shrikehq starters

please reblog from the original source ! please post your starters using beta editor !

[finaldarlings]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* dolly feat. shrike

located at a park downtown. this is an open starter for @shrikestart

the weight on dolly's shoulders was no longer so heavy, no longer so extreme, so intense, difficult to live with. so much time had passed since the last attack had happened, and while dolly and her loved ones - along with all of the other affected shrike residents - were still dealing with the effects of all previous attacks, dolly felt like she could finally breathe again. the fresh fall air was particularly nice to breathe as dolly walked through the park, a woven wood basket in hand, contents protected by a yellow gingham tea towel. while summer was at the top of dolly's lists of favourite season, fall had always been an easy second.

despite the weight having lessened, however, dolly's heart hadn't yet returned from the heavy state it had been put into at the beginning of the attacks those two years ago. while the woman had moments of ease, moments of clarity, moments of pure joy, she often found the heartache returning, much like she did as she crunched through the fallen leaves of early autumn and spotted an individual who looked especially downtrodden. dolly had always been a sensitive and loving person; acting as she would have even before the attacks - and especially after them now - dolly stepped towards the other, first offering them a friendly smile. "hello," she spoke softly yet warmly. "can i offer you a muffin? they're fresh out of the oven, i just baked them," the offer wasn't much, but perhaps it could be enough to see even a brief smile on the other's face.

[ghostwhspers]

@shrikestart where: in front of the mall time: 8:00 am

It was strawberry season and Jiwon was homesick. It was difficult not to think of home, his family's strawberry farm, childhood memories of picking the very best strawberries for his grandmother, nights spent sneaking boys there where his parents wouldn't think to check. Life was easier in Shrike in many ways. After all, he was around his best friend in the universe and was able to openly be himself, a privilege he did not take for granted. Still, it was difficult not to miss his family at all, especially since it had been a while since their schedules had aligned well enough for his phone call home to not go unanswered. He thought of his mother and worried that she was getting too old to do the field work the way she used to. It was difficult not to feel selfish, like a bad son. Although he was his parents' most precious person, and they told him so often, he knew things about himself that she didn't. Things that would cast doubt on the reverence she held for him. The day had started ordinarily enough, no different than the day before or the one before that. The only difference was his lack of focus had led him to take an ungraceful tumble in front of the mall, just barely breaking his fall and making a mess of things. The yakult he had been holding was on the ground too, its pink contents spilled across the asphalt, his jeans partially soaked, and his knees scraped strawberry red where the denim had ripped against the ground. Like a child, he wanted his mother in that moment. Not for any particular reason other than the fact he missed her desperately anyway and he just knew how much she would have fussed over him if she were here. He didn't know how long he'd been there, just surrendering on the ground, but he grew self conscious when he saw a shadow casting over the sunlit ground. Turning to the person walking by him, he gingerly said, "Nothing to see here. Just a bit of a strawberry-related disaster."

[enshrikes]

date & time: eight a.m., late july open to: everyone

Micah had been back less than a week, and the early mornings had been hitting him hard. He hadn't realized how much later his days started in Cleveland, but rising before the sun to milk the cows and staying busy 'til his head hit the pillow at night had taken its toll. He'd missed it, of course, but he was in desperate need of a nap.

The sun beating down on him as he arranged the family's stall at the farmer's market didn't help matters either. He was already sweating at eight in the morning, and he could feel his energy being sapped in the heat. In a way though, masochistic as it was, he loved it. The familiar routines and patterns he'd grown up with felt like home, and it made his tiredness feel like an accomplished one. Like it was worth it.

As he unloaded the last of the machines for their onsite ice cream stand – an idea of his from last summer he was quite proud of, he must admit – the heat bearing down on him eased, and he realized someone's shadow was shielding him. He popped up quickly, smiling as he squinted, the sun briefly blinding and preventing him from identifying his conversation partner.

"Morning," he greeted them easily. "You're just in time. I'm just about to open up shop. Were you looking for anything in particular?"

