𝖋𝖚𝖈𝖐 𝖒𝖊 𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖜𝖆𝖞𝖘

[stoopidtuff]

ɪɴᴛʀᴏᴅᴜᴄɪɴɢ... 𝙽𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 '𝙽𝚒𝚋𝚜' 𝙷𝚊𝚕𝚎

Walking through the picturesque streets of Cardinal Hill, you find Nathan ‘Nibs’ Hale, the 27 year old gas station clerk originally from Cardinal Hill, WA. Living alongside them in such a small town, you know that they're charismatic and rambunctious, but what you might not know is that they are a human, and that they’re hiding something…

tw: drugs, death

Nathan grew up in a nuclear family. His parents were middle-class, supposedly in a happy marriage, and he lived a relatively normal childhood. He has a younger sister who he's extremely close with. She's been covering for him as long as he could remember. Even as a kid, he would get into trouble, whether it was breaking into the community pool or stealing extra snacks for his friends, Nathan liked to stay busy. Coming from a mixed family he'd always felt weird about his name, matching that of a patriot from the revolution. When he was a teenager he finally grew into the nickname Nibs. He was the local drug dealer, referring to his offerings as nibs to talk freely during school. His sister was the opposite, the perfect child, the favorite, the one who actually had a future, even though she was younger. It never bothered him, Nibs even taking action to help her succeed, feeling more desire to watch her do better than invest in himself.

His parents did what they could to control him but were mainly happy he made it through high school. There was only one person he ever called a family outside of his blood and that was Cubs Szbuska. They got each other from the first time they met in school. Horrible influences and ride-or-die from then on. After graduating, at first, he didn't need a job, his dealing was more than enough to support himself. That was until the party. Everything changed when Cubs girlfriend died. It had been Nibs drugs that caused the catastrophe, having no idea how it happened but that it came from his supply. He never told his best friend, the time never felt right, but it knocked some sense into him. After that, he stopped dealing, got a boring job, and waited to see where life took him. Nibs can still be found dealing over the counter at the gas station to his regulars, not able to pass up the good cash when it came to a few customers.

evan mock . pansexual . cis male . he/him

more tbd.

📌 : Pinboard

[bitethvhand]

His voice was a little muffled due to the door, but once she heard him speak, her tense body relaxed, and her arms fell back to her sides. Nadia didn't talk at first, unable to gauge exactly how they were going to tell him everything. It wasn't easy telling your ex-boyfriend, someone they were not over at all, that she knew he'd get hurt, and if she hadn't been so avoidant, he would've been okay.

Once he opened the door and his eyes met hers, her breath hitched in her throat, and despite never feeling nervous around Nibs before, she felt her heart quicken. "Are you allowed to do that right now?" Looking over his shoulder, they noticed the framed poster propped against the wall. "A glass of water would be nice."

Ever since Nadia could remember, she felt safer near water; it didn't matter what shape it took, a glass of water, a pool, as long as she could possibly grasp it, she felt at ease. It was something so hard to explain to anyone, yet they remember telling Nathan all about that feeling. With her heels back on the ground, she looked at him once more, her focus going from the way he was looking at her and then to his arm. Their lips turned into a frown before stepping forward and placing their fingers against the cast. "Are you okay?"

[stoopidtuff]

༝༝ 🚬 ༝༝

There wasn’t a point in lying or pretending the truth wasn’t obvious, but it never stopped Nibs. They could see throw him like a piece of cling wrap that barely hung onto the Tupperware it’d been assigned to. Nibs should’ve been taking it easy, but then it felt like giving up, acceptance that what happened was real, all that he wished to ignore. “Doctor didn’t specify I couldn’t hang up posters,” he quipped as if the response gave any leeway for his actions. It wouldn’t be a surprise that Nadia knew better. They had his best interest at heart, even when it hurt him to admit it. Nibs knew they’d only ever done anything because they cared. Maybe that became part of why the end was the wound he couldn’t gauze, having been bleeding since the day Nadia left, and dwelling on what could’ve been.

