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Erin Monahan

"I'm the ghost in the back of your head."

0 · 905 views · located in New York

a character in “the way we were”, originally authored by Wolf's Bane109, as played by RolePlayGateway

Description



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"Is there so much hate for the ones we love?"
Running Up That Hill - Meg Myers
Spanish Sahara - Foals
Obstacles - Syd Matters
Heavy - Linkin Park Ft. Kiiara
Silhouettes - Of Monsters And Men
I Scare Myself - Beth Crowley



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F U L LXN A M E
Erin Cerys Aleen Monahan

N I C K N A M E (S)
Rin/Ri | Most common
Cer/Cerys | Common, doesn't mind it

B I R T H D A Y
March 15th, Pisces

A G E
Twenty-Five

S E X U A L I T Y
Panromantic | Homosexual | Openly so

E T H N I C I T Y
Caucasian

H O M E T O W N
Brooklyn, New York

H E X
#800000



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S T Y L E
Erin wears whatever feels more comfortable for her that day. Anything from a t-shirt and skinny jeans and boots, to wearing an oversized hoodie and sweat pants. Her sense of style isn't anything of note, except that it fits her and demonstrates how exactly unorthodox she is in every aspect. Herpreferred go-to outfits are anything that is a t-shirt and jeans, to button up short sleeves with jackets and boots. X, X, X, X, X, X, X


H E I G H T & W E I G H T
5' 7", 170cm | 125lbs, 56kg

A P P E A R A N C E
Erin is one that could be considered the epitome of unorthodox, especially considering her profession as a bartender. She is considered such because, firstly, she has a plethora of tattoos that are usually on full display for all to see, usually by sleeveless shirts or loose-fitting clothes at work. Erin can normally be found wearing skinny jeans and baggy tank tops or t-shirts, as well as the occasional sweater or jacket, along with her normal everyday boots or vans. She is best described as a hard rock punk girl due to all of the tattoos, her hair and abrasive nature.

As for appearances, Erin has long hair that is usually styled messily, as well as usually being shaved in areas, that is usually tied up or let down and flowing, but depending on how she feels that day. The fancier she goes, the more glamorous her appearance will be. Contrary to her brother's business casual and constant professional attire, Erin goes with what fits her when and where, never really caring what kind of person she appears to be, as long as she is happy with herself that's all that matters to herself. Erin holds an air of confidence and self-assurance, and a bit of cockiness, but for those that know her, know that she is rather insecure and constantly nervous. And that the confident side is simply a facade.

As for any oddities or scars, she has a few. Mainly from broken glass from one shattering from her earlier days as a bartender, or the accidental slip of the knife while cooking litter the top and palm of her hands. She has a small scar that runs along the backside of her right hip, from an old accident a few years back when being hit by a speeding car, a small piece of shrapnel was wedged into her side. And lastly, she has two small but rather noticeable scars on her left wrist, but only when someone truly notices it or looks very closely. Which is usually why she wears a variety and multitude of bracelets and accessories. Something that goes with her style, as well as helping to prevent anyone from noticing her scars that she's rather not talk about as she isn't exactly proud of those.



