SUCCESSION — 1.02 Shit Show At The Fuck Factory

BOBBY BRIGGS TWIN PEAKS | 1.04

Reality Bites (1994) dir. Ben Stiller

MARIA 2024 | Dir. Pablo Larraín

CYNTHIA ERIVO as Elphaba and JONATHAN BAILEY as Fiyero in Wicked: Part One (2024)

"yikes, dude. they got you good." kennedy winces when he gestures towards his face. "people are losing their goddamn minds — did sel make it out, okay?" they ask, though they wouldn't blame him if he didn't know. maybe they should text her. a tender smile grows at santiago's offer. god, when was the last time they slept under the same roof? "it's okay, i can take the couch. i have to whip something up for work by 5am." they can still make it, they think. if they borrow santi's laptop and chug some water. "i don't think i could sleep even if i wanted to... do you have work tomorrow? how is that going?" is now the time for them to have some small talk? probably not but if the tremble of their fingers as they aimlessly smooth their dress down is an indicator for anything, it's that they would rather not be alone right now.

⁑ the corner of his mouth quirks into a smile when he's humored. ❝ glad you're okay too. ❞ and he's genuine about that. santi doesn't mention the body that police found tonight, but he's sure they know about it. ❝ fuck, i don't even know. i was walking to catch up with sel and then— i dunno, boom. smacked in the head. ❞ he gestures to the bruising part of his face. he hesitates for a moment, then offers, ❝ you should stay over tonight. i can take the couch. crazy night. ❞

vikram has never been good at delivering jokes. there was always something for him to fall flat in. his tone of voice, his expression, sometimes the context of the joke itself. "um, no? more like... i'm flirting with you by referencing a killer cheerleader while we live in a town with a —" okay. maybe he should have read the room better, with that one. he's grateful he's not facing her now or else she might catch the hint of a redish hue on his skin. vikram moves the flashlight further down, before catching a glimpse of a pumpkin shaped item a couple of cars down. "oh, i found it!" he proclaims, placing both his hands on the concrete to push himself up and go to the car in question. now that he knows where it is, he doesn't have to pull the chivalrous get-on-the-knee move. he simply bends down to retract the bucket before turning around to offer it to kirby. "is this it?"

“  are  you  flirting  with  me  by  referencing  a  masked  serial  killer  while  we  live  in  a  town  with  an  active  killer  on  the  loose  ?  ”  kirby  was  not  serious  ,  she  hoped  her  smile  would  show  that  but  also  …  read  a  main  street  buddy  .  okay  ,  that  was  nice  of  him  ,  pulling  out  his  flashlight  .  she  recognizes  that  it  will  do  very  little  ,  as  the  street  lights  are  on  and  the  bucket  is  neon  orange  ,  practically  glow  in  the  dark  .  however  ,  she  recognizes  that  he  is  trying  to  help  so  she  bites  her  tongue  so  as  to  not  ruin  his  moment  .  “  it's  somewhere  over  here  .  i  live  less  than  a  block  away  and  i  thought  if  i  hid  it  somewhere  over  here  ,  i'd  be  able  to  get  it  quickly  and  be  munching  on  a  snickers  by  the  time  i  got  back  to  my  place  .  ”  she  had  a  half  a  mind  to  crawl  but  she  also  had  common  sense  so  no  ,  she  would  not  be  getting  on  the  dirty  ground  .

"if it makes you feel better, i think that you'd be better at a fight than me," admittedly, tthat isn’t saying much when the biggest risk they face at the office is a paper cut. "hey, wait—" they bend down to snatch the bag of peas off the floor but before they can nag him to sit back down, he's disappeared from the room. kennedy scoffs, sinking back into the sofa in a grumble and taking this moment to close their eyes. with a sigh, the adrenaline of the night drains away, replaced by exhaustion. what a fucked up night. the sound of the laptop thudding onto thetable jolts them, followed by santiago plopping back down on the sofa "what, did you have to clean your browser history or something? you freak." they reach out for the laptop and charger, quickly connecting the device before they forget.

the way santiago wrinkles his nose at the mention of their boss bring them to chuckle. it's nice to know that they might not be the only one offended by ricardo's antics. "yeah, him. he's a prick. i suppose all rich pretty boys are." how the hell he ended up in red creek is beyond them. they offer a lazy shrug at santiago's resistance to coming to new york with them. "dunno. think it might be good for you to go to the city. see that there's more to life than this shitty town." they have their attention focused on booting the laptop up now. "mom is... yeah. i think she's happy. i think jon is too, actually. you should have seen how hard he hugged me when they picked me up from the airport. thought the man was gonna break my ribs." kennedy shoots santiago a quick glance. "trying to get rid of me, already?" they ask, scrunching their nose in jest before offering another shrug. "i don't know. mom and jon would kill me if i didn't at least stick around for the holidays. i'm hoping i won't be long after that. i'd hate to give them the impression that i was here to stay for good." they pause then, before adding. "they wanted me to check how you were doing. if... you were planning on attending any family dinners."

