𝕝𝕚𝕢𝕦𝕠𝕣 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 ฿ⱤɆ₩ɆĐ

𝖐𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖑𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝖘𝖔𝖇𝖔𝖓𝖌 tolerated by 𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 for 🅥🅗🅢🅗🅠🅢

[neverbrewed]

kath sobong : a moodboard

“ they say i gotta respect the system, but there ain’t no respect in the system for me. ” 

[neverbrewed]

blairfm‌

– “OKAY, KATIE-CAT,” SHE GRINS TOOTHILY, always flirting with trouble. in this case, it’s just pure amusement that has her wanting to step on kath’s nerves, which – perhaps isn’t her smartest endeavor, but she’s always been a fan of seeing how far she can push something. usually too far. “ hmm…maybe so, ” she purses her lips, shrugging her shoulders, “ but seriously, i was just too busy volunteering, you know…helping invalids or somethin’. ” 

kath lets out a massive sigh at that nickname. it wasn't kitty, but it still wasn't great. still, after many long, angry years, she'd learned to pick her battles. somewhat. so she flicked blair on the nose and that was that. "ooh, i'm sure that was fun," kath insisted, "wiping a grown man's ass must have been far more exciting than coming to chuck e cheese." though kath made a mental note to consider volunteering; do something good in her life to outweigh all the bad she'd wracked up. "have you seen the phoenix yet, though? i'm not gonna let you touch it, but it's hard as a rock."

[bob-belcher]

[brittany-murphy]

[neverbrewed]

blairfm‌

– “OH, YOU KNOW ME, KITTY,” BLAIR SPREADS HER ARMS WIDE, showing off a toothy grin. “ always staying out of trouble. i was probably at church, or you know what ? actually, i think i had bible study that evening. ” she widens her eyes in innocence and buttons up a few buttons on her shirt for good measure – as if it does much good NOW. “ why ? did you miss me ? ” 

“you can’t-,” call me kitty unless you’ve seen my pussy, is what kath almost says, but she bites her tongue. that was her usual comeback to people calling her kitty, but she had to remember she was a role model, now. and also, old. there were things you just didn’t say around people under thirty. she settled on, “don’t call me kitty.” kath rolled her eyes fondly at blair’s antics. “no,” kath insisted, though it was obvious she was kidding. “it was more like... like when you haven’t seen the cat in a really long time, and you know they can’t be getting up to anything good.”

[neverbrewed]

ofsilcnce‌

kath was probably one of the only consistent things in wren’s life. he figured she knew this, so he never had to say it. he appreciated her, she was there when he needed. something he couldn’t say about any other adult in his life. which meant she got more respect than wren would usually give anyone, so as she came into the store, he put out his cigarette, fanning away the smoke. “how’d you know i was skippin’ lunch today,” he grinned at her, hopping up on the counter, setting the fries close enough for both of them to snack on, “you know, you talk like an old lady, kath,” he shook his head, used to the type of rumors around him.

it was a good thing wren put that thing out, or else kath would do it for him. “hey, you want to clean the nicotine and tar off the walls of this place? no? don’t smoke in here, dickhead.” she’d prefer if he didn’t smoke at all; kath didn’t have much time left, but wren? this kid still had a fighting chance, and she wanted him to have the best odds. nonetheless, kath shot him a smile, glad she could make sure the boy was eating. she should bring something healthier next time, like... carrot sticks? whatever the fuck moms put in kids’ lunches. “i am an old lady, wren,” she snipped back, “and don’t change the topic, you know i’m too smart for that. i need to know how thoroughly i need to clean that damn thing.” 

[neverbrewed]

as strange as it was, kath realized that wil was actually her oldest friend. ever since he’d come to the counter at chuck e. cheese to escape his wife for a few minutes, they’d been close. not inseparable, but... there’d been an understanding there. so, they had a little tradition; every week or so, kath would come by wil’s office in babbage’s for a drink to unwind after a long day. she wrapped at the door with her knuckles, calling out, “hey wil, i brought evan williams. a full bottle this time, i promise.” 

@ofbling

[neverbrewed]

she had to pay wren in particular a visit the day after the party, and she did so with a small order of fries to bribe him. “good afternoon, wren,” she said as soon as she saw him in the radioshack, “i come bearing gifts.” once he was settled, she asked, “so, i heard some pretty disturbing rumors about someone using the ball pit like keith richards uses a waterbed.” kath raised an eyebrow at him, “care to comment?” 

@ofsilcnce

[neverbrewed]

on her break, kath liked to do her quick rounds of the mall. remind all the new kids who, exactly, was the big dog here. was it a little pathetic that kath felt the need to assert her dominance over a shitty little mall populated with people barely out of high school? definitely, but then again kath’s life wasn’t exactly high-class. when she passed by the blockbuster, though, she had to say hello to her favorite little troublemaker. “hey, blair,” she greeted, “i didn’t see you at the grand reopening; hope you weren’t getting into too much trouble.” 

