Her Compromise Still Threatens To Leave Vikram Outside Of His Comfort Zone But He Appreciates Her Willingness

“did something happen today?” they ask, never missing an opportunity to be nosy. kennedy isn't sure why they invited efiie out to dance. they never made much of a habit to hang out with another journalist back in new york. maybe they were growing soft. a realization they will no doubt nurse along with a headache tomorrow morning at the rate they are going. that’s a problem for later though. right now? everything is good. the music is good, the ambiance is good, kennedy is feeling good, effie is looking good. it’s all good! effie’s observation earns chuckle from kennedy. “i can’t get anything past you, can i? okay — i might have a bit of a head start on you.” they admit, looking down at their hands for a moment before flashing her a rare, mischievous grin. “so let’s get you caught up! what’s your poison?” 

" you know what ... after the evening i've had ? why not. " she matches the volume over the music, smoothing down the front of her daphne dress. a small tear, poorly put together with a safety-pin at her side, proving to be the source of her frustration. the spin takes her off guard, makes her sputter off something close to a laugh. a squeeze is given to the fingers interlacing hers, but a brow promptly arches upward. " have you already started drinking, kennedy? "

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY 4.03 ✐ᝰ Class Pet

❝𝙸𝙵  𝙸𝙼  𝚁𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃  𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚃  𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂,  𝙸  𝙲𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳  𝚂𝙰𝚅𝙴  𝙰  𝙼𝙰𝙽'𝚂  𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙴.  𝙳𝙾  𝚈𝙾𝚄  𝙷𝙰𝚅𝙴  𝙰𝙽𝚈  𝙸𝙳𝙴𝙰  𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃  𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃  𝚆𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳  𝙳𝙾  𝚃𝙾  𝙼𝚈  𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺  𝚂𝙰𝙻𝙴𝚂?❞

// (  destiny  ryan  .  non-binary.  she/they  )  . ⸻ KENNEDY  STUART  ,  a twenty eight year  old,  has  survived  another  day  in red  creek where  they  have  lived  for eighteen  years and  has  been  back  a  couple  of  months . THE  PRODIGY  is   known   for   being ambitious and calculative and  is  often  associated  with murmured  self-affirmations,  a  creeping  curiosity,  doing  whatever  it  takes  to  exceed  expectations,  picture  perfect  smiles,  pristine  trophies  on  full  display .  in   a   small   town   where   they   work   as a journalist at  the  register  and  an  author, 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

Ⅰ   .   .   .   𝙱𝙰𝚂𝙸𝙲𝚂

full  name  : kennedy  noelle  stuart nicknames  : ken,  kenny age  : 28 birthday  : may  20 gender  : non-binary ( she  /  they ) sexual  orientation  : bisexual occupation  : investigative  journalist,  recently  turned  author fc  : ryan  destiny

Ⅱ   .   .   .   𝙵𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙻𝚈

mother  :  suzanne  stuart  herrera father  :  marcus  stuart stepfather  :  jonathan   ‘jon'   herrera. step  sibling  :  santiago  herrera

Ⅲ   .   .   .   𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚃  tw:  mention  of  murder  &  religion

