Tessa Quinn

[itstessaaquinn]

TESSA QUINN

"..." Age: 17   Pronouns: She/her   Occupation:  Highschool student

[itstessaaquinn]

Tessa stared at him for a long time before looking back down at the rabbit and continuing to pet the rabbit. Then she poked the boy's forehead, lightly, with her other hand, the one not petting the rabbit.

[willowmvrs]

He took that as a yes since she seemed very focused on the rabbit. He also didn't flinch away from her touch. "Glad we're on the same vibe," he mused, pressing a bit closer, gently telling her she could hold the sweet animal if she wished.

[itstessaaquinn]

Tessa's eyes widened, and she slowly took the rabbit in her arms. It was soft. She pressed her face against the fur.

[itstessaaquinn]

Tessa didn't reply; instead, she reached out to touch its ear. Fluffy. It was cute. Cute. That was a new word she learned. Cute. Like when she was a baby. Cute like an outfit. Cute like a boy.

[willowmvrs]

Willow never needed a response to keep talking. "It seems like a Clover," he declared, keeping his arms steady so she could keep petting the rabbit. "Do you like animals?" he tried asking a simpler question.

[itstessaaquinn]

Tessa stared at him for a long time before looking back down at the rabbit and continuing to pet the rabbit. Then she poked the boy's forehead, lightly, with her other hand, the one not petting the rabbit.

[willowmvrs]

open starter location: edge of the forest line

"I never thought wild rabbits could be so friendly," he exclaimed as the rabbit snuggled into his arms. It was definitely unusual for a wild animal to be so friendly, but he was not about to turn down a cute creature. "I kind of want to name it."

// @sterpstarters

[itstessaaquinn]

Tessa didn't reply; instead, she reached out to touch its ear. Fluffy. It was cute. Cute. That was a new word she learned. Cute. Like when she was a baby. Cute like an outfit. Cute like a boy.

[itstessaaquinn]

She stared at him, then at the pay phone, then at the card in his hand. There was one thing on her mind. She didn't want to go home. She wanted to stay with this strange boy, Dustin, who was very enthusiastic. Tessa shook her head and pointed towards the park. Then poked his forehead again. Then the park. Then his forehead again, before using her sleeve to wipe away something from her nose, looking down to see blood. She held it up to show it to Dustin. He seemed aware of weird things like blood.

[dustinoutofrange]

dustin followed the sequence with the intense concentration of someone trying to decode enemy transmissions.

park. forehead. park. forehead. blood.

he squinted at her sleeve, then at her face, then at the park behind her like it might suddenly provide subtitles.

“okay,” he said slowly, holding one hand up. “so either you want me to go to the park and think really hard… or the park made your nose bleed with its mind, which, frankly, in hawkins? not impossible.”

he glanced at the blood again. “lemme see.” he gestured toward her nose, waiting a second to make sure she wouldn’t bolt or poke him again before leaning just a little closer. just looking.

“okay, still bleeding, but not, like, horror-movie bleeding.” he nodded more to himself than to her. “that’s… manageable.”

he took one of the tissues and demonstrated, dabbing under his own nose like a very, very dorky nurse.

“gentle pressure, no dramatic sleeve murder scene.”

then he tapped his own forehead, mirroring her, and pointed toward the park.

“you want me,” tap, “to go there?” point.

he repeated it slower, eyebrows raised, giving her room to confirm or reject.

“okay,” he said. “you don’t wanna call them yet. i get that.” he turned his body a little toward the park, not walking yet, just making it clear he was taking her seriously.

“so. we can do park first. but if you pass out, throw up, or start seeing double, i’m overruling the mysterious silent vibe and dragging you to help, okay?”

[itstessaaquinn]

Tessa didn't reply. She pointed at the park and walked over to it, her nose still bleeding. She ended up falling again, tripping over a rock. She didn't get up. Just lie there.

[itstessaaquinn]

Tessa didn't reply. Instead, she just stared at the tissues before looking back up at Dustin. She stood up. The first thing she noticed she was slightly taller than him. Tessa didn't bother to wipe her nose. She poked Dustin's chest. Then his forehead. She reached into her bag to pull out the card her parents had given her in case someone tried to speak with her. Hi! My name is Tessa Quinn. I am 17 years old, and I cannot speak. If you find me, call: 1 260-562-1799. My parents will come pick me up. She handed it to Dustin.

