everandevermcre​:

closed starter / @hallowghoul​  saint cordelia ferry

gemma cameron does not always have an agenda , but today they do . in fact , their mind had been racing the entirety of their time with viktoria in the white wrangler that got them reliably parked onto the saint cordelia ferry . right before the phone call from gemma’s parents and right before viktoria read the alert , the two had been making dinner in the kitchen , talking about the idea of living together . so what did this sign from the universe mean ? their talk getting interrupted could seem like a reason not to do it … or getting the alert to evacuate and essentially move at the same time they talked about it could be seen as direct confirmation to move forward with their ideations . tossing and turning with the idea in their head during their trip was beginning to make gemma sick . 

now , parked on the ferry and left to see saint cordelia’s view from the inside of their vehicle while traveling across water , gemma’s eyes are fixed on vik . the brunette who had been asking what do you think it will be like on a loop couldn’t so much as be bothered to look and find out . at least not yet . ‘  so , when we get there … what are we going to do ?  ’ it is a vague offering , a vague attempt at starting a conversation from thin air . not long before the leave from centralia , gemma had met the other pierson . he was a bit of a weirdo with a good sense of humor , a positive outlook on life , and cooking skills that showed gemma where vik got it from . all the while he wore a grumpy exterior like he was performing a bit no one else knew about . i like him gemma says at the end of it . because of this , it feels okay to ask about her lover’s current brother roommate : ‘  have you talked to samson ?  ’ 

there was a glimmer of doubt that lingered in vik over their jeep actively making it to the ferry. they had tuned it up a bit before their long journey.. some say the town’s curse lifted and good fortune found them on the ferry.. idle and twiddling their thumbs with stuffed suitcases rocking in the trunk. they aren’t excited about the move.. they’re rather dreading it if they’re to be honest.. even if every part of her had craved release from the corrupt town vik found it near impossible to actually make it out.. now they simply had no choice. 

their hand finds it’s wait to gemma’s lap, grabbing their hand to brush their thumb against their partner’s knuckles. “..i’m taking a shower..” vik laughs as they look up at them, a wrinkle in her nose. they had been anxious about how the move would work.. how gemma and samson would get along.. vik thought they got along too well.. but it warmed their heart.. it made things seamless. they shift their gaze back to her hand, squeezing it a bit. “not yet.. i know he’s alright, heard from him before you and i headed out.. i think he’ll be here within the day or two.” they add before looking up. “what about your folks?” their brow is raised and they’re leaning in a bit. vik was still feeling a bit up in the air given the way they left centralia.. a heavy weight of the next step hanging above both their heads..

oflowtide​:

Everything after the initial chime was a whirlwind of chaos - Benji and Charlie wasted little time getting to safety and making the trek to Florida, with Benji opting to buy a plane ticket and skip staying in Philly all together.  He was shaken up, watching the town he had been exiled to completely fall to shambles, but he already felt happier on the island - even if it felt as desolate as Centralia, in some ways.

Eager to meet up with Charlie again, having barely had any real time to talk since the relocation, he went out of his way to ask them to meet him at the beach so they could catch up, and possibly give Charlie another opportunity to tease him again.

“How’re you guys holding up?”  In reference to Charlie’s dog, Benji idly drew shapes in the sand.  “I know we’ve been itching to get out of Centralia, but that was…. more excitement than I was anticipating.”

charlie would be eternally grateful for their best friend. given the state of their beat up car.. that still lie idle in the gas station parking lot... they had no hope of getting out unscathed.. but benji made sure to help her.. truth be told they don’t even know what they had packed.. it had been a frenzy to get toby from their apartment, find enough clothes to carry and make do with what little time lingered. 

making it to the island was a miracle.. even if they were feeling restless.. they draw themselves back to the present, looking up at him with gentle eyes. toby lay by their feet, a heavy sigh escaping his own lungs. 