Water was something he could handle. Nibs took to the kitchen for a glass and water straight from the tap, then snagged an orange Fanta for himself, needing something to take the edge off the anticipation of their conversation. He slid the beverage across the counter to them and cracked open his own. Even at his barstools, Nadia felt so far away, but he continued to grasp at feathers as they danced to the ground, anything to remember what once was. His accident was a topic of conversation he’d been avoiding for the most part. The details hadn’t been shared with anyone, but in that moment, with the way Nadia’s eyes fell on him, he couldn’t tell her everything. “Yeah, just gotta wear this thing for a few months,” the boy replied with a shrug, brushing the worry off his shoulders. “Said it was a clean break, so my luck hasn’t run out quite yet.” But he imagined it had to be wearing thin. "Nothin' happened to you, right? You're okay?" At the end of the day, Nadia's safety mattered a lot more than his, according to Nibs.

[mockingjaysongbird]

dana scully : oh fuck, i guess that’s my IDIOT

[bitethvhand]

@stoopidtuff

[bitethvhand]

❁ Location: Nib's apartment ❁ Open Starter @stoopidtuff ❁ Muses: Nadia & Nibs

They were tethered together, Nathan and Nadia, and after months of trying to push that fact away, it seemed to slam them in the face once he was injured. The moment it happened, she had lost all sense of her magic. Even when it came back all she could worry about was him.

Walking to his apartment, they went over what to say and how to say it, in a loop. The task at hand felt impossible. How was she going to tell him how she felt? The whole ordeal was just as confusing to Nadia as it was to Nibs, but she knew that it was now or never to attempt to cross this bridge.

They can still play that night with crystal clarity. All the sounds of people clamoring around trying to make sure they didn't get involved in the fight between Nibs and some sketchy men. The smell of bile from all the people who drank too much and were now in shock at the confrontation. She knew that he sold drugs, but she didn't know that he sold those drugs. The whole time, they were naive enough to think that it wasn't that deep.

That night, Nadia went home filled with anger, unsure of how to process the fact that he had lied and put her in such a dangerous position. What hurt the most was that he wasn't honest. The one person they counted on and never once doubted was Nathan, so to see it all unfold made her fall back into her regular self-destructive patterns, pushing him away.

Now, they stood at his door, fiddling with the hem of their shirt before knocking. Knowing it would probably be a moment until he got to the door, she just started talking. "Nibs, it's me Nadia. I know you got hurt, and well, I was so mad at you for not being honest with me about that night at the party, but I also didn't tell you things, and I just really need to tell you it all now."

It felt easier to say this to a door and not the face of a person they felt starved of. In fact, if this weren't so out in the open, the secret of being a witch would just fall out of her mouth. Instead, they reminded themselves to breathe and hold it in for just a little while longer.

[stoopidtuff]

༝༝ 🚬 ༝༝

The carnival brought forward feelings he didn't even know existed. There was more beneath his carefree demeanor, and while Nibs knew that to be true, it took facing something so unknown that it brought forth everything he avoided. A heart was the last thing he expected to find, but it'd been aching ever since seeing Nadia. Since they broke up, there had been a hole no one else could fill, having only belonged to her for as long as he could remember. He had other partners, sure, yet only one ever held his heart. It'd only been brought back to him at the sight of her.

For a moment during the incident, he wondered if that was the end of the line. That his luck had finally run out, and the world wanted to swallow him into the abyss, instead, life spat him right back out. He would've gone out and never told Nadia the space she left behind. Maybe he was a coward, or just afraid to show her the weak point in his armor. It'd always been her.

Nibs did his best to keep from getting cabin fever, which meant deliberately disobeying his doctor's orders to not do anything reckless or too exhaustive. The next day, he went for a skate around the neighborhood, and on this particular night, he determined it was the perfect time to put up his new movie poster. That was deemed a bit more difficult than anticipated while trying to hold up the frame with one hand and tack it in with a bum arm. Nibs would've kept going if not for the knock at the door. "Comin'!" The paper fluttered to the ground as he left everything to see who had come to visit. Maybe Cubs got off early, or Hana was checking back in.

