“You’re a pussy.” Leo scoffed, despite not exactly being thrilled at the idea of telling her himself. Not because he didn’t want to be rude, or wanted to avoid hurting her feelings, but he really could not be bothered with being yelled at by what looked like the prissiest blonde in all of Marina. “Nose goes is bullshit, you always fuckin’ cheat! Practically punching yourself in the face before you’ve even said go. I’m not that stupid. Just - buy me a shot first. I predict slapping in my future.”
You’re a pussy. "Only on Thursdays." Rock, paper, scissors had also been a top contender, but why risk fate? "Sure do. It's the only game where I've got a significant advantage over you." One hand lifted to flag down the weary bartender who collected their order with a simple nod. In less than a minute, the duo were graced with a matching pair of shots–– she'd never allow him to drink alone. Lifting her own glass in mock cheers, Shay grinned playfully at his expense, "Remember to duck."
"Come on, I can't do this sober. I'm running on Coke Zero here and really lacking the courage necessary to deal with whatever vitriol she would throw my way," Dakota said with a groan, clutching her glass as she looked at the condom sticking to this girl's leg. She was so distracted by the grossness that she barely registered Shay's words and put her finger to her nose what felt like minutes too late. "Ah, shit! That's not fair, you had an obvious advantage." @intothevnkncwn
"Sounds like you need something stronger." While Shay swore by a little liquid courage, not everyone shared her sentiment. Obvious advantage or alcohol notwithstanding, any dialogue with the wannabe Miss Marina Island felt like a reach for both of them. "Option two, we can let her wallow in public embarrassment for a little longer. Call it justice from the universe or whatever." A faint shrug lifted her shoulders before she frowned. "But then we'd be the assholes and get our own comeuppance. The cycle never ends."
Kai chuckles lowly. "Not really." He teases, placing one of his hands on the bar next to him. "You could chalk it up with a Good Samaritan act but I also own the place so I don't know if it would be considered one since it is my job to make sure everyone in this place is safe." He keeps his eyes focused on her as she explains she had gotten off a twelve hour shift at the diner. "At least tell me you got a way home from here."
"Ah, just responsible then." Decidedly less fun than the alternative, but Shay supposed a place like this wouldn't stay in business long if he constantly bent to his own whims. With her gaze traversing through the crowd, she mulled over the idea of staying for a drink or wandering the path home. The allure of a warm bed shouldn't be underestimated. "I've got two feet and a relatively empty road. I'll manage."
There were few people that Juno felt helplessly comfortable around, and Shay had always been one of them. Just being near her was emotionally alleviating. Perhaps that's why she opened up so easily during their time together. "Right." she replied with a more genuine smile now, "So what type of pizza should we do? You wouldn't be in the mood for some buffalo mac and cheese pizza, would you? I hear they have a garlic break special with it."
"First of all," she pivoted on her heel, finger pointed in an accusing albeit teasing fashion. "You know you can't put buffalo mac and garlic bread in a question and expect me to say no. I'm weak and have zero will power." There remained so few hedonistic desires that Shay could deny themself and food often battled for first place as their most condemned vice. "Second, did you bring gum? We're gonna need it if we ever wanna face society after this."
Delaney laughs. "Apparently, I don't." She teases. She raises her beer up to her lips, taking a long sip of it. It was hard to really feel like everyone else, most in mourning. She didn't know the girl plus... this was her childhood. People died and were murdered in Chicago. She was only aware of it because she ran around with her brothers when they were all doing shit they weren't supposed to be. "I'm guessing this is the first time it's happened here?"
"We'll fix that." On some level, Shay felt disengaged from the mourning. Not that she wasn't stunned or empathetic to those closest to it, but Daniela had been essentially an acquaintance and it didn't feel like their place to grieve over someone barely known. "Nah, it's a regular slasher film on good ole Marina. I told 'em to include that in the brochure, but there was a whole spiel about tourists, revenue... Blah, blah, blah." Sarcasm and dark humor probably didn't play well here, though she had a distinct inclination that Delaney wouldn't mind.
welcome to marina, amara saengkaew ( cis female, she/her ) ! they are a twenty nine year old who has lived on the island for two days. word on the street is they’re currently living in marina heights and works as a model. everyone also says they look a lot like davika hoorne. what do you think?
TW: infidelity, questionable parentage
PINTEREST
Apple of her parents' eye. The baby of a wealthy and famous Thai family who adored her in true princess fashion. Shockingly, this somehow did not go to Amara's head and instead turned her into a big ole daddy's girl, but she does care about all of her family quite a lot.
