watch out love bites

michael ! twenty 4 he / him

[michaelisms]

⋆ keith powers  ,  bisexual  ,  male  +  he  /  him  ―  hey  look  ,  it’s  michael  webb  !  he's  twenty-four  years  old ,  he's  lived  in  shrike  heights  for  one  month  ,  and  he's  currently  working  in  mall  maintenance . i  heard  he's  pretty  bitter  ,  but  i  think  he's  so  independent  at  the  same  time . can  he  make  it  out  alive  ?

triggers  include  parental  death  ,  mental  health  issues  .

⋆ michael  was  born  second  in  a  family  of  three  children  .  patrick  @bitcme​  and  samantha  @shrieks​  are  his  siblings  . 

⋆ he’s  always  loved  his  family  ,  but  he  always  felt  like  he  had  the  least  amount  of  time  dedicated  to  him  . the  typical  middle  child  treatment  is  what  he  felt  he  was  given  ,  but  he  never  complained  as  still  ,  he  had  so  much  love  and  support. 

⋆ he  was  the  only  webb  child  who  found  themself  to  be  a  trouble  maker. maybe  he  was  acting  out  for  more  attention  ,  or  maybe  he  was  wired  that  way  by  birth  ;  he’ll  never  know. 

⋆ as  he  got  older  ,  his  behaviour  got  worse  ,  but  then  his  father  took  him  in  and  taught  him  the  ropes  of  his  mechanic  business  alongside  his  brother  who  had  started  learning  two  years  prior  ,  and  michael  became  far  more  grounded. 

⋆ he  was  genuinely  interested  in  his  father’s  work  ,  and  like  all  of  the  webb’s  ,  he  found  himself  to  be  naturally  handy  and  skilled  .  unlike  his  brother  ,  michael  also  had  a  real  passion  for  cars  ,  and  soon  his  behaviour  straightened  up  for  the  most  part  as  he  spent  all  of  his  time  in  the  shop  working. 

⋆ michael  is  outgoing  and  social  ,  unlike  his  older  brother  ,  and  with  less  respect  for  himself  than  his  younger  sister  .  he  thrived  socially  and  romantically  in  school  ,  and  while  he  was  known  to  get  into  fights  even  after  his  behaviour  got  better  ,  he’s  a  fun-loving  guy  . 

⋆ for  a  small  period  of  time  ,  everything  felt  good. unfortunately  at  sixteen  ,  however  ,  his  father  passed  away  and  everything  changed  . 

⋆ michael’s  behavioural  issues  came  back  ,  and  his  mental  health  grew  increasingly  bad  .  he  was  so  close  with  his  father  ,  and  to  lose  him  changed  everything  .  he  kept  working  in  the  shop  ,  but  he  also  started  to  get  into  more  trouble  . 

⋆ slowly  ,  he  lost  the  rest  of  his  family  .  not  permanently  ,  but  his  brother  moved  away  ,  then  his  sister  a  couple  of  years  after  ,  and  his  mother  was  never  the  same  .  he  struggled  greatly  for  a  long  time  . 

⋆ he  was  in  a  slump  and  he  lacked  reason  ,  but  then  slowly  horrific  news  came  to  him  from  his  siblings  ,  and  things  fell  into  place  .  he  put  his  mother  in  charge  of  the  shop  -  something  that  immediately  saw  an  improvement  in  her  -  he  packed  his  bags  ,  and  he  came  to  shrike  heights  to  be  with  his  siblings  . 

⋆ if  the  other  two  webb  children  could  withstand  shrike  heights  despite  what  they  had been  through  ,  maybe  there’d  be  something  here  for  him  ,  too  . 

[monoclegraphic]

keith powers

avatars x4

[inthefear]

open starter for @shrikestart from pj dawson. takes place in showtime, shrike mall. please use beta editor!

"hello!" pj calls out his greeting almost immediately upon hearing the bell chime, indicating that someone has walked through the door of his work place. "give me one second and you'll have my full attention," he tells them, cheerfully yet apologetically, chuckling as his view of the person - presumably a customer - is entirely obstructed. he carries a tall stack of videos in his hands, a stack so high that he's using his cheek to help the ones at the top of the pile stay in place. "sorry about this," he's going above and beyond with the engagement, attentive and helpful being two words to describe him perfectly. "how can i help you? what're you after?" he asks them as he finally places the videos on the counter carefully, and only then is he able to turn around and catch sight of the other person.

[michaelisms]

since being attacked earlier in the year, michael hasn't been able to work as frequently or as much as he used to - something he definitely isn't complaining about. some days he still greatly struggles to be in the mall, and everyday he still struggles to be in shrike heights. while he's perfected sitting on the couch on his days off, stewing in his negative thoughts, he comes into showtime in hopes that he'll find a good distraction. he expects a distraction to come in the form of a film he'll be able to take home, rather than an overly attentive employee. at least he's doing his job; as someone who roams all over the mall as part of his job, michael doesn't see that too frequently. "no need to apologize," michael brushes it off casually. "just looking for some new films to watch," obviously. "didn't really have anything specific in mind," he elaborates, not really needing the other's help, even while being completely unsure of what he might come out with.

[michaelisms]

interactions with rosario.

