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npc blog // i am the sun and moon and forever hungry, the sharpened edge, where day and night shall meet and not be one.

[bytheshore]

connor, layla, ramon

connor: best and worst subjects in school?

in high school my best subjects were actually history and math..... surprising since i then majored in english in college flksjdflkjs but ig best subjects and favorite subjects are not always the same! tbf i still did pretty ok in english, i just had teachers who didn’t like me for 3/4 years. my worst subject was definitely science, i don’t remember physics being too terrible but chemistry absolutely curb stomped me

layla: 3 random facts about your family?

1. my dad was raised on long island and his sister has a very strong accent but he somehow doesn’t even have a hint of one... and i recently learned from my mom that it’s a good thing he doesn’t bc if he did he would not have gotten a 2nd date

2. both my parents are v musical which is part of what encouraged me to be a th*atre kid growing up

3. feel like u guys know this already but i’m an only child.... when i was around 8 my parents considered adopting this pair of russian siblings who were just slightly younger than me but with how long and expensive the process wouldve been it just didnt work out

ramon: do you have/want any tattoos?

i have one (1) tattoo of an edelweiss flower on the back of my shoulder, which i got 3+ years ago! i would in theory like to get more but it’s just not something i’m like, buzzing to spend my money on rn you know? i think i’m just waiting til i get a rly strong idea for one

[bytheshore]

part 4: kieran

wikipedia / mary oliver, leaves and blossoms along the way / holly warburton / peter brown / john grant, grey tickles, black pressure / fleabag / jen mazza / albert marquet / slowdive, waves / olivia laing

[bytheshore]

part 3: gamon

david mitchell / faraj bou al-isha / unknown / piet raemdonck / fiona apple, i want you to love me / clarice lispector, agua viva / hisako naiki / dennis perrin / jeff buckley / source unknown

[bytheshore]

part 2: ingrid

mitski, a burning hill / nikos kazantzakis, report to greco / malcolm t. liepke / teddi parker / hayley williams, roses/lotus/violet/iris / philip geiger / quint buchholz / tennessee williams / arcade fire, the suburbs

[bytheshore]

part 1: zaina

sharon olds / ibeyi, i carried this for years / leila courtillon / james baldwin / mitski, class of 2013 / portrait of a lady on fire / anis mojgani, here i am / euripides, orestes / maria ines gul / eugene gloria

[bytheshore]

zaina kaif + stella rigby:

.

Zaina could see that Stella didn’t look off like she had expected Stella to. She gave her a soft smile, not exactly sure how she should be acting. If there was one thing she knew, it was that everyone grieved in different ways, and sometimes moms could truly be the worst. She knew better than to truly pry. “Of course! And don’t worry, if you don’t like kulfi you don’t have to eat it.” She chuckles before nodding, eyes alight in what appeared to be excitement. It would be nice to shut her brain off and just listen to Stella, but she knew she needed some answers too. “I’d love to! I told the others I’d stay as long as you’d want me to.”

Stepping inside once Stella let her in, she set the brownies down as she looked over at Stella. “How was it at your sister’s?”

.

“I actually don’t think I’ve ever tried it before. I’m excited to, though,” Stella replied, before stepping aside to let Zaina into the house. It was rather messy, with empty shopping bags piled up in the kitchen and a near-empty tin of what appeared to be baked ziti sitting on the counter. A scruffy mixed-breed dog ran up to Zee and started sniffing at her, tail wagging furiously. “Sorry, that’s Len. Do you like dogs? I can put him upstairs if you’re not a fan,” Stella offered, moving some of the clutter aside so they could sit at the kitchen counter. She then retrieved two beers from the fridge, popping one open for herself and offering the other to Zaina.

“Ugh,” she rolled her eyes in response to Zee’s question about her sister. “It was fine, I guess, but she’s kind of the worst. She basically ditched us poors to live her fancy mayor’s wife life, and now that mom’s dead she decides to start giving a shit. I’m just like, spare me, you know?” Stella took a sip from her beer, settling into the stool next to Zaina. “Sorry, don’t mean to unload my family baggage on you.”