“we’re managing.. i think he has no idea we’ve even left..” they tease as they look down at the golden retriever before their gaze shifts to benji. “..well i’m glad i didn’t get sucked into one of those sink holes.. but fuck benji.. what the hell was that?”

tcrtcard​:

it’s no secret sora is bad at literally everything they’ve ever tried. it was a shock they were able to not be fired from this job for as long as they have. even more so when someone as good as charlie worked with them. sora was leaving the back with an armful of cups, only to get distracted by charlie rambling off things they had to do, or were out of. it didn’t take long for him to trip on his own feet, cups scattering around him. “shit-” he mumbled under his breath, and looked up as the customer she’d been talking to had decided enough was enough and turned to go somewhere else…wherever that happened to be. “sorry…i’m…there’s a new incline on this floor i swear.”

charlie’s head wiped behind them, eyes growing wide. “sora!” they call out with a hand clasping over their mouth, laughter daring to escape once they realized they were ok. she disregarded the customer and scrambled to help them pick up the mess. “yeah i totally believe you, felt a bump when i walked in this morning.. definitely something funky goin’ on around here.” they wink before grabbing the rest of the cups around her feet. “were you day dreamin’, babe?” they ask with a teasing tone.

everandevermcre​:

why are you even open — chi wants to ask . the question is nagging at their insides , rattling chi’s ribcage and echoing in their mind . anxiety always got worse when sleep deprived . ‘  i don’t usually see this hour of the day ,  ’ chi says about the ass - crack - of - dawn . with the bakery having just opened minutes prior , chi can’t help but see a problem with the infrastructure on this given day . that’s just their hanger talking . ‘  what do you have ? i’ll take anything . well that , a dirty chai , and a matcha . — please .  ’

a pen is tucked beneath charlie’s teeth anxiously. they weren’t entirely prepared for another round of condescending remarks about lack of inventory.. it wasn’t their shop.. they didn’t control the shipments.. but the argument wasn’t required.. instead a soft laugh escaped their lips. “you don’t? well, good morning.” they chime in, pulling the pen from their lips as they tuck it into their back pocket. “i promise.. it’s not always this empty..” they hope to inspire them to come back. charlie pushes up on their toes, looking over at the display case and then the inventory beneath it. “...how do you feel about coffee cake?” they ask before their gaze shift back to them. “..but i’ll get started on your drinks.” they nod, a soft smile on her lips.

oflowtide​:

The excitement for breakfast that had been on Sabrina’s face as she walked into the coffee shop slowly turned into a look of near devastation.  It seemed like Murphy’s Law was in full effect for the redhead, and while Charlie seemed confident that the fact that the special cookie was the best way to end the spiel, Sabrina felt like she could burst into tears at any minute.  “No cinnamon rolls?”  Her heart had been set on one, and she had absolutely no backup plan.  “Um.  Okay well…. I guess if you have a caramel latte that would be great.”

“it’s a travesty... i am well aware.. i’ve had about three people before you shed an actual tear over the matter.” charlie hums out with a wiggle of their nose. “take my advice, come first thing tomorrow.. can have one set aside.” they wink before moving to make sabrina’s order. it didn’t take long before they were capping the top of her latte and returning to the counter. “hope you can move passed this awful roadblock to your morning.” she adds, eyebrow arched. 

dcvilthoughts​:

skylar stood there momentarily, wondering when they were going to stop rattling off the list. none of the pastries, however, interested her, but they had a job to do and she wanted to respect it. “damn, boo, it was one of those days, huh?” she inquired with a glance of curiosity, pulling out a card out of her wallet. “my buds sent me to get six coffees. i keep telling ‘em just use the damn coffee machine but… they keep insisting there’s something extra special about the coffee here so… here i am. it’s their money to waste.”

between the state of her apron and the bags beneath their eyes it was needless to say charlie was in rough shape. the small shop in centralia had done well but it had not been nearly this busy.. granted the tips were good.. and the change of warmer weather was fortunate.. it didn’t prevent the stress that pushed a dramatic wince on their features at her words. “i guess you could say that..” they chuckle as they truck a strand of hair behind their ear. “..oh yeah i mean the coffee is incredible.. definitely beats the machine.” she speaks up, nodding a few times as she reaches for the cups. “..maybe you should get one, it’s sure to change your mind.” they hum with a soft grin on their lips now.

open starter: @liminalstart​ location: cordelia’s coffee .