@blairfm

[neverbrewed]

erinparkers·

erin had done these kind of things too often to not know what to do, sneaking booze at her parents dinner parties, sneaking off with people she knows she shouldn’t. in her comfortable lifestyle she lived for trouble, for chaos, using it to feel anything meaningful, even if she only felt worse when that adrenaline rush disappeared. “thanks.” she already knew that, but she thought a simple thank you would suffice as a response. “they don’t?” she questioned, taking it far too seriously, knowing it was something her father would do.

kath shot a glance erin’s way; it always astounded her when people didn’t get her sarcasm. kath thought she was hilarious. “they don’t,” kath conceded “i was only joking, erin. i just don’t look like i can afford nordstrom, that’s all.” she smiles at a kid that brings a bunch of tickets, informing them. “you can have anything from the bottom shelf.” she turned back to erin, “but i should go more often; i always thought the salespeople were a little snooty. guess i was wrong.” 

[neverbrewed]

skvptics‌

          “  —   i’m  jo.   ”   she  stuck  her  hand  out.   “   —   i  work  at  zany  brainy’s  on  the  second  floor,  sorry.  i  like  working  with  kids,  but  not  when  they’re  all  hopped  up  on  SUGAR.  plus  i’m  lactose  intolerant,  so  ...   you  seem  like  you’re  handling  it  well,  though.  ”

kath frowns at that for a moment. “i’m kath. well, i’m sure the zany brainy is happy to have you,” she says, still wishing she had jo. “i don’t know what being lactose intolerant has to do with working this job, but i’m sure the kids being on a sugar high doesn’t help.” she sighs, “that’s too bad, you’re quite good with kids, jodie.” 

[neverbrewed]

psychefm‌

newt huffs a laugh at the ruffle of his hair, nodding at kath’s thanks with an honest, “any time, kath.” he straightens his back with pride at her verdict, grin wide as he says, “well, might just really switch over then.” he nods easily in agreement as kath moves to take care of business, pretty happily going through the motions of giving kids little prizes and taking in the general chaos that is chuck e cheese. he’s playing with one of the little action figure prizes when kath comes back, but he quickly puts the toy behind his back upon her appearance with some level of embarrassment. embarrassment that only grows when kath pinches his cheeks like a child, but newt can only snort in amusement as pulls back from the pinching with what could only be described as a pout. “okay, you know what, i’m an adult now, kath. i’m twenty. in a year i’ll be able to drive and rent a car and… you know, i pay taxes.” newt can barely take himself seriously though, lips already curling as he gives up, pulling the toy from behind his back to gently put it back in his place as he says, “babbage’s is fine though. i think if i keep it up i can work up from assistant manager to manager which would mean more money which i definitely need, so. wish me luck?” newt leans against the table as he regards her, gently asking, “how’s re-opening going for you though? glad to be back?”

newt really was just a big kid, and she nudged the arm he was using to hide the action figure. “you’re allowed to play with it as long as you don’t take it off the property,” she insisted, overly fond of him and his antics. honestly, she’d let this little shit get away with murder. “ooh,” she said, going around to the business side of the counter. “well, i’m sorry, mister man. i’d offer you a drink but,” she shoots him a smile, “you’re only twenty.” she nodded, counting out the tickets he’d received, “oh, i don’t think you’ll need luck, pumpkin. you’re a very hard worker. but...” she tapped newt on the end of his cute little nose, “good luck.” kath sighed, pressing her back against the prize display. “well, i did miss this place, weirdly. and the re-opening is going extremely well.” she shoots newt a tired smile, “i just wish we didn’t have to do a re-opening in the first place, but, that’s in the past, now.” 

[neverbrewed]

skvptics‌

          “   —   WAIT,  hold  on,  i  know  that  kid,  i’ve  seen  him  around  at  zany  brainy’s.  let  me  talk  to  him,   ”   jodie  said  hastily,  disappearing  before  kath  could  put  her  to  work.  never  mind  that  she  didn’t  even  work  there,  if  kath  said  you  needed  to  man  the  prize  counter,  you  manned  the  prize  counter.  and  jo  did  not  particularly  want  to  man  the  prize  counter.  in  a  few  minutes  she  was  back,  the  brat  in  question  now  standing  stock  still  in  the  middle  of  the  re-opening  chaos.   “   —   i  told  him  it  was  impossible  for  humans  to  stand  perfectly  still  and  he’s  trying  to  prove  me  wrong,   ”   she  explained,  lifting one  shoulder  in  a  shrug.

kath meant to say something, but swallowed the words back as jodie walked away. she considered the girl for a moment, tilting her head and pursing her lips. she liked that confidence; more and more girls these days had it. she loved to see it. by the time jodie returned, even kath had to admit, “i’m impressed. that was some good shit.” she leans against the counter, taking jodie in. “what’s your name, do you have a job, and if not, do you want one?” 

