸻ 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙨 , closed for nathan talbot / @enternights.

the clubhouse is suffocating — full of people, but dead silent as the mayor's words hang thick in the air. rebecca doesn't hesitate. " what a coincidence, huh ? " she shouts out, pushing through the crowd, eyes locked on her brother as she storms toward him with conviction. " you. in the middle of it all. again. " her voice isn't calm. this isn't the composed investigative journalist who picks apart the truth in her books or podcast. this is a mother whose daughter is dead, listening to her own brother on that recording, sounding like a man with far too much to hide.

she ignores the stares, the whispers as she finally reaches him. she's used to it by now. always been the talbot outcast, the one people talk about, the one people expect the worst from ... but nathan ? he was never on the wrong side of public opinion. the man who's spent years running this godforsaken town, always hiding behind that carefully curated facade. she's seen it before; the smiles, the demeanor, like butter wouldn't melt. seems he's gotten away with it again — pointing the finger towards cooper riley just as he did with jacob thorne all those years ago — but she's not going to let that happen. not this time.

" why were you there, nathan, hm ? — what exactly did cooper walk in on ? " tries her hardest to stay strong, demand answers, but her voice breaks, tears pooling in her eyes. " tell me you didn't have something to do with this. "

[enternights]

𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗶𝘁  𝗰𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲  𝗶𝘀  𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱  𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻  𝗵𝗶𝘀  𝗹𝗶𝗽𝘀,  coffee  from  dolly's  in  a  to-go  cup  in  one  hand  and  the  other  fishing  for  the  lighter  in  his  pocket.  the  pounding  in  his  head  is  background  noise  at  this  point,  an  erratic  thrum  that  sits  in  the  back  of  his  skull  as  all  his  musings  come  to  the  forefront.  everything  is  spiraling  out  of  control;  a  disappearance,  a  murder,  and  now  apparently  there  is  a  wanted  man  in  his  town,  completely  independent  from  everything  that's  transpired  over  the  last  two  months.  he  wants  to  believe  he's  got  a  firm  handle  on  the  situation,  that  things  are  fine  and  answers  will  come  to  him  soon,  but  with  every  unprecedented  development,  his  authority  slips  through  his  fingers  like  blood.  the  wanted  posters  are  everywhere,  with  at  least  one  tacked  hastily  onto  a  surface  in  every  corner.  he's  pretty  sure  he  memorizes  every  detail  on  greer's  face  at  this  point.  it's  how  he  identifies  him  from  afar,  clear  as  day  despite  the  moon  hanging  in  the  sky.  he  lights  his  cigarette,  breathes  in  the  smoke,  and  laughs.  “  you've  been  quite  the  celebrity  these  past  few  days,  ”  nathan  quips.   “  so  what'd  you  do,  hm?  grand  larceny?  manslaughter?  everyone  wants  to  know.  ”

𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱      :   greer    &    nate    ( @enternights ) !

𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿:   8:45pm, nov 23rd.

𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:  unmarked alleyway, shortcut to the warehouse.

* ❪ ⛓️ ❫ ﹕ 𝘁𝘄𝗼   𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀   𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱   𝘁𝗵𝗲   𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸   𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴   𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆  between   greer's   ears. two years  since   fight   or   flight   had  its   chance   to   reenter   brumating   psyche.   should   anyone   want   to   test   old instincts,   they'd   have   to   be   quick   enough   to   salvage   the   pulse   that   threads   their   lifeline   together.   a   slight   of   hand   to   beat   out   the   instinctual   grit   that   curls   calloused   knuckles.   nine   years   ago   he'd   have  their  jaw   pinned   underneath   his   shoe for the   mere   thought   of   targeting him,   fracturing bone without offering a single ultimatum. but nine years ago, things had changed. life had offered him another chance with the news he would be a father.    needed to clean his act up, needed   to   be   more   careful,  needed to  think   before   reacting.   every choice mattered, self - preservation a newly added routine, for her.  greer's will to live,  just   a   couple   miles   out. this game of cat and mouse ? a kindness for whatever may happen. because  in   the   grand   scheme   of   things,   nothing   he   could   do   would   make   the   situation   worse.   the   cops   of   redcreek   were   the   last   of   his   worries, should one of their deputies come crawling out ( he liked his odds if that were the case, truthfully ). of course,  there   was   the   slim possibility   of   it   being   a   commuter,   one   of   the   more   heedless individuals   that   chose to use   an   isolated   passage   despite   there   being   a   serial murderer   on   the   loose.  ❛    might   wanna  quit whatever the fuck you're doin' while you're ahead and tell me what you want. ❜ voice void of emotion as he calls out, chest rising in a manifestation of heat, sizzling the adrenaline that burns a path toward working lungs. nine years ago  if   you   were   ready   to   tail   greer   aatkani,   he'd   be   more   than   happy   to   meet   you   head   on. for where   the   sons   of   the   kingdom   are   thrown   into   the   outer   darkness,    there   shall   be   the   weeping   and   the   gnashing   of   teeth.  