“That’s probably the ideal way to live in a smaller town, commuting to somewhere more exciting for work and then getting to return to the quietness of somewhere smaller in the evening.” For Rosario that sort of life sounded like it offered the perfect balance of excitement and stimulation with peacefulness. “Traveling’s fun. I used to do a bunch of it before deciding to stick around this place for a while.” In a lot of ways that decision had proven to be unwise. “I think you can learn a lot by taking the time to yourself and exploring more of what the world has to offer that way.” They often wished their years of traveling had been more about self-discovery than looking for their brother or that it had at least ended with finding him, but there was no changing the past now. At this stage in life she had accepted things for what they were. “Oh yeah, for sure. One of the perks of living in a place like this is the cost of living isn’t anything wild. At least here you can get a decent place without working yourself to death.” Not the best choice of words considering people died because of their jobs here, but it was too late to take it back now.

Rosario let out a small laugh, “I wonder how many kids have ruined the arcade for themselves by working there.” At least a handful if she had to guess. “Maybe that’s why there are some people working jobs they seem so ill-fitted for around here, can’t ruin a place for yourself if you don’t like it in the first place. I can’t say that sounds much better though. Just sort of sounds like a great way to torture yourself.” Maybe they had been right to pick working at a place they were largely indifferent towards. She thought more on his words and quietly wondered if more people around town were commuting elsewhere, even if the pay was less and they had to factor in the price of gas, just to avoid having to work at the mall these days. They wouldn’t put it pass them or even blame them. “Might not be a bad thing to look into, depending on the job. Being a mechanic in the next town over might not be too bad. I couldn’t imagine trying to bartend in the next town over and having to make the drive back home at some strange hour though.”

why anyone decides to stick around in shrike for very long, michael will never understand, though he supposes the thought makes him a hypocrite, as he’s been in town for longer than he ever planned. he likes to think that he’s different, that he has a good reason as he only wishes to sort out his siblings and ideally convince them to leave, but he says none of this out loud as he doesn’t want to make the other person feel bad for their decision to do less travelling and more sticking around. after all, for all he knows, rosario could have a reason to stay that’s just as good as his own. “totally,” he nods his head in agreement, not that he’s as well travelled as they seem. “where’s the best place you’ve visited?” he enquires. “i wonder if this place will keep growing to the point where that changes,” he thinks out loud, not taking too much notice of their poor choice of wording, as even though his siblings have faced the killers, michael himself hasn’t yet, making him less sensitive to comments that could potentially hit too close to home in others. 

“oh at least a dozen,” michael laughs at the thought. “they almost all look like kids still,” not that michael can judge, having a baby face of his own. “but really worn out kids, you know? kids who have definitely learnt the lesson that a job is a job, no matter how fun it is to be a customer at said job,” he chuckles. “i think the best way to go about getting a good job is work in a field you’re passionate about - even if it’s not the career but just a stepping stone to it - or else work at a place you’re totally impartial to,” he suggests, though it’s likely that he doesn’t have the right insight considering he’s only worked two places in his entire life, his dad’s auto shop, and now maintenance for the mall. “yeah, all things considered, i don’t know if i’d even wanna work at an auto shop outside of shrike, even if just in the next town over,” he finally more explicitly speaks of the attacks, thinking that it might not be a good idea to be going back and forth, in and out of the town, no matter what the hours are.

[michaelisms]

interactions with noah.

Noah chuffed and smiled when Michael said he had a nice nose and decided that maybe it wasn’t so bad, even if he did hate the person he’d inherited it from. He nodded when Michael described his siblings and their appearances in relation to what their parents looked like, and he understood what Michael meant. “Yeah, he always had this big dream that he’d start a practice that I would get get into, but when he realized I had absolutely no desire to get into that, and that I wanted to get into photography instead, he began acting like I was the biggest disappointment of his life. Which was probably true. But at least I learned how to argue circles around him. So that was a win for me, I guess,” he mused.

“Hey, don’t underestimate the number of people who need to get around in a car between the outskirts of town and downtown. I mean, sure, you could walk anywhere, but in the current… I dunno. Climate? Of this town…People aren’t gonna wanna be out on foot too much. I started driving my grandmother’s car to get around after dark after the spring of last year. All I know how to do is change a flat and fluids, but anything else I have no idea,” he said, wrinkling his nose. And to be frank, he didn’t have any interest in pursuing more automotive knowledge when he barely had time for anything these days on account of classes and work.

Noah smiled as he watched Michael finishing up the job. “Thanks for coming out yet again,” he said with a smile. “Hopefully you won’t have to fix this anymore or have to get up on a ladder the rest of today.”

michael shakes his head. “that blows,” he says, putting it lightly and hoping that it doesn’t sound insensitive but instead appropriate for him to not be speaking on something he doesn’t understand. “i’m sorry to hear it; at least you can find some win in there.” michael can’t imagine having parents similar, which he recognizes is extremely fortunate. he’s always been aware of how lucky he got with his parents, and conversations with people who have experiences like noah’s only keep on reminding him of that. “i’ll never understand parents who can’t handle their kids being their own people,” but maybe that’s purely because of his own very different experience. 

despite the way that michael’s life has been altered by the killers and what they’ve done to his siblings, he hadn’t thought of them as a reason for people needing to get around via car even in such a small town. it makes perfect sense now that noah mentions it. “well if you ever encounter any issues with it,” - with his grandmother’s car, michael means - “you can always give me a call,” he offers. even though he has another job that pays, the job that has him there in snapshot, michael does miss working on cars, admittedly. “i didn’t think of that, though, but you’re totally right,” he mentions. “it’s good that you can change a flat. the amount of people who get stuck on the side of the road because they can’t is astonishing.”