[bytheshore]

kieran kang + rosie sim:

.

he almost missed it. distracted by the various flavors, until he realized rosie had halted. kieran turned to face them, puzzled when they avoided his gaze. “oh. alright, thanks.” they had ignored what he said earlier, and the smile on their face wasn’t there anymore. okay, so something was definitely up. ugh. now he had to turn the tables.

after getting both flavors, kieran picked up the strawberry banana one and offered it to rosie. “turn that frown upside down,” he singsonged, slowly waving the cone in their face. “or i won’t give it to you and it’ll just melt.” teasingly, he stared at them with raised his eyebrows and widened eyes as he lifted his s’mores cone up to his mouth and took a bite out of it. 

his gaze shifted outside the window as a blue car drove by, and kieran vividly remembered his vision — the pickup truck and rosie behind the wheel. awkwardly, he forced out a laugh and bit his bottom lip. “hey, do you have a car? i don’t have a ride back to the house i’m staying at, and i’d like to avoid walking by myself.” 

.

they seemed to snap out of it after a moment, the blush returning to their cheeks at kieran’s teasing. “sorry,” rosie laughed, before taking the strawberry banana cone from kieran and thanking him. “i think the whole murder thing’s just got the whole town a little fucked up. i’m okay though.”

seemingly back to their old self, rosie led kieran toward a bench right outside the shop so they could enjoy their ice cream there. “oh yeah, no problem,” they assured him at his inquiry about the car. “it’s back at the coffeehouse, i’ll give you a ride from there. see, chivalry definitely isn’t dead,” they joked. perfectly pleasant and playful again, rosie took a couple appreciative licks from the ice cream cone before continuing. “you’ll have to excuse the embarrassing amount of blink-182 and paramore CDs in there, though. unless i lucked out and you’re a pop-punk person too?”

[bytheshore]

kieran kang + rosie sim:

“you wouldn’t even talk to me if i started with that. picture it, you bump into me on the street and i say ‘excuse you. i went to yale.’ but maybe that would’ve stopped your tears. it’s no fun seeing you cry.” kieran leaned sideways to bump his shoulder against rosie’s, with a ghost of a smile. he noticed their grin slightly dip, but he kept his expression neutral as he gazed at them. he was definitely walking on eggshells, and now he was unsure of what would be the right thing to say.

they approached the entrance to connie’s and kieran pulled the door open for them again, letting them pass through first. as he followed behind, he leaned forward with his head nearly resting on rosie’s shoulder and lowered his voice. “honestly, not really. how much fun can you have when there’s a murderer on the loose?” kieran huffed and stepped back, before tilting his head up at the menu hanging from the ceiling. 

“so what’s the most popular flavor here? your expertise is vital for my first impression of connie’s.”

.

“oh, i would’ve just cried harder at that,” they laughed, blushing a little. “i don’t do confrontation, if someone’s rude to me i’ll just start bawling on the spot. and i’m only a little bit kidding.” rosie only blushed more deeply when kieran opened the door for them again, striding into connie’s with a bounce in their step as they recovered quickly from the slight awkwardness that came over them at his remark about the town being empty.

it was when he stepped closer to rosie then he’d ever been before, and then mentioned the murder, that they froze up. the smile and blush disappeared from their features and they grew rather pale, almost nauseous-looking, trying to turn nonchalantly away from kieran so he wouldn’t notice. it took a moment before rosie seemed to hear what he even said.

“hm? oh, uh-- if you’re into super chocolatey, their s’mores flavor is great,” rosie replied, swallowing hard. “but if you’re like me and more into fruity, you can’t go wrong with the strawberry banana.”

[bytheshore]

zaina kaif + stella rigby·:

who: @bytheshore· + Stella where: Stella’s house

Zaina knew that despite how methodical she was, she felt truly awful for Stella. Despite her history, Zee truly couldn’t imagine losing her own mother and feeling fine, so this must’ve stung so much worse. The circumstances were even worse, and though Zaina knew she had to get some information out of this, she knew her first priority was to make Stella feel at least a little better.

The brownies were tucked neatly in some tupperwear, and despite Stella asking not to bring any food, Zee knew that the tub of kulfi she brought would taste even better after taking an edible. With her location turned on in the group chat, Zee knocked on the door. As soon as the door opened, Zee smiled softly at Stella. “Special delivery. It’s all fresh.”

.

Stella didn’t look like the traditional picture of someone who was grieving, per se. When she opened the door, her eyes were clear rather than bloodshot, and when she smiled broadly at the sight of Zaina standing there, it didn’t look like it took a lot of effort. Mostly, Stella just looked tired. Her hair was messy, her under-eye circles dark, and since getting home she’d changed into an excessively baggy and questionably stained pair of sweatpants which she paired with just a neon green sports bra.

“Holy shit, that looks amazing. Thank you so much, seriously,” Stella greeted her earnestly. “Do you wanna come inside?”

