FROMSAUDADES

𝚊 𝚠𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚙𝚝 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚡𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚕

[fromsaudades]

 ⸺       𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲  jer { 34, cst, she/they/he/any ;

the resting place of the following original characters:

𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐗 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐒 { INTRO. REPLIES. TAGS ;

 ⸺          a   THIRTY- EIGHT   year   old   NONBINARY  ( THEY / THEM )   electrician   at   THE MOTEL   living   in   oblitus   for   FIVE   YEARS.

𝐌𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 { INTRO. REPLIES. TAGS ;

  ⸺          a   THIRTY- TWO   year   old   CISGENDER WOMAN   ( SHE / HER )   veterinarian   at   COLONY   HOUSE   living   in   oblitus   for   SIX MONTHS.

[fromsaudades]

( from cherry & charlie's thread ) " oh, doc maude . okay . feel like i can trust this then . doctors are clean, right ?" cherry's expression becomes only more curious as she picks through the drawer with more interest now . she pulls out something at random and begins looking for a hiding place . " i'mma do somethin' fun for her then ... " cherry mumbles distractedly even as she listens to charlie . something in her stomach tightens briefly at the words but she elects to ignore it . " yeah, or it sticks with you and you've got fucked lungs and someone sleeping in your bed ." cherry quips dryly in return as she moves to get down on her knees and look under the bed . she places the item — a book about fuck knows what — under the bed with a nod of approval . " there . let's see how long it'll take her to find that .

a few days—or perhaps weeks—ago, maude had lost track of time. the book had gone missing. it wasn’t just any book; it was a worn and weathered copy, steeped in the comforting aroma of aged paper. its dog-eared corners acted as makeshift bookmarks, marking passages cherished by various readers in the colony. the margins were a mess of scribbled notes, a collective dialogue left behind by others who had held it. the book was more than a possession; it was a shared artifact, a source of quiet joy for the community. and now, it was her burden to recover.

maude had been avoiding the town library for days, hesitant to face the inevitable questions about its whereabouts. she had no excuse—not one she deemed acceptable—for losing something so valued. this was uncharacteristic of her; she prided herself on her reliability. losing the book felt like a betrayal of her own standards, an irresponsible misstep unlike anything she had done since arriving in oblitus six months ago.

her guilt finally pushed her into action. much to the annoyance of colony house, maude had begun methodically questioning everyone she could find. room by room, corner by corner, she pursued her search. at first, she managed to keep her tone neutral—measured and unassuming. but as frustration seeped into her veins, the sweetness of her voice gave way to an unmistakable edge.

"have i asked you already?" her lips tug downward in a frown of growing exasperation. "i’m missing a book. it was in my room just the other day, and now it’s gone." / ( 𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐘 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 - 𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 )

[myristca]

maybe it was better to let someone acknowledge what they were seeing. daytime occurrences were happening more often lately and becca was willing to extend a little curiosity when alex needed company. it was worth checking out, though anything involving the forest was risky and not without it's inherently creepy atmosphere.

it had taken an absurd amount of promises and favors, but she had been able to take her gun from the armory before they left; it hadn't been in her hands for almost a year. hopefully, her aim was still good enough to be useful. the handgun wouldn't do anything against the monsters, but a dog? if she had to.

"i am, i am." becca isn't focused on where they're headed and had instead been stabbing downed branches into the dirt, marking their path back to town. they weren't using any trails today. "no, i didn't, sorry." real or not, the trees made it difficult to see anything directly and the open space was a lucky chance. "do you want to keep going, or should we wait? maybe you'll hear it again."

[fromsaudades]

despite the phantom urgency propelling their legs forward, alex finally paused, doubling over with their hands braced above their knees, lungs heaving for air that felt like smoke scorching their throat. how long had they been running after the dog? it couldn’t have been that long—could it? yet the forest around them had morphed into an unfamiliar blur, the trees swaying and merging with the wind as though conspiring to confuse them further.

they should quit smoking. the thought came bitterly as their chest tightened with every desperate breath.