Even Myria, or Noi as they called her, garnered affection from Amara despite her role as the familial outcast. The middle child had been deemed their proverbial black sheep, yet somehow Amara always felt like the odd duck out as a child. It was an odd sensation and she couldn't place her finger on it for the longest time.
It started with an off-handed comment in school. "If I didn't know you and Myria were sisters, I'd never think you two were related". Sure, they were vastly different people on unsurprisingly different paths. But it felt deeper than that somehow.
Amara never had much interest in academics, that became rather obvious from an early age. Intelligence felt easy, but with her parents being celebrities, any bad habits that came with her role as a nepo baby started to sink in.
Unfortunately the family did little to encourage schooling and instead pushed her towards a foray into modeling. Mainly for the perks of showing Amara off like a pageant queen as early as possible. So she went along with it because why the fuck not? Stand here, smile there, wave like this.
The pride her father displayed at every award, magazine feature, and accomplishment (despite all of it riding on his coattails and dime), only propelled her further into the lifestyle.
It also ended with an off-handed question in a makeup chair. "Have you ever done those ancestry DNA tests?" No, of course not. What could she possibly learn that hadn't been divulged by her family already? Yet the gnawing curiosity lingered and eventually became too great. So she bought a test.
When the results finally came back weeks later, Amara had all but forgotten it in the haze of her busy schedule. The answers contained inside were horrifying... Half Thai... Half Belgian on her father's side. With both of her known parents being full Thai, these results could only spell out long concealed evidence of infidelity.
Heartbroken over the idea of not only being lied to about her parentage, but also harboring a terrible secret that could both shame and implode their family, Amara took off. She considered hiding out in New York or LA, but eventually chose Marina because nobody would immediately look for her here.
She knows Myria is still on the island and living out of the vacation home, having been discarded by their family long ago. For what reason? Did she know the truth? Is that why they abandoned her? Amara is searching for unknowable answers and plans to start with her sibling.
TLDR;
Myria's little sister
Grew up wealthy and the nepo baby daughter of two celebrities
Always felt off and a little different for some reason
Took one of those ancestry tests and found out she's the product of an affair
Ran away to Marina to figure out what to do and wants answers from Myria
“Oh, no way. I’m not gonna be the one to tell Miss America about a condom stuck to her leggings. She already yelled at the bartender for putting ice in her drink. This one's all you.” One palm gestured forward as if her company might actually take the bait and enter the lion’s den. Shay hadn’t consumed nearly enough to venture to that level of philanthropy where getting her head bitten off sounded like a swell idea. “Here, we can even make it fair… Nose goes."
For someone with an arsenal of words in her back pocket, there was nothing that could come close to explaining away whatever it was the night had brought to their island. The loose end of not knowing who or why only left them all open to further questions. Was the culprit one of them? Someone she loved? Cared for? Or was it a stranger who simply set their sights on her for reasons they'd never know, "It's sick. I can't even.. -- have you seen or spoken to any of the others?" Atticus, Bella - Celeste, Kasi, Parker?.. the list of people distraught felt like it would be endless. "I can't even imagine how her brothers might be feeling." Knowing they were there - at the festival, while her sister was brutally murdered right under all of their noses.
Dark tendrils shook in response to the question. Perhaps she should've attempted to reach out in the aftermath, but who honestly wished for condolences from an acquaintance? "No, not really. Kinda thought it was better to stay out of everybody's hair. I mean, what would I even say? Sorry for your loss? That just feels so..." Insufficient. Hollow. Unhelpful. Dealer's choice really. No amount of polite sentiment would bring Daniela back, nor would it undo her gruesome fate or the island's panic. "How the hell does a family move on from something like this?"
Kai smirks. "Ace? Is that what you call the boys?" He teases. He gestures around them, noting some of the drunk people stumbling around. "As you can tell it's something I'm used to." He clears his throat, pulling his hands from her as he shoves them into the pocket of his jeans. "Do you need an Uber? Or was it a two left feet kind of thing?"
"Why? You wanna be like other boys?" Her gaze drifted to the nightclub patrons swaying on their feet, at least one stood bent over ready to empty the contents of their stomach. Delightful. "So the Good Samaritan act is a feature, not a bug. Noted." Dark curls shook at the offer. Not that she wasn't appreciative, but why risk passing out in the back of a stranger's car? "It was a twelve hour diner shift kinda thing, but that's not a bad assumption."