[guardxdavis]

Davis was still getting used to life in Shrike Heights. After all, it had only been a week since he'd been here, and his life was drastically different than it had been back in Boston. Before he'd been a military man respected by both the army and his family. Now he'd been honorably discharged, so the military definitely still respected him, but his family was another story. Thousands of miles from the place that was no longer home, Davis felt a bit adrift. He'd been here before to visit his grandmother before she'd retired to Florida, so the town and the house were somewhat familiar. But everything was so different, and Davis hated the way that made him feel. He'd only been working at the mall for a few days, so whenever he could, he walked around, getting to know the place; maybe if his workplace felt more familiar, he'd be a little more comfortable.

Knowing the mall better would have definitely come in handy in the situation Davis found himself in now. It was near the end of his shift, and he walked into the store with the stolen item in his hand; someone had just tried to shoplift it, the clerk calling security, and Davis was pleased he had managed to find the perpetrator and retrieve the item; at least he could do that right. "So I got it back, but the guy got away unfortunately," Davis said as he approached the clerk. But then he paused, looking around - this was the wrong store. "Uh...you're not the person who called me, are you?" he asked, feeling embarrassed. He didn't know what store he was in, nor did he know where the store he was supposed to be was located. "Dammit," Davis muttered under his breath. "Sorry," he apologized, "I guess I need to learn my way around a little more."

[hope1essly]

"hey um! would you perhaps be interested in joining me?" cheeks were beat red, standing out all too well against pale flesh, "i was supposed to be meeting some guy but it appears as though he's stood me up. i uh, kinda anxiety ordered." rory said with a chuckle, gesturing toward the plethora of food that took up not one but TWO tables, "and got something from each place. way too much food." irish accent was thick with every word despite the fact that they've lived in shrike heights since the age of twelve. while you could take the lad out of ireland, you could never take the ireland out of the lad. "does a food court feast strike your fancy?"

@shrikestart

[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.

[malltms]

𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: the black cat 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: open @shrikestart

—— it was technically drew's time off, but they liked the atmosphere that their work had, and they hadn't really made too many friends to justify going out — so sometimes they would come in and sit behind the counter, entertaining whoever was on the shift after theirs. other times, when they were especially bored, they would grab one of the tarot decks from the shelves and give impromptu readings that made absolutely no sense. but customers seemed to like it enough. it was on the house, they said, as if they had the right to charge for services they offered without having any expertise whatsoever. "hey, want a reading?" they decided to ask upon seeing a face in their peripheral, fanning out the cards and offering an impish grin. it was an older deck, released seven or so years prior, but it was still stunning. "free of charge. unless you're keen on buying me some ice cream if it goes well."

[cerberust]

open starter @shrikestart location: the blue sparrow

Not remembering the night before was nothing new. That had been the modus operandi ever since the last attack. Going through the motions, numbing down the paranoia by getting high, getting drunk, or both. Whiting out on someone's couch. His own, last night. They had never been one to fall into a pattern of bad habits, and yet here they were, itching not to be sober any longer than they had to be. They were still responsible enough to show up to work with their wits about them. Even though it wasn't exactly the profession they saw themselves having after pouring themselves into their studies growing up, they loved their job. Getting to put a permanent piece of his art on a person was an uncontested luxury. It was important that they kept that intact, even if their social life was going to shit. Today was his day off though. It could not have come at a more welcome time, between the hangover and the lack of caffeine weighing his bones down. "Here," He set down a cup of coffee at the other end of the communal table at the centre of the cafe. "I ordered the wrong thing the first time, so... free coffee?" He said with an awkward, uneven smile. One side of his face was hurting like crazy and it wasn't until he thought of that that he realised he hadn't even looked himself in the fact that morning. Had he done so he would have been aware of the ugly pattern of bruising that was starting to form around his eye. He reached for his own mug of sweet, salted-caramel goodness, bringing it to his mouth for a sip. "If you want."