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L I K E S
// Music, it shouldn't be surprising that Erin is a big music head considering that the bar she works at has made itself known for being the place to go to for good food and drinks as well as music // Singing and playing guitar, while they aren't strictly speaking the best, she has a love for sitting in her room and just letting herself get lost in the music, something that few people get to see anymore // Erin's acoustic guitar Cynder, she hasn't really touched it much since high school and keeps it under her bed back in her apartment // Romance, it doesn't matter what it is she is a love-struck puppy. She hasn't been into hookups or one night stands as much like she used to back in high school, as long as it means something she is willing to give it a try at least once // Sweets, anything from candy to cakes and muffins is an immediate way to win her over // Small gestures of kindness, anything from a compliment to showing someone cares is an easy way to win her over even in the smallest of ways // Movies, anything from horror movies to romance movies can garner her attention // Rock climbing, spelunking, and all-around extreme sports are something she loves, and as such she knows some of the best hot spots for a good time in the city // Her job, not only doing something she loves but being able to have her own business has finally given her a sense of being stable and in control // Card games, poker, and gambling, anything that costs her money or the thrill of possibly losing is something she looks forward to // Alcohol, from an all too early age she was hooked and has managed to cut back on it in recent years, but has proven to be skilled in coming up with new drinks that cause people to keep coming back to the bar // Making sure people are having a good time, while also being safe, she's a thrill seeker, not reckless // Adrenaline rushes, something about the feeling one gets from doing something one would consider reckless always helps liven her up // Having a good time with friends and those she holds close // Making sure her friends are well looked after and taken care of // Flirting or teasing, she is easily one of the biggest flirts out there and isn't ashamed of it. Seeing the looks on people's faces or their reactions from her advances or flirtations are something she usually enjoys, always in a harmless way though // Certain cigarettes and other forms of smoking, it helps calm her down and relax even though she is trying to quit as she knows it isn't good for her // Tattoos, whether on herself or someone else, it isn't much of a shocker considering how many she has of her own // Drawing, it's something she was rather skilled in while in high school and had originally wanted to be an artist, but that dream had fallen through. It's still something she likes, just not as passionate about anymore ||

D I S L I K E S
// The sound of loud chewing, something about it causes her skin to crawl and grosses Erin out // Loud or sudden noises, especially if the cause is unknown // The smell of something burning, especially toast and coffee // The smell of lavender, vanilla, and certain cigarettes and poorly made or cheap pot // Having a guitar string break while playing, nothing angers her more than a busted chord // Bigotry of any kind, even if it's a joke, Erin doesn't find it funny and will get loud over it in a split second // // Erin doesn't like having to talk about her past, and even being asked about it in pure curiosity can shut her down or ruin her mood in an instant // // Attention seekers, as she can easily read people's body language it bothers her when people act out for simple attention // Having to kick people out of her bar for causing a scene or distruption // Large amounts of blood, she can handle regular amounts, but seeing large ammounts is stomach turning and can cause her to be nausious //


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P E R S O N A
Contrary to the first impression that she give off, and her rather rough-looking exterior, Erin is quite the opposite of how she may seem. Upon first seeing her, people assume that she is an angry, angsty 'stick it to the man' sort of rebel, when while yes that is partially true, it also couldn't be the farthest from the truth. Once someone can look past the rough, tattoo-covered exterior, that can see that she is an incredibly kind, caring, outgoing, and loving individual who, that once given the chance could prove to be one of your best friends. She is rather possessive and clingy, once getting close to someone that is, but for the most part, she will give you your space and let you be. When not at work at the Bar, Erin can be seen anywhere in the city. From the local bars and clubs having a good time, or even sitting in the local coffee shop with a book in her hand. Whatever the case, Erin is a very active and outgoing person and simply wants to be someone's friend. Whether that's the older sister part in her or not is uncertain, but Erin will easily become protective and overbearingly so at times when it comes to someone she has known enough and care for.

But at the same time, Erin is very reserved in most aspects. Never prying into anyone else's business or asking questions they probably shouldn't. She's always an open ear to someone and a shoulder to cry on for whoever may need it. Erin is often a very touchy-feely person, usually having to either be touching someone or being close to them in any way. From sitting next to someone, or barely having an arm or leg touching very much unlike her brother Kyle. But if someone tells her to stop or that she's making them uncomfortable, she will and give them all the space they could want. When it comes to romance or relationships, Erin is a hopeless romantic, finding simple gestures and actions to be worth more than the larger gestures. Like someone holding a door open for her or giving a genuine compliment means more to Erin than receiving a gift. As surprising as it may seem, Erin is also the type to make a gift for someone out of something simple, like making a necklace or bracelet from simple twine and simple pebbles or gemstone, and make it something beautiful, or simply drawing an exact replica picture of someone or something and giving it as a gift. Whatever the cause, small gifts and presents aren't an uncommon thing to receive from her.