∗  kennedy  was  marcus  and  suzanne's  last-ditch  effort  to  stabilize  the  marriage  between  a  narcissist  and  a  small  town  primadonna.  the  attempt  lasted  for  a  few  years  on  and  off  which  resulted  kennedy  having  to  spend  their  early  years  alternating  between  two  homes ∗  kennedy  was  the  spitting  image  of  the  both  of  them  and  the  two  were  painfully  aware  of  it,  pushing  the  young  kid  to  be  the  best  version  of  themselves...  they  just  had  different  definitions  of  what  that  was. ∗  for  marcus,  it  was  a  sharp  mind.  days  with  him  usually  consisted  of  activities  that  involved  intellectual  improvement  -  playing  chess,  reading  books,  watching  documentaries.  as  for  suzanne,  she  preferred  more  physical  charms  -  sports  &  beauty  pageants  mostly. ∗  the  combination  resulted  in  a  kid  who's  learned  quickly  that  they  earn  most  praise  when  they  are  not  only  good  at  something...  but  better  than  expected.  a  mindset  eventually  turned  to  a  desire  at  being  the  best  in  whatever  they  set  out  to  be. ∗  in  2006  suzanne  started  seeing  a  local  man  named  jon  hererra  and  before  kennedy  had  a  chance  to  process  their  mother's  new  relationship,  they  were  asked  to  pack  their  bags  to  move  in  with  this  stranger  and  his  son,  santiago  herrera. ∗  while  kennedy's  father  was  still  in  their  life,  it  was  apparent  that  he  had  decided  to  take  a  step  back  (  no  doubt  betrayed  by  how  quickly  his  former  wife  moved  on  )  and  began  only  taking  kennedy  on  the  weekends. ∗ life  with  the  herrera's  was  different.  suzanne  had  taken  to  bragging  about  her  child's  achievements.  an  energy  that  their  stepfather  quickly  matched  .  he  became  invested  in  advancing  kennedy's  talents,  perhaps  hoping  that  their  excellence  would  rub  on  on  his  son. ∗  unfortunately,  kennedy  had  a  hard  time  relating  to  santiago.  perhaps  it  was  the  age  difference  or  the  resentment  in  their  parent's  union.  whatever  the  reason,  it  made  building  a  healthy  relationship  difficult. ∗ kennedy  tended  to  focus  on  their  academic  pursuits  instead.  editor  of  the  newspaper,  head  of  the  speech  and  debate  team,  goalie  of  the  girl's  soccer  team...  they  had  their  hands  full!  eventually  they  graduate  with  honors  and  got  accepted  at  NYU  on  a  full  ride  to  become  an  investigative  journalist. ∗  after  college,  they  booked  a  job  at  the  new  york  times  amd  became  a  travelling  journalist,  moving  from  country  to  country  to  write  pieces  about  whatever  was  relevant. ∗  during  their  travels  they  came  across  an  interesting  case  that  was  ongoing  in  italy.  there  was  a  unexpected  string  of  murders  happening  in  a  small  countryside  town  and  with  the  help  of  the  local  police  department,  it  was  determined  that  the  local  catholic  priest  was  poisoning  the  offerings  during  their  mass  and  would  either  pretend  to  heal  them  with  the  power  of  God  or  let  them  die. ∗   the  article  kennedy  wrote  didnt  garner  much  attention  but  they  were  so  invested  in  the  story  they  decided  to  write  a  book  about  it  named  'death  at  the  altar'  and  lo  and  behold  -  it  became  a  best  seller! ∗  it  was  such  a  hit  that  kennedy  had  to  take  a  break  from  their  journalistic  endeavors  to  go  on  a  book  tour.  as  exciting  as  it  was,  kennedy  found  it  awfully  tiresome. ∗  after  some  thought  and  some  nudging  from  their  mother  &  step-father,  kennedy  decided  to  take  a  break  from  it  all  and  move  back  home.  they  took  up  a  job  at  the  local  newspaper  because  they  figured  it  would  be  easy.  some  fluff  pieces  here  and  there  while  they  focus  on  their  next  big  hit.  it's  red  creek,  michigan  after  all.  nothing  ever  happens  here.

𝚂𝚄𝙼𝙼𝙰𝚁𝚈   : a  smart  kid  who  watched  their  parents  divorce  and  was  forced  to  join  another  family  along  with  her  outrageous  mother.  left  town  as  soon  as  she  could  but  recently  decided  to  move  back  home  after  writing  a  best  selling  true  crime  novel  named  'death  at  the  altar'.

Ⅳ   .   .   .   𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙽𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂  -  all  connections  are  open  to  any  gender  unless  specified  otherwise.

wc  pinterest | wc  tag

Ⅴ   .   .   .   𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚃𝚈

＋clever  ＋analytical  ＋curious －unsympathetic  －stubborn  －judgmental mbti  : ESFJ natal  chart  : capricorn, ⊙ taurus, ☾ cancer inspired  by  : gale  weathers ( scream   ),  nancy  wheeler ( stranger  things ),  monica  geller ( friends )

“tonight? whatever the hell you want!” kennedy replies to nadia's quip with an easy grin. in a town full of try-hards and depressed wannabes with broken dreams, nadia's levity was such a treat. especially on nights like these, where kennedy is certain they weren't the only one hoping to snag her attention for a couple moments at this party. in true kennedy fashion, they feel like they've won. they make their way out of the dancefloor, maneuvering through sweaty, stumbling bodies before reaching the bartender. it's only a bit quieter, but at least kennedy doesn't feel like they have to yell. "you know me, i'm a basic bitch. tequila soda for me. what are you getting? my treat, for letting me drag you out there! "