“it’s no problem,” he assures noah casually as he works on finishing up his job. “there’s way worse jobs i could get stuck with, or way worse places i could be called to,” worse places in the mall, that is; michael isn’t sure that there’s anywhere else worse to work than the mall, at least not in shrike heights. “at least i was called here while someone who can actually hold a conversation was working.”

[michaelisms]

what are three things you want to do at some point in your life?

own his dream car. working on cars pretty much his whole life (and watching his dad work on them before he was able to get his hands in on it himself) it only makes sense that michael has a great love for cars. he doesn't know what his dream car is exactly (it probably changes in his mind every week or so), but he knows it would be something his dad would be proud of him for getting to the point of owning himself.

have a family. michael can seem pretty rough around the edges, but proof of how important he finds family to be can be found in the way he followed his siblings to shrike heights, and the way he has stayed even after being attacked himself. he's honestly a little embarrassed to admit this goal to others, but michael wants to be married, and he wants children.

leave shrike heights. he had had enough of this town even before he arrived, when samantha informed him of her plan to follow their big brother here. he didn't want to have to follow, but he had to come to understand why they weren't leaving, in an attempt to get them to both come home. he doesn't understand how this town has such a strong pull keeping them all here, but he hopes that he can leave and go far away from this place again sometime soon, ideally.

[michaelisms]

what has changed about michael the most after being attacked by the killers?

michael used to be such a sure person; he could make sense of just about everything he encountered in his life, he was confident in himself and his thoughts, and confusion wasn't something that he had to deal with very much. nowadays, ever since his attack, michael hasn't been sure about a single thing, nor has he been confident about anything.

he came to shrike heights being completely lost as to why his siblings decided to call this place home, and now, since being attacked himself, he can't believe that his siblings didn't leave sooner and before it could happen to them again. there's so much strife inside of him that didn't exist before, so much uncertainty, so many unanswered questions.

what's even harder to deal with, and what's one of the biggest changes since being attacked, is how unsure michael is of his place, of where he's meant to be. he always felt like he belonged in his hometown, working in his old man's shop, then taking it over for himself when the time came. he also felt confident about coming to shrike heights to investigate why his siblings both moved here for good. now, he has no idea where to go, or what to do. he doesn't feel right about the idea of going back home, and while he has no idea why, he feels something still keeping him here in shrike heights, much to his dismay.

[michaelisms]

interactions with noah.

Noah grimaced at the thought of his fingers touching live wires. He couldn’t imagine the pain or heat that probably came from those things. Actually, he could, and the mental image was probably something right out of Tom & Jerry or Looney Tunes, where the characters got zapped and you could see their little skeletons flashing. That’s exactly what he thought it would feel like. Noah was no electrician, but he followed what Michael was saying easily enough. He hoped that by the end of this, poor Michael wouldn’t have to keep coming around to fix light bulbs that didn’t need fixing.

He flashed that big smile of his when Michael joked around about pretending to know what he was doing. But when Michael talked about his dad and what he and his siblings were taught, Noah couldn’t help feeling a little jealous. “Wow, that’s amazing, actually. The only thing my dad passed down to me was his nose and knowledge of how to win an argument,” he said, wrinkling his nose a bit. “He was a lawyer. But not a particularly great dad. But wow, that’s really cool about your dad. I kinda wish I knew more about cars, but I don’t think I’m even a little bit interested in learning how to pull one apart and put it back together,” he chuckled. Noah knew how to change the fluids and how to change a spare tire on account of having had to deal with flats a time or two, but beyond that, any other issue would have to go directly to a mechanic.

“Holy shit, your brother got into engineering and he’s working at the RadioShack here?! There’s definitely gotta be a story behind that. But hey, everyone’s got their own story to tell, right?” he said. “Even you and me. Hopefully our stories end up with something good, you know?”

despite the visuals not quite matching up with the cartoons, touching live wires is a dumb decision that can absolutely at times feel like what those tom & jerry scenes look like. it’s a terrible habit of michael’s to not care as much as he should, but at the very least, he knows which kinds of live wires will do real damage compared to those that will only sting - or at least, he thinks that he knows that for sure, and thankfully today he’s not proven wrong. 

“well in his defence, it is a nice nose,” he teases. “i look so much like my mom, not a thing like my dad. my brother is practically a spitting image of him, and even our sister looks a lot like him - but like, in a girl way, i don’t know, you know what i mean,” samantha doesn’t look masculine, but like a feminine version of their late father. “oh so you got the lawyer argument skills. don’t undervalue that,” it’s probably more of a useful life skill than anything michael knows. “honestly, i think knowledge on cars is wasted in a town like this. you don’t really even need to drive anywhere, it’s all in the same place, and it’s all within walking distance,” it’s a bit of an exaggeration, but not totally untrue in such a small town. 

“yeah, you’d think there’s a story behind it, but he’s not much of a talker, so i guess we’ll never find out,” he chuckles. michael assumes that patrick is where he is in life - and not so willing to talk about it - due to the connection between engineering and his late father, but that’s not the whole truth, unbeknownst to michael - and everyone else who knows him. “totally. i don’t want any dumb cliffhangers or one of those endings that makes the book feel like it’s been a complete waste of time reading.” he also isn’t wanting to meet a fate like the one his siblings have, with the killers coming into his narrative, but in due time he’ll come to learn that he’s not as in control of his story as he would like. at least for the time being, as michael finally moves on from fiddling with wires, such a plot twist hasn’t happened.  