Aside from the kind and caring nature of Erin, she holds a much darker side. Which, when one knows of her and her brother's past it's not much of a shocker why she can be so abrasive and cold at times. While she can be an absolute sweetheart and want the best for people, there is a part of her that would want nothing more than the filth of the earth to be done away with. One thing people know about her is that she doesn't play around with idiots or trouble starters. If someone starts something in her bar, it results in immediate kick out and even a ban from ever stepping foot back in her bar again. She can easily be your best friend, or easily be your least liked person, depending on how you treat her, she will treat you. If you treat her with respect and kindness and don't cause any trouble at the bar, she will easily let small things slide and even give a few free drinks and food if she knows if you're having an off day or struggling with money. But the last thing you want to do is bite the hands that feed you, and wouldn't recommend crossing her or doing her any wrong, as she could easily make your life hell. People have also noticed she has a short fuse, which can be started from anything, rude comments or harassment towards her which she handles more, but the last thing you do is disrespect others in her bar and you'll soon see yourself being dragged out. In short, she can be your fiercest and most loyal and caring friend who would die for you, or could easily be something terrifying that you wouldn't dare double-crossing or lying to.


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H I S T O R I A
It all started when a young and dumb couple decided to get married at an all too young age. They were irresponsible and immature, having a family at such a young age, nonetheless in New York City was a mistake, and that was putting it lightly. They were undeniably infatuated with each other and they considered in love over lust or being dumb and young. It was about three months from the delivery date for their first child that the news hit them, they weren't having just one child, but two, twins to be specific. And that fact didn't change anything, they were more excited now to welcome their two kids into the world. For the most part, from an early age their life was as good as one would expect. Their parents raised them as well as they could as their father Dante was an at the time well-known musician and their mother Abigail was a simple waitress at one of the local bars. Their life and education was a good one, not the best, but it was what their parents could afford, and they were content with it. They got what they wanted, and that was all that mattered. And what they wanted were two parents that cared about them and gave them a good home and a place that they knew they could feel safe and secure in.

Everything seemed perfect from the time when they were babies, to when they were eight-years-old. Then that's when everything was turned on their heads. Both Erin and Kyle were at school when their principal received a call, and they were pulled out of school and immediately sent over to their aunt and uncle's home. They didn't know what was going on, and with not being told it caused them to form anxiety from an early age. It was three weeks later when they were told that their parents had been in a terrible accident, and that the "bad man" had taken them away. They didn't understand what they meant, especially Kyle as he wasn't exactly like all the other kids, even from an early age Erin and their aunt and uncle knew something was just different about him. He never showed signs in trying to make friends with the other kids, he didn't interact with anyone unless he was made to, and his only real friend that he had was his sister. It only took for them to know what was wrong with him when he was twelve, they finally took him to a doctor's office and had him tested where it was revealed that he was actually born with Asperger's Syndrome, or simply known as Autism. It was a mild case with him, in where he struggled with anxiety, and social interactions, but shone through with his intelligence and overall power for learning and reading.

Erin always knew that what others referred to as wrong or different, she always called it special or it simply just made Kyle himself. Having only ever been the one he had to turn to, they always had a close bond while growing up. And as Kyle was usually the target of bullying and harassment from fellow students and teenagers, she always felt overprotective of him. And that it was her job to watch over her younger brother. As time went on, Kyle had proven to be the academically skilled one, while Erin seemed more of the cliche troubled youth of the two. While he worked diligently in school, she'd go out with her friends and cause trouble, often leading Kyle to be the one to take care of her side of homework. Kyle never declined to have to do double the work, as he'd do anything for her, as well as he didn't want her to get in trouble with their aunt and uncle if they knew the truth. While their nephew was busy with work, their niece had been out with friends secretly at parties drinking and getting high.