"if we stop and wait, we might not ever see him again," alex managed, their voice hoarse but edged with determination. there was a wild, unspoken fear in the admission, though even they couldn’t pinpoint exactly why it gripped them so tightly.

they didn’t understand why it mattered—if it even mattered at all. the thought of owning a pet was laughable; the responsibility of being needed, of being someone another creature depended on, made their chest tighten in a way that had nothing to do with exertion. it was too much. too stifling. they weren’t built for that kind of commitment, not when they were barely holding their own life together.

still, there was something about this dog—something they couldn’t quite articulate, but it clawed at their insides nonetheless. alex straightened, trying to steady the wobble in their legs, and glanced back at becca, eyes wide with a mixture of desperation and resolve. "if he’s lost, we have to try and find him, right?" the question lingered in the air, carrying more weight than they intended, almost pleading for validation.

[hcartcorruptcd]

"You do realize I have actual patients to attend to instead of chasing after your wild goose—or in this case, wild dog—into the middle of nowhere, right?" Sullivan quipped, their voice laced with dry humor as they huffed along behind Alex. Their annoyance was theatrical, more for their own amusement than a genuine protest. Truthfully, they had tagged along because the monotony of the town had reached a mind-numbing peak. Same patients, same faces, same mundane routines. Unless someone was dying, it was all so oppressively dull.

But now, trudging further into the dense forest, Sullivan’s initial curiosity was starting to curdle into regret. "Alex, are you absolutely sure you heard a dog?" they asked, their tone skeptical but laced with intrigue. The thought of a dog, and potentially its owner, gnawed at Sullivan’s restless mind. Someone out here? Living beyond the town’s borders? The possibilities were tantalizing, but each step deeper past the tree line sent a prickle of unease up their spine as the safety of the town disappeared from sight.

They exhaled sharply, glancing around the shadowy woods. "And how do you even know this thing is friendly?" Sullivan continued, their words coming faster now as their nerves started to seep through their usual calm exterior. "I’ve got no medical supplies on me, so if it decides to take a chunk out of you, we’re both screwed." They shot Alex a pointed look, their sharp tongue softened slightly by the tension in their expression. For all their charm and bravado, Sullivan was starting to feel the weight of the creeping silence around them—and they didn’t like it one bit.

[fromsaudades]

"i’m certain," alex muttered, their voice laced with quiet determination. the sharp edge in their tone cut through the rising tension as they tried to clarify. "it’s a dog—a sheepdog. i don’t know the exact breed..." they faltered, mentally sifting through their sparse knowledge of canine taxonomy. "black face, brown coat—kind of like a german shepherd, but bigger, fluffier." the description was imprecise, but it was the best they could muster.

sullivan’s barrage of practical, pointed questions only heightened alex’s sense of urgency. these were questions they should have been asking themselves, but they couldn’t focus. time felt like a noose tightening around their resolve. the anxiety clung to them like a second skin as if the dog’s fate hinged on how quickly they acted. alex’s mind raced, the panic building—like the white rabbit in alice in wonderland, they were consumed by the sensation of running late, chasing a trail that only seemed to grow colder. "it always happens like this," they murmured under their breath, eyes scanning the ground for the faint paw prints that etched a path forward.

then came the arguments. "if he wasn’t friendly, he wouldn’t be leading us," alex insisted, more forceful now. their conviction was shaky, but the words tumbled out regardless. they followed the trail, desperate not to lose their way. "just don’t worry, doc. i promise, this is a good thing." the assurance sounded hollow, even to their own ears, more an attempt to quell their spiraling doubts than to ease sullivan’s concerns.

a pause, and then quieter, almost as if confessing to themselves: "he’s never let me get this far before." the admission hung in the air like a fragile thread of hope, vulnerable to the weight of reality.