[shiftsupe]

𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽: key of reason 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚂: open to all ! @shrikestart

THICK RIMMED GLASSES WERE ADJUSTED on the bridge of sookie's nose as she listened all the way through the latest cassette she'd picked up in the mall, occasionally taking small sips of her hot coffee between bursts of dancing during the chorus. she hadn't noticed that she had forgotten to switch the sign from CLOSED to OPEN upon clocking in, having busied herself with turning on all the lights and checking the register where she would remain preoccupied by the music blasting in her ears. it was after the gold rush by neil young, after all. how could she not be distracted? it wasn't until a knocking could be heard from the front door that she perked up, spilling a few droplets of coffee on her overalls before she scrambled out of her seat to turn the sign over and unlock the door.

"so sorry!" she exclaimed upon welcoming in the customer, sliding down her headphones and slinging them around her neck. "totally slipped my mind. hopefully you weren't there for too long. anything i can help with?"

[michaelisms]

it feels ridiculous to michael that he's not only in shrike mall right now, but that he's in shrike heights at all, anymore. after the attack he suffered in january, michael truthfully can't even explain to himself why he hasn't packed his bags and booked it for somewhere safer; isn't it ridiculous? but then again, it's an experience he's watched many live through before himself - even his two siblings, the two that were reason for him coming to shrike in the first place - so maybe it's not a completely insane decision, despite how it feels. no matter what, though, either way, michael is the opposite of thrilled to still be working for shrike mall, but here he is anyway.

his sigh is only just missed, the employee opening the door up mere seconds after he's let his frustration out in a loud exhale. he supposes it's a good thing that it's been missed; while he doesn't appreciate having had to wait, the employee seems like a nice enough person who doesn't need to be troubled by his impatience - even though as an attack victim, michael's impatience is more than valid right now. "all good," he brushes it off; his demeanor is the furthest thing from enthusiastic, but through the fogginess of the pain he feels being in the setting of his attack, he still means well. "'m actually just here as maintenance, not looking for anything you're selling, just looking for faulty wires. apparently your sound system hasn't been working too great? the mall's sound system in here," he clarifies which he means as he'd bet there are more sound systems in this store than he can count. "my manager said something about it crackling, which would be wires, but i didn't actually receive the complaints myself. d'you know what i'm talking about?" if she spends all of her shifts with her own music blasting through her ears, she might not be aware of the issue, michael thinks.

[troishq]

KEITH POWERS for ESSENCE MAGAZINE.

[pemmed4]

~~~~~~~~~~

This starter is open exclusively for Michael Webb! (tags: @michaelisms) Location: Shrike Mall, Maintenance Halls Ft. character: Wendy Kang

~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

It had been a particularly stressful day at Donna's, Wendy having spent more time cleaning out sweaty used skates and rearranging disorganized shelves than being out on the roller rink. The last 15 minutes were especially painful, her attention locked on her wrist as her watch hands ticked down the remaining time to her lunch break. When she was finally relieved by another coworker, she wasted no time rushing to the breakroom.

The disinfectant she'd been using had left her hands dried and leathery, yet what bothered her more than that was the craving; she needed something to take her mind off her tiring shift. It was to Wendy's utter dismay, as she opened her locker and rummaged through her bag, that she discovered her supplies were missing. Her travel carrier containing nicotine gum and a small stock of sweetened tobacco leaves disguised in a mint tin must've been forgotten at home. She let out a frustrated growl, cramming her bag back into the locker and slamming it shut. She pulled on her hair, punishing herself for being such an idiot as she swiveled on her heels. Pacing in dread for a few moments, eventually Wendy glanced up, spotting a glimmer of wicked hope. Another bag, which had been apparently forgotten laid defenseless in the open on a counter. With quivering legs she trudged over to it, hastily yanking the handles apart to scan through the contents. The universe must have truly pitied her, because inside amongst other unrelated items laid a fairly new pack of generic brand cigarettes. Without considering the drawbacks of smoking again, she ensured the coast was clear before dipping her fingers in to fish out the box. Finders keepers. With a mischievous grin she set the bag back to its original position and slipped out the rear maintenance door.

Arching against the cold concrete wall, Wendy slid down with a plop to the hard ground below- examining the carton. Now what to do? Wendy had no need to carry a lighter, so she figured she'd just have to power through it and get her fix by chewing on the tips. Just as she'd positioned a backwards cigarette between her chapped lips, she spotted a busy young man further down the hall. His outfit and the array of tools he carried suggested he was some sort of repairman. As much as Wendy hated relying on the needy damsel in distress card, she was starting to get restless. "Hey, you~" With a swaying arm she flagged him down, smiling bashfully with batting lashes. She held up the cigarette, steadying her hand to keep it from trembling. "Got a light?"

~~~~~~~~~~

[michaelisms]

michael is the furthest from busy, though if you were to count his mind, busy would be an appropriate word to use when describing him. he shouldn't be at the mall. it was only in january that he almost lost his life in this very building, and what makes matters even worse is that he almost lost his life in an attack that almost took his sister from him, too. all three of the webb siblings have been faced with the killers in this mall, and yet, all three of the webb siblings are still here, still working, for a reason unknown to michael, not fleeing and finding themselves as far away as possible. he shouldn't be at the mall, but he can't bring himself to leave without his siblings, and he has to pay the rent somehow. so here he is, still working, technically on the clock, but hiding out in the maintenance halls to keep his cool.