[dustinoutofrange]

dustin blinked once at the poke to his chest.

then again at the forehead poke.

then he took the card, eyes scanning it at top speed. and immediately his whole expression changed.

“oh,” he said softly, all the rapid-fire chaos in him dropping down a few notches. “okay. okay, got it.”

he looked back up at her, then at the bleeding nose, then back to the card. “tessa,” he said carefully, “you could’ve opened with the forehead poke thing, honestly. very effective communication strategy.”

dustin folded the card and kept it visible in his hand instead of pocketing it. he gave a small nod, like they’d successfully established diplomatic relations.

“okay. so. new plan. we call your parents, because that is what the official tessa quinn emergency instructions say to do, and i am a rule follower in exactly this one scenario.”

he fished in his pocket for change and a few random objects that absolutely were not useful, then grimaced.

“unless, of course, you have opinions about that.” he paused, then corrected himself. “which—obviously you do. i just mean…” he gestured vaguely. “you can point. or nod. or poke me in the forehead again, i guess. that seems to be one of your things.”

he glanced toward the nearest pay phone, then back at her, staying put so she wouldn’t think he was just going to drag her off somewhere.

“you hit your head too? or just your face? because if it’s the head thing, i’m gonna have to upgrade this from ‘awkward park incident’ to ‘mild medical emergency.’”

[itstessaaquinn]

She stared at him, then at the pay phone, then at the card in his hand. There was one thing on her mind. She didn't want to go home. She wanted to stay with this strange boy, Dustin, who was very enthusiastic. Tessa shook her head and pointed towards the park. Then poked his forehead again. Then the park. Then his forehead again, before using her sleeve to wipe away something from her nose, looking down to see blood. She held it up to show it to Dustin. He seemed aware of weird things like blood.

[itstessaaquinn]

Tessa could be seen as creepy. She was always alone. And she went missing for 3 months before she was found again wandering around the forest. Often her thoughts were empty. It wasn't that she was stupid or anything; she just didn't really need to think. It was a Tuesday afternoon. She was wandering around Hawkins as she usually did after her therapist appointment, when she was walking past the park, tripped over a rock, and fell, right on her face. She got up right away and touched her nose to see blood. Then she saw someone staring at her.

//OPEN// @sterpstarters

[dustinoutofrange]

dustin froze mid-step, one sneaker half off the curb, staring at the girl who had just face-planted in spectacular silence.

for one terrible second, he didn’t know what to do.

then his entire body snapped into motion.

“whoa—hey, hey, don’t move too fast,” he said, hurrying over with his hands half raised. his eyes immediately locked onto the blood. “okay—that's blood. that is definitely more blood than we want coming out of a nose on a tuesday.”

he fumbled in his jacket pocket and after much digging, produced a crumpled wad of tissues. he held them out awkwardly. “here.”

he crouched a little so he wasn’t looming, his expression tight with concern and curiosity in equal measure.

“you good?” he asked, then immediately winced. “no, wait, dumb question. obviously not good.”

his eyes flicked over her face, checking if she looked dizzy, too pale, too out of it.

“can you breathe okay? do you feel weird?”

then, because he was dustin and incapable of letting a moment breathe without over-explaining, “i’m only asking because concussions are a thing, and also this town has a statistically alarming relationship with unexplained injuries.”

he shifted his weight, still holding the tissues out.

“i’m dustin, by the way. resident genius, occasional medic, witness to whatever that was.”

[itstessaaquinn]

Tessa didn't reply. Instead, she just stared at the tissues before looking back up at Dustin. She stood up. The first thing she noticed she was slightly taller than him. Tessa didn't bother to wipe her nose. She poked Dustin's chest. Then his forehead. She reached into her bag to pull out the card her parents had given her in case someone tried to speak with her. Hi! My name is Tessa Quinn. I am 17 years old, and I cannot speak. If you find me, call: 1 260-562-1799. My parents will come pick me up. She handed it to Dustin.

[itstessaaquinn]

Tessa could be seen as creepy. She was always alone. And she went missing for 3 months before she was found again wandering around the forest. Often her thoughts were empty. It wasn't that she was stupid or anything; she just didn't really need to think. It was a Tuesday afternoon. She was wandering around Hawkins as she usually did after her therapist appointment, when she was walking past the park, tripped over a rock, and fell, right on her face. She got up right away and touched her nose to see blood. Then she saw someone staring at her.

//OPEN// @sterpstarters