The last person he expected was her. Words came through before he'd gotten the chance to get to the knob and let her in, already sensing this wouldn't be going the way he originally thought. Nibs took an exhale of his own, gathering whatever thoughts he could pull together, and faced everything he wanted but let slip away. "Do you wanna keep talking through the door, or you wanna come in and do this over a joint?" Drugs weren't the right thing to mention, but it came without thinking. He wasn't the guy he used to be; maybe that could be a lead into his own explanation. Nibs opened the door then, unable to go without looking at her for any longer. "Or like... a glass of whatever or water," he corrected upon catching her eyes.

[footnotesoftherecentlydeceased]

he'd never been a fan of people like nibs. maybe it was the fact that he reminded ash of high school bullies, or maybe he just didn't like jerks. either way, in the few interactions he had with the other, he could discern that he wasn't fan. "nothing's wrong. guess you just can't comprehend that some people wouldn't want to talk to you, huh?" he sets a candy bar and soda on the counter separating them. "what do you care anyway? you've never shown any interest in me besides being annoying."

[stoopidtuff]

༝༝ 🚬 ༝༝

Ashley wasn't feeling any fun that day, much to his chagrin. A groan pressed through his forming frown, unamused at the lack of continued play from his partner. "Come on, don't be like that," he cooed, starting to mosey around the counter towards him. Nibs wasn't giving up so easily. This had been the only interesting customer he'd gotten all shift; he couldn't let Ash go so easily, not without trying to entice him. "If I didn't care, I wouldn't be annoying, ever think about that?" Nibs placed a hand over his heart or where it would be if he still had one beating. It'd been hardened by time, but an occasional worm snuck through his shell. "Maybe it's how I show my love, Ashley."

[stoopidtuff]

closed starter for cubs (@wcirdo) located at nibs' apartment

Since the carnival, he'd been inside more than he wanted at the wishes of his mother, who just so happened to be one of the only people he'd actually listen to. That didn't stop him, not entirely, having just gotten back from a skate and smoke sesh with his best bud. What was on the munchie menu tonight happened to be a Nibs Special: boxed mac n' cheese, cut-up chicken nuggets, and sriracha. It wasn't for everyone, but after a blunt nothing hit like it. He hummed happily at his creation, taking the first bite straight from the pot, as if he hadn't made it a few days prior. "Might be my best batch yet," Nibs said that nearly every time. Food just tasted better like this. "Especially for a guy with only one good arm." That'd been a challenge to figure out how to continue daily life, but he found a way to do just about everything. He didn't ask for help; he figured it out.

[footnotesoftherecentlydeceased]

it wasn't that ash disliked nibs, it was that he hadn't given ash a reason to like him. the other seemed to have honed in on ash as an easy target, noticing what made him tick. ash had never really been particularly good at hiding his annoyance, so that just made it easier. he walks into the gas station fully aware that he might run into nibs, but he hopes that he's lucky today. of course, that isn't the case, as he rolls his eyes and sighs the second he lays eyes on the familiar face. "would it kill you to lay off for once, nathan?" given that the man didn't dignify ash with being called by his preference, ash didn't feel obligated to do the same.

[stoopidtuff]

༝༝ 🚬 ༝༝

When the other boy played back, it only amused him further. Now they were dancing, and he was more than happy to lead. "It might, actually," he dramatized. Nibs might not have even been capable of it, really. For how boring life already was, these little moments were what he lived for. A day didn't have the same spice to it without a victim to his poking. His full name made his skin crawl, but he refused to show Ash that he'd tickled a nerve. A clenched jaw was the only sign of displeasure while the boy forced a toothy smile. "Who pissed in your cereal?" While it might've very well been Nibs himself, that didn't seem to be the case this time; something else must've been itching at his favorite customer. "Talk to Dr. Nibs."

[stoopidtuff]

closed for hana (@hearthandhallows) located at the cardinal carnival

The group of friends he came with decided to bail out early, but without work the following day, Nibs took to the game alley himself. After a corn dog dinner, he decided the best way to work off his meal would be by throwing basketballs in hopes of winning a prize. None of the objects caught his attention, but that wasn't why he did it; he only needed the satisfaction. There was only one more necessary step before Nibs became the new owner of a prize and his bragging rights. Their timing couldn't have been better, not according to Nibs, as he sank the final basket. "Nothing but net," the male commented, to no one in particular but hoping a certain someone would hear. That was until he turned to face them, and a smile already creased the edges of his lips. "Wanna pick a prize?"