“we’re out of.. pumpkin scones.. raspberry tarts.. cinnamon rolls though i could swing a half.. but gotta charge full price.. sorry.. uh.. oh yeah, croissants are available but no chocolate ones.. cold brew keg needs to be replaced... and.. our special is cookie butter sunshine brew..” the words leave their lips as she lifts her head from the script set before her. a proud smile is on her lips as eyebrows arch and her shoulder push back confidently.. though their expression drops at the sudden realization the list had gotten increasingly long.. “..we.. we have other stuff though...” they awkwardly chuckle, hand shooting up to scratching their neck.

oflowtide​:

“That’s how I feel!”  Benji pouted.  He was known to be more than a little dramatic, but he supposed that was why he was so good at reality TV.  “God, right?”  He beamed widely at Charlie, after seemingly gained their approval.  “I don’t know!  I’ve heard it before, but it’s not like something I pay attention to!  It’s not like I’m full naming her all the time,”  He went to shift his weigh, and frowned a little as he felt like the rubber on his shoe stuck to the ground.  “Um - well, not quite yet.  I don’t know.  Part of me wants to, but I’m scared that she’ll think I’m dumb or something.”  Pausing to fan himself a little, he sat forward.  “It feels so much hotter than it should.

charlie was flipping through numerous teasing words to provide to benji.. anything to get a rise out of such a shy boy. they had just thought of the best insult when they felt the ground begin to shake, followed by an odd gust of wind through the trees and alerts popping up on their phone. wide eyes shift to benji, confusion riddled in their features. they chalk it up to something normal.. maybe a truck hit a pot hole nearby.. or they were extracting some salt from the mines.. they were awfully mistaken... once the alerts begun to populate on their phone charlie couldn’t excuse it.. “..benj... are you.. are you reading this?” they ask hesitantly.

elodymaverick​:

she had relegated herself to a special corner of denial as she helped willow unpack. her own efforts to unpack had gone as far as shoving the boxes she had carried in into a small corner of her new apartment and pretending they didn’t exist, while some of them remained unceremoniously shoved into the trunk of the lebaron with empty promises to get them out before the week’s end. but one week had given way to two, and two to three, and still, she promised herself. this is the week. 

every time the question had come her way, she’d dodged it with bull in a china shop grace. she was seemingly very occupied with picking an errant bit of packing tape from the edge of the box nearest to her. “i am… holding,” she said, slowly, threat of a smile at the corners of her lips as she looked up. it was the hollow sort of smile – the kind that was all air and intention. whole societies had been built on less, she justified. when the piece of tape that had so demanded her attention came free, her very important task completed, she gave it another run. “are you settling in okay? big, new, sandy world and all?”

there is a talent that willow holds that often ends up being a curse more than a blessing these days. as a kid she observed everything.. everyone.. she couldn’t help herself when it came to her curious mind and how she longed to take everything in. this left willow matthews with an heightened sense of reading people.. coupled with feeling the energy they would emit.. well she could sense apprehension and it was bright in elody. she tucked a strand of her soft brown hair behind her left ear, eyes tracing across the lips that tried so hard to lift. she felt her heart ache a bit at the attempt to sell peace.. but who could blame her?