Things only seemed to get worse when Erin and Kyle both turned sixteen years old. By that time it was common knowledge that Erin was really failing her grades and that Kyle was simply covering up for her. She was on the brink of being a high school drop out, as well as being kicked out of their aunt and uncle's home as they wouldn't enable her unruly behavior. It was then that things finally looked up for Erin, she had met a group of friends that were like her, wonder seekers, adventurers, dreamers, etc. People like her, they easily welcomed her into their group and the rest was history until things with Kyle took a toll. Erin had to look after Kyle more, and that meant having to get him involved with her friends. They were welcoming enough, and easily let him in, and tried to put up with his way of doing things. But just as all good things, it all came to an end. After constant partying, drugs, alcohol, hookups and one night stands, graduation came to a close. The group drifted apart after their final party, people hooked up and dated, while others left and got out of town the moment they could. And one of the first ones to go was Kyle himself, who left for Law School at an early age, and was soon followed by Soren after his involvement with Lauren had gone bad.

Erin and the others tried to make things work, but as time went on, they only fell apart, others left and stopped talking with each other. Erin tried to stay in contact with everyone, but after months went by, and then finally years, she gave up. Without her friends and even her brother, she gave up on most things, she became more distant from family, as she was finally kicked out of her aunt and uncle's home, she dropped out of school and even lived on the street for some time. Managing to make it by for a while by playing on the city's streets with her guitar and vocals. She found a group of people that were part of a small homeless community in the backside of New York, and lived there for some time as she raised some money from small giggs to doing favors. What really helped her, was when she got into some not so legal work with selling some "spices" as they called it. From selling to making sure it was delivered, to even the production of said supply. Sure, it was highly illegal and dangerous, but it was helped her get by and that was all she could ask for. The money was good, and it seemed like a stable job. That was until one of their deliveries went south and she was left for the cops to find. She was arrested and questioned, and after given the ultimatum of snitching out her friends for her freedom, versus time in jail, she decided on being the nark as her way of getting revenge on being left for dead and blame. Their next delivery was busted thanks to the news from Erin, and they were detained as well as that farm being taken over and inspected for illegal work. Erin had received multiple warnings to stay out of that line of work, and she'd be safe, or if she was caught again she was serving time in prison and be put on a list of known drug involvements.

Obviously she chose to plead the fith and took the offer from the police. She stuck to her roots of music, taking the money from the offer and was never contacted by her friends or even the police. To say that she was shocked when her friends were arrested and sent to jail was an understatement, and if anything she was relieved. For the next three years, she kept her record clean and kept away from any and all illegal jobs that were offered to her. She had saved the money up to start her own business with the help of her aunt and uncle. The bar that was originally the place her mother worked at all those years ago was being closed down as no one had wanted it as well as other businesses were opening up. Erin took the place over as her own and has since turned it into her own place, where anyone of any background could come for a good time. It's the one thing that in recent years that has helped her feel normal and in control for once, and she won't let anything get in the way of that. But in the past few days she's seen some familiar names pop up, and the news of a party had gotten her interest. She originally decided against going, but after hearing that Soren and his band would be going, she decided why not? What's the worst that could happen anyway, right?