[bitethvhand]

Nadia crossed their arms over their chest, watching as his eyes averted towards the pool anytime their eyes met. He wasn't wrong; this was the perfect day for a swim. The pool had been packed all morning, kids lined up at the diving board taking turns, and all the adults crowded the lawn sunbathing. Now that it was lunch, all of them were gone except for a few teens scattered in the pool. Meeting where his eyes were towards the group of huddled teenagers giggling, she did her best to not let out a heavy sigh. So much had happened in the months since they hadn't talked, and Nadia wanted to tell him everything, but she couldn't. It wasn't like that anymore, so instead she just bit her bottom lip, hoping it would help keep every thought and noise in.

Now that they were facing each other on the same level, Nadia rolled her eyes at his suggestion. It sounded really cool, but she wasn't going to agree with him; she knew that it wouldn’t take much for her to fall right back into place. "Well, you're a thrill seeker, so it makes sense you'd want to jump from a death-defying height." Looking at the clock near the food stand, it appeared that they'd be off in twenty minutes. Turning her head to look back at Nibs, she debated on if she wanted to tell the truth or not.

Despite being a lifeguard who was often out in the heat, they still became fatigued from the job, which involved being in the sun for hours at a time. Nibs caught her at the best time, when all she wanted was to sit by a fan and smoke a joint. "I get off in twenty minutes, also I'm still mad at you, so even though this is happening right now... forget it. Meet me by the locker doors. I'll change, and then we can figure this out."

She wasn't completely sure what they would be discussing, but she knew that when she had dreams of certain people, it meant something, and Nibs had been a focal point in each one for going on two weeks. Plus, she really didn't want to hang out alone, especially since someone was murdered during that freak storm. That wasn't even the worst part of it all. Something else happened; they could feel it, as if fear was being injected into their magic only for it to be gone in an instant.

[stoopidtuff]

༝༝ 🚬 ༝༝

Beggars couldn't be choosers and Nibs was doing just that. It came naturally around Nadia. No matter how hard he tried to pretend her hold on him had loosened, one look had him dialed to ten, as same as when they were kids. After having a crush on her for this long, he hadn't as far towards moving on as he might've thought. Nibs didn't get caught up on people, they got left with his taste on their tongue, or that might've been the case for anyone else. She was a tattoo. He couldn't forget, he wouldn't. At least if she haunted him, he still got to see her, and hoped he always would.

While surprised she even agreed he wouldn't turn down taking up more of Nadia's time. Whether it was for a minute or an hour he'd be there. Nibs, notoriously late, but with nowhere else to go, stood outside the women's locker room as it hit twenty minutes on the dot. Not much had changed, probably not enough, but he made the effort in this circumstance as she wasn't just anyone. He was good at messing up. In fact, he might've been able to do it professionally if there was a position for such expertise but she made him want to be better.

When she emerged so did a smile. That was a view he'd soak in like the sun if he could. "You wanna blow this popsicle stand and talk somewhere?" An eyebrow raised in suggestion, assuming the girl would want to get away from work now that she was off the clock. "Wherever you want. It's on me." That being the least he could do.

[wcirdo]

“Only hurts ‘cause it’s true,” Cubs insisted before shaking his head. “I’m not going to do that,” Cubs told him. If Fallon wasn’t going to bring Nibs up, which she wouldn’t, neither would Cubs. Besides Cubs knew that Nibs had hit that and that should be enough for the man even if it’d faded from Fallon’s memory by now. Cubs smirked when Nibs took him up on his wager. “Deal. You win and I’ll pay double,” he stated. “You got to pick like a real person though. You can’t just buy a hooker or something,” Cubs clarified and while sex workers are indeed “real people” he was sure Nibs got what he meant. While he still thought he could beat Nibs regardless here he had to even the playing field some because if all Cubs had to do was have sex he could probably find someone that night. Fallon would inevitably take a little more work.