“.. i have never loved sand.. it gets everywhere.. quite hard to clean up too..” she muses, attempting to keep the air around them light.. “..i learned that the hard way and i think i had sand stuck in my van from my first every stop .. years later..” she admits with a giggle. her shoulders drop though and her own facade is wavering. “..no i’m okay.. yeah.. we’re.. we’re adjusting.” she nods, eyebrows creasing together.

closed starter for: @elodymaverick or @tallahasseeandros location: beach club patio

“..only thing this place has going for ‘em is the drinks.. these mimosas hit..” sage admits in defeat as their back leans against the uncomfortable chair. while they weren’t entirely complaining about leaving centralia.. though the town had grown on them... they resented any idea of living in florida. sage wasn’t one to believe stereotypes.. or play into them... but when they made up the vast majority of their social media feeds with outlandish stories.. well they were inclined to stay away. life worked in mysterious ways, however, and they were left with no option. “..i’ll give ‘em the beaches too.. north east just has too many rocks..” they murmur with a sigh as their head drops back. 

closed starter for:  vienna wright @everandevermcre​ location: cloud nine

“.. fuckin’ answer your phone.” they mutter in frustration as they push their phone into their back pocket. sage trudges up the stairs, eyes peeled out for a flash of blonde hair that doesn’t come.. ever since their separation in centralia they had been searching for vienna. their heart lingered in their stomach as they could only assume the worst in every situation. they tug their lower lip beneath their teeth.. slowly approaching the club they’d heard she was spending her time at. “..where the hell are you..” they sigh as they duck into the dark room, eyes adjusting to the change in lighting.. the change in energy.

ofmcthman​:

location: the bottom of the hill near the haunted manor (post plot-drop)

status: open! ( @liminalstart​ )

wren thinks that if she keeps staring at that charred manor, something will miraculously happen. like maybe the grass will turn green again, or maybe everything will go back to normal. but in reality, she can still hear those voices, can feel every tiny emotion that has moved through her body in the last few days. it’s exhausting to say the least, and as much as wren wants to shake it off and live life normally, she can’t. she’s shut herself away from people, scared to be touched or even looked at in fear of seeing and feeling everything they could. wren whitewater is a disaster waiting to happen, and as she looks up at that manor at the top of the hill, she chooses to ignore the footsteps coming up behind her. maybe if she pretends they aren’t there, they’ll do the same for her in return.

“whatever manifestation you’re drumming up... i don’t think it’s working.” landon murmurs as he approaches the spot a few feet behind wren. he keeps the bit of distance there, opting to remain back as he observed her. he almost hadn’t approached but intrusive thoughts always seemed to force his feet in the direction of their choosing these days. he shoves his hands into the pockets of his levi jeans, head lulling to the side as his eyes flick between the back of her head and the manor. “are we waiting for something to happen?” he asks curiously.

tallahasseeandros​:

OPEN STARTER

who: @liminalstart​ where: literally any beach 

“Is it karmic retribution, you think?” Tallahassee asked. “I mean, I know I said the whole ‘you take the boy out of Florida, but not the Florida out of the boy’ thing – but I was joking. It was a joke. I didn’t mean it in the way that the universe – and I don’t mean to insult her, but if you act like an asshole, it’s only fair that you get called an asshole – took it. I did not mean to put the boy back in Florida. You know what we have here in the goddamn sunshine state? Alligators. You know what we didn’t have in Pennsylvania? Goddamn alligators – apart the whole people flushing them and them living the sewer rumor, but that’s not the point. The point is. Fuckin’ Florida.” The irony in issuing a complaint while he was stretched on the beach was, apparently, entirely lost on him. He sighed, glancing over at the recipient of his diatribe. “You adjusting? How goes it?”

“perhaps the universe ... and florida.. wasn’t done with you..” she snickers with a soft wrinkle of her nose. she had stopped in the sunshine state on several occasions.. but like most places she didn’t stay for long.. most of her opinions of the places she visited weren’t rooted in anything other than their lust for travel.. for the haunts she’d find along the way.. “...alligators are tame compared to what centralia offered.. in hindsight..” she observes with a smirk. she can’t help but laugh more though at the tantrum he seems to be throwing. her eyes roll playfully and she crosses her arms over her stomach, toes dipped in the sand. “.. adjusting is a word... i guess i could use..” they murmur in thought as their gaze zones out to the lapping waves. “i’m still having a hard time grasping... everything..” she adds with hesitancy. “i suppose i’m just having a difficult time accepting that there’s now a gateway straight to hell where i used to park my car and read my twitter’s trending page..” she attempts to tease though the tone doesn’t carry much other than dread. “and you? you know.. sides the clear pass of acceptance on your tour of emotions..” she winks.