[bytheshore]

kieran kang + rosie sim:

it was an odd thought, but kieran wondered if he would get along with rosie if he hadn’t seen them in his vision. maybe, since he gave them his number first. he was interested, desperately wanting to stop their tears before. they’re much different now than when he first met them and he didn’t know what to think of it, but he was ready to match their energy.

kieran’s smile didn’t falter, and the laugh that escaped his throat was genuine. “if i was a shitty person, i’d ask you to use your privileges. but i’m not and it’s my treat, so i’m going to pay full price. gotta help small businesses, you know?” 

he could see the entrance of connie’s as they got closer, and he slowed down his pace. “you should visit europe and get a hold on the accents,” he joked. “i just graduated from yale, actually. i’m here on vacation with my friends. i heard a lot good things about norbury, so i was surprised to learn there weren’t any tourists around. kinda weird, don’t you think?”

.

rosie cocked an eyebrow at kieran’s explanation, scanning him with curious eyes. “yale, huh? i’m glad you didn’t lead with that. otherwise i would’ve been way too intimidated to cry in front of you,” they laughed as the two of them rounded the corner and connie’s came into view. their expression changed when kieran mentioned the lack of tourists, their smile faltering a bit but their eyes still fixed on him.

“yeah, weird. i guess it's just a slow season. that's lucky for you and your friends though, you get more of norbury to yourselves. have you enjoyed it so far?”

[bytheshore]

kieran kang + rosie sim:

they were hard to miss, the overflow of colors making them stand out from everyone else. the smile on rosie’s face made him feel the tiniest bit of guilt, but not enough for him to change his mind. instead kieran shot them a grin back and watched in amusement as they slightly bounced over to him. “don’t worry, there won’t be any more tears today. not if i can help it,” he quipped, standing up from his seat. “i’m still on board for ice cream. it’s too hot for anything else.”

close enough to the exit door, he pulled it open for rosie and smiled at them. “after you,” he trailed behind them, instinctively shoving his hands in his pockets. kieran quietly hummed, oddly feeling unbothered despite everything that’s been going on; lucy, that door, seeing rosie in his vision. it felt nice to not be overthinking it all, even if it was temporary. “do you like connie’s ice cream shoppe? they have good reviews online so i thought maybe we can go there.”

.

rosie grinned graciously when kieran opened the door for them, turning back toward him until they were walking side-by-side. whatever had kept rosie down during their first meeting had either vanished or been shoved deep down, so they now appeared lighter as they walked, looking unflinchingly at kieran with a warm expression.

“oh, connie’s is great. they were my first job, actually, back in high school. the manager’s got a sweet spot for me so i can totally get us free ice cream. or, well, they’ll at least knock off a dollar.” they laughed. the two of them moved in the direction of connie’s, rosie pausing a minute before picking up with a new topic.

“so, how’d you end up vacationing in norbury from... i’m going to take a wild stab at your accent and say russia? italy? no, i’m just kidding, i know you’re obviously french.”

[bytheshore]

kieran kang + rosie sim:

with: @bytheshore​ location: norbury coffeehouse  date & time: june 21 / evening

outside of the coffeehouse’s entrance, kieran leaned towards the giant window and peered inside. when he couldn’t point out rosie among the baristas, he released an impatient sigh and debated going inside. he hadn’t told his friends that he was meeting rosie, and he was hoping none of them would notice his absence — the persistency in their group chat to make sure nobody went out alone was hard to ignore, but how else was he supposed to see rosie? showing up with someone they didn’t know would just be weird. and now, he felt the slightest bit of paranoia that he’d get caught, standing out in the open for everyone to see.

throwing caution to the wind, kieran yanked open the door to the coffeehouse and sat down at the first empty table he found. he tipped back, his head resting against the wall as his fingers incessantly drummed against the table. if he couldn’t see rosie, they would find him ( literally, he thought, thinking about their appearance in his vision. )

.

rosie emerged from the back, slinging a canvas tote over their shoulder as they waved and called out goodbyes to the baristas on duty. they just pulled out their phone before spotting kieran at an empty table, expression splitting into a grin at the sight of him. rosie was wearing their hair up in a bunch of multicolored clips today, complimenting the striped crop top and baggy jeans which showcased their bellybutton piercing. they stopped right in front of where kieran sat, a definite spring in their step.

“i hope you didn’t change your mind and decide on coffee instead,” they greeted him jokingly. “’cause i’m about to lose it if i spend another minute in here. and it’d be a real bummer if i cried every time you and i run into each other.”