[stoopidtuff]

༝༝ 🚬 ༝༝

He squinted in annoyance at his friend, knowing he wouldn't live that one down even if it hadn't been true. Not that he'd blame Cubs, as he'd do the same if that information had been yelled about his best friend instead. Whenever they had the upper hand on the other it was maintained until the other caught up, each jab another hold on the climbing wall that led to nowhere. "Double? I like the sound of that," the boy replied with a dance of his brow. "Not much I like more than taking your money." That was half-true, as there was probably a handful of things he found more enjoyable but would never turn down the opportunity to get a payout. Money didn't control his life like it did some people while still seeing the value in the green paper that had a chokehold on society. If you had money, you got places, simple as that. Yet Nibs wanted to go nowhere else besides down the street for a pack of smokes. "Please, I don't need to pay for sex." He had before but that wasn't the point. "Better start saving now, you're gonna owe me before you know it."

[jamie-bowen]

"I'm definitely knocking it, but if you get me some weed, I might try it," he mused. Jamie wasn't too difficult to convince if one was equipped with the right tools to persuade him, after all.

he had to laugh, though. For all of his weirdness, Nibs was really cute and funny. Not that Jamie would admit to it out loud. The last thing he wanted was to give his co-worker a big head about it. "Alright, Julia Child. Blow my mind with your next creation," he said, stepping forward and holding his hands out expectantly to catch the bags. Okay, maybe he was bored enough to give himself a stomach ache with whatever it was that Nibs concocted for them tonight. If nothing else, it would fill their time and make the night go by faster, right?

"What if you chop up a slim jim and put it in the nachos? I mean I feel like it'd make sense to add that to your snackpot," he mused.

[stoopidtuff]

༝༝ 🚬 ༝༝

Nibs raised a brow at his co-worker, intrigued by the offer, not that it took much to get him fulfill his request. If he liked you, he had no problem making sure you got good stuff. Jamie fell into that category, along with being cute, he was actually a pretty fun co-worker. Most of the employees at the gas station were older than them or at least acted like it according to Nibs. "You know I'll always take care of you," he replied with a cheeky wink to boot.

He was already grinning like a fool at the nickname that anything else Jamie said would've gone over his head. "I am fucking Julia Childs, you're so right." That one might stick around for longer than anyone else might've preferred but once Nibs got onto something, it was hard to ever get him to stop. He was a connoisseur of snacks and more importantly, what all he could create with them. The smirk couldn't be wiped away as the ideas spilled between them. "Now you're thinking!" The boy's eyes scanned the shelf for one of the links before grabbed one for their Frankensnack creation. "That's exactly what it needed." Once he popped back up over the shelving and could see Jamie, there was a pause before he spoke again. "You're not half bad at this, sous chef."

[maxmcyfield]

EVAN MOCK in ROSÉ's toxic till the end M/V

[vivianpearson]

Vivian really wished this wasn't happening right now. At least Cubs had the decency to never show up at her place of work and do something like this. "It's in the sci-fi section over there." She said, pointing to the shelf that clearly had 'sci-fi' written above the collection of VHS tapes. She wasn't going to move from behind the counter if she didn't have to, but she had a feeling that she would be dragged out anyway. It was worth a try, at least.

[stoopidtuff]

༝༝ 🚬 ༝༝

The distance was understandable. Nibs knew what he did, more than Vivian herself, and he intended to keep it that way. A man of many secrets, he kept tucked in his back pocket like a dollar bill. She had enough hate for him, to which he knew better than to stir an already sour pot of stewing. After all these years, this might've been the most words they said to one another since that night, or his memory was already shot. He figured it was a matter of time before some of the substances that used to comfort him came back to bite him in the ass. If only Vivian knew the true impact her sister had on his life, but no one ever would, just as he liked it. "Come on, Viv," he cooed with a frown. "Are we still not past this?" If he thought for once Nibs would find the obvious, but he preferred life closest to the edge.

[stoopidtuff]

closed starter for ash (@footnotesoftherecentlydeceased) located at the gas station

A special selection of people could be referred to as Nibs' favorites to be subject to his bullshit. While no one was necessarily from his antics, a few were at the top of the shit list. One of which was none other than Ashley. The boy hadn’t done anything to wrong Nibs or even given a reason to poke fun at him besides the fact that the reactions tickled him pink. That’s what really fed the fire, and nothing hit as good as watching someone squirm at the sight of him. While trouble might’ve been his shadow, it was also the light that guided him through another boring day in the life. When Ash came through the convenience store doors, a cat-like grin sprawled across his face. Finally, something entertaining. "Welcome in," Nibs started from behind the register before sliding across on his backside to close the gap between him and the customer. "What can I help you with today, Ashley?" The words curled his smirk deeper into his features and waited for the amusement to begin.

