PUSHING DAISIES 1x01 - Pie-lette

MARIA 2024 | Dir. Pablo Larraín

FROM  YOUTH  VIKRAM  HAS  always  had  a  knack  for  sneaking.  a  light  step  paired  with  a  preference  for  skulking  in  the  background  made  it  easy  to  go  unnoticed.  still,  it  was  rarely  his  intention  to  scare  anyone  so  as  he  approaches  mina  he  makes  the  attempt  to  announce  his  arrival  with  a  cordial  “good  evening”  .  .  .  only  to  startle  her  regardless.  of  course  she  would  be.  there's  a  goddamn  murderer  on  the  loose.  “oh!  no,  i  wouldn't  dream  of  bugging  you  about  my  computer  problems  outside  of  business  hours  ──  sorry."  he  offers  a  faint,  awkward  smile.  “i  didn't  mean  to  spook you.  i  just  came  to  uh,  look  at  the  scenery.  it's  nice,  isn't  it?”  when  there  isn't  body  being  fished  out  of  the  lake,  that  is.

♡ 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 ─── starter for anyone / open. ♡ 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ─── near deer lake clubhouse. ♡ 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 ─── around sunset time.

a deep inhale and smoke fills her lungs, nothing in particular on her mind; exactly the way she likes it. she does realize it's maybe not the best idea to stand all alone, with the light of the sun going away, when there's a killer on the loose but... what else is there for her to do? stay cooped up at home while her parents attempt to poke at her psyche? oh no, she's choosing the faster way out instead.

at least that's what she thought until a sound suddenly startled her and made her look back. a hand coming to rest on her chest ─── willing her heart to calm down ─── as she zeroes in on the approaching figure. " can i help you? "

YOU'RE  BIG.  LARGER  THAN  LIFE.  she’s  heard  that  before.  in  a  voice  that  sounded  like  rafaels,  but  wasn't his.  close—painfully  so—  but  not  quite  as  deep.  the  familiarity  is  bittersweet,  endearment  and  affliction  flickering  through  her  almost  as  quickly  as  the  lights  around  them.  kennedy  is  glad  his  back  is  to  hers  then,  grateful  for  the  bodies  he  has  to  navigate  through,  taking  advantage  of  those  extra  seconds  gained  to  compose  herself  before  they  reach  their  destination.  “used  to?”  an  eyebrow  quirks  at  that,  lips  parted  in  a  silent  scoff.  “don’t  give  up  on  me  yet!  i  still  have  time.”  that's  what  they  would  like  to  tell  themselves  anyways.  that  one’s  life  isn’t  over  if  they  don’t  achieve  all  their  goals  by  age thirty.  that  her  return  to  redcreek  didn’t  mean  she  failed.  it  was  only  temporary. 

now  settled  by  the  bar,  kennedy  is  suddenly  aware  of  how  much  they  have  had  to  drink.  the  room  was  still  swaying  even  though  they  no  longer  were.  they  blink,  slowly,  the  buzz  from  the  liquor  washing  over  them  like  a  blanket,  warm  and  heavy.  maybe  that’s  why  it’s  easy  to  make  promises  for  next  time.  to  get  caught  up  in  the  excitement  of  reconnecting  with  him.  as  if  she  hadn’t  spent  the  last  years  carefully  curating  a  distance  between  them.  “yeah?  are  you  saying  i  can  just  show  up  one  day  and  ask  for  that  dance?  i  know  where  you  work,  velazquez.”  she  flashes  him  a  pleased  grin  as  he  slides  the  drink  her  way,  quick  to  raise  the  glass  to  her  lips.  “it  suits  you,  by  the  way.  the  tattoo  shop.  you  always  were  the  creative  one.”

isn’t  that  right,  joaquin?

the  thought  arises,  a follow-up that feels as natural as breathing,  but  gets  lodged in  her  throat  when  she  turns  to  share  a  look  with…  NO  ONE.  picture  frames  of  tender  moments,  but  no  house  to  hold  them  anymore.  is  that  what  grief  is?  as  rafael  leans  into  her  initial  touch,  her  hand  flattens  against  his  skin,  the  pads  of  her  fingers  pressing  weakly,  as  if  to  check  if he’s  really  here.  she only catches the tail end of his question, gaze flickering to meet his once more.  “no.”  she  breathes  out,  a  subtle  rasp  in  her  voice,  that  knot  tightening  over  her  chords.  dark  hues  scan  his  face,  committing  every  feature  to  memory.  as  if  he  too  was  going  to  disappear  the  moment  she  let  go.  “you  look  beautiful.”   once  again  taking  his  lead,  dropping  by  her  guard  to  reveal  an  unexpected  moment  of  sincerity  in  the  least  ideal  setting.  only  this  time,  she  doesn’t  have  the  time  to  think twice before another slip—  “i  really  missed  you,  you  know  that?”  