[bytheshore]

theo winthrope + olivia flanagan:

being around olivia again was odd. it was a lot different than she imagined, and theo wasn’t really sure what to make of that. in all of the times she had thought through the scenario of running into her ex again, she had never seen the possibility of things being so…civil. olivia fidgeting and smiling just confused her, and theo didn’t like it. she wasn’t sure how to handle this situation when she wasn’t even sure what was going on in olivia’s head. 

wrinkling her nose, theo shook her head. “i have zero intentions of trying beer from a pitcher,” she replied bluntly. theo didn’t even like beer; the thought of drinking it from a place that probably didn’t have a great rating from the health department sounded like a nightmare to her. 

theo paused, her face carefully schooled into a neutral expression. she could handle this question - just talk about how great things were going now! it would be easy. but then olivia had to say that she’d missed her, and theo’s chest hurt. she had wanted to hear that olivia cared about her a year ago. hearing it now, after knowing that she wasn’t olivia’s first choice, just wasn’t fair. “you don’t get to say that.” she told the blonde, finally turning to face her completely.

.

olivia’s grin faded at theo’s words as the small talk dissolved, the brunette turning to face her. she held her gaze to theo’s for a moment, mouth slightly agape as though she was on the precipice of responding, before she broke the eye contact by looking down at her lap and swallowing. olivia turned her head to the bartender, waving to get his attention again.

“hey, parker, how ‘bout a jack and coke this time? thanks,” she said to him, before turning her attention fully back toward theo. she still seemed unable to meet the girl’s eyes for more than a second, but was at least finally able to get more words out.

“what do you want me to say, t? that i haven’t thought about you once in ten months? would that really be better?” she sighed, before drawing her now-ready drink in front of her and taking a sip through the straw.

[bytheshore]

kieran kang + rosie sim:

his mouth curved into a small smile, flattered by the compliment. “i try to be sweet,” he answered truthfully. kieran wanted to ask if they knew why there’s no other tourists, but it wasn’t the time ― he was supposed to be buying breakfast for everyone before they woke up.

he eyed them for a second too long, noting the shift in their behavior and he attempted to lighten the mood once again. “i see. but i am interested, though,” putting on his best american accent, he mimicked the same tone and words they had just said, shooting them a lopsided grin. “hi, rosie, my name is kieran. it’s nice to meet you, even given the crying circumstances.”

kieran diverted his attention back to his phone, tapping on his screen until he found what he was looking for, with pure luck. “i have to get going, but i airdropped my contact info to your phone. if you think you’re still interested, let me know,” his cheeks slightly reddened, and he let out a nervous cough.

kieran studied rosie for another beat, before getting ready to be on his way. “anyways. keep your head up, i almost left you hanging and walked away. and, uh, yeah, maybe treat yourself to something nice to take your mind off ‘family stuff.’”

.

rosie laughed for the first time in the conversation; actually laughed, and not just like they were trying to hold off more tears. “touché,” they nodded, blushing a bit deeper. “it’s nice to meet you too, kieran. maybe i’ll see you around sometime that hopefully doesn’t have ‘crying circumstances,’” they mimicked kieran’s accent on the last two words, exaggerating it heavily.

when kieran turned to his phone, they watched with interest, smiling once he’d explained. the sound of a buzz in rosie’s pocket prompted them to take their own phone out, accepting the airdropped contact info as it popped up. the two of them both seemed to study each other for a moment, before kieran turned to be on his way and rosie glanced back toward the coffeehouse.

“good idea, maybe i’ll start with getting back to work and apologizing to my manager for running off. yeah, i should... do that. but i will let you know. if i think i’m still interested, that is.” they stuffed their phone back in their pocket, biting their lip through a smile. “thanks, kieran. i’ll see you around.”

KIERAN has now reached LEVEL 2 with ROSIE SIM. he can now text or call rosie.

[bytheshore]

theo winthrope + olivia flanagan:

as olivia turned to face her, theo pointedly remained facing the bar. she wasn’t going to make this easy for the blonde. last summer, theo had been the vulnerable one, the one who had tried to make things work. if olivia wanted them to be on okay terms with one another, then she’d have to do more than buy theo a drink. 

theo took the time to wipe her smudged lip gloss off of the glass she was drinking out of while she considered her answer. olivia was right - there were nicer places than the crow’s nest. “i’ve always liked adventures,” she replied evenly, raising an eyebrow. theo hadn’t come here looking for olivia, even if that’s what it seemed like. if she’d wanted to see her that badly, she would have gone with the others to the grocery store at some point. 