[hcartcorruptcd]

"Self-destruction?" Ellington’s smirk falters for just a second, a trace of something darker flashing across their expression. They can’t help but wonder if their feelings are showing more than they'd like. Quickly, they shake the thought off, figuring plenty of people turn to alcohol to smooth the edges of discomfort—maybe this was just Alex’s own way of asking.

Ellington raises their glass, the smirk returning with practiced ease. “Nah, this one’s just to enjoying a good night for once—no chaos attached.” With a quick toast, they knock back the shot and waste no time pouring the next, feeling the warmth sink deeper, blurring the edges of thought.

Grinning, they clap a hand on Alex’s shoulder, nodding toward the beer pong table. “Come on, let’s kick things up a notch,” they say, sing-song. Ellington’s eyes glint with a playful challenge, leaving no room for argument. “Show me if you can handle a little defeat,” they add, chuckling, already tugging them along.

[fromsaudades]

"i'll drink to that." with alex, however, chaos seemed to linger perpetually, like a raincloud tethered to their unruly curls, poised to unleash a storm at the slightest provocation. the disorder clung to them stubbornly, like a curse demanding a ritual of sage smoke, a sanctified crystal, or the cleansing rush of blessed water to break free. ellington could only hope to emerge unscathed—though with alex, hope seemed a fragile thing. negative energy had a way of latching onto others, and this town, with its pervasive gloom, was practically a swamp of bad vibes.

the shots were downed quickly, and alex, ever the instigator, was already reaching for the bottle to pour another round. their unsteady hands wobbled the delicate shot glasses, causing the rims to kiss the lip of the bottle with an almost comical lack of precision. a little spilled at the brim, but no harm, no foul—not in a house so consumed by its own hedonistic chaos. the other revelers were far too busy chasing their own pleasures to notice.

ellington’s pull toward the beer pong table prompted a snicker from alex, their skepticism plain. "oh, god, beer pong?" they laughed, the sound rich with amused resignation. defeat seemed inevitable—alex had always been terrible at this game. still, they relished the challenge, albeit with a smirk and a sidelong glance at the liquor. perhaps liquid luck might surprise them tonight. "alright, alright, but next round, i’m calling dibs on a partner who can carry this team," they teased, already anticipating their less-than-stellar performance. "i suck at this."

[fromjean]

"harsh is when there's a flu outbreak and no one can get medicine because we waisted it on stuffy noses that happen every day," jean says, maybe a little too harshly. the roll of her eyes that she throws alex only punctuates the point. could you really blame her though? they were working with limited supply and the four people working the clinic could only do so much. it's not like an ambulance or something was going to magically drive into town with exactly what they need. "trust me, if we had some vicks, i'd give it but we don't even have that around here. my mother would be ashamed." sending the other person on their way, she turns to alex fully and looks them up and down. making sure there was no blood or broken bones that she could see. "what can i do for you? hopefully you don't also have a stuffy nose because i'll tell you the same thing."

[fromsaudades]

listening to jean’s little rants and rambles brought alex a comforting sense of normalcy in a world where it was otherwise scarce. it reminded them of the rhythm of regular life: like a mail carrier delivering packages on the same route, a barista exchanging small talk with familiar customers, or a barber slipping into the same easy conversation with a regular client. those simple, repetitive routines probably didn’t even exist outside anymore. a smile played on alex’s lips as jean carried on about vicks and stuffy noses. "mine would too," they chimed in, their chuckle warm and nostalgic: the memory of their own mother’s ministrations surfaced—vicks rubbed onto the soles of their feet, sealed under socks, or slathered on their chest before they were snugly tucked in under blankets that creased just below their small chin.

alex waved a hand lightly, reassuring jean. "nothing like that, actually—just business. routine lights check. i’ve got to make sure the wiring’s good and that you’re not at risk for a fire here." yet, the longer they stood there... the more the thought of lingering felt appealing. procrastination crept in like an old friend. alex leaned a little closer, feigning a sheepish grin. "but, now that you mention it... my throat does feel a little itchy..."

