♕ SHE LOOKS LIKE A TEENAGE ANTHEM ♕

[ripcvnningham]

    𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐂𝐕𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐇𝐀𝐌 is an independent, highly-selective/private, canon-divergent, mostly headcanon based Chrissy Cunningham of Netflix’s Stranger Things.                                 🇳​🇴​🇹​ 🇦​🇫​🇫​🇮​🇱​🇮​🇦​🇹​🇪​🇩​ 🇼​🇮​🇹​🇭​ 🇹​🇭​🇪​ 🇸​🇹​ 🇷​🇵​🇨​

Exploring themes of: parental abuse and neglect, learning to take back control, discovering true love for oneself, trusting in others, leaps of faith, breaking social constructs, finding freedom without shackles and discarding crowns that were never sought.

                          Resurrected by Lulu (30+ She/Her) Minors DNI

Heavily affiliated with: @ripcreel / @ripdayze / @ripgray / @slumberingchaos / @ripmvnson / @lacedaether / @lilacfancy / @cleathlaced /

Also affiliated with: @cripplemagics / @thcmcnstcr / @righteouslysin /

                                                CARRD || GRAPHICS CREDIT

[ripcvnningham]

‘Non from 4 months ago;

No, we don’t have each other on discord. But you deserve a chance to flourish on here same as the rest of us. I hope you’re doing well!

P.s. - what are your FanFest announcement speculations?

ooc:- I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't need tumblr to flourish in terms of writing, I found a community away from here where I never have to worry about who is watching me or talking about me behind my back, who I can and cannot trust.

I am doing well, better than I have been in a long time, and that's mostly down to my not being here. If you want to speak with me, you can come off of anon and we can back and forth privately, I'm not going to do long-winded responses on a site I don't come to anymore.

[ripcvnningham]

you are so missed. i hope you come back and can create again- things have gotten better

ooc:- That's really kind of you to say, and I'm flattered you took the time to send this to me, even more so that you have thought of me at all. I'm still creating, just elsewhere! I'm not sure I would come back, I'd really only come back for a certain muse and I don't think that would happen. I'll think on it, just no promises.

PS: If you have me on discord, maybe chat to me there? I could be convinced...

[ripgray-moved]

     as if on cue, peter yawns. an arm is flung over his face to shield it from view, but it's really a whole-body affair; he stretches out like a cat, teeth subtly bared behind pallid blue cotton that covers his skinny forearm. a quiet fuck you to the world that made him unable to enjoy this sort of weather like he truly wants to.

     ❛ a blanket sounds good, ❜ he says, eyes closing as he goes lax on the couch,  ❛ i actually put a few in the towel cupboard when we came here. they get all toasty in there 'cause of the pipework. ❜ he pauses for a beat, tilting his ankle until it gives off a satisfying pop!  ❛ i kinda collect 'em. blankets, i mean. ❜

     he has for years. even when he was a child, they were a source of comfort in an otherwise cold house. as sad as it is, he can most likely count the number of times he was hugged as a boy on one hand. it isn't surprising to him that he sought warmth from an external source.

      i know you tried, dad. you were just never there.

     ❛ grab a big one. you can bunk with me if you wanna doze. ❜

[ripcvnningham]

♡ ⸻ Chrissy can relate to the lack of parental warmth as a child. Any sort of affection she received was always in the company of others that would judge her mother for being less than perfect. Her dad was no better than a ghost, seen and rarely heard, and he knew better than to offer her comfort when she needed it the most. Laura Cunningham had no time for it, certainly didn't have the room for it, and it was because of this that her daughter now struggled with being close to people as an adult, physically close, that is. She wanted to be affectionate, craved it, but always felt like maybe she was being too much somehow.

