Location : The Police Station

My dad, he’s like, a financial planner. And I think he’s in trouble.

THE OC (2003-2007) 1.02 | The Model House

“you are bleeding." vikram is too stunned to offer anything other than the truth right now. getting very cleaned up is taking precedence over beside manner. "it's okay. it's not that bad." for now at least. it's too early to tell if she’s concussed or just in shock. he's got a hand hovering over her shoulder just in case, ready to catch her should she feel lightheaded. "don't move, okay?" he pats at the area, an occasional apology murmured under his breath at any sign of discomfort. the friction of his handkerchief against her wound is probably not the best feeling, but he’s trying to be gentle. “how are you uh, feeling?”

who : anyone where : outside the bar when : 2:05am

" oh my god , am i bleeding ? i think i'm bleeding. " avery winces as she touches her nose , the wound bleeding slightly. at least nothing was broken. avery was at the bar when a fight broke up and she was much too close to the action. was she trying to join the fight ? no one can say , avery would sue.

the message behind rafael’s words only deepens kennedy's amusement. it’s such a stark contrast to everything she’s ever known. she’s used to plotting, to blending grit and determination with a little bit of elbow grease to get what she wants. the simple idea that sometimes all she had to do was ask? that feels almost foreign to her— even for something as inconsequential as having rafael buy her a drink. “careful— give me too much power and i can't promise i won't let it go to my head” she replies, a hint of mischief finding its way in their eyes as they tap a cautionary finger on his chest. when rafael leans in, kennedy does too, smiling at his critique. “you’re only saying that to make me feel better!”  they holler over his shoulder, allowing themselves to be pulled in by rafael's familiar and ever so careful lead.

the bar is not nearly as loud as the dance floor but it’s still lively enough to warrant them staying close. any more yelling as kennedy fears they won't be able to use their voice tomorrow. “wait— that is the cutest thing ever!" fondness flickers in her expression at the mention of rafael's parents. "i’ll have to hold you to that dance another time, then. preferably when we’re less likely to get elbowed in the face. oh— i'll just have a tequila sunrise or something." they should probably follow rafaels lead and stick to nursing a beer for the night but they have never been a fan of them. prefers their flavored cocktails.   their index finger hooks onto the strap of his wings, careful not to snap the elastic as she fixes it over his shoulder. “nice costume, by the way. … icarus? no — wait, don’t tell me.” their eyes narrow as they try to place it. “the guy from saltburn?” the one that people swear looks like kieran but kennedy thinks it's just the height.

"all  you  need  to  do  is  ask  and  i'll  obey,  kennedy.  i'm  only  semi  -  oblivious."  he's  always  been  a  compliant  person;  the  spotter,  the  watcher,  the  willing.  won't  put  himself  into  a  risky  position,  but  won't  let  his  friends  walk  into  danger  alone,  either.  almost  too  eager  to  accompany  them;  like  it's  his  duty.  rafael's  smile  only  widens  as  kennedy  laughs,  his  gaze  drifting  upwards  as  purple  and  orange  hues  wash  over  them.  "and  between  the  two  of  us  -,"  leans  in,  eyes  falling  onto  her  again,  "-  i  don't  think  half  the  people  in  here  know  how  to  dance  -  to  anything.  but  -"  his  hand  finds  her  wrist,  gentle  as  he  guides  her  away  from  the  floor  and  towards  the  bar.  always  delicate  -  always  cautious.  "-  your  wish  is  my  command.  personally  -  i'd  love  to  waltz  across  the  room  with  you.  i  know  a  thing  or  two,  y'know  -  my  parents  were  big  on  that  stuff.  probably  didn't  want  me  to  embarrass  them  at  my  first  school  dance."

location : redstone bar

time : evening

for : taylan ( @ofvolatile )

there were two things the town seemed to be in silent agreement on when it came to the yalçınkayas. one, their kid was bad news. two, they weren’t talking about the daughter or their 20(?) cousins. wherever taylan went, trouble seemed to follow and it didn't take kennedy much convincing from their parents to keep their distance from him. and yet, it always felt like like taylan was always lingering somewhere in the periphery of her upbringing—as selin’s problematic brother, santiago’s troublemaking friend, and a thorn on redcreek's side. but with the recent murder of one alaina price, taylan's return to town was beginning to feel less of a coincidence and more like an omen. was alaina's downfall the wrath of a boy who never quite grew out of his rage?