[frommarama]

marama never understood why people drank alcohol, it just made her stomach hurt and her brain feel weird. she wondered if she would have liked it if she had a real life, one out in the world besides this town. but here, she just watches everyone every year drink too much and do something stupid. she could tell that alex has been partaking but that wasn't a surprise considering she often sees them going to the lost and found. she never judged, but she was curious. "i don't think they'll ever trust me, even though i've been here longer than any of them," she says with a sigh. mara glances at their hand on her shoulder and nods. "i think so."

[fromsaudades]

“see, something about that...” alex’s voice trailed off, the rhythm of the music giving the impression of hesitation, though it was more the natural cadence of their words. that, and the sharp inhale between their teeth, made the pause linger. “...doesn’t sit right with me.” the thought weighed heavily, each word deliberate. respect, in a place where it should have been inherent, stripped away without reason—what for? alex’s gaze sharpened, even through the haze of alcohol clouding their mind, as if the unfairness of it all cut through the fog. “you should be running things,” they said, their tone slipping into something steadier, more serious than before. “that’s how it should be. knowledge is power, and you hold the town's knowledge, right?” a sympathetic shake of alex’s head followed, their disheveled composure doing little to mask the sincerity beneath. "in your memories, even..." the faint slur in their words couldn’t dull the conviction of what they meant. “you don’t deserve that kind of treatment. not at all.”

[trcublemakr]

charlie chuckles lights as she takes another drink of her cup. "yeah, i just keep hoping the more i drink, the easier it'll go down." so far it wasn't working but it was making her care less with each sip she takes. maybe by the end of the night she'll be a regular to this stuff. "honestly, i don't eve think anyone would notice. i'm sure there's loads of people smoking in here. cameron might be pissed tomorrow but i'm sure she'll have a lot more to clean up than some smoke so go for it." god, the chores that all of colony house were going to do tomorrow was going to be annoying. but rather than think about that now, she just takes another sip and listens to alex. they seemed like the loner type, someone to sit quietly and watch people than be involved in a big party like this. "i can see that actually, regular at a bar or something. i was definitely a party person but i think that was just the college experience. i'd probably turn into a barfly in a couple years if i wasn't here."

[fromsaudades]

you didn’t have to tell alex twice. permission from one person was all they needed, and they sure as hell weren’t about to wander around the colony house party collecting more approvals like hall passes. with a practiced flick, they opened the battered pack of pre-rolled cigarettes—an ancient relic of a bygone era, long past its prime but still serviceable. alex held the pack out to charlie first, the unspoken offer clear. “want one?” they asked, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of their lips.

“so, college, huh?” they waited a beat, then plucked a cigarette for themselves, lighting it with a deft motion. the first drag was sharp and acrid, but it melted away the lingering nausea and chased off the last ghosts of the evening’s regrets. the thin smoke curled lazily upward, a gray ribbon winding through the dim light. “what was that like?” alex asked, their tone carrying equal parts curiosity and mischief. “all parties and keg stands, or did you actually manage to learn a thing or two?”

[rubyregret]

josephine's tongue presses to the back of her teeth , spongey pink aiming to push between the cracks as she refrains from making such a heartless remarks in regard to the woman's death . eyes remain trained on the site where emerson had been , corpse hardly cooled when she was happened upon . josephine had been cooped up in her room at the motel , cheek flush to the window , breath fogging the glass with condensation ; a hand feathering the pane as if trying to lure the monster's into her view like tempting a bull with a scarlet flag .

taste my flesh and my sin , her fingers would spell out as they wove the drafty air of her residence between them , breaths short .

josephine's expression soured for a quick moment , wearing a detest for the vow made by the other for a flicker of a second before it melted away ; back to neutrality .