❝ On it. ❞ Chrissy was already pushing herself up from the arm chair she'd been curled up in, sock covered feet padding across hardwood flooring that would take her to the cupboard in which Peter kept his stash. It was obvious he collected the blankets, but she'd never commented on it, figuring he wouldn't appreciate such a blatant spotlight on it. ❝ Yeah? I think everyone collects something or another. When I was a kid, I loved sticker books. Or rather, I would buy stickers and make my own sticker books. ❞

With the very toasty blanket retrieved and secured against her small frame, she made her way back over to where Peter was lounging like an over-sized cat, body elongated and completely relaxed all in the same breath. ❝ I collect those little unicorn figurines you can get... and jelly fishes. ❞ She wanted to say 'pook', a knee-jerk tact on whenever she spoke of aquatic life, but felt silly.

❝ You sure? I don't mind going back to the arm chair if you'd rather not? ❞

[ripgray-moved]

     peter can't help but chuckle softly as chrissy comes running on up to him. part of him is afraid she's about to bowl him over, as oddly out of character as that would be, but she stops— mercifully— right in front of him.

     ❛ as a funeral, ❜ he confirms with a grin, the keys caught on their next swing round his pointer finger,  ❛ i figured that after everything we all went through back in that piece-of-shit town, we were all due some sort of break. and i have all this cash just laying around after... well, y'know. so i thought why not, right? ❜

     peter has never even been particularly affectionate towards the sea. in fact, on the contrary, the ocean as a concept freaks him out; it's so expansive and yet so little is known about it because of how hard it is for humans to access. he can't believe that the earth is roughly seventy percent water and yet its depths remain a secret. that all said, they're young and in the heart of new york city and had the chance to be stupid kids ripped from them. they should be stupid kids now, then.

     ❛ rude, ❜ he hears henry comment as he steps out of the bathroom. the guy has such an impeccable sense of timing that it's freaky.

     peter beams all the wider.  ❛ hey, she's right, you're so white that you make me look dark. ❜ he's mixed, a medium tan shade, but henry's ghostly complexion really brings out the glow of his skin ( or it does now that he's back to going outside; he'd been pale as all hell for the years he'd spent as a hermit ).  ❛ so sunscreen's a must! bring some sorta bathing suit or trunks, too, just in case you wanna go in the water. there's a railing you can jump over or we can park up somewhere and jump from the deck. i've already sorted food and drink out— and floaties! ❜

[ripcvnningham]

♡ ⸻ It felt like only a short while ago that days out like this in which they could be stupid kids and just have fun, not a single care in the world, was nothing more than a pipe dream. Sure, they'd gotten out of Hawkins and started building a life for themselves in the city, but that didn't just make all the trauma magically disappear. For ages they all lived feeling on edge, waiting for the moment their newfound freedom and happiness was going to be ripped away from them. It was sad, and they'd been sad because of it, had demons they each needed to reconcile with.

Yet it seemed they were turning a corner now, right? Maybe this day out was just the start of it?

❝ I mean, yeah... you're right. Who else deserves a fun day in the sun more than us? More than you? ❞ Because Peter had really been through the ringer, probably more than any of them, so if he said they should have a day out on a boat, then they would have a day out on a boat!

Her mouth had been open to say something more, maybe to tell Peter how proud she was at how far he'd come, but Henry's little comment stopped her from making things awkward, letting her mouth run away with itself and bringing the mood down to something more serious. She was working on it, and she'd gotten better at stopping herself from more morose behaviours.

❝ Babe, I'm pretty sure you reflect the sun at this point, which means we're going to need sunglasses, too. ❞ A little quip about his glowing radiance, but also meant with complete affection. In her eyes, he really was this radiant being. ❝ Okay, well... is there anything else I can do? I feel kinda bad that you put in all this work for us... Hmmm... I could... I actually don't know, haha! Um, I'm assuming the boat has a refrigerator of some sort? Will we need ice? ❞

[slumberingchaos]

Had she really assumed that he wouldn’t want to continue this conversation? Maybe if he was in a healthy place or had any self preservation skills to note he would have turned her down. But … this was the closest he was ever going to get to hear anything about his wayward little sister and what happened after he had all but died in her eyes. She knew so much more and deep down he was desperate to know that after it all she was alright. Even if she was in the arms of that Lucas boy and his nerdy friends, at least she was safe.