[vivianpearson]

Out of all the places she could have run into Nibs, it had to be at work. Rewind Rentals in many ways was a sanctuary for her - a place where she felt useful. But there was the massive downside of having to be nice to every single customer. Even if they had a hand in killing your sister. She took a deep breath when he greeted her, not even returning the pleasantries. Total Recall? It was a good film, too. "We do." She bluntly said, forcing a smile.

[stoopidtuff]

༝༝ 🚬 ༝༝

He could read it on her face, not that Vivian made any effort to hide how she felt about him being there, but it never stopped him before. Nibs was no stranger to enemies, though some had developed in more unusual ways than others. A part of him wondered if the hate would quadruple if she knew the truth, even though it wouldn't change anything now, he couldn't help the thought from crossing his mind. Secrets were all that the boy had to keep him afloat, and without those, he wasn't even sure that he'd be Nibs anymore. "Hm," he sighed, pursing his lips while giving the store a half-hearted glance. "Think you can help me find it? I'm not seeing it." Not that he'd even looked, but his priorities shifted from a film to the girl working the register seconds after entering the establishment.

[wcirdo]

“I doubt it. She probably just doesn’t remember the whole two minutes you were inside her,” he teased as he gave Nibs a shove on the shoulder. It had been a wonderful night in Cubs’s life when he got to witness Nibs get chewed out by a girl who accused him of busting quick amongst many other sins. Whether or not her comment was true about his friend he had took her word as biblical canon and ran with it ever since. He’d take any opportunity of accusing Nibs of not lasting for shit. Cookies definitely were a base. Cubs just didn’t know which it was, maybe it was only a foul ball but at least it was getting him in the right direction to land on a base. “Yeah, she knows. She’s just always busy, I don’t know,” he said. They worked nights together and she had a life outside of the diner and so did he so he didn’t fault her for not wanting to come back to his place when most people were starting their days. “Yeah, how much you wanna wager? I bet I can sleep with Fallon before you can get laid,” he said placing his own bet. Cubs was a gambling man and he liked his odds.

[stoopidtuff]

༝༝ 🚬 ༝༝

"Ouch, that hurts, bro," he feigned with a hand over his heart to coddle it from the pain of Cubs' words. The reference was understood and hadn't been the first (nor would it be the last) that it was dished out to him. Nibs said it wasn't true, but the damage was already done, having to live with the comment she left behind forever. "Ask her about me, she'll for sure remember." Chances are she wouldn't, not that he cared, more wanting to put his friend in the position of asking her. He seemed to want in her pants more than Nibs ever did, then, having already done just that, gave him the upper hand and homefield advantage. "Sounds like excuses to me," the boy said with a shrug filled to the brim with being unconvinced. "So you want to make it interesting, huh? Alright, I'm in." Not that it took much, but Nibs pretended to be hard to get when a bad idea was posed. When it came to something of interest, like this, he would be quick to take up the offer. "You win, I'll cover your next order," he offered, knowing his friend would know what exactly he referred to.

[stoopidtuff]

closed starter for vivian (@vivianpearson) located at rewind rental

He had the next three days off, which was unusual for Nibs. Most of the time, work didn't give him this many in a row, but he wouldn't complain while he had it. In preparation for the next few days, he needed to stock up on essentials: weed, snacks, and entertainment. The first two were a success, which only left something to do, apart from the usual shenanigans he'd caused with Cubs once his friend got off work. Instead of being social, he wanted to rot in his bedroom, and part of that included getting a movie or two to indulge in. Nibs walked in with two titles in mind, approaching the cashier before realizing exactly who she was. His smile faltered for a moment, but not enough to notice, putting on the Nibs charm as always. "Viv, long time no see," he struck up a simple conversation before getting to the meat of what he wanted. "Ya'll got Total Recall here?"