" it will happen again , " josephine said in counter , lips buzzing like static , a slow inhale of breath followed by an even more drawn out exhale that shuddered as it clung to the air in a small plume of mist . " — and we cannot do anything to stop it . to promise such a thing would be cruel . "

a bit quieter , hushed as if spoken to herself — a prayer ; " the reaper will come to collect us all , eventually . "

[fromsaudades]

while it was understandable—remaining realistic in a place like this—she couldn’t help but feel that the pessimism accompanying such a mindset wasn’t particularly helpful. then again, she wasn’t exactly the most optimistic person herself. back in the real world, she had always relied on logic and practicality, a grounded approach that had once defined her. but six months here had changed her in ways she hadn’t fully grasped yet.

she disagreed with them, fundamentally. still, she had no desire to prod or provoke. the last thing they needed was to fall into petty squabbles when survival demanded unity. yet, a part of her itched to understand the reasoning behind their no-nonsense truth, to pick apart the mindset that left so little room for hope.

“i think there are precautions we can take,” she began carefully, her voice measured but not without conviction. “to make sure it doesn’t happen again. look after each other. hold everyone accountable when rules are broken...” her words faltered as she trailed off, the weight of her thoughts pressing on her. she hoped she made sense, that her perspective might be heard without sparking contention.

“i just don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying to stay hopeful,” she added softly, her gaze steady but tinged with vulnerability.

[fromcamadams]

cameron took a sip of her drink, grateful for the small break between watching over everyone and making sure no one was completely destroying the house. she didn't even want to think about the mess she was going to have to clean up in the morning. nothing worse than cleaning up from a huge party with a hangover so she knew no one would help her with it. pushing the thought away, she chuckles lightly at maude's words. "good luck with that, i'm sure most rooms are occupied right now and you do not want to interrupt that. but if it gets too much, i'll let you sneak away to my room for a bit." she didn't let just anyone in her personal space, but she liked maude and she knew this night could be a lot for people. "i'm holding up as best i can. its hard making sure everyone isn't doing something too stupid but so far so good." hopefully she didn't just jinx them. the last thing they need is someone drunkenly opening a door or something. "wait, it is your first time, isn't it? damn, yeah, i remember my first halloween. totally overwhelming to me."

[fromsaudades]

she understood completely. what could be worse than stumbling upon a pair of lascivious adults, fueled by cheap alcohol and the creeping fear of imminent mortality? her chuckle was soft but knowing, a sound that spoke volumes. “that’s kind of you to offer your room,” she said with a grateful tilt of her head. “i might just take you up on that if my social battery starts running dry.” truth be told, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could last. the introvert in her was already beginning to bristle at the prospect of staying up all night, navigating the unpredictable chaos of human interaction.

at the mention of her first party, a guilty smile crept onto her face, accompanied by a slow nod of agreement. “so far… it’s not exactly what i expected,” she admitted. “but, then again, maybe i shouldn’t have set my expectations so low. this place… it’s remarkable in what it can create, in what it can forge.” she meant that sincerely. despite the isolation from the rest of the world, this place had begun to feel like a home—or at least something close to it.

“do you?” she asked after a moment of hesitation, her gaze softening as curiosity took hold. “do you mind telling me what it was like?” she loved a good story.

[rampents]

colony house, maude. @fromsaudades

It’s late, the kind of late where Colony House quiets down a little, but the hum of distant conversations still lingers in the hallways. Muz had been roaming the house, as usual, trying to find a spot where the noise didn’t feel like it was going to crawl into his skin. He lands in the kitchen and leans against the doorframe. He glances across the room and notices Maude, sitting at the kitchen table.

'Hey,' Muz says, his voice low but steady. The last thing he wants to do after nightfall is startle anyone. 'You doing alright?'