he's completely in his own head, working through the mental process he's been trying to follow in order to stop himself from spiralling into paralyzing terror or panic, ignoring any calls on the walkie talkie clipped onto his tool belt, and not noticing wendy's presence at all. he should be keeping an eye and an ear out for the killers, or for someone who will get him in trouble if they find him back here not doing any work, but the killers' damage is still found in so much of michael, including his inability to properly be with it. there are so many noises in the mall that michael completely tunes out to so much, including any noises made by the damsel in distress before she calls out for his attention.

to be abruptly snapped out of his all consuming thoughts makes him take a second to process the situation at hand, but faster than he would have guessed, michael's completely caught up and he understands what's going on. his heart picks up to beat a little faster, but he doesn't let it show. "no one ever teach you that it's rude to address someone like that, then?" hey you is far from polite, michael would have gotten his mother's slipper to the back of his head if she heard him say such a thing to someone - though it wouldn't have been the first time his mother had to punish him for forgetting manners. he instinctively furrows his brow as he notices the batting of the eyelashes, in no mood to be charmed by anyone at all, but when he hears the question he puts it down to someone desperate for a smoke. "oh, yeah." he takes a lighter from his tool belt, and he walks the rest of the distance over to her, holding it out for her to take.

[michaelisms]

interactions with noah.

Noah smiled as they moved on from the subject of visiting New York. Maybe someday! It was nice to think about. But for now, he was content in just trying to make the most out of his time in Shrike, especially now that he was back in school and trying to finish up. As they talked about his choice to stay in Shrike, Noah could tell Michael wasn’t all that convinced about how influential people really could be into getting the place to feel like home. Maybe it was in the half-shrug, or maybe in the way he said it, but Noah hoped he would find a reason worth staying if he’d come all the way from someplace like New York.

Shrike wasn’t likely to be the last place he ever visited, though. Noah was sure he’d get a chance to travel and see the world later on when he wasn’t trying to save up money and at least establish some consistency in his life. Especially when it came to staying on track with his photography. That was one thing he didn’t want to let go of. “Yeah, you’re definitely right. I’ve got time to think about it,” he agreed, taking another glance around to make sure no customers had come in without him realizing it and relaxing when he confirmed they were still relatively alone there without interruptions.

The light flickered slightly when Michael was stung and Noah grimaced. “Oh, shit. Did you get shocked?” he asked, unsure of whether he’d actually seen it or maybe imagined it for a second. Michael looked unbothered though, so Noah didn’t worry too much about it. “So, what got you into doing electric work? I mean, you know your way around it pretty well. Well enough that you seem to know how to actually fix shit and not just wiggle a light bulb around and pretend you fixed it.”

michael definitely isn’t convinced of this town yet, not even when his siblings - two out of the three people on this earth that he can confidently say he loves - reside here now. he thinks the other webbs to be complete fools for deciding to stick around this place, and while he understands why it might be hard for them to go home, he really just wishes that they could all make their way out of shrike heights, even if they wind up somewhere completely new. michael has come to town to be closer to his siblings, and to be able to protect them and care for them if needed, but really, his more private goal is for him to be able to convince his siblings to pack their things and leave. who knows, though; maybe one day michael will find something in this oddball town that will make him stay for good. only time can tell. 

“i did,” he answers when noah asks if he was shocked, but he laughs at the same time - proof that the damage wasn’t too bad, obviously. “it was only a little shock, my finger slipped off the cover around the live wires. really you shouldn’t be fiddling with live wires at all, but it’s too much to expect the power to be turned off in the whole mall - or even a small block of it, which is how bigger places usually work. i think that’s why the managers were trying to get me to just replace the bulb again without a proper fix.” he tries his best to explain everything in a way someone outside of the field will understand, and he feels pretty good about noah being able to follow. 

“oh you think i actually know what i’m doing? nah, i’m definitely just wiggling it around aimlessly, but i’m glad the acting classes are paying off.” he jokes, mostly in response to the feeling of appreciation that he feels for noah to actually be asking him a question, like he’s really interested in his background. “my dad owned a shop my whole life, he was the craziest mechanic i ever met, he was a qualified electrician and engineer too, so he just understood everything way too well. his brain was like, superhuman. he chose to settle on just cars because he loves cars, but he never forgot everything else, and passed it all down to us- my siblings and i. the shop back home is technically mine now - my older brother pat went off to become an engineer, or else it would have been his; i’ve got no idea why he’s now working at a radioshack in shrike heights, with all of that considered, but hey,” he shrugs as he finishes his impromptu vent on the side. “but yeah, that’s where the knowledge and the experience comes from, and while cars can be super different to this kind of electrician work, ‘cause pops was so into it all i know what to do.”

[michaelisms]

interactions with rosario.

The fact that people hadn’t fled town with all the unsolved attacks and missing persons was shocking, but she supposed she couldn’t judge anyone too harshly considering she was still in town herself. And hey, plenty of them had probably lived in the town their entire lives which added more to not wanting to leave it behind. “I don’t think I could ever do it either, living in an even smaller town. I don’t know how people don’t get restless there and a move.” Rosario was someone who liked to constantly do something or interact with others so maybe that explained why they’d find even smaller towns so unappealing. “Even Shrikes feels too small sometimes. It’s a pain in the ass to pack up and move though.” That, and regardless of whether or not it was the smarter decision, it didn’t feel right to leave their few friends behind in this place with all the attacks. “That and I’m sure the cities have their fair share of their own problems.”