“Yeah yeah. Enjoy. Not everyone gets my attention so easily, princess.”

Taking his things in hand once more he lead the way to his sleek American muscle car, intoning his agreement. It wouldn’t be too bad even if they were stuck in the car for a bit in traffic - still served the purpose of them not being out in public while talking about their past. He sauntered over to the passenger’s seat opening it up with a coy smile, “After you.”

Billy waited till she was properly seated before going to his trunk, tossing in his bags, and then entered the car himself keys already in hand. The stereo roared to life along with the engine, the heavy purr of it mixing with the chorus of Nirvana’s newest song. Grinning to himself, he turned and backed out of the parking space, and merged into traffic. “So tell me Princess, what brought you from sleepy little Hawkin’s to this tourist trap?” Might as well make a little conversation as they drove. He wasn’t really one for awkward silences anymore. It made him feel weird, and set his teeth on edge.

[ripcvnningham]

♡ ⸻ It was a short walk to his car, and upon seeing it she had wanted to ask if it was the same one he'd rocked up in when they'd both been in high school, back when things had been normal and the world hadn't seemed like such a frightening place. Chrissy recalled Max speaking about Billy's car a couple of times, how he'd loved it more than he loved even himself, but to her it had felt like the worst place on earth, a confined space in which he could bully and intimidate her. Max's tune changed after Billy had 'died'. Said she'd missed his bad taste in music and the way the car always smelled of his cheap aftershave and cigarettes.

Funny how perceptions are changed when a person is no longer in someone's life.

Settling into the car, Chrissy put on her seat belt -because she was damned if she was going to survive Vecna only to be taken out by a windshield- and waited for Billy to get in and pull out of the space he, now she thought about it, had expertly parked in. A stark contrast to his haphazard way of doing so when he'd been a wild child teenager.

His question didn't take her by surprise, oddly enough, but what did surprise her was her hesitation in answering. Not that she didn't want to tell him, more that she didn't have a solid reason, other than— ❝ Honestly? It's just so different from Hawkins. We spend, what? Half the year, if not more, with grey skies, gloomy weather or just straight up snow. Here was appealing because of all the sun. ❞

And call her weird, but she felt there was a strange sort of safety in the sun. Like the Upside Down couldn't touch her. ❝ What about you? How did you end up here? And what's the cover story they made you rehearse for meeting new people? ❞

[ripgray-moved]

@ripcvnningham sacrificed: " The sound of rain is so nice. "

     ❛ mm... ❜

     he's currently lounging on the creel couch, one arm hanging towards the floor while his long legs drape awkwardly over its arm. in spite of his position, he's more than comfortable enough to nap. it's always a little easier to do with friends present.

     peter is someone who, before paimon, had much preferred the sun. rain tended to depress him ( and, when he was using, it made his blunts soggy as shit ) and storms worried him. now though, the demon has left his mark; he may very well be banished, may be locked within the upside-down with the rest of his foul ilk, but he also lived inside of him for close to four years— so now peter rather likes the dismal weather.

     ❛ 's putting me to sleep... ❜ he mutters, unsure if chrissy even hears him with how relaxed the words are. they feel like slush on the sidewalk, melting with every second that passes.  ❛ is it jus'me or does rain in new york hit different...? ❜

     it's probably just him— or rather, it's probably just his sleepiness.

[ripcvnningham]

♡ ⸻ Like Peter, Chrissy never used to be all that fond of the rain, though her reasons were vastly different from his own even if the end result was somewhat similar. She liked how Hawkins looked when it rained, all grey and gloomy and like something straight out of an aesthetic blog, but it also meant that she was often forced to stay indoors —which meant she was trapped with her mother.