[fromsaudades]

a nod follows. “yeah…” she lifts the book from her lap, its weight almost comforting in her hands. against the flickering candlelight, its shadow dances across her face, obscuring her expression in the dimness. “just reading. can’t sleep.” her voice carries a stillness ⸺ an understanding, that muz very well could be in the same restless state she is in. with a deliberate motion, she slips her finger between the pages to mark her place, careful not to crease the spine—a small, habitual act of care.

“how about you?” she asks, her gaze flicking over them, taking in their silhouette against the faint glow. her eyes linger for a moment, scanning for any sign of injury, any hint of trouble written on their form. "looking for company?"

[purgatored]

CHERRY CAN'T HELP BUT BRIGHTEN AT MAUDE'S ASSESSMENT . despite herself, cherry isn't immune to approval . and from a basically a doctor no less . " y'know, i thought i was ." cherry says with a thoughtful nod, even if truly she could attribute at least half the credit to the idea ( or at least talking about it ) to the alcohol in her system . the fact was cherry was pretty sure most people around here didn't care to hear her ideas . and sure, she'd fuckin' tell 'em anyways, but a good amount of the time it wasn't exactly worth the effort . it's nice to have a receptive audience though . refreshing, or whatever . maude continues and cherry's brow arches with it . " your daddy used to take you hunting ?" the words are accompanied with a twist of cherry's expression . she moves to take another sip of her drink, her lips at the rim of the cup as she asks, " what was he, some kinda sadist ? you're a vet ." cherry swallows her mouthful . " you've pretty much got 'animal lover' written on your forehead ." cherry brings a hand up to trace a line on her forehead where the label would be . she lets her hand drop as maude goes on . she studies her for a moment before shrugging easy enough . " ... they sure look happy when they're fuckin' tauntin' us ." a wrinkle of her nose as she swirls the contents of her cup . " pisses me off every fuckin' time too ..." she grumbles with a huff .

[fromsaudades]

a dark glimmer dances in her blue irises, swirling with unspoken memories as she chuckles quietly to herself, her teeth pressing against her bottom lip to stifle the sardonic laughter threatening to escape. “something like that,” she says with a nod, her tone steady despite the storm beneath the surface. her father had been more than a sadist. he was a murderer, a monster, the kind of figure whose shadow stretched long enough to haunt her even now. yet she hadn’t unveiled that chapter of her life to the town—not yet.

“so, it was all that hunting,” she continues, her voice softening as she wrestles with the weight of her confession, “that made me want to become a vet.” she appreciates the passage of time; it’s allowed her to begin atoning for the sins she committed under his shadow—or at least that’s the story she tells herself. “i think seeing those poor animals running from us—terrified—made me sympathize a little too much.” a faint pout tugs at her lips, sorrow peeking through the cracks in her carefully composed demeanor.

she looks to cherry and feels an echo of her frustration, the shared weight of fighting against forces larger than themselves. “i get it,” she says, her voice dipping lower. “but the only thing we can do to keep their power from growing is to stay alive, watch each other’s backs, and make sure they don’t win.”

[patroclusblossom]

Adrien shakes his head.

"Ain't no way to look ridiculous. Trust me. And if you're worried about dancing alone," he offers an arm to her like a regency gentleman, "then I'll dance with you."

He doesn't want anyone here to feel left out or alienated, just because of insecurities for fears.

[fromsaudades]

they sure knew how to make someone feel at home. "i'd love that, actually." the words come with a soft smile, and for the first time in a while, maude feels a genuine sense of belonging. she was used to standing out, and not always in a good way—it was in the way she carried herself, shaped by years of being the sore thumb in her small, insular world. that was before her new life had begun, before she dared hope for something different. this, though—this warm welcome—was a refreshing change.

in gratitude, she takes their arm with a light touch. "are you always this nice? because, honestly, we could all benefit from your kindness around town. it’s making me feel a little guilty that we haven’t met sooner."

