#mhstart

[devilsrow]

javier stood amongst the somber crowd, his gaze fixed on the mourners paying their respects to hope. though the atmosphere was heavy with sorrow, he remained stoic, his features impassive. he had learned to shield his emotions long ago, an essential trait for someone who spent much of their life surrounded by death. while others shed tears and whispered their condolences, he scanned the faces of every attendee, searching for any subtle shift in behavior that could reveal a hidden truth.

his presence at the funeral served a dual purpose. not only did he want to pay his respects to the mercer family, but he also saw the funeral as an opportunity to meticulously study those present. " i fucking hate funerals. " he murmured to the person beside him, arms crossing against his chest. " when i die just dump me in the trash. "

[secondscns]

"are you kidding me? that podcast is a literal nightmare, they should be sued for, i don't know, interfering with an investigation or something. hope's barely cold and they got a sponsorship." how did they get a sponsorship? they seem like nobodies but apparently it didn't take much but the promise of sensationalism. it didn't help they made a point in the episode to say the most obvious shit like 'the boyfriend' did it. he did not need that on his head when the police just talked to him.

theo ran a hand through his hair, huffing. "look, sorry i raised my voice. i just hate what they're saying."

[strangcbchavior]

chasen didn’t make asking for favors a habit. the last thing he needed was to be in debt to someone in a town so small it didn't have an expressway to get the hell out of dodge—but some emergencies couldn’t be avoided. “if anyone asks,” he glanced over his shoulder, instinctively, and pursed his lips like he was about to get a root canal. “i was in your office discussing...business?" his nose scrunched as he contemplated the plausibility this impromptu scenario before continuing, "all day. got it?”  

[wastcdpotential]

noah thought that hope's birthday parties were extravagant until he saw the spread her parents put out for her funeral. there were enough white rose and baby breath bouquets to furnish the sistine chapel, and he was 98% the entire town showed up judging by how many times someone had bumped into him in the crowded reception hall. hope would've loved it. he swallowed, hard, before he could continue down that train of thought. “i want to know who decided it was socially unacceptable to serve alcohol at funerals, and then i want to run them over with my jeep a few times."

[fcrtitvde]

location: the funeral

"thank you so much for being here." veronica gave the other a watery smile, holding their wrist gently, the other hand clutching a well-used tissue. this was maybe the hundredth person she'd spoken to in the past twenty minutes. it was exhausting. all of it, "it would've meant so much to her that you came."

[heartsfms]

“ whatever it is, do you think it can at least wait until my best friend is in the ground ? i’m not really in the mood to hear it right now. ” a drink in hand and a snarky attitude would probably raise questions, but the way lori saw it anything she did, any way that she acted, would have some nosy soul questioning her, and she had no pretences to keep up here ; her best friend was dead, murdered, and being buried today, she was mourning and grieving in her own way, and anyone had an issue could gladly take it up with her. another day. “ and if you’re not here to bug me, then i apologise. it’s been a pretty rough couple weeks. ”

[itskarasykes]

Open, Black Ridge Coffee

Hope Mercer. Hope Mercer. Hope Mercer.

It was all she heard around town these days. Sure, she'd known when she'd moved into Mercer Hollow that the Mercer family would come up now and again. But she hadn't expected to be plagued by a person. Especially not one that was coming back to haunt her from beyond the grave.

She knew she was going crazy and that likely no one was paying extra attention to her and making judgements that she wasn't focusing all of her attention on the case 24/7. Or were they? But everyone needed coffee in the morning, right? And maybe a muffin... Best muffins in town, so she'd been told...

"Would you go for chocolate chip or blueberry? Or...what is that, fruit explosion? That sounds interesting..." she inquired with the person stood nearby as she peered into the baked goods display case.

[crbereus]

location: ian's trailer

status: open

ian couldn't escape it anywhere. he'd spent the week being dragged in and out of the police station and now he lacked peace even in his own home. he had just finished scrubbing the splash of red paint off his truck when gravel crunched next to the trailer. headlights pierced his vision illuminating him into a haunted, gaunt thing. he dropped the soapy sponge back into the bucket and stalked forward, figure imposing against the night sky. "if you're here from that stupid podcast." he called out. "you should know that the cops will still arrest you even if you think you're doing vigilante shit." he peered around trying to see who was in the driver's seat.