While the rain never personally affected her own mood, it most certainly affected Laura's, though at this point she's pretty sure anything could have affected the woman's mood, and she would become even more ill-tempered, quicker to say and do horrible things without so much as a build up. ❝ Yeah... kinda makes me wanna get all snuggled... ❞

New York rain does indeed hit different, not that she could ever put her finger on why, but she likes seeing it from her apartment window; the clouds fat and dark over the buildings, all the different coloured umbrella's zipping around on the street below. There's something almost otherworldly about it.

❝ Nah... it does hit different... it seems more peaceful here. —You need a blanket, Petey? ❞

[neverscored]

in beavis’ opinion, hawkins isn’t that bad… but it certainly hasn’t been that great, either. the energy here has been only slightly better than highland, but the small towns still have some unwelcome toxicity to them. maybe he should just move himself and birdie to the woods and give up on everyone else— well, except for chrissy. she could come, too.

“yeah… i was hoping that getting a job up here would change things for us, but… i don’t know.” beavis offers her a half-hearted shrug as he fails to relate to the girl’s untainted optimism. it’s a lot harder to stay bubbly and optimistic like he once was when the only thing that’s made things only tolerable is being a dad. other than that, nothing else seems so bleak.

after taking a moment to gather his thoughts, beavis scratches the back of his neck as he repeats, “i don’t know,” and then, “so far the only real good change here was meeting you.” and he really means that. chrissy isn’t just a friend at this point, but part of their little broken family. “if ya leave, we just might hav’ta follow ya, heh.”

and back to the light-hearted playfulness. things started to feel just a bit too vulnerable.

[ripcvnningham]

♡ ⸻ Beavis isn't wrong. Small towns can be a great place to live because of the sense of community that it brings, but it also fosters this lack of a need for change of mind sets. People like Beavis? People who aren't earning a fat paycheck or living in a nice house? In Hawkins that's really looked down upon and Chrissy has never been able to figure out why. Sure, financial stability and a good home is nice, but it doesn't make a person better than everyone else.

It makes her think of Eddie and how the town treated him, and like Beavis, he had been one of the best people she'd ever known! Sure, things were a little awkward at first when she'd started babysitting for Birdie, and not for one second did she blame that on him because of course he'd think she was like everyone else! They'd worked through it, and now Chrissy genuinely looked forward to spending time with the two of them.

❝ You could come with me? ❞ It was a serious suggestion. While she wanted out and to start her life over someplace no one knew her, she also wasn't thrilled about leaving her friends behind. Maybe a fresh start is what Beavis and his daughter needed. ❝ I mean, you could. What's stopping you, really? You're smart and can get a job anywhere, and you'd have me to babysit, too!❞

[ripgray-moved]

     ❛ nope. i stenciled us in some place on the dl, ❜ peter declares, a hint of pride in his voice. he can hardly help it after where he was before; him surprising his friends with a trip that requires venturing out into the world? not even he is impervious to that degree of forward momentum.

     after a moment to build suspense— his glass drained for dramatic effect, of course— the boat keys are revealed with a flourish of his wrist. they jangle loudly as he spins them around his index finger.

     ❛ i rented us out a boat for the day. i figured we could all use a day of sun and alcohol. ❜ there's a wide grin on his face as he peels himself away from the counter, his glass rinsed out and put back.  ❛ isaac helped me figure it all out and set it up. our port's about an hour's drive. similar distance to lady liberty herself. checked when you guys were free with the exam timetable and planned it a month ahead! basically, we're all set.❜

[ripcvnningham]

♡ ⸻ It really didn't feel all that long ago to her that they were, essentially, fighting with Peter to get him to so much as step out of the front door. Okay, fighting was a strong word but they hadn't given up on him and that was a kind of fighting, right? Still, seeing him now? It was like night and day with how different he was. If he ever had wobbles about going out and just running simple errands, Chrissy never saw it, and he always, always walked through the main door of the building with such confidence that she couldn't help but feel just a little bit teary-eyed with genuine pride!

❝ Oooooh, look at you being all sneaky and planning stuff for us! ❞ Her book is discarded and she's now leaning forward in her seat, hands slapping against her thighs to further convey her enthusiasm to him. All jokes aside, she's both curious and so very excited to learn what he's been plotting.