Nobody knocked on his door that wouldn't let themselves in if left alone long enough and though he wasn't among those feeling the overwhelming grief that clouded the island; the smell of death in the air didn't exactly bring about the mood for entertaining. Yet, spotting Shay through the sliver of the front window not covered by the shitty curtain, he huffed a quiet laugh and yanked the door open. At her severely unnecessary question, Rafe held up the near-empty bottle of beer in his hand, "Fucking impeccable timing," he knew it was likely only a matter of time before the cops came knocking on his door. "Get in here, neighbors need somethin' new to talk about."
Great minds. Murder had a tendency to dampen most people's spirits, with very good reason, but she needed someone a little less fazed by it tonight. Not wholly unaffected, just less tear-stricken. "Yeah, that's what they tell me." Hardly. Yet Shay grinned with all the vigor of a thief before ducking inside on command. "Using me for gossip fodder? Shameful, Raf. Here," one arm extended the bottle in his direction as she settled onto his couch. "We'll call it a step up from whatever dishwater you've been drinking tonight."
Noticing the handful of sideways glances shot in his direction, Abel turned to the person beside him - offering them the worlds corniest smile and two-fingered salute. "Hello." He even went out of his way to give them a little head nod. The glances would be easy to ignore if he'd remembered the comically large Santa hat he'd still been wearing. Clearing his throat, Abel turned back to the person beside him, pointing to the counter they were waiting by. "I didn't cut you in line did I? I'm - half asleep... and can offer you a large cappuccino as compensation? There's an ice cube in it, but. I'm impatient, that's all. I want it to be cool enough to drink now - not that that matters. I didn't, did I?"
"Nah, you didn't cut anybody." With an amused grin, she slipped behind the counter once more and cleared off a recent patron's dish. His rambling didn't bother the waitress much, having grown far too accustomed to their chipper regulars and groups of inebriated teens at odd hours. "Seems everyone's a little sleep deprived these days." Glancing between his chosen accessory and earnest face, a question emerged without thought, "You wanna sit for a spell, Mr. Claus?"
"Thank you for helping me move all the instruments, or whatever." Juno said, pressing her lips in what she could only hope looked like an okay smile. "You didn't have too." The help did however make it easier on her the later that it got. She would have spent a good two hours just moving them alone on her own. She didn't always mind it normally which is how she always ended up as the last to leave practice, but for some reason tonight she couldn't stand the deafening silence. "All that's really left is organizing and numbering the music. I'll order us some pizza if you wanna stay a little longer."
"Don't mention it." Seriously. Helpfulness was embedded in Shay, practically second nature at this point despite any otherwise irresponsible decision making. If Juno needed somebody, she'd be there–– zero questions asked. "No, but you needed help and that's what friends are for." Allegedly they were friends now and that made it easy enough to skirt around their history in moments like this one. "You know I never decline pizza. Guess I'm sticking around for a bit."
"Seriously? You want to talk theories this early in the morning? Let a man finish his coffee first, damn," Lucas stated half-jokingly as he took a long, welcome sip from his mug. He didn't have many vices but coffee sure was one of them. "My brain can barely put two and two together right now, let alone figure out who murdered Daniela. I still can't believe that even happened here."
"Relax. I'm not asking for your full thesis with a works cited page," she clarified with a shrug, not entirely put off from discussing the subject at any hour of the day. Murder in Marina was bizarre enough without confining it to a timetable. "Just... thoughts, ya know? I can't imagine anybody capable, dunno if that makes things better or worse."
"You know if you do win it's only cause I'm off my game..." Melody began as she lined the balls back in the rack. She'd been distracted for the past few days, more than usual and processing her grief while taking on crazy shifts wasn't the best combination. Which was why she made a beeline to May's from the hospital to blow off some steam, and well the bartender always gave her free beer. "What're we betting tonight?"
"Pretty sure if I win it's a miracle, 'cause I suck at this." Not for lack of trying, she'd just never quite gotten the hang of how to gauge her shots beyond a corner pocket or ones easily lined up. Anything to provide ample distraction, though. "I'm thinking clothes since it looks like we have the same shoe size. State your terms."
Kirby was startled awake when the table shifted slightly under her, looking at her surroundings in confusion. "Shit, how long have I been sleeping?" She asked groggily, looking at her now cold cup of coffee. "I closed my eyes for a second."
"How long did you wanna be sleeping?" Semi-rhetorical. It was only by accident that Shay bumped the table and considering the slow morning, she didn't mind a snoozing customer. "It's all good, happens to the best of us." Her chin nodded to the literally cold brew. "You want another?"