he was a recognizable figure, even from behind. a head of brown messy waves sitting on top of broad shoulders and an aura that just screamed for someone, anyone, to just give him a reason. against carefully developed instincts, she approaches. the stool beside him creeks against hardwood as she settles herself onto it, announcing her arrival to both taylan and the bartender. “tequila soda, please.” her gaze darts over to taylan, as if to size him up, before turning back to the bartender and tipping her head towards him. “—and whatever he‘ll have.”

there was a chill in the air — both physical and metaphorical. people filtering out of bars and diners, a sea of buzzing phones and slurred questions. ‘who’s body did they find?’ it was shocking, confusing even and while vikram did not fit the role of a hero nor did he like pretending to, the sight of a lone woman stumbling away from the crowd was enough to spring him into action. after all, he’s already got one body to embalm… best not make it two.

so he approaches, black cape flowing behind him, contrasting the white half mask he still has on his face. an eerie silhouette. it’s not surprising that she’s startled by his sudden presence. “sorry — uh, did you lose something?” quick to bring attention back to her behavior rather than how ‘goddamn quiet’ he moves. “i can help you look for it. i don’t think it’s uh, a good idea to be out alone right now.” 

○    LOCATION   ⏤   red   creek   main   street   . ○    TIME   ⏤   11   :   57   pm  ○    STATUS   ⏤   open   to   all   !

warehouse  party  ?  shut  down  .  pumpkin  bucket  filled  with  candy  ?  stashed  somewhere  on  main  street  .  plan  to  go  home  and  write  this  night  off  as  a  minor  success  because  at  least  she  didn't  laze  around  her  apartment  in  ratty  pajamas  and  watch  practical  magic  for  the  third  time  this  week  ?  in  motion  …  if  she  could  remember  where  her  bucket  went  .  she  didn't  do  all  that  schlepping  around  town  for  nothing  ,  not  in  this  tiny  ass  skirt  .  and  now  ,  as  she  looked  around  the  quickly  emptying  main  area  of  the  town  ,  kirby  realized  that  maybe  she  was  an  actual  idiot  .  murderville  ,  usa  ,  was  not  where  she  wanted  to  be  caught  after  midnight  on  halloween  of  all  fucking  nights  ,  oh  jeez  .  as  she  quickly  looked  under  benches  and  behind  some  cars  ,  she  sensed  someone  slightly  to  the  side  of  her  and  jumped  only  slightly  .  “  shitfuck  !  you  are  so  goddamn  quiet  ,  jesus  christ  !  ”

VIKRAM SHAH'S POLICE INTERROGATION

can you state your full name and age , please ?

"vikram shah. thirty five." he replies, voice steady despite the nervous bouncing of knee. it's clear that he is uncomfortable, has his hands resting on top of the interrogation table, his left thumb and index pressing on the valley point of his right hand. a pressure point known to reduce stress and migraines.

are you aware of why you're here today ?

"i'm assuming it's because of the knife right?" he looks between the two officers, frantic eyes hoping for validation. answers. anything. "does it have anything to do with... with the body that was reported?"

when was the last time you saw or spoke to alaina price ?

vikram doesn't like that they answer his question with one of their own but he tries to push past it. tries to focus on giving good answers rather than how clammy his hands suddenly feel. "alaina price?" he frowns. "i don't remember." a pause "please don't look at me like that. i really don't. "

what was your relationship with the victim ?

he looks away. hates feeling like he is under a microscope. his gaze lands on the corner of the table. uninteresting in every way but it's better than meeting the officer's analytical gaze. "i um, didn't have much of one. i don't have any kids so i never needed her services. i would see her around town sometimes but i rarely spoke to her."

were you aware of anyone who would want to hurt the victim ?

"no." he answers firmly, a sigh escaping him as he does. "no. as far as i know, everyone loves her. she is—" was? "—a valuable member of the town."

can you describe your whereabouts on the night of october 31st , 2024 ?

"i was um, out and about with everyone else in town."

is there anyone who can corroborate this ?