Thankfully, he doesn't leave her hanging. A wise choice on his part.

Her eyes zero in on the keys that swing around his finger, catching the afternoon sun so that it reflects little light trails around the apartment. The squeal that leaves her? It absolutely cannot be contained! ❝ A boat? Are you serious!? ❞ And now she's on her feet, all but dashing towards him, screeching to a halt just a few feet shy of him so that she can bounce happily on her heels. ❝ You really did all of this for us? Petey!! That's so sweet of you! Oh my gosh! I need to pack a day bag! What do I need? Sunscreen, that's a must, Henry will be a crispy fritter otherwise! ❞

Can he tell she's excited?

[ripgray-moved]

     as rewarding an experience as university has been, peter has been ready for the summer break for the past two months. by the time it rolls around, he has a litany of plans that he's absolutely ecstatic to thrust his friends into.

     in truth, though the acceptance of this group has been every shade of difficult for him, he's really come to recognise his housemates as his ride or dies— a concept that all but imploded in on itself by the time highschool came around. i'm lucky, he thinks as he twiddles the boat keys around his finger, the demon shit was already a stretch. to get friends out of it too? next level.

     ❛ 'sup girlie, ❜ he says as he enters chrissy and henry's level, immediately going for their fridge. just shy of drinking the milk straight out of the carton, he recalls henry's look of pointed frustration the last time he'd done so and swings in the direction of the cupboard, fishing for a glass.  ❛ guess what we're doing today. ❜ / @ripcvnningham

[ripcvnningham]

♡ ⸻ There were still days in which Chrissy found herself having this profound realisation that life had somehow worked itself into resembling something normal. Not that she'd ever thought her life could get as crazy as it had been in that final stretch of high school, but once the crazy had started? She'd been convinced there would be no end to it. So, it was hardly surprising that she'd mentally pinch herself every now and again, that she'd look around and just take stock of everything around her.

Like anyone else her age, she'd been counting down the days, then the hours and finally the long, drawn out minutes until the school year was over and summer was officially upon them. Okay, so summer was officially here without the school year's say so, but it never really felt like it had begun until that final class had been dismissed.

When Peter had let himself into her shared apartment with Henry, she'd barely looked up from the book she had been reading, -for once it was not Howl's Moving Castle- and instead offered a soft hum by way of response as she finished the page she'd been on. ❝ I don't know, what are we doing today, Petey? ❞ She asked, now finally looking up at him and offering a nod of approval as he fetched himself a glass for the milk he was helping himself to. ❝ —Wait... did we have plans? Did I forget something? ❞

[neverscored]

that certainly takes him by surprise, but it’s a sentiment he can understand. while birdie has improved his life exponentially, it’s just as good as it could be. the only problem is that he’s just not quite sure what exactly it is that he’s missing. maybe there’s just a permanent hole where his perfect happiness should be, and nothing is ever going to fill the space. with a nod, he glances away from the teenager and tries to remember being her age a few years ago. truthfully, it all really a blur. between all the drugs and injuries, his mind has decided to completely omit some memories entirely. regardless, age shouldn’t make that feeling any less painful.

“what do you think would make you happy?” he finally asks, realizing he’s let the silence go on for a bit too long.

[ripcvnningham]

♡ ⸻ As Chrissy had gotten older she'd realised that being happy was something that didn't come from the things that she'd hope they would. Before now, she thought she'd be happy if she could get down to the dress size her mom wanted her to be, or that spending time with people that claimed to be her friends would do the trick. But they weren't long term fixes, just stolen moments of the thing she wanted most in this life. Other kids her age had thought of long term goals that would help them achieve the same thing; some wanted an important career, others the big house and the fancy car, but Chrissy just felt as though they were material things, material happiness, and what she wanted was different.