[fromjean]

open starter where: the clinic

pinching the bridge of her nose, jean turned away from the person on the cot. she tried to not let her frustration show. her bedside manor has really gone down hill since she's come here, but it was hard to keep her composure in this place. here it was about keeping people alive rather than keeping them happy. it didn't help when people would come begging for meds they didn't have. sure there was a pharmacy in town, but it was mostly for show. the only meds they had was whatever happened to come in with the people who showed up here. "no i am not going to waste medicine because you have a stuffy nose," she says finally and turns back to them. "it's just a cold. drink some tea, take a hot bath, and get some rest. you'll feel better in a day or two."

[fromsaudades]

"kinda harsh, don't you think?" ⸺ thought it's undeniably unfair for alex to pass judgment, especially considering they’ve only overheard the tail end of the conversation. but, as always, they relish the opportunity to pull jean's whenever possible. ( perhaps they've made a habit of it over the past fourteen months, but who’s really keeping track? ) "i mean, who wants to hear they're nothing more than a waste of medicine?" no one, and certainly not alex. but in this instance, alex is being something of a hypocrite. after all, they’ve always been the type to rub dirt into a wound in the misguided belief it would heal faster, pushing through any ailment without so much as consulting a doctor. they couldn’t even recall the last time they’d had a proper checkup. "at least throw in some vicks vaporub," they mutter.

[rubyregret]

𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝘧𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦

josephine stood on the curb with the toes of her boots just barely hanging over its edge , balancing on the balls of her feet . denim-encased arms wrapped around her slender frame , a means of self soothing , as her misty gaze concentrated leftward towards the town center where emerson's body had been found the night prior .

it wasn't that jo was unmoved by her passing , not necessarily , but in purgatory ( as well as life ) , death was the inevitable means to an end . the people of oblitus could only hang in the in balance for so long — eventually , the reaper would come for them all . josephine's brows furrowed together , lips curling inwards to press into a fine line , gaze slightly narrowing as if trying to see through space & time to witness emerson's dance with the reaper first hand .

the clearing of a throat gave her a start , jumping , as if she had been yanked out of a hypnosis by the snapping of fingers . josephine's face flew to her right , meeting the eyes of who appeared to be looking for her attention , head cocking like that of a confused feline as the bridge of her nose scrunched . she took a step back , feet now fully flat on the sidewalk .

" hello , " her voice felt raw , like she had swallowed shards of glass . her shoulders loosened , sinking from where they had shot up to her ears . jo sighed , stare returning back to where the cooled corpse had been just hours earlier ; " — sad what happened to her . "

[fromsaudades]

her lashes flutter as her gaze drops to the spot where the grass lies flattened. the carrion’s remains had sunk into the soil, the earth already bearing the imprint of its burden. when it came to animals, death was harder for maude to process. humans, on the other hand—she’d grown desensitized to their loss, and this place, with its cuse, had only deepened that emotional numbness. in time, she too would fade into the landscape—a forgotten patch of grass where growth faltered, her body buried beneath it, lost to memory.

"yeah⸺" her response is brief, a small, curt nod of commiseration. words elude her, despite the undeniable truth that the world had lost someone so beautiful. tragedy had become a fixture in their new existence, so deep in their daily lives that it was too easy to grow indifferent to it. death here, it seemed, was inescapable.

maude's eyes flash towards jo, an instant of agreement passing by as the wind carries between the locks of her shoulder length hair. she struggles with offering the kind of sentimental comfort that others seem to find so naturally. instead, she clings to what she knows. “it shouldn’t have happened,” she says, her voice firm, the weight of logic anchoring her words. the town’s rigid rules were supposed to prevent such things, but now that they had failed, what did that mean for their future? “but we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