[noahcohen]

Location: Donna's Roller Disco Open to: Anyone! ( @shrikestart )

If there was one thing Noah Cohen could spend all day doing, it was dancing on his roller skates with friends. That's exactly what he'd been doing that day after being convinced to come back out after a self-imposed hiatus of a few months from the roller disco. It's not that he was afraid of going to Donna's exactly, but after the January attacks, Noah hadn't been as outgoing as he used to be and had a tendency to go from work straight home, or friend's homes. Going out to places he used to enjoy was a little more difficult. It wasn't like wanted to stay home, but a little coaxing from his friends went a long way, and he finally laced his skates back on. Spring was quickly turning into Summer, and there was no better way to celebrate than to boogie to the Get Down On It by Kool & The Gang while styling around the rink in his opinion.

"Whew!! I think I need something to drink," Noah said, catching his breath when the song rolled over. He brushed his curls away from his slightly flushed face from all the skating, and smiled. "Let's take a little break at the booths and get something to cool off. On me though, as thanks for bringing me out. It's the least I can do," he insisted.

[radiccls]

open starter: @shrikestart​ location: late riser counter

The early rush of breakfast sandwiches had died down which meant Jeremy had time to mess around a bit. It wasn’t technically sanctioned by his boss but he’d brought ingredients from home to test a new recipe and he wasn’t charging the customers. They were, well, a free focus group. He’d plated a small bite consisting of toasted bread, strawberry jam, shredded smoked chicken, and a bit of feta on top. “Wait, wait!” He called to someone at the counter before they left with their food. “No charge, dude. Can you try this and tell me what you think? It’s sweet and savory and it might look weird but i think it works. Just, yeah, give it a try and be honest.”

[radiccls]

open starter: @shrikestart location: food court

"I had the craziest conversation on my break today. I was in Tracks looking for a new record and they said So Emotional was the worst song on Whitney Houston's album. Can you believe that? Like, let me get this straight. You're seriously telling me you heard that song and wanted to skip past it?" Aaliyah scoffed at the thought. "I expected better from someone buying the new Madonna but I guess that's my own fault. I bet Duran Duran was hiding in their pile somewhere, too."

[survibers]

"Oh jesus," Reagan groaned as she started to wake up, her eyes taking a minute to adjust as she tried to figure out where the fuck she was. It had been a blur of a night that had started with drinks at Julio's had turned into hanging out with a group of people she hadn't met before but they had some good stuff on them and there had been a cute guy giving her the attention she was craving that night. It had gone from the mall to the wastoid club where Reagan was too well known at by this point. But at some point she had parted ways with the group, black out and always a wanderer. But instead of making it home to her own bed, she had woken up on the grass outside of where people lived. She rubbed at her eyes as she finally sat up, the sun greeting her as she heard footsteps coming towards her. "Uh can someone tell me where the fuck I am and what time it is? And for the love of god does anyone have a cigarette?" @shrikestart

[forestxleo]

Groaning, Leo looked up from the counter he'd been resting his head on when he heard someone walk into Key of Reason. He'd been resting his head there to stop the room from spinning, his long hair splayed out in front of him; luckily is view had been blocked from the door by a display, so he doubted the customer had seen him. Last night Leo had had a bit too much to drink (okay, a lot too much to drink), and now he was paying from it. At least he no longer felt like he was going to die in the immediate future, but he definitely didn't feel good. Luckily it had been a particularly slow day, so he hadn't had to deal with a lot of customers apart from a very annoying child who so clearly had no interest in music and had only been dragged there by his parents, who were convinced they had the next musical prodigy (and they most definitely did not, Leo was sure of that). As the customer approached, Leo ran his fingers through his long hair, and while he could keep himself from frowning, he couldn't quite muster a smile. "Hey," he greeted the customer. "Welcome to Key of Reason. Can I help you with something?"