When Beavis asked her what would make her happy, Chrissy took longer than she would have liked to respond. He was good to her, genuinely listened to her and he never once treated her like some dumb kid. So, out of respect to him, she didn't want to give him a hollow response. ❝ I'm not sure... I think... I know getting out of Hawkins will put me on the path to it, but as for what would make me happy? I guess I'll know when I find it. ❞

[slumberingchaos]

That thought was something he had pondered over on many sleepless nights, when the shadows were closing in.  When the shadows felt like they were trying to claw their way to him, threatening to dig deep into his flesh and draw him back down to the hell he thought he left behind. 

What would have happened if he wasn’t such a dick to her or those nerds she called her friends? If he hadn’t been so vile, would that thing have even bothered to possess him? Or would some other chump have fallen victim to its thrall? If someone else had… would he be the one raging and falling off the deep end because Max had ended up dead in that fucked up cover story?

His thoughts were a spiral on those nights, falling down the what if rabbit hole while he nursed whatever pitch black coffee and whiskey mix he could manage to swallow down. If he had to be awake, well… he didn’t need to be sober for it.  Drinking helped quiet the fear, helped to numb the little voice within his head that worried over ‘nothing’ as his psych was more than willing to repeat.

Every…

Single…

Session… 

Though hearing that his dead beat of a father had essentially abandoned the two women after his death made a flicker of rage ignite in his blue eyes.  How could he?  He all but uprooted them all from whatever safety net they had created in Cali to move to the bum fuck nowhere town of Hawkins only to fuck off and leave them high and dry?  His lip twitched, though he held back the worst comments.  She didn’t want to hear about his annoyance, so why bother wasting the air.  “Fuckin’ cockhead…” He scoffed out, grumbling to himself before mulling over her offer.

An hour wasn’t much to ask, though he wasn’t entirely sure that he wanted to bring up anymore of those hellish memories.

But…

There was no one else he could talk to about it.  Not really.  The Psych they had him go to periodically was only there to assure him that nothing else would ever happen like that again - though Billy was more than aware that she was more or less keeping tabs on him INCASE something like the Mind Flayer came back and found a hold on him.  They saw him as a loose cannon.  Something that was directly touching some unholy creature from another dimension.  Something that was intimately aware of the gifts that it could give someone who had been its happy little thrall.  Someone who may or may not have any residual after effects …

“Yea… sure.” The acceptance came without his express permission to leave his lips but it was too late now to really take it back wasn’t it?  Maybe he needed the conversation more than he realized. “Like I said.  Was just here for the swells today.  Other fuckwads can keep the general lard asses from downing or becoming shark food. I got the car up there, pretty little parting present from the PtB. You wanna ride or you hoofin’ it, Princess?”

Not that there was much of a question to that, less she had her own ride to lead the way. The eatery wasn't one he had gone too before and while the park wasn't far it didn't really have much in the way of entertainment for him. Too quiet. Too quant. Not enough noise to keep the shadows at bay.

[ripcvnningham]

♡ ⸻ There was a lot about their respective situations that weren't fair or right. Even after so many years, Chrissy found herself wracked with guilt about her own choices in the end. Like Billy, those men is suits that worked for an organisation they weren't allowed to know the name of had given her choices. They could concoct a story in which by some miracle, she'd survived what had happened to her or, they could help her leave and start a new life. Imagine asking an eighteen year old girl such a life changing question like that. Of course she was going to take the out, to get her free pass from never having to go back to her mom and her strict rules and abusive parenting. She was young, scared and just been through an outlandishly terrifying ordeal; she didn't want to go from one dumpster fire to another. So, she'd taken the out.

It was only as she got older that she realised that her choice would have dire consequences for someone else in her life. Her mom was a tyrant, but a tyrant with an image. No doubt Laura Cunningham milked her daughters death with the people at the country club, which would mean her father, while never abusive to Chrissy, though he played his own hand in what happened behind closed doors, would never be able to grieve in silence, because silence had been his weapon of choice when it came to not catching the ire of his wife. And what of her younger brother? Would he have become a new target, or would he have been further neglected? These were things that kept her up at night, well, one of the things anyway. If it wasn't night terrors about what really went down in Hawkins, then it was the guilt of leaving her brother and her dad in the care of her mom.