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S E C R E T S
|| Has occasional blackouts if she doesn't take her medication, oftening not remembering certain things or if she did or didn't do anything. People often blame or accuse her of lying, even if she doesn't remember ever doing it, as she honestly doesn't remember or even know if she did or didn't do it. Something that often makes her feel slightly crazy and hates having to take something to seem sane or normal. Only very select few people know of her medical history and she'd prefer to keep it that way ||

|| She had a crush on someone in the group back in high school, but once everyone grew up and left she never said anything to them, and has had some regret as she never knew if she'd see them again or not. But now with the group being back together for one more party, she honestly doesn't know if she should say anything or not ||

|| Erin has a slight history with the cops as she had to do some illegal things in the past just to make it by, but has since cleaned her name and proven to be an upstanding citizen. It was nothing super illegal, just having dealt with some illegal trades and business dealings that went south and ended with her being in trouble with the law. Not even Kyle knows about it and she'd prefer to keep her history with the law hidden ||

|| Her last secret is one she is ashamed of and hopes no one ever discovers it. She had tried committing suicide years ago and had obviously failed and had been to rehab for three years, thankfully it was after the group dispersed, letting her keep the secret to herself, but something like that can only stay hidden for so long ||

R E L A T I O N S H I PXS T A T U S
Has hooked up with a few of the others in the past, but has since been single | Open to a relationship or such if given the opportunity.

T A L E N T S
| Guitar (both acoustic and electric), drums, and singing, back in high school all she ever did was play her guitar and sing, but as the years have gone on she's left it to being a hobby that she does in her off time | Multilingual, living in one of the biggest cities in America, she grew up meeting thousands of people from all over the world and it isn't a surprise that she has learned several languages over the years, English, Spanish, Dutch, German, Japanese (rather rusty), Danish, Russian, and Mandarin (Chinese) and a few others | ASL, or American Sign Language, this was something she picked up in the past few years and has proven to be rather skilled, it's helped her know how to communicate with those that are verbally or audibly impaired | Unsurprisingly, she knows how to make some of the most complicated drinks to the satisfaction of countless people per day that come to the bar that she works at, and as such, she knows what alcohol has what affects on people | Being able to smooth talk her way through anything, and get whatever information she needs from someone, alcohol is one powerful drug |

S T R E N G T H S
| Verbal and physical persuasion, whatever the means, Erin is usually able to pull it off, but sometimes things don't always go her way | Languages, from an early age she was able to speak different languages, and as such she is able to understand what others are saying without the other person being aware of that fact, allowing her to know more than she is leading on | The fact that she can put on a false sense of security and confidence, making her seem surer of herself than she may really be |

W E A K N E S S E S
| Her short temper with certain things, some things just make Erin tick and it's usually obvious when those buttons have been pressed || Her friends being messed with or brought harm, she hates seeing them in distress and would easily stand up for them if it meant her getting hurt instead || Prone to nightmares, night terrors, and sleep talking if she doesn't take her medication || Erin doesn't care much for her personal health, and as such she often looks like she hasn't slept properly in weeks or occasionally forgets to eat as much or as often as she should, which often leads to being light-headed and fainting || Erin's relationship with Kyle, they've been estranged for years, but it hasn't stopped her from caring about him, if anything were to happen to her baby brother she would lose her mind and herself ||


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So begins...

Erin Monahan's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kyle Monahan Character Portrait: Rebecca Cruze Character Portrait: Soren Bowers Character Portrait: Erin Monahan Character Portrait: Nathan Miller Character Portrait: Alexander Yang
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SOREN BOWERS
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outfit : herex|xhex: #575772
xxxsomewhere in between
xxxwho i used to be
xxxand who i'll be tomorrow
xxxwhen the champagne blows my mind

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Soren wanted to protest when Nate said they should sit down. He was fine. The drink that Becca had made for him was probably just a little stronger than he'd realised and it was hitting him hard, that was all. But before he could communicate any of this, a distraction came in the form of Rebecca shoving somebody and yelling at them. At first, Soren only recognised the man as the stranger that had captured his attention, and he thought his plan to use Nate as his wingman might still be an option. But then it clicked why he looked so familiar. The man had been in Lauren's apartment that night. Soren could have sworn that he'd seen him around the station one of the times he'd been brought in for interview. Soren's mood changed instantly. Why the fuck was there a cop in his apartment?