[enternights]

the  realization  dawns  on  him  a  moment  after,  wide-eyed  with  a  tinge  of  embarrassment  concealed  within  his  expression  as  he  looks  the  man  up  and  down.  he'd  heard  news  of  a  priest  arriving  in  town,  but  he'd  never  gotten  a  chance  to  stop  by  the  church  to  get  to  know  him  or  formally  introduce  himself.  “  oh!  god  —  i  mean  —  you'll  have  to  forgive  me,  father,  you  know  how  creative  people  can  be  on  halloween  these  days.  ”  (  it's  not  that  far-fetched;  nathan’s  seen  fleabag  —  he  knows  what’s  up.  )  “  not  at  all,  it's  always  nice  to  get  to  know  everyone  in  town.  we  hardly  get  any  new  residents,  so  it's  extra  special  when  someone  new  comes  along. and  please,  just  nathan  is  fine.  i'm  not  too  keen  on  formalities.  ” lips  curl  into  a  perfect,  rehearsed  smile. “ so, how's red creek been treating you so far? good, i'm hoping. ”

*      ❪        🔪       ❫    ﹕ 𝗻𝗼𝘁  𝗮  𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁  𝘁𝗼  𝘄𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲  𝗼𝗻��𝗲  𝘁𝗵𝗲  𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿  𝗶𝘀  𝘀𝘄𝘂𝗻𝗴  𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻,  brows   shooting  up   at  the  immediate   critique   of  uniform;  replacing   a  flurry  of  welcomes  or  heedful  thought  that  this   could   be  anything   but   a  costume.   an  easy   misunderstanding  that   compels  him into a look of   amusement   rather  than   offense.   he's  even  opening  a  palm   at  the  offer   of  sugar,   a  low  laugh   splitting  pink   lips   apart  in   casual acceptance.  ❛ i'm  afraid   i'm   not  dressed  for the holiday,  mayor . . . . talbot ?   is  that   correct ? ❜   digits  splay  to  fit   each  family  sized chocolate,   unfortunately   failing  to  bring  his  own  goody  bag ( a rarity that men of his profession ever practiced, preferring to keep the church closed for fear of the night's more mischievous children ).  the  porch  light offers   more clue once he steps further forward, white  collar contradicting  black   top.   ❛ i'll   be  sure   to  give  these  to  the   children   next   week.   hopefully it'll  help  simmer  them   down if they're not already fed up with their loot by then. ❜   he's  glancing  down   at   the   tiny trick  - or - treaters that zoom past their knees,   ignoring  the  men  in conversation to swiftly  pocket  what they can.  ❛ i  hope  i'm  not  intruding   on  your  festivities. i   was  familiarizing myself with the neighborhood  and thought   what  better  night  to   finally  introduce myself. ❜ a placating smile, free palm flattened against the broad of his dress shirt. ❛ i apologize for my silence, i was so busy on settling in i'd forgotten my manners. ❜

[enternights]

“  i've  gotten  a  couple  already,  but  the  night's  still  young,  so  i'm  sure  there'll  be  more.  ”  after  all,  the  mayor's  house  has  always  been  a  hotspot;  all  the  kids  in  town  know  how  generous  he  can  be,  none  of  that  please  take  one  bullshit  here.  “  everyone's  definitely  stepped  their  game  up  from  last  year,  makes  me  feel  like  i've  won  a  game  every  time  i  guess  one  right.  ”

"Have you been getting a lot of trick or treaters tonight?" Savannah asked. Despite them living in a small town, she could only hope that people would want to keep the magic of the holiday alive and well. "I gotta say, I have been seeing a lot of creative costumes tonight, so it can be hard to pinpoint who they exactly are."

[enternights]

he's  taken  aback  by  juniper's  sudden  hostility,  but  having known what she can be like for as long as she's been alive, at  this  point  he  isn't  too  surprised  anymore.  if  he  were  her  age  he  likely  would've  shot  back  with  something  equally  petty,  or  even  something  worse  under  the  guise  of  clueless  pettiness,  but  instead  he  settles  on  a  tight-lipped  smile  as  she  seizes  the  candy.  “  you're  welcome,  june,  ”  he  says  ( and  if  there's  an  underlying  patronizing  tone  to  his  words,  it's  easy  to  miss. )  head  tilts  to  side  as  nathan  takes  in  her  costume.  “  really?  aren't  you  a little too  young  to  be  watching  fight  club?  ”

thank  you,  have  a  great  day  wavers  in  the  october  air  as  june  shoves  the  plastic  bag  forward  -  a  hardy  gaze  as  they  glare  stare  up  at  the  mayor,  "aren't  you  too  old  to  have  that  stupid  haircut?"  it's  not  stupid,  honestly.  nathan's  hair  looks  fine.  nice,  even;  june's  a  just  a  natural  born  hater,  inherited  from  their  infamous  father.  her  eyes  flicker  to  the  small  candy  bars;  displeased,  but  still  snatching  them  out  of  his  hands  without  complaint.  something  about  not  shooting  a  gift  horse  in  the  mouth.  "i'm  fucking,  like  -  tyler  durden.  duh.  weren't  you  already  like,  fifty,  when  fight  club  came  out?"

[enternights]

“  well,  it's  good  to  know  california  hasn't  changed  you  too  much,  ”  he  says,  more  lighthearted  this  time,  trying  to  dispel  whatever  curse  of  awkwardness  had  befallen  his  front  door.  he  looks  down  at  his  clothes and shakes his head,  regretting  his  lack  of  costume  now  that  he'd  been  asked  a  few  times.  “  ah,  just  as  myself this time,  unfortunately,  though  i  wish  i  did  dress  up  —  everyone's  costumes  are  giving  me  severe  fomo.  ”

“it's  pretty  good  ,  megan  fox  and  …  yeah  .  ”  how  do  you  explain  the  phrase  ‘  a  hoe  never  gets  cold  ’  to  your  mayor  and  boss  without  using  those  exact  words  ?  a  thousand  options  ran  through  kirby's  head  in  that  moment  ,  trying  to  see  which  one  wouldn't  get  her  called  into  the  town  hall  hr  on  monday  morning  and  she  came  up  with  nothing  so  she  settled  for  a  shrugging  .  “  i  run  hot  ,  i  guess  .  i'm  fine  really  .  good  ol'  michigan  gal  ,  used  to  the  cold  breeze  .  are  you  …  dressed  up  as  anything  ,  uh  ,  sir  ?  ”