at  that,  rafael  laughs  -  a  small  shake  of  his  head  all  that's  needed  for  a  few  stray  stands  to  fall  over  his  eyes.  eyelashes  blinking  through  them  to  watch  her,  "i'd  love  to  see  what  you'd  do  with  that  power,  kennedy  -  you're,  big.  larger  than  life."  it's  something  joaquin  would  say;  the  memories  barely  skim  the  surface  of  his  thoughts  -  he  strikes  a  rainboot  through  them,  sinks  them  further.  "used  to  think  you'd  -  conquer  the  whole  world."  it's  genuine,  too  genuine  for  the  club  -  for  the  crowd  around  them,  for  the  buzz  at  the  back  of  his  head,  warming  where  spine  meets  skull.  "yeah,"  he  agrees,  easily;  a  passing  laugh,  "but  it's  still  true,  either  way."

his  forearms  meet  the  edge  of  the  bar,  still  close  to  kennedy  -  still  allowing  space  between  them.  it's  the  most  they've  spoken  since  -  since  then.  for  once;  rafael  doesn't  want  to  think  about  it.  "you  know  where  to  find  me,  ken  -  door's  always  welcome  for  a  good  -  waltz."  beer  left  on  the  counter,  rafael's  turned  towards  them,  sliding  the  tequila  sunrise  her  way.  he's  always  one  to  lean  into  touch,  subconscious  as  their  finger  hooks  onto  him.  another  laugh  escapes  him,  so  easy.  "you're  the  first  one  to  get  it,  i  think  -  yeah,  the  tall  guy.  dunno...  felt  easy,  at  the  time.  now  i'm  feeling  a  bit  like  a  -  misplaced  film  bro.  do  the  wings  make  me  look  pretentious,  ken?  you  can  -  be  honest,  with  me.  can  handle  the  truth."

Reality Bites (1994) dir. Ben Stiller

   ❝ 𝚈𝙾𝚄  𝙶𝚄𝚈𝚂  𝙰𝚁𝙴  𝙹𝚄𝚂𝚃  𝙰𝚂  𝙵𝚄𝙲𝙺𝙴𝙳  𝚄𝙿  𝙰𝚂  𝙸  𝙰𝙼 ,  𝚈𝙾𝚄 '𝚁𝙴  𝙹𝚄𝚂𝚃  𝙱𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙴𝚁  𝙰𝚃  𝙻𝚈𝙸𝙽𝙶  𝚃𝙾  𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁𝚂𝙴𝙻𝚅𝙴𝚂  𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚃  𝙸𝚃 !  . . .  𝚈𝙾𝚄 '𝚁𝙴  𝙻𝙸𝚅𝙸𝙽𝙶  𝙾𝙽  𝚃𝙷𝙴  𝙱𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙺  𝙹𝚄𝚂𝚃  𝙻𝙸𝙺𝙴  𝙼𝙴 ! ❞

 //   (  natasha  lyonne .  cisfemale .  she/her ) .   ⸻ JOANNA  ‘JOEY’  HARLOW,  a forty  four  year  old,  has  survived  another  day  in  red  creek  where  they  have  lived  for  her whole  life  . THE  BROKEN  RECORD  is   known   for   being  audacious  and destructive  and  is  often  associated  with  cackling  laughter  over  loud  music,  chipped  red  nail  polish,  a  pack  of  camel  cigarettes  tucked  in  a  back  pocket,  a  crude  sense  of  humor  .  in   a   small   town   where   they   work   as  the  owner  of  redstone  bar,  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:  the  trailer  park  life,  sobriety  chips  scattered  on  the  floor  of  a  1985  ford  f150,  making  a  bad  situation  worse,  gaslighting  yourself  into  believing  you’re  tougher  than  you  really  are,  constant  reminders  of  everything  you've  lost,  looking  for  dopamine  in  the  worst  places.

[ Ⅰ ]  .  .  .  𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒 

full  name. joanna mae harlow.  nicknames.  joey, joe,  jm.  age.  44.  race.  white. nationality.  american.  birthday.  december 21st.  zodiac.  sagittarius. gender.  cisfemale.  pronouns.  (  she   /  her  ).  sexual  orientation.  pansexual.  birthplace.  redcreek,  michigan.  occupation.  owner of redstone bar.

[ Ⅱ ]  .  .  .  𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘

mother  :  helen harlow father  :  cameron harlow siblings:  tristan harlow ( presumed dead )  , might make a wc for more siblings!