[urdamage]

✧ open starter ; @shrikestart ✧ location ; shrike grocers

bent over with his body at a near ninety-degree angle , elbows leaning against the counter , nose in a book , iggy straightened up quite abruptly when he noticed a customer in the corner of his eye . " how's it going ? " he asked , though even as he spoke , his eyes were still scanning the last words of the sentence on the page . luckily - for the sake of iggy keeping his job - the paragraph was completed in mere seconds , and he was able to look up and properly tend to his customer . " ooh , " they immediately took note of how many items the person was bringing up to the checkout . " today's been such a slow day , " they explained their reaction to them . " i've only had two customers in the last hour , and they both bought literally a single item each , " the customer hadn't asked for such details , but clearly iggy had been caught in a bored and restless state . " thank you for finally giving me something to do , " they chuckled , reaching for the first item to scan . " huh , i've never tried this before . is it any good ? "

[deepxbluexocean]

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," Ocean apologized, feeling mortified. He'd been walking kind of absentmindedly through the mall, not really paying attention to where he was going and feeling a little spacey. Just a few minutes ago, he'd gotten to Art Murmur, his new place of employment, only to discover that he had his schedule wrong and wasn't actually supposed to be there. He didn't really know his coworkers well yet, so he felt foolish when he realized his mistake in front of them. So now Ocean was just walking through the mall, trying to find ways to kill time until his ride got there to take him home (he'd tried calling, but it was sometimes difficult to reach people at the commune during busy times because not everyone had a telephone). And now Ocean had run into someone, nearly falling over them. "I'm really sorry," Ocean apologized again. Sighing, he ran his fingers through his hair, and Ocean continued, "I feel like today is a day when I just keep messing up. Can I buy you a coffee or ice cream or something to make up for it?" The last thing he wanted was for someone else today to think he was an idiot.

[copperxxgalileo]

This wasn't what Copper had expected when he took the job at Shrike Aquatic Centre and Spa Service. He'd been hired as a lifeguard for the outdoor pool, but that wasn't what Copper was doing now. His coworker had had to leave for...some reason. Had they even told Copper? Truthfully he was only half-listening. Normally Copper wouldn't have been so rude, but he had had a sleepless night (insomnia rearing it's ugly head again), meaning he was more than a little tired. Whatever the reason, Copper was currently manning the front desk at the spa, and he only knew enough about how appointments and such worked to not make a total mess of things - though barely. Looking through the appointment book, Copper asked, "I'm sorry, but what were you here for again?" There were different services the spa offered, and Copper didn't remember what the patron had said. Sighing, he apologized, "Sorry, this isn't my normal job, plus I've only been working here a few weeks." He was doing his best, but Copper was already looking forward to when his coworker returned and put a stop to this disaster.

[ghostwhspers]

open starter @shrikestart location: mall hallways somewhere

If Neptune had to describe how he was feeling in a single word, it would be: distraught. It was apparent in the wobbly twist of his mouth, pushed to the side, and in the furrow of his brows. His usually tousled brown hair was even scruffier than usual, too, since he kept reaching up to rake his hand through it. In all his years working as a tattoo artist and getting tattoos, Neptune was proud to say he regretted none of them. All art was beautiful in its own way, after all. However, he had committed something of a cardinal sin and in an extremely drunken state, tattooed a crude drawing of a sunflower on the rare patch of previously unmarred skin that stretched between his wrist and his thumb. The lines were shaky and it was clear as day that he had tattooed it with a non dominant hand. Maybe his mother was right and tattooing would bring calamity upon him after all.

If calamity were a cute little ugly sunflower anyhow. He was so lost in his thoughts and focused on resisting the urge to try to rub at the tattoo with the pad of his other thumb that he nearly knocked right into another person. He stopped himself just in time. "Soz. Should really watch where I'm going, but I'm having a wee heart attack. Not a real one, but the metaphoric kind." He dropped his hand. No big deal. Maybe he could get a cover-up tattoo. "Er, this place is fookin' massive and I keep getting lost. I heard there's a pharmacy though. D'you happen to know where that is?"