“besides, how could i turn down a watered down vodka sour in a glass with streaks on it?” maybe she was being a little judgmental, but when had that ever stopped theo? it wasn’t as if she were known for being nice, and she definitely wasn’t feeling particularly generous. 

.

olivia leaned her elbow against the bar, facing theo with her head resting in her palm. she seemed uncharacteristically fidgety, shifting in her seat and having trouble meeting theo’s eyes head-on. but her grin didn’t waver, not even at the brunette’s sardonic reply.

“you think that’s good, just wait until you try a five-dollar pitcher of the finest beer on tap, served in cloudy plastic. that’s the real shit.” she paused, finishing the remainder of her drink before setting the now-empty bottle back on the counter.

“so how’ve you been, then?” olivia looked curiously at theo. “that’s what i’m supposed to ask, right?” then, looking as though it took her a great amount of effort to admit such a thing: “i don’t know, i just missed you.”

[bytheshore]

vincent winthrope + lucy eliopoulos:

🍇

choke lever. if she weren’t a stranger, he might’ve made a joke there, but instead, he squinted his eyes and stepped closer to pay attention to what she was telling him. realistically, he was certain that he’d never actually have to mow a lawn, but it was still a decent life skill to have. who knew? maybe someday, he’d actually get kicked out of the winthrope household and make his way in the world by himself.

“alright, not gonna lie, i’m a little bit freaked out. this is why i can never have a boat, either,” he replied, ignoring the urge to once again, comment on the fact that lucy had used the phrase super hard and super fast without cracking a smile. he liked her. perhaps if he’d met her last year, he wouldn’t have been as annoyed about having to come back this year.

he followed her instructions, wrapping his hand around the handle and yanking it back as hard as it could and voila, there is was, the victorious roar of the whatever-model this lawn mower was. and when he let it fall, as lucy had done before, it fell back to its uncharacteristic silence.

“guess all that time at the gym paid off,” he grinned, actually feeling a bit like he’d accomplished something today instead of wandering around aimlessly around a ghost town. “you know, when you’re not busy making yards look beautiful, you should come hang out with me and my friends. i think you’d all get along pretty well. good fortune, right?” 

.

lucy’s eyes widened in surprise when vinnie got the lawn mower’s engine going on the first try, but in a mildly impressed sort of way. “damn. feels like i just uncovered the next great hidden talent,” she chuckled, tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ears. “think of me when you become famous in the landscaping community. never forget where you came from.”

her expression went from playful to slightly surprised again at the invitation, but definitely not as surprised as before, a pleased grin emerging. “great fortune. i’d love to do that sometime-- i’m sure i’ll get along with them if there as not-fake-nice as you. i’m guessing you guys are in number 15? not that i’m stalking, it’s just the only house on this street with cars in the driveway.”

[bytheshore]

zaina kaif + stella rigby:

.

“Heavy shit to unload on you too right away.” She laughs at the irony of it, though she feels lighter because of it. Guess this summer was meant for her carefully constructed heart to hearts, given the situation she was finding herself in. Her face brightens, nodding. Though she didn’t remember Stella, clearly she had trusted her before. She hopes she could now. “That sounds great.”

“Oh I mean, look at us now. Clearly we were right.” She grins softly, nodding to show she was listening. A sympathetic look crossed her face, thinking about how Theo would’ve liked Stella especially. “God it sounds like-” she pauses, averting her gaze for a moment for feeling too vulnerable. “Sounds like we had a blast. All of it.” She wished she could feel that connection, that attachment. Her birthparents burnt to a crisp and she couldn’t find the proper reaction, because what was it? There was no greeting card for this. “That would be awesome! Seriously, give me your number and maybe when you’re off duty we can stop by. When you can, of course!”

.

Stella smiled, the last of the somberness diffusing from her expression in reaction to Zaina. “Great, yeah, just text me whenever!” She replied, before turning her eyes back down to Zaina’s phone still lingering in her hands. Stella opened up the phone app and typed her number into a new contact, adding a couple of glitter emojis after her name. As she handed the phone back to Zaina, a door opened at the end of the hall and a woman who appeared to be the receptionist returned, shuffling behind the desk with a manila folder clutched in her hand. She handed the folder to Stella with a sorry for the wait and Stella flipped through the contents quickly before looking back to Zaina.

“I’ve gotta get back to work with this, but I’ll see you soon, okay?” She grinned, looking for a moment as though she might hug Zaina again, but seemingly deciding against it. “Don’t be a stranger.”

ZAINA has now reached LEVEL 2 with STELLA RIGBY. she can now text or call stella.