" abso-fuckin-lutely . " nadia says easily . while kennedy could dance and move , nadia's extent was shuffling on the spot , and still managing to get grossly SWEATY . " what are we ? " she teases , at kennedy's warm , SOFT touch on her skin . " but more important , what are we drinking ? "

Reality Bites (1994) dir. Ben Stiller

vikram makes no move to interrupt her rambling about what she lost. instead, he nods now that he understands what's truly at stake.  “i see.” he can't relate to the attachment kirby holds for her candy but he can respect that it matters to her that the bucket be recovered and that's enough. her question earns a bashful head dip and a chuckle from him, clearly flattered that she got the reference he was going for. maybe his costume isn't all that bad. “depends - are you going to kill me if i bring you back to my place?” he replies back with a smile, half concealed by the mask. jennifer check and the phantom... now there's a crazy combo! “okay then. you think you hid them down here?" he pulls out his phone and activates the flashlight before lowering to his knee and bending down to check under the cars beside them. “nothing here... are you sure you left it on this side of the street?”

god  ,  every  single  part  of  her  wants  to  sing  out  “  the  phantom  of  the  opera  is  here  ”  at  this  exact  given  moment  .  gerard  butler  amiright  ?  she  peers  down  at  the  cape  that  is  swishing  behind  him  and  raises  an  eyebrow  .  “  it's  a  pumpkin  container  filled  with  candy  .  i  left  it  somewhere  out  here  but  i  cannot  fuckin'  remember  where  and  i  was  in  the  ‘burbs  so  most  of  those  are  full  sized  candy  bars  .  ”  she  shuts  up  for  a  moment  ,  recognizing  that  her  incessant  rambling  about  her  love  for  the  ’  good  ‘  halloween  candy  matters  very  little  to  other  people  ,  actually  .  “  are  you  gonna  put  me  in  a  boat  and  row  me  through  a  shockingly  expansive  sewer  system  ?  ”  she  couldn’t  help  herself  ,  she  had  to  get  one  good  one  in  .

the sisters of the moon was the only place salvador ever felt remotely out of place in redcreek. the ambiance, the talk of spirituality and divination, crystal balls and fancy tarot cards... it all felt like bullshit to him. there was one thing that did pique his interest however, and it was the babes. nadia, hana, even vicente could get it if salvador ever managed to get a room alone with him. so if pretending to believe in whatever 'witchy' nonsense they represented was the best way to make a pass at any of them, salvador was willing to play along. he sees hana before he notices the card making it's way to him. "hmm totally." he hums back, the corner of his lip twitching in amusement. she was cute when she got excited like that—eyes sparkling with some sort of passion he couldn't quite understand. not anymore. he bends down for the card as well, or at the very least, to help her up. "is the message that you're finally gonna let me take you out sometime?"

📍 sisters of the moon, just before closing. 🗝️ open to five replies.

☾ the small reading room has become something of a second home to hana. the spot was easy to reclaim even after three years away, almost like the universe saved her a seat. at the end of it all, maybe it was exactly where she was meant to fall— a solo stage to hold her audience's attention, tucked into the back corner of sisters of the moon. she cares for the space like her own home, neatly packing every item into its slot at the end of every shift. as she works through the mental chores list today, a card slips from the deck & flutters from the back room. it lands by a familiar silhouette, to which she trails after; moth to a flame. ❝ totally a sign that you needed to be in here today. looks like you just got a message. ❞ she hums, kneeling down to collect the card. there's a cheery glint in her eyes, ❝ wanna know what it says ? ❞

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 ? ❞

"it means you didn't break your nose." he tries, speaking carefully as to not feed into her panic. "we're gonna get you home. i just gonna clean you up first." he's almost done. the rambling tells vik that she’s definitely in shock, and honestly, he can’t blame her. she's handling it a lot better than he expected. "what? is that what you're worried about, right now?" he asks, the corner of his lips tugging into a small smile. it was endearing, actually. "don't be, avery. you still look very pretty." he reassures, finally moving his handkerchief away from every now that the wound is not bleeding as much anymore. "hold tight for a second, okay? i'm going to get you some ice."

“ what does ‘ not bad ‘ mean? " she appears doe - eyed for a moment the situation striking fear into her. " i should really get home -- well not to my apartment -- i should go to my actual home. my dad's probably worried. i don't live at home anymore but -- " she's rambling and feels the onset of a migraine. " head hurts, face hurts. am i still pretty at least? "