[ Ⅲ ]  .  .  .  𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

TW: brief mentions of death, grief, & substance abuse.

*  in  a  small  town  where  everyone  knows  each  other,  it's  easy  to  get  an  idea  of  someone's  character  just  by  the  stories  attached  with  a  surname. for  the  harlows,  their  name  was  often  associated  with  trouble  because  wherever  there  was  any  to  be  found,  it  was  almost  always  guaranteed  that  a  harlow  kid  was  involved  in  one  way  or  another.  * comfortably  nestled  in  a  trailer  park  just  a  couple  blocks  away  from  the  main  road,  this  family  of  misfits  were  known  to  be  loud,  crude,  and  quick  to  piss  off.  damn proud of it too -- wore  the  title  of  redcreek's  trashiest  family  like  a  badge  and  joanna  harlow  was  no  exception.  * a  firecracker  of  a  kid,  known  to  have  the  mouth  of  a  sailor  and  the  disposition  of  a  renegade.  she  had  a  talent  for  playing  the  bass  guitar,  a  talent  that  she  gained  from  her  older  brother  -  tristan.  it  was  an  ongoing  joke  that  joey  was  tristan's  mini-me.  they  were  the  spitting  image  of  each  other,  both  in  physicality  and  temperament. * joey  was  nineteen  when  tristan  went  missing  and  that  was  when  her  world  turned  upside  down.  her  family  were  among  the  many  broken  by  the  events.  many  in  her  inner  circle  felt  like  they  had  to  distance  themselves  from  joey,  finding  her  familiarity  to  tristan  too  much  to  handle,  including  her  own  parents * TW: DRUG MENTION:  so  with  everyone  in  her  life  too  busy  dealing  with  their  own  grief,  joey  all  but  isolated  herself  further  by  turning  to  the  first  break  she  could  find  –  drugs.  she  had  her  first  taste  of  them  when  she  was  looking  through  tristan's  room,  in  search  for  answers  to  what  could  have  happened  to  him.  instead  of  a  note  though,  she  found  a  stash  of  fine  white  powder  tucked  in  little  tiny  ziploc  bags.  * the  rest  of  her  life  from  there  has  been  a  blur.  she  never  left  redcreek.  never  managed  to  fulfill  her  dream  of  becoming  a  big  musician.  somehow  managed  to  sober  up  and  gain  enough  money  to  buy  a  shitty  building  and  turn  it  into  what  is  now  known  as  redstone  bar.  * one  doesn't  always  know  what  they  will  get  with  joey.  she’s  just  as  likely  to  start  a  fight  as  she  is  to  offer  a  drink  so  most  people  tend  to  proceed  with  caution.

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘  :  a  girl  who  was  set  on  a  path  of  bad  decisions  by  her  rambunctious  family  grows  to  become  a  mess  of  a  woman,  ricocheting  between  recovery  and  relapse.  her  dreams  of  leaving  town  and  becoming  a  rockstar  were  squashed  the  moment  her  brother  went  missing.  punk  meets  small-town  hick.

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

wc  pinterest  |  wc  tag

[ Ⅴ ]  .  .  .  𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

＋adventurous＋unapologetic ＋protective －selfish －unreliable －volatile mbti  :  ISFJ natal  chart  : ↑  aquarius, ⊙ sagittarius, ☾ aquarius inspired  by  : natalie scatorccio ( yellowjackets ),  mercutio  ( romeo &  juliet ),  eleanor shellstrop ( the good place ), fleabag ( fleabag )

location : redstone bar

time : evening

for: nadia(@hypnotiscd)

"you know, i was actually watching love is blind with june the other day." he has his designated spot on the couch of her apartment— the side with the missing leg, where he remains still as a rock until it's time for him to leave out of fear of it buckling under his movement. "she thinks it's a load of bull but... i don't know. there's something kind of sweet about it." did the experiment have it's flaws? sure. did he become embarrassingly invested in everyone's journey? of course. he glances over at nadia, an easy smile present as he speaks. with how heavy redcreek was feeling recently, the levity gained from grabbing a drink with her and talking mindlessly about something so silly was relieving. "maybe i should apply." it's only a half-joke, emphasized by the sheepish laugh that escapes him. he brings the bottle of beer to his lips for a swig before offering a shrug, "i don't know. beats whatever i've been doing." which has been sitting pretty at the funeral home, waiting for love to knock at his doorstep like some sort of hallmark movie.

body or not, it had been vikram's plan to finish the night at redstone all along. it suited him better, always preferred the grittiness of a live band over polished beats blaring through speakers. the place was crowded though, much more than usual. how annoying. vikram is ready to call it a night... but then the offer of free liquor is made, which naturally brings his plan to a halt. he turns to quinn, gaze alternating between the glass and the woman presenting it. "what is it?" he finally asks.