oflowtide​:

location: the docks status: open @liminalstart​

Since moving to St Cordelia’s, Levi often found himself sitting on the docks, ignoring the two suitcases he needed to unpack in favor of letting the breeze run through his hair.  He had been to the ocean once or twice, but there was a spooky sort of beauty to it, watching a soft mist rise up off the water’s surface.

The docks were by no means private, and Levi barely moved when he heard someone walking up behind him.  “Have you ever attempted to jump into the water from here?  It has to be deep enough, but…”  He tilted his head back to glance at the other.  “I feel like it’s also somehow a trap.”

the only thing that remained vik’s saving grace over the course of the move in process was the peace they could find by the ocean. centralia, whilst not far from the large body of water hadn’t left them craving the salt air on the rocky beaches.. perhaps the weather coupled with the better scenery left them with a new taste.. 

“huh?” they ask at first, completely zoned out from their words before cracking a smile. “have i ever attempted? god no.. you think that’s even remotely a good idea?” they question with a mockingly judgmental tone.  “everything is a trap these days.” they mutter as they approach levi, taking a seat beside him as their leg crosses over their knee.

everandevermcre​:

open starter / @liminalstart​ cordelia’s corner coffee

‘  is this a hollister or a cafe ?  ’ samson grumps , eyes scanning for a secret switch that changes the atmosphere to one the pierson could deem more appropriate . while the lights continue to mimic those of a movie theater , samson finds it hard to see the true color of flower petals in front of him . arrangements must be made , and the florist working behind the counter does not like interruptions . so his best bet ? corner coffee . eyes try to focus , but it is too late , samson gets flustered . they pick up one petal , two petal , three , until the bunch of petals are piled into his hands . samson throws them up into the air in defeat , letting out a heaving sigh . he has always been one for the dramatics .

“stop patronizing the staff.” vik mutters as they pull on their brother’s sleeve. they had felt irate since the arrival to the floridian town.. unhinged and passive. it wasn’t as though centralia held a special place in their heart but they weren’t exactly prepared to leave.. their 2000 jeep wrangler still remain vacant in their apartment’s lot.. their favorite t-shirts remained unfolded atop the washing machine in the basement of the complex they called home.. the uncertainty coupled with genuine fear was enough to cause their tongue to spit venom these days. “you a flower girl?” they chime in with a shit eating grin, brow raised. “get me a chai tea, please.”

open starter: @liminalstart​ st. cordelia , florida​ location: willow’s new apartment - 

her lips were pressed into a thin line after pulling away the glass of wine they’d been nursing since opening their third moving box. in most circumstances they’d be happy to welcome change, to welcome a new beginning.. but when the catalyst had been something so fiery as centralia’s doom... well they felt a bit anxious. “..how are you holding up?” she asks as she looks up from her hands, eyebrows knit.

ofhellview​:

closed starter for @hallowghoul​ (landon) location: the hotel in Philadelphia

“Hey, you,” Kitty had knocked, of course, before going into Landon’s room.  She couldn’t thank him enough for the help he’d been in not only getting here, but helping save Banks, who had decided to be the one to get closest to the hole in the street.  “How’re you holding up?”  Part of her felt like she was to blame, even though there was no way she had any control over what Banks decided to do.  “Have you been to a hospital?”

his eyes flick up from his phone, leg bouncing with nerve as she greets him. landon had been on edge since the incident.. his arm bandaged up and hidden beneath an old LSU t-shirt. his chin lifts, eyebrow raised a bit. “hey.” he murmurs though his words are barely above an appropriate whisper. “too many people that need it more than me are at the hospital..” he trails his words with a soft breath escaping through his nose. “you? are you alright?” he questions.