⁑ he nods almost mindlessly, opting to trust that his friends made it home safe rather than spiral into a panic. ❝ yeah. guess i wouldn't be much help if i nearly get knocked out tryin' to split a bar fight. ❞ santi pushes himself off of the armchair, make-shift ice bag tumbling to the floor. ❝ i'll grab it for you. ❞ it's a welcome distraction from the pulse in his temple. he pulls the laptop from it's place on a (mostly empty) bookshelf. there's a dull ache in his chest as he peers down at long - abandoned textbooks; santi had loved nursing at one point & the end was so sudden. he spins on his heel before he can stare too long. he laughs out loud when kennedy suggests he may have signed an nda to work at heartbreak motel. ❝ you haven't been gone that long, kens. doubt they even know what an nda is. maybe i'll toss you somethin' if it happens. ❞ he drops the laptop on his coffee table with a concerning thump, then falls back onto the couch equally as careless.

❝ your boss . . . ricardo, right ? ❞ santi asks, wrinkling his nose. narcissistic may be the nicest way to put it. kennedy probably put up with far worse in new york. which— ❝ like you would've wanted me buggin' you in the city. ❞ there's no bite to his words, but they fall flat. ❝ suzanne happy that you're home for a bit ? how long are you stayin' in town anyways ? ❞

location : the police station

time : early afternoon, the day after halloween

for : elliot ( @ofmighty )

‘a deputy will see you now.’

it’s a small station. not much real estate to walk but her impatience makes the trek from the lobby down the bland hallway feel like an eternity. they had already spent hours there, hoping to speak to someone who could fill in the gaps that the public was so eager to hear. the victim was alaina price... what else? a wooden door is their destination, fitting in just fine with the unimpressive aesthetic of the old police station. they offer a nod at the receptionist in thanks before carefully opening the door and peeking inside. the first thing they notice is a figure with their back to them, a 'red creek police' patch prominently displayed on the arm of a black jacket. “good afternoon.” they call out, in case the creak of the door was not enough to announce their arrival. “kennedy stuart with the register. thank you for taking the time to—" they are mid-sentence when the familiarity of the person strikes them, stunning them into a surprised pause. "—elliot?"

best thing about going to the club? the girls, gays, and theys baby! it starts with the dj finally playing a pop song, then eye contact with someone near by, the words  'i love this song!' proclaimed at the top of their lungs. the room shifts, and suddenly one finds themselves a couple songs in dancing with a total stranger. “they’ve definitely upped the budget since the last one i went to!” she doesn’t remember having this much fun last time but as the stranger answers to her twirl with one of their own, kennedy thinks that maybe parties have always been like this – it’s just the company that’s changed. she leads them to the bar, refusing to let go of their hand until they settle up in a cozy little corner away from the crowd of clubbers . “oh like the little shots? good idea, those are so cute! yeah, hold on.” she turns away from minnie to flag the waiter and make the order. once that’s done, they turn back to them with a curious smile.   "okay. so who are you and why the hell have i not met you before?"

"oh, my god. you were so in my brain just then. this has gotta be one of the best dance floors i've ever seen." listen: they don't have that many to go on, but the fact of the matter was that it was the best. leaving her hand entwined with kennedy, already breaking out into a feverish smile, lifting her arm so that she could twirl her around in return. "you want one of those, like, skull-glowing things or whatever?" being in all-black didn't make her stand out here, but oh-the-fuck-well.

matilda's offer to let him stick by her side is sweet and a man with vikram's disposition can't help but immediately lean to decline the offer. "i wouldn't want to get in the way of your fun." then he remembers what his therapist who may or may not look like gabriel luna and be played by flea said, about allowing himself to be open to new experiences. "–but i might actually take you up on that... uh, if you'll have me." awkwardness and all. her laugh encourages one of his own, as he shifts a little in place, as if to settle more into the conversation. "no whispering tonight– i can do that." he's gonna have to if she has any hope of hearing him talk over the music. "yeah, wasn't he in that jumaji remake? i haven't watch it but i like the original."

vikram nods along as matilda explains the reference, trying not to show any confusion that would expose how chronically offline he is. has no idea why the local teens have taken a liking to calling him demure recently. "i don't think i've seen the picture. you'll have to show it to me when i see you tonight. get the side by side." vikram feels like his costume is not as clever or relevant in comparison. "i'm dressing as the phantom. from phantom of the opera? figured it was an easy enough costume to put together last minute." he already had the suit and the broodiness that came with the character. all he really needed was the mask. he wants to ask her if she's read the novel but instead thinks it would be better to take advantage of the fact that they rarely get to meet outside of the library to focus on a topic other than books. "are you heading home right now? would you like some company?"

“You know, if you want, you’re more than welcome to stick by me, since I’ll be doing the same. But either way, I’ll gladly take you up on that drink, if it means talking to you at a level above a whisper,” she said, a laugh bubbling out of her. She’d planned on chatting with him at some point that night anyway, but the realization that she had a Pavlovian effect on the volume of Vikram’s voice only made her more determined. “Um, yeah. Do you know The Rock? Like, the actor?” She stumbled over her words, suddenly very conscious of the idea that she could be explaining her costume all night. “There’s this picture of him with a fanny pack, in a turtleneck. I was gonna do that, but maybe switch the jean pants for a jean skirt and some heels.” Matilda made a mental note to save the picture to her phone, for easy access if anyone wanted to see it. “What about you?”