˚｡⋆୨୧ starter : open ! ˚｡⋆୨୧  where : inside redstone bar ˚｡⋆୨୧  time : 12am

the  hospital  had  been  draining  all  of  quinn's  energy  .  between  stomach  flus  ,  anxiety  over  the  murders  ,  &  car  crashes  -  it  had  been  a  whirlwind  of  patients  coming  and  going  .  for  the  first  time  in  weeks  ,  quinn  got  a  night  off  and  figured  now  was  her  chance  to  let  loose  .  her  eyes  widened  once  she  realized  the  bar  tender  had  given  her  an  extra  shot  of  tequila  .  there  was  no  way  the  dirty  blonde  was  gonna  take  two  ,  so  she  took  the  friendly  avenue  and  turned  to  the  person  beside  her  .  “  hi  ,  wanna  take  this  shot  with  me  ?  it's  free  .  ”  she  smiled  ,  hoping  the  tequila  would  find  a  rightful  owner  .

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  !  ”

"so it sounds like you're having a good night?" even in her current state, hana's magnetism and her ability to command a room seems as prevalent as ever. even a man like vikram, who tended to navigate through spaces with a downcast gaze, can't help but have his attention on her as she weaves ( bulldozes? ) them though the crowd. his eyes are trained on white bunny ears, watching them bob in tune with the buoyancy of her steps. next thing he knows, he's settling himself into the space next to hana, sandwiched between her and another group of partygoers trying to catch the bartender's attention. hana beats them to it and while he can't really make out just what exactly she is ordering, he does manage to at least place his card down for the bartender to take. "goals for tonight?" he repeats the question slowly to give it some thought but before he can, hana takes off with her own ideas. the more animated she becomes, the more dread vik feels and suddenly his free hand clasps over hers, giving it a small, desperate squeeze.

"hana... please." it's almost a whisper, barely audible if it wasn't for the proximity. "have some mercy on me tonight. can we settle for... a dance, maybe? i don't think anybody wants to see me on top of anything." if he didn't have a fear of heights and djs, he certainly does now. "how about the goal is that i make it to midnight without wishing i would have stayed home?" there's a bit of a joke in there. somewhere. his eyes land on the drinks placed before them and is immediately weary of it as hana hands one over to him. he swears he can smell the heartburn from here. "oh, do you want to do that thing they do in movies? where they lock arms?" see, he's not a total stick in the mud! ahaha.

☾ hana is ever so grateful that vikram simply goes along with her plans. there's an internal moment of triumph whenever she manages to chip away part of the shell — even if it always seems to be temporary. ❝ perfect. 'cos i've had, like, so many shots already. gotta get you caught up, vik. morgue-a-ritas, mystery mimosas, green goblins . . . whatever will get the job done ! ❞ she shimmies her way between people at the bar with an over - zealous excuse me, pointing to something on the special drinks menu as soon as she can catch the bartenders attention. she pulls vik in too, wordlessly insistent that he take up space too. ❝ do we have any goals for tonight ? like, ummm . . . infiltrate the dj booth ? climb the tables ? ❞ hana's teasing, of course — suggesting bogus options to see the reaction they pull. no sooner do their drinks hit the bartop (a concerning shade of green) before she's pushing one glass into his hand. ❝ bottoms up. ❞

"a pony?" that makes them chuckle, amused by nadia's imagination. they shift their gaze past her, scanning the crowd, determination etched on her features. "there has got to be someone in here dressed as a little — there." they tilt their chin behind nadia where one can barely see the head of a horse poking out from a wall of people. "okay, no pony. close enough? i could still go wrangle him for you?" they offer. a poker face not something they usually struggle to maintain but the scenario is so ridiculous that kennedy can't help but break her attempt to look serious with a smile. "good! then you're welcome. happy to be of service." finally someone appreciates their bossy attitude! "shots? nadia... are you trying to get me into trouble tonight?" cus she just might, kennedy thinks. "as long as it's not vodka. unless your gearing to carry me home tonight."

" whatever i want ? what if i want a pony ? " nadia replies , twisting one of her eyebrows up in amusement . she allows kennedy to lead the way , trusting they know the SAFEST way out , with minimum groping by strangers . " firstly , tequila is never basic . " nadia says , with a small shake of her head . " secondly , i'm glad for the dragging . " nadia says honestly . she'll never turn down a party , per se , but of late she's been more than glad to have her routine of sleeping at a reasonable time . she's almost turned anti-social , which is not something that should be synonymous with her . " two tequila sodas then . here i was thinking i could charm you into doing a shot with me . . . "