They laughed along, picturing the shock it might’ve been for a few of the employees at the arcade to learn that there was more to the job. “Probably. If I cared more about arcade games, I would’ve done the same as a kid. In hindsight, I should’ve tried to get a job somewhere where I could’ve at least gotten a discount on something I care about or buy frequently.” Maybe that was poor planning on her part, but a gig at a karaoke joint sounded fun at the time she applied. They snorted, “I wouldn’t dream of it, that’s too much work and I don’t plan on putting more than the bare minimum into this place.” The people who ran the mall didn’t care about them so why should they go out of their way to work their ass off for them? She took a thoughtful pause, “I don’t know, these days I think I would rather work someplace outside of the mall even if I didn’t see eye to eye with them.” That was easy to say, but rougher to deal with than they thought.

“i suppose living somewhere doesn’t mean you’re stuck there all the time. i could probably swing a boring little nowhere town if i had a job that took me elsewhere throughout the year, or if it was a short commute to somewhere exciting, or if i didn’t have to work at all and just had the money to travel where i wanted whenever i wanted.” he’s mostly thinking out loud, but at the end of the day, he’s still pretty firmly against the idea of living somewhere even smaller than shrike heights, considering even shrike in its growing state is pushing michael to become claustrophobic. “yeah, not to mention the cost of moving, and buying or renting some place new, especially in places that have anything more exciting in them. i mean, i’m sure the places around this mall doubled in price when the mall went up, and i know it’s the same everywhere else, whenever new developments come in the prices are hiked.”

“but at the same time, at least you know you’re not ruining some place you love for yourself. i can imagine so many kids getting their first jobs in this place at the arcade or the roller rink or the theater, and then they’re quickly learning that it’s more than getting the perks of the job. then from that point onwards every time you step into the joint - even if you’re there as a customer - all you’re left thinking of is the kid who barfed on the carpet or the mom who yelled you to tears when you accidentally pressed the wrong button on the register or something.” once again, michael was thinking out loud as he spoke to rosario. “yeah, if the mechanic in this town wasn’t a total mess i’d be able to steer clear of this place. the mall does pay more, though, but i definitely can’t say that that’s the same everywhere. i never inquired anywhere else outside of town, so i don’t know what their rates are like.” he wants to say that it’d be worth getting paid less to be able to stay out of the killer mall, but he finally thinks through his words before speaking and he decides to hold his tongue.

[michaelisms]

interactions with noah.

“Well, if I’m a rich and famous photographer, I’ll totally spend fifty bucks to go see a Broadway show,” Noah laughed. “I love theater, but I don’t really get to watch is as much as I’d want to. Plus you’re right, it can be expensive. But yeah, no, I think it’d be great to visit,” he said. It was definitely something fun to think about while he idled away the few hours he had left of work.

Noah turned his attention back to Michael, listening to him describing his relationship with his siblings. The way he said that they were close without really including himself in the sentiment made Noah realize it was more complicated than it seemed. Not like he would prod the guy, but he certainly caught on to that and nodded as he watched him work to get that light bulb socket working again. Family wasn’t the most comfortable topic to discuss, and Noah was glad that the conversation just moved on for now.

He laughed when Michael teased him, and he shook his head. “No! I’m not saying you should leave! I just mean… I don’t know. It’s unexpected, but you might find something worth staying for. But I understand the appeal of wanting to leave, because for the longest, that’s all I wanted. Until I did, and then found myself back here,” he chuckled. He had to really laugh when Michael had thought he’d be some sort of business major. “No way! I think a magazine or some publication would be fun to work for. Maybe even the newspaper, I dunno! Or maybe I’ll open up my own photo studio. Or both! Who knows? I guess I’m just kind of thinking about my options right now and seeing where life takes me. What about you? Where do you see your life going in the next couple of years or so?” Maybe it was more of a personal question, but it was still something fun to think about and ask.

the more noah speaks, the more michael starts thinking that he sounds like someone who would genuinely love a trip to the big apple. despite finding differences between the two, michael respects noah’s interest; it’s not like michael feels the need to only like or befriend people exactly like himself, after all. “i mean, loads of people save up to go see a show, even if they’re not some hot shot photographer, so it’s gotta be worth going for something.” he figures, shrugging a shoulder the best that he can while his hands are up in the light socket, fiddling with wires - something he shouldn’t be doing while they’re live - in an attempt of figuring out why the light bulb keeps blowing. “i’m just not super into theater, i guess.” 

michael might find something or someone who makes it worth staying in shrike heights, noah is totally right in saying so - clearly, as he expresses having found that for himself. as much as the idea makes perfect sense to michael, however, he genuinely can’t see it happening for himself. his siblings are the only reason why he’s here, and if they stay insistent on continuing their residence here despite everything that’s happening, then michael might have to up and leave them to their doomed fate. “yeah, i mean, that makes sense.” he tells him with another half shrug. “suppose the people i’ve met so far are nice,” he says, though he still isn’t expecting for any of them to help him to stay.

“yeah, i think keeping your options open and thinking about all the different possibilities is always a good thing.” he admires, while more silently admiring the passion for it all that noah seems to possess. “and i guess you have the time to think about it while you’re still studying, too.” he thinks out loud. “honestly? i have no idea.” he chuckles as the conversation is turned around and on him again. “i own a mechanic business back home, was my old man’s. i always thought i’d just stay there and keep on running it, working there ‘til my hands couldn’t no more.” clearly having followed his siblings out to the death trap of a town was far from that reality. “my original plan was to go back there and resume my duty. my mom is still back home watching over the place, the guys we have working there are great, but i think she’s also loving having a little more to do without me there, which has me thinking that maybe just staying put there was never the best game plan for the future.” a small sting of electrocution runs through his arm, but having so much experience, he hardly flinches - and he knows he’s avoided a terribly dangerous shock, luckily. “so yeah, no idea.” he says again with a chuckle.