"i was with hana for a good portion of the night. before the warehouse shut down. then i spoke to kirby for a bit. made sure she didn't stray too far from the crowd." he closes his eyes then, knee still shaking, trying to recollect who he spoke to. "and in redstone uh, i think the only person who saw me was avery. everyone else was too preoccupied with their own shit." never one to throw around curse words, the profanity feels dirty on his tongue. reminds him of his younger, rougher days.

did you see and or hear anything unusual on the night of october 31st , 2024 ?

"aside from a body being found?" vikram scoffs and for a second it almost sounds like it might turn into a sob. death, he was accustomed to. but murder? "god, i was walking home when i saw azizi... standing over a bloody knife. it was behind the diner, so there wasn't a lot of light there. for a second it almost looked like.. i don't know. like he planted it there." it's all word vomit now, the stress of the situation settling in, heavy against his chest. if the officers exchange a look at that, vikram doesn't notice. hasn't looked back at them yet. "i don't think he did. it just, looked like it. i thought it was a prop at first. even made a joke about how real it looked. azi was the one who suggested we call the cops and so— here we are."

“am i?” vikram asks, taking a beat too long to process the playfulness in natha's voice. once it does, he offers a breathless chuckle “yeah, i suppose i am. i um, actually stopped by to see if you wanted some extra candy to hand out. i… overindulged.” especially for the number of visitors vikram tends to get. it should be no surprise to anyone that the mayors house would be more popular to bring your kids to than the funeral director's.  “oh —this?” he looks down at his costume, which isn’t all too different from his usual attire — a black suit. “one sec,” he frees a hand from the pumpkin shaped bucket of candy bars he’s holding to dig into the pocket of his suit jacket. some shuffling later, he pulls out the only real indicator that this would be a costume — a white half masquerade mask. he quickly puts it on before facing nathan once more. “i’m the phantom… from phantom of the opera? are you a fan of musicals, mayor?” vikram is certain he should know the answer to this but alas, his memory falls short.

𝖫𝖮𝖢𝖠𝖳𝖨𝖮𝖭　:　nathan's front door,  around  7pm 𝖲𝖳𝖠𝖳𝖴𝖲　:　open  for  anyone

“  aren't  you  a  bit  too  old  to  be  trick  or  treating?  ”  nathan  asks,  cradling  a  bowl  of  candy  on  his  hip  as  he  leans  against  his  cobweb-decorated  door.  there's  no  malice  in  his  tone,  if  anything  he's  amused,  chuckling  as  he  hands  them  over  a  few  fun-sized  chocolate  bars.  “  and  you're  supposed  to  be  …  ahh?  …  ”  he  wonders with  a  raised  brow,  gesturing  towards  their  costume.

his  smile  widens  at  the  sight  of  hana  rolling  her  eyes,  always  a  sucker  for  that  type  of  banter,  especially  when  it  came  from  someone  as vivacious as  hana.  always  smiling,  always  sunny.  salvador  couldn’t  help  but  wonder  what  she  looks  like  when  she’s  annoyed.  would  she  be  the  type  to  yell  or  silently  plot  revenge?  can’t  really  picture  her  slashing  a  tire,  but  he  is  convinced  that  she  has  to  be  some  type  of  crazy  to  work  here.  to  base  her  reply  on  what  a  playing  card  has  to  say. he  was  a  sucker  for  crazy  too.  his  gaze  only  flickers  to  the  image  when  she  presents  it,  a  lazy  attempt  to  feign  interest  before  landing  back  on  hana.  “the  fool?”  he  repeats,  an  airy  chuckle  escaping  her  as  he  does.  “didn’t  even  know  they  had  a  card  named  that.  i’ll  take  it,  i  guess.”  he’s  been  called  worse.  mostly  deserved.  honestly,  she  could  have  told  him  anything  and  he  would have  accepted it. knew better than to question a woman with witchy inclinations.  “fresh  starts  and  taking  risks…  think  it’s  talking  about  you?  you  got  some  danger  attached  to  you,  han?”  he  asks,  taking  a  step  back  to  look  her  over,  as  if  he  could  find  an  answer  on  sight  alone.  “what  are  you  doing  this  weekend?” // @repentulant

☾ ⋰ hana rolls her eyes as she stands upright, although she isn't entirely annoyed. any attention is great, positive attention even better. she bites the inside of her cheek to keep an excited smile from spreading across her features. head tilts like she's heavily debating the answer. ❝ hmm... let's see what card has to say about that, yes ? ❞ she flips the card & shrieks out a little laugh : in her hands sits the fool. she can think of more than one person that would love to know the card he pulled. she turns it to him like a gift. ❝ so, this one isn't bad. it was just funny to flip around. it's all about fresh starts & taking risks. ❞ and also warns of the dangers of blind optimism & delirium, but she can tell him about that later. ❝ lucky for you, it also means yes. ❞