[moonlitworries]

where : the edge of the forest / town with : open

— RAYS from the afternoon sun shine through the trees , melting away the remaining frost on the yellowing leaves and warming greer's near windburnt cheeks . though a chilly autumn was no irregularity for the detroit native , there was something sinister in the air , something she tries desperately to ignore , that makes the cold air seem to seep into her weary bones , inescapable no matter how many layers she may wear . despite this , her glove - less right hand remains outside of her coat pocket , a nearly finished cigarette held tightly between two pinkened fingers , orange lighter clutched in the palm of her hand . the unease only worsens the longer she stares into the woods , the shadows among the trees looking all the more ominous . she takes a deep inhale , the harshness of the cold air stinging her nose and throat as she does so , refreshing and punishing at the same time . as she exhales , she closes her eyes , cutting herself off from staring into the forest , and the dark , irrational thoughts that seem to cluster in her mind whenever she was near it . footsteps approach , the sound of gravel crunching taking away from the otherwise eerie silence , and successfully pulling the young woman from her reverie . greer's eyes remain closed for a moment longer , this time to contain an eye roll . “ i'm not running off again , you guys don't have to keep threatening to ‘ restrain me ’ . ” forever assuming rather than asking , disinterest and annoyance cloud greer's voice . her eyes open only to fall into a scowl as she turns to look at the one who interrupts her moping . “ what do you want ? ”

[fromsaudades]

she remembers her first day as if it happened yesterday. six months ago, the world as she knew it ended—but she was fortunate to have two of her best friends by her side. she cannot fathom how she would have navigated this new, unforgiving world without them. their first night together was spent in silence, save for the quiet sobs they shared, clutching each other for comfort, and exchanging the weight of their mutual dread, fear, and uncertainty.

she still doesn't know how she would have endured it without them.

maude remains silent—her steps having brought her to that safe space. the crunch of gravel beneath her boots fades, leaving only the soft murmur of the wind to fill the stillness. she isn’t like the others. she prefers to let them speak when they’re ready, to give them space to process, to comprehend the vastness of their loss. and in truth, they had all the time in the world to reflect on it, save for the moment the sun began its descent.

once twilight arrived, all bets would be off.

"a phone call home. but that’s not happening," she mutters, her voice a low murmur of resignation. she nods, as if the thought of even a brief conversation would somehow offer her solace. she'd call her parents ( her adoptive ones ) to let them know she was safe. "i think that’s the real issue," she continues, her tone thoughtful and tinged with empathy. "we keep focusing on what we want, rather than what’s real. that, and no one’s actually asked you what you need, what would make all of this a little easier to bear."

she gives them a soft, sympathetic smile, before asserting, "i'm sorry this is happening to you."

[fromsaudades]

you hear a barking, you've heard it before. there is a dog outside your door. it barks at you, wagging its tail. it wants you to follow it. dogs are trustworthy, right? it's totally not weird that you can never find the dog when you go looking for it but it always seems to be able to find you. it walks towards the forest, it wants to show you something. deeper and deeper into the trees, never looking back to see if you're following it. it barks and runs through the woods but when you think you catch up to it, the dog is gone. you're standing in a clearing. there is nothing there besides a single tree in the middle. it seems like an ordinary tree. why did the dog bring you here? what is so special about the tree? do you investigate it or do you go back to town and try to forget about it like all the other times the dog has come to you?

work boots are sodden ⸺ their soles heavy with mud that clings like whisper in the dark. the storm had left its mark across the forest floor: damp patches splotch the earth, slight remnants of that fated night’s rage. yet, the barking presses onward with a determined pace unfazed by the mire. almost forgotten, those lingering puddles, pools, and thatches go unnoticed.

a howl bark rings out again—sharp, long and insistent—cutting through the silence like a thunder above the gray skies. it echoes, a sound so familiar from alex's very dreams. they are reminded that reality is never as certain as it seems⸺

as the dog ahead advances, those peels grow fainter, more distant, swallowed by the endless stretch of shadowed trees. "come on," they urge, their voice rough with a thread of desperation. "keep up." they couldn't afford to lollygag now. not when they were so close to catching the canine.

the clearing ahead feels like the only refuge, once it's finally in full view. "did you see which way he went?" / ( 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐋𝐋 )