[michaelisms]

interactions with rosario.

“Beats me. I would’ve thought the place would become more like a ghost town with you know, everything, but it just keeps on growing and growing.” Again, it was probably harder for other people to abandon the town either due to connections here or lack of resources. When it came to Rosario, she was simply tired of going place to place in search of her brother and wanted to stay put in one place to move on with her own life. It was just some of the world’s worst luck that she happened to pick Shrikes of all places. “Guess people really love small towns that offer a bit more than like one general store or something.” A shrug accompanied their oversimplified explanation. 

They laughed, “I’d be willing to bet at least one or two of them is still lost when it comes to fixing those things. The amount of jobs I’ve worked where someone is completely incompetent despite working there forever is kind of alarming.” It almost sounded hypocritical of her, but in her defense, her mediocre to poor work performance boiled down more to not wanting to do boring tasks rather than lacking the knowledge to do them. “I might have to take a page out of the other employees’ book and start learning how to fix this light myself with all the issues it’s causing.”

it’s interesting to gain the opinion of a resident who has been in shrike heights for much longer than michael himself, and surprisingly not hard to find, considering how little amount of time michael has resided here, and even despite all of the other newcomers in town, too. “certainly makes sense for this place to become a ghost town.” it’s likely that it will still happen, michael thinks, though he doesn’t go as far as to voice the thought aloud. “yeah, you’re right there, though.” he nods his head. “the drive down here was the worst. nothing around for miles. if i lived in one of those drab little nowhere towns that i passed on the way here, i’d be moving into shrike heights, too.” though he believes he’s best elsewhere, despite still being here. 

he laughs at the comment about lacking high scores employees. “i bet so many kids apply to work there, thinking they’ll just be able to play the games and get themselves endlessly free tokens for the machines.” he chuckles. he also believes that more businesses have a habit of hiring incompetent employees, though. “don’t go taking away all of my jobs, though.” he joked as rosario suggested they start learning how to fix issues such as the light michael works on. “as much as i complain, i think it’s the best job i have going for me here. i don’t exactly see eye to eye with the guys down at the mechanic, though that would have been my first place to pick up some work. and i know you have this grand new mall, or whatever, but i can’t say it can really occupy that much of my time.” he complains. it’s not that he finds himself bored in shrike heights, but again, it’s not the kind of town he ever pictured for himself.

[michaelisms]

interactions with patrick and samantha.

The only fate worse than his two siblings ending up as victims of the same attack was Patrick getting the calls from the hospital admin team, but then being unable to rush down to see them, he’s sure of it. The blizzard couldn’t have come at a worse time, or maybe it was Patrick moving back into his rundown trailer home that was timed so poorly; either way, he’s sure he’s never felt as much distress as he does in the aftermath of this brutal attack. Every attack is brutal, every attack makes Patrick feel a level of distress, but he’s never felt as hopeless and as desperate as he had while slamming his weight against the slightly broken yet frozen shut metal door of his trailer. He makes it out of his home, but the blizzard is too ferocious, and he remains stuck in the outskirts of town without the clear ability to get to the other Webbs. 

Needless to say, the second he’s able to make it down to the hospital, he does, but not without worrying himself to the point of tears and sickness. Patrick knows that it’s the killers who are to blame, but he can’t help but to feel so much guilt. He’s the only reason why any of his family found their way across the country to Shrike Heights, and now they’ve all paid the price for it. If Patrick hadn’t led them there, they’d still be at home, safe, unharmed. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but all Patrick can do now is try to move past the feeling of responsibility in order to show up for his siblings, in order to be there for them appropriately, to help them through the traumatic period, and through their healing and recovery.

He pulls into the first space in the parking lot that he finds, and he moves faster than ever, into the hospital. For a man who is usually quiet and reserved, he asks for directions to his siblings as quickly and as abruptly as possible, once at the admin desk, and once he hears the room numbers, he’s moving swiftly again. He reaches Michael’s room first, breathing heavily, guilt and concern churning his stomach into sickness, and as much as he feels - and has felt since receiving that first call - the entire situation doesn’t feel real to him until he walks into the room, and finds not only Michael, but Samantha by his side, too. They both look to be in rough shape, which only saddens Patrick further, and causes his guilt to grow. 

“I left as soon as I could,” he tells them as he shuts the door behind him and walks in. He’s breathless, and he has no idea what to say, but at least he’s there. That has to count for something, right? “You guys, I,” he shakes his head; truly speechless. He takes his glasses off in order to wipe his teary eyes. “Jesus Christ.” He settles, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of Samantha’s head, then reaching to take and to squeeze Michael’s hand softly. “I don’t even know what to say.” He admits.

michael hates this town. most people already know that, as michael isn’t afraid to voice the fact that he doesn’t understand why people don’t just up and leave - why his siblings don’t just pack their bags and go home, or else literally anywhere else - but now his hatred for this town is more personal. bad things happen everywhere, that is true, but to be in shrike heights for such a short amount of time and end up in the hospital, literally almost dead, it feels like there’s a curse over this place. michael is angry - or he would be, if he wasn’t so doped up on the medication that helps him sit there with his extreme amount of injuries.