[neverbrewed]

erinparkers‌

erin moved her body to block the woman’s actions, just in case someone walked by and saw and said something they weren’t supposed to. she knew that if it was her father catching one of his employee’s doing this it’d be their head, thankfully he would never even look at a chuck e. cheese and the workers at nordstrom knew better sometimes. usually she was the one sneaking the flask, causing trouble when she wasn’t supposed to. “i’ll take the gin.” not that it really mattered, it was all the same to her. she took her shot, too used to drowning herself in alcohol in the past to even make a face of disgust anymore. “erin.” she put her hand out for the woman to shake.

kath appreciated that the girl hid her instinctively, instead of freezing up in fear. so she did have a bit of a bad side. still, no one who worked at the strawberry mall was really pure. except for peter blooth, of course. “good choice,” kath insisted, splashing a generous amount into the cup, “this will mix really well with coke, which... everything alcoholic does on some level, but particularly gin.” she hands the cup to the girl with a smile. “erin,” kath repeated, “right, you’re at nordstrom.” she laughs, slipping the flask back into her coat, “that’s why i don’t know your name; they don’t let me into nordstrom.” it’s a joke, mostly. 

[neverbrewed]

newtonfm‌

newt was honestly startled to be stopped in the crowd, half expecting to find a lost child or perhaps past schoolmate hanging onto his arm. but at the sight of kath he relaxes almost immediately, nodding along to her question even as she continues speaking. “oh, yeah. of course. always willing to help you kath, you know that.” newt moves to get behind the counter obediently then, standing behind it and straightening his spine jokingly as he looks at her from the other side of it. “here we are. what do you think? do i look like a professional prize counter clerk?” newt arches a brow jokingly as he asks, “should i perhaps change occupations?” newt doesn’t think he’d ever leave babbages, more because of the side business he runs out of it than the business itself. but it’s fun to imagine working at the pure chaotic mess that is chuck e cheese, because at least in his imagination he doesn’t have to clean vomit off of the slide. 

kath grinned down at newt; she knew her boy would always be willing to help. she gave his hair a quick ruffle, “thank you, sweetheart.” she crossed her arms, tilting her head as if considering him. “you look like you’ve been doing this for years,” she insisted, smiling to herself. “i think you know the drill, i’ll be back in a few, alright, newt?” she went to go deal with the parents, who were very cooperative once she reminded them that she had the power to cut off their flow of beer. when she returned, she did so in a bit of a huff. “well, and how are you doing? how’s business at babbage’s?” without asking, just to annoy him, kath leaned forward and pinched his cheek. even though he was, legally, a man now, he still had the face of a twelve-year-old boy. 

[neverbrewed]

erinparkers‌ 

this was not what erin signed up for, but looking at the situation surrounding her and the woman she knew better than to argue over something so minimal. she could be bad, but she wasn’t that bad. doing as much as she could, which wasn’t much considering the rush of it all, she was more than thankful to have the woman back and switch lives once more. “well i can’t say no to it now.” she gave a small, slightly devious, smile in return.

honestly, kath was a little afraid erin would leave, and if so, it would have been kath’s head, so she was pretty thankful to see her there when she returned. “of course, i promised.” with that, kath grabbed a paper cup and came around to erin’s side to pull out her flask. “i have tequila in this one, but i’ve also got gin and vodka, so it’s your choice.” she poured erins liquor of choice into the cup underneath the counter, passing it back to her with a smile. “i’ve seen you around the mall a little bit. i’m kath, what’s your name?” 

[neverbrewed]

catalanohno‌

jude wasn’t a fan of children. they were loud, dirty, annoying. so to find herself here, at a children’s play place, she wasn’t exactly the most excited to be slinging out ring pops and stuffed bears to sugared up eight year olds. luckily, it didn’t take kath long to instill the fear of a chuck e. cheese manager in the negligent parents, and as soon as she returned, she slid from behind the counter, happy to be relieved of her two minute stint as a prize slinger. “i think i’d lose my fucking mind if i worked here,” she admitted, with a nod. “it’s alright, i guess. already had to tell off some creep for getting too close. men and their lack of personal space– really fucking blows.”

kath had to smile at that little comment. she’d thought that, too, all those years ago, but know? “good thing i lost that thing a long, long time ago,” she said, reaching for her cup of sprite and vodka. she frowned, scanning the crowd. “shit, who’s the creep? i’ll kick him out for that, it’s against the rules.” so was drinking on the job, but that was basically allowed at this point. making other customers feel unsafe? now that was bad for business. “for real, i’ll let you kick his ass in the parking lot, if you want.”