  ❝ 𝑌𝘖𝑈  𝐴𝘙𝐸  𝐶𝘙𝑌𝘐𝑁𝘎 !  𝑌𝘖𝑈  𝐴𝘙𝐸  𝐴𝘍𝑅𝘈𝐼𝘋  𝘖𝐹  𝑀𝘌 !  𝐴𝘕𝐷  𝑌𝘌𝑇  𝐼  𝐴𝘔  𝘕𝑂𝘛  𝘙𝐸𝘈𝐿𝘓𝑌  𝑊𝘐𝐶𝘒𝐸𝘋.  𝐿𝘖𝑉𝘌  𝘔𝐸  𝐴𝘕𝐷  𝑌𝘖𝑈  𝑆𝘏𝐴𝘓𝐿  𝑆𝘌𝐸 ! ❞

(  dev  patel  .  cismale  .  he/him  )    ───  VIKRAM  SHAH  a thirty  five year  old  ,  has  survived  another  day  in red  creek where  they  have  lived  for most  of  their  life . THE  SHEPHERD  is   known   for   being loyal and off-putting and  is  often  associated  with  digging  a  finger  under  a  tight  collar,  mornings  covered  in  dew  and  fog,  the  clenching  and  unclenching  a  fist,  a  cornered  animal  snarling  both  in  warning  and  in  yearning.  in   a   small   town   where   they   work   as the  funeral  director  at  red  creek  cemetery ,  word  travels  fast  .  it’s   hard   to   keep   a   secret   ,   and   it   looks   like   the   boogeyman  knows   that   [  REDACTED  ].  

 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳𝚂 | 𝙼𝚄𝚂𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂 | 𝙼𝙸𝚁𝚁𝙾𝚁 | 𝙴𝙳𝙸𝚃𝚂 | 𝙿𝙻𝙰𝚈𝙻𝙸𝚂𝚃 | 𝙿𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚃

𝐀 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐘 𝐈𝐍: being the local weird kid, touch deprivation, a fear of loneliness, a profound understanding of death, an anxious temperament, loving to the point of devotion, feeling uncomfortable in your own skin, feeling too deeply or not at all.

[ Ⅰ ]  .  .  .  𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒 

full  name. vikram  shah.  nicknames.  vik,  vikie, .  age.  35.  race.  gujarati-indian. nationality.  american.  birthday.  november  15th.  zodiac.  libra   gender.  cismale.  pronouns.  (  he   /  him  ).  sexual  orientation.  demisexual.  birthplace.  rajkot,  india.  occupation.  funeral   director.