he’s finally coming to properly, finally leaving his dopey state and finding more sense and consciousness after the strong medications begin to fade slowly in time. he’s glad samantha is there with him, as soon as he realises what’s happening and whose body sits in the chair beside him; his insecurities made him worry that she might be with patrick, somewhere else, and that he would once again be the sibling left all on his own. he feels reassured to see samantha, not only for his own sake of wanting to feel as loved as the likes of patrick, but because he’s so thankful that she’s safe, and okay enough to be out of her own hospital bed. he wonders if it’s the medication or the trauma that makes him feel so emotional; maybe it’s both. 

he sits in silence with samantha, having no words to exchange as he’s still in such a deep and profound sense of shock, but the silence is broken quickly by patrick, and his big brother being there for him now too makes him smile. it feels strange, to be smiling after the events that unfolded in the mall. maybe it is the medication that’s twisting his emotions. “hey pat.” he squeezes patrick’s hand back, as firmly as he can, though his hand feels like jelly and he wonders if he’s even squeezed him at all. it’s so disorienting, to be in this state, and as the smile quickly faded, so does the second of good spirits he was in. the anger comes back, along with a deep sadness that he hasn’t yet made sense of. he feels nauseous, going from one emotion to the polar opposite so fast. 

“i don’t think there is much to say.” he speaks honestly, he always does, but particularly in this altered state. “sammy and i were just sitting here, i don’t know if we’ve even said more than five words to each other after it all.” his voice sounds wrong, and it feels wrong coming out of him. it’s filled with weakness, all of his effort of keeping his strength having been used up in the attack, it seems. “you um,” he pauses, inhaling and exhaling shakily. he wishes to speak about the snow, but the second his question pops into his mind he’s forced into painful thoughts of all of the fear he felt when realising that snow barricaded them inside of the death trap of a mall. “were you snowed in?” he finally asks, his voice sounding even weaker. 

[michaelisms]

interactions with noah.

Noah leaned against the front checkout counter as he watched Michael working, still holding on to his little feather duster in case someone came in and he had to pretend he was cleaning. There was nothing he hated more than the management touting ‘If there’s time to lean, there’s time to clean’ at them. “Man, I’d love to go someday,” he said, thinking about what New York City must’ve been like. “I’m used to busy, but beach-side busy. I’d love to experience the Big Apple and see things like Broadway and the Empire State building, and Coney Island. See how it compares to LA or San Diego,” he mused. He wouldn’t want to live there, probably, not by himself anyway. But visiting sounded like fun.

As Michael explained how his siblings came to Shrike and how he’d followed, Noah couldn’t help feeling the smallest pang of jealousy. It must’ve been nice to have siblings one could relate to and connect with. Siblings that didn’t feel like they were part of another family entirely. “That sounds nice. Not that you all got hurt, but I mean I’m glad you’re all so close,” he said with a nod. As much as he wanted to say something about the importance of related family, Noah didn’t really know about that. All he had now was his grandmother. What he had now was a chosen family, and that mattered more to him.

When Michael asked about Malibu, Noah smiled. “It’s nice. Like summer all the time. It gets really hot sometimes, though. There’s a lot of people who come from all over, though. Lots of celebrities and stuff,” he said, smiling as he recalled the sunny beaches and crowded boardwalks. “But… my family’s here in a way. Friends and stuff, mostly. I um. I tried to go back, but it didn’t really work out,” he said, shrugging lightly. His crush was here, too. But he kept that to himself. “I don’t think you’re an asshole for wanting to move on, though. I get that. I guess there’s just… despite everything that’s happened, a feeling of community, I guess? That’s the only thing I can think of that isn’t just… we’ve all somehow been brainwashed,” he joked. Noah didn’t wear that kind of tinfoil hat. When asked about his studies though, Noah smiled again in earnest. “Photography. I wanna go into photojournalism and maybe take photos for a paper or magazine or something. I think that’d be really fun.”

“i definitely think it’s worth experiencing at least once - all the touristy crap. not that it’s crap, but you know. i think it’s worth going to broadway if that’s your thing, though tickets are like fifty bucks, which i don’t think is worth it - but i’m not really into that kind of stuff. but yeah, seeing the sights, eating the food, meeting all the assholes on the streets, it’s a cool experience.” he nods his head. “la and san diego, though, i’ve never been, so you’d definitely have to see new york for yourself to see how it compares.” he shrugs, not that noah asked for michael’s comparison, but he would have given him his opinion if he had. 

“yeah, i mean, they’re close.” michael shrugs again. he’s always felt like the odd one out of his siblings, despite still having love for them, and knowing that they love him in return. patrick and samantha have lived in shrike heights together for a while now, they’ve been together while michael has been alone. part of michael resents them for their closeness, and the biggest part of michael is jealous that patrick was the brother samantha chose to follow, other him. he supposes that’s why he’s really here, for the most part, to try to receive some of that familial love that he’s been bitter over missing out on, but he doesn’t tell noah - or his siblings - that. he just shrugs and continues on with the job. 

it’s interesting to hear about malibu, but arguably even more interesting to hear noah express why shrike heights is still filled with people, rather than abandoned to escape the killers. “huh.” he nods his head, and he’s really thinking it over, finding the idea of that tight knit community fascinating. “so you’re saying i should get out now while i can?” he jokes, even though he has a feeling that there’s more honesty in his words than intended - although, michael isn’t sure if he’s the type of person to find a family of his own like the one noah describes. maybe michael was never cut out to be properly bonded with others. “oh, that’s actually rad. i was worried you’d say some snooze fest of a degree like business or accounting - not that you really strike me as someone so square, so i don’t know why i thought that.” he chuckles. “being a photographer for magazines would be sick, you’d meet loads of cool people.”