When Billy accepted her offer to go grab coffee and talk, part of her had been expecting him to say no, to get lost and never seek him out again. Chrissy wouldn't have blamed him for this, after all, who wanted a reminder of the worst time of their life? But the fact he'd said yes, had agreed to talking further with her? That she hadn't expected, and it showed briefly on her face. ❝ Really? I mean, that's great! ❞ She tried not to look too happy about it, but damn if she wasn't ready to get all of this out of her head.

❝ A ride would be great, my car is caput and I haven't had chance to get it in to be repaired, work has been crazy. ❞ The relief she felt was making her chatty, kind of like when people are nervous and they laugh at the most inappropriate of times or get talkative to expel that nervous energy rattling around their bodies.

❝ Parking is good around that area at this time of day, and to say thanks for the ride, I'll pay for lunch. ❞ She was being careful not to give him a look or scold him for his less than savoury comments about the beach goers. Maybe that was his defence mechanism? Who knew?

[ripcvnningham]

@neverscored bestowed: ❛  what do you want? you can tell me.  ❜

♡ ⸻ It was a phrase she had heard countless times in her life from many different people and sometimes with a slight variations to the sentiment. Regardless of who spoke the words, she found herself in the same position every time; Chrissy knew she was fully capable of speaking her wants and needs, she had the words for them all, yet they always managed to get stuck in her throat somehow.

Wanting felt selfish. Wanting felt like she was just setting herself up for a fall, as though merely speaking her dreams and desires would curse them. Her mouth opened as she looked at her dear friend, no sound leaving her in her first attempt, and so she closed it, exhaling softly through her nose as her fingers picked at a loose thread which had formed on the hem of her sleeve.

There was so much she wanted from life, and yet when she really thought about it, really narrowed it all down, she realised that they all had a common theme.

❝ I just want to be happy. ❞

[slumberingchaos]

Ah yes, that attention had been just what he wanted after moving all the way from the golden state - and his support group of friends - to the sleepy little town of Hawkins. It had been horrible, really, how much he pushed himself to be somebody at this school and to keep some sort of normalcy to his life in whatever way he could. It hadn’t been easy, and as a result he wasn’t very easy to get along with either. Couple that with the beatings…

Another rueful smile etched upon his lips at the thought of the red headed thorn in his side, how much he hated her because she was safe from his dad. Hated her because he couldn’t hate himself anymore than he already did. And he took it out on her, only because she was the only one he could target for the longest time. “You make it sound like the red headed little bitch liked me or something.” He knew she did and despite his rough words, Chrissy could hear the thick quality his voice took at learning how deep his death affected her.

“Heh… sounds like she inherited that right from dear old Dad. He had a way with being a pretty nasty fucker - and making someone angry was his forte.” If only he could have asked the men in suits to pin his death on dear old dad. That would have been perfect.

Though his reminiscence was cut short by her words, and almost on instinct did he glance around them his lips pursed a little at the thought of them watching even here. “Yea, guess so.” Though the fact that she wanted to keep talking to him - maybe that should have been a red flag in and of itself but hell wasn’t everyday that you could talk about the tragic shit that happened and someone not think you’re batshit.

“I guess I can give ya some time. Nothin’ better to do and I’m not on shift at the beach.” He gestured to the little hut behind him where his stuff sat, discarded in favor of greeting her. “And where exactly are you wanting to meet up, Little Miss cheer squad? The strips not gonna be quiet - too many tourist as it is.”