[ Ⅱ ]  .  .  .  𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘

mother  :  uvrashi  shah father  :  jasprit  shah

[ Ⅲ ]  .  .  .  𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

∗  back  in  the  day,  viktor  shah  was  a  name  that  was  more  whispered  than  celebrated  around  the  streets  of  red  creek.  hushed  rumors  of  a  troubled  child,  a  young  man  with  a  hot  temper  and  a  knack  for  getting  into  trouble. ∗  what  a  shame  it  was  too,  that  his  parents  were  the  sweetest  people!  jasprit  &  urvashi  shah  were  nothing  if  not  upstanding  citizens.  and  well,  vikram  resented  them  for  it.  his  parents  were  too  busy  cultivating  their  image  and  keeping  the  business  that  they  put  raising  vikram  quite  low  on  their  priority  list. ∗  affection  was  not  something  that  was  commonly  found  in  the  shah  household.  sometimes  it  felt  like  they  saw  vikram  more  like  their  personal  assistant  rather  than  their  child. ∗  as  a  young  man  who  lacked  the  space  and  the  ability  to  express  himself,  he  resorted  to  acting  out  instead.  smoking,  drinking,  trespassing,  vandalism,  all  the  petty  things  rambunctious  teenagers  like  to  do  to  raise  a  ruckus  around  town. ∗   which  was  interesting,  because  vik  didn't  carry  himself  with  the  same  type  of  rowdiness  or  misconduct  that  his  peers  did. ∗   he  was  shy,  soft-spoken,  got  decent  grades  --  all  the  makings  of  a  nice  unproblematic  kid.  there  was  definitely  something  else  though.  an  underlying  temper  that  could  spring  to  life  in  a  blink  of  an  eye.  one  wrong  comment  could  turn  a  meek  smile  into  a  vicious  snarl  just  like  that. ∗   it's  unclear  to  everyone  what  finally  got  vik  to  mellow  down.  maybe  something  his  parents  said  finally  got  through  to  him  or  maybe  he  grew  tired  of  being  known  as  the  towns  'freak' ∗   regardless,  vikram  slowly  began  to  phase  out  his  rebellious,  wannabe  criminal  phase  during  his  college  years.  he  graduated,  went  back  home,  and  eventually  took  his  father's  place  as  the  town's  funeral  director. ∗  vikram  is  still  known  around  town  as  a  generally  polite  man.  a  little  quiet,  tends  to  keep  to  himself,  but  is  more  than  willing  to  lend  a  helping  hand  around  the  community.  in  the  morning,  he  is  usually  spotted  walking  downtown  holding  bouquets  of  flowers  and  in  the  evenings  he  is  known  to  catch  a  film  at  the  movie  theatre  or  grab  a  drink  at  one  of  the  local  bars. ∗   his  profession  and  overall  awkward  demeanor  still  makes  him  a  little  of  a  freak  to  some  people  but  any  rumors  around  him  are  more  made-up  tales  stirred  by  the  more  judgmental  folk.  stories  of  him  being  a  necromancer  or  a  witch,  snide  comments  about  how  he  seems  more  comfortable  with  dead  bodies  than  live  ones.  anyone  close  to  vik  would  tell  you  that  he's  a  sensitive  soul  and  simply  prefers  a  wallflower  lifestyle. ∗   if  one  were  to  pay  close  attention,  they  would  notice  that  he  keeps  his  knuckles  bandaged  most  days,  that  he  rarely  invites  people  over  to  his  home,  the  shadow  that  falls  on  his  face  when  someone  brings  up  his  childhood,  and  sometimes,  a  pensive  look  -  like  he  has  something  to  confess

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘  :  your  local  angsty  teen  grows  up  to  be  a  soft-spoken,  somewhat  nervous  adult.  followed  his  father's  footsteps  in  becoming  a  funeral  director.  living  proof  that  emo  is  not  a  trend,  it's  a  lifestyle.

[ Ⅳ ]  .  .  .  𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒   ───  all  connections  are  open  to  any  gender  unless  specified  otherwise.

wc  pinterest  |  wc  tag

[ Ⅴ ]  .  .  .  𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

 ＋perceptive＋sensitive＋loyal －awkward－intense－insecure mbti  :  INFJ natal  chart  : ↑  libra, ⊙ scorpio, ☾ scorpio inspired  by  : the  phantom ( phantom  of  the  opera  ),  evan  kelmp  ( misfits  &  magic ),  carrie ( carrie )

vikram was feeling tad out of place here. his therapist was the one to suggest he wear a mask to the town's halloween party. a happy medium between his desire to socialize more and his fear of being perceived. it was working! for the most part. clearly not well enough if hana was able to spot him clinging to the walls like some sleep paralysis demon. "oh! i was just um, admiring the decor." that sounds better than him saying he was spacing out in the corner, right? vikram doesn't question the boldness in which she snatches his wrist nor does he resist her pulling him towards the bar. he knows better than to try to dissuade hana when she has her mind set on something and if that something is having a drink with him... then who the hell is he to get in the way of that? "i think they have two for one morgue-a-ritas?"

🔒 closed starter for vikram // @brntout 🧡 for a starter from mid party. 📍 the warehouse's halloween party, ~10 p.m.

☾ the moment hana sets her sights on him, his attempt at being a wallflower is promptly ended. ❝ you ! vik ! ❞ she calls out over the music, not - so - subtly shouldering her way through the crowd to get to him. ❝ what are you doin' in the corner ? ❞ her accent comes out thicker, thanks to the drinks settling in her system from a generous pregame. with possibly too much familiarity, she takes hold of his wrist and starts to pull him along. ❝ we gotta get you out there . . . to the bar ! trust me ! do you think they still have the fun themed drinks this year ? ❞