[ripcvnningham]

♡ ⸻ While she can't say for certain that Max always liked Billy, she could say that his death had a profound shift in her opinion of him. Maybe they could have worked through their differences, become something that looked a little bit like brother and sister, or maybe they would have just been friends, who knew? All Chrissy knew was that because of everything that had happened in Hawkins neither of them would ever know, and to her? Well, it seemed like a tragedy all of its own. ❝ I don't know? Maybe she did? Or maybe she was just sad she never got the chance to see if you two could be more than two people that were forced into sharing a home together? ❞ It wasn't really her place to say, of course it wasn't, but if Billy was going to make a go of his second chance, well, he deserved to know that not everyone hated him.

❝ I don't think so... after you... died? Your dad bailed on Max and her mom, left them in the dust with no place to go. There were a lot of reasons for Max to be angry... ❞ And who could blame her, really?

Maybe Billy could find a way to get word to his step sister without the powers that be knowing, try to build some bridges with her, because Chrissy wanted so desperately to believe that they weren't completely burned, that some good had to come out of all of this. Heh, talk about the pot calling the kettle black. She could do the same with her own mother, reach out, build bridges and all that, but something told her that Laura Cunningham would never change, that if she ever got her claws back into her daughters life, she'd find new and inventive ways to make her miserable. No, her second chance, her something good? It was getting away from her mom, of that she was certain.

❝ Yeah? An hour, tops. I... I'm not gonna hold you to anything, don't expect you to be my friend or want to see me after this but... ❞ But maybe it would be good for both of them to just talk about it? Get it off of their chests so they could continue moving forward? ❝ I don't know about you, but I feel like I can't really move on. I didn't have anyone to talk to after everything happened and there was time to just... breathe... ❞

As for where to meet, she had a place in mind. Her job took her all over the city and as a result she'd found a quiet little corner or two where everyone minded their own business, which made meeting with her cases so much easier.

❝ There's a place near Moffett Park, just around the corner from that old church? It's a little cafe, always quiet and people tend to keep their heads down. We can go there, or meet up another day? Whatever works for you. ❞

[ripcvnningham]

@neverscored bestowed: oh no. don't tell me it's locked.

♡ ⸻ During schools Holidays and whenever she could manage it, she would walk with Beavis to work so that Birdie could spend more time with him before she was dropped off on the days her father could afford to send her to daycare. That morning had been something of a whirlwind, not that it was ever truly calm in the household but that morning the little girl had been especially fussy about... well, everything, really, and so they were running late for Beavis to start his shift.

It wasn't his turn to open, and so he didn't have the keys to get in. On the outside, it looked like his shift manager was already inside, the shutters were up, some lights were on, and yet the door was locked. Chrissy took a step back, hands on hips and eyes squinting against the morning sun as she looked at the store, as if simply looking at it would magically unlock the door.

❝ Hey, um... the employee bathroom... is the window still stuck? ❞ As long as she could remember, come rain or shine, that little window had been firmly wedged open. It was a wonder they hadn't been robbed yet, but then she figured maybe no one thought they could fit through. ❝ I can try squeezing through it if you give me a boost? I mean, what if your shift manager had an accident? At least I can take a look, let you in? ❞

[valistheanshield]

This exchange was...not something he was quite used to, continuing to keep that confused look upon his face. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand what that is supposed to mean." Had he been making a strange face? He couldn't recall what expression he had held before her interruption of his thoughts.

[ripcvnningham]

♡ ⸻ Chrissy had met one or two somewhat hopeless cases in her time, but Clive was really taking the cake on this one. Was he so unaware of how serious he looked? Not just serious, but also... kinda angry looking. ❝ You never heard that phrase before? About the wind changing and your face getting stuck? It's silly, really, but I was worried you might get stuck with that scowl forever. ❞ Though her tone was light-hearted, her expression betrayed her genuine concern.

[valistheanshield]

@ripcvnningham sent : Just casually boops your nose. Unprompted || Always Accepting!

Is casually booped. Expresses confusion by scrunching eyebrows together.

"Er....can I help you?"

[ripcvnningham]

♡ ⸻ That scrunched up expression on his face is enough to earn him a smile from her.

❝ Oh, no! I was just worried your face might get stuck like that if the wind changed is all! ❞