As if Nate had read his mind, or maybe just his facial expression, he warned Soren not to say or do anything he'd regret. That didn't change the fact that one of the freaking cops had showed up to his apartment, hours after they'd ruined his day and had more or less confirmed his innocence. Had they been lying? Had they just come around to interrogate his friends?

But before he could say anything, Erin stepped between Rebecca and the cop. Soren just stared at Erin in confusion as she said she'd brought him. Why would she have brought a cop to his dinner party?

And then Soren looked between them again, and the penny dropped. Kyle. Damn, he hadn't realised Kyle was still in New York. Erin hadn't mentioned him at any stage. Or even mentioned that she was bringing him.

And then something else hit him. If Kyle was investigating Lauren's case... he knew about the photos. He knew far too many of Soren's secrets. He knew far too many of their own secrets. He couldn't risk that getting out. He couldn't. Soren didn't care if he was Erin's brother. It was only the slap that brought him back to reality and he watched the aftermath of Nate grabbing Rebecca and practically lifting her from her feet.

"I don't give a damn what the explanation is. You've made our lives hell with investigating this case. I... Erin, I'm sorry. But I can't- he can't stay. He just- He knows-" Why weren't the words coming out right? Soren felt like his heart was pounding and yet was still too slow, his thoughts racing and yet too slow to form coherent sentences.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kyle Monahan Character Portrait: Rebecca Cruze Character Portrait: Soren Bowers Character Portrait: Erin Monahan Character Portrait: Nathan Miller Character Portrait: Alexander Yang
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the perfectionistx|xoutfitx|x#B76A81

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During it, the funeral, Khepri seemed weirdly okay. Having a wide pair of black sunglasses covering her eyes almost the entire time and flask slightly peeking out of the pocket of her black coat while keeping a stone face demeanor and wiping away the occasional tear. She had to keep it together in order to be there for everyone else; Lauren's parents, her friends, co-workers, anyone who felt like the only way to get over the fact that Lauren was murdered and her killer was still just walking around was by talking about their favorite moments with her, how she changed their lives, and how they could barely sleep because of it all. As if any of this would change anything. It was bullshit. It was all bullshit. One of her closest and oldest friends was gone and everything was worse now. Her killer was walking free, her friends were people of interest, and Lauren went to her grave without Khepri having the chance to even come clean, and now she felt like a bigger piece of shit than she usually did. But, despite what she thought. She couldn't bring herself to break the facade for anyone else. They needed this. So, she indulged them. She smiled and laughed, shared her own stories about her and Lauren, all to make those around her more comfortable with coming to terms with it all.

But, it wasn't until she finally went up the casket when she felt her body start to panic and everything began to really sink it. When she ran her hand against the hardwood surface, it felt like someone was sitting on her chest, the room began to spin, and she could feel herself getting nauseous. It felt like she hit by a bus. What was she supposed to do at this moment? What could she do? Run out of the room? Bust into tears and make a scene? Draw attention and make it about her? No, not a chance. She didn't even want anyone to see her like this. She tried to take deep breaths or get some air outside but, nothing helped and the feeling stayed until later that night when she was finally alone in her room. She let it out for bit before realizing that she had a show to put on and throwing herself a pity party and talking about her feelings wasn't going to get that done.

The days following the funeral were... chaotic and isolating for Khepri, to say the least. The day after the funeral, Khepri thought it was for the best to completely lock herself away, turn off her personal phone, and just basically vanish off the face of the Earth. Primarily because she had work to do with her list of theories and slight mental breakdown growing but also because when she wasn't glued to her computer or the notes all over her walls, she didn't even know what to say to the others. She wasn't good with grief and guilt or talking about it. And she really wasn't in the mood to try and process any of it with anyone. Not Nate, Not Chris, and definitely not Lex. She didn't need him, of all people, to think she was teetering off the deep end, again. Not that he'd notice with other things occupying his main attention, but that was fine. She wasn't angry or jealous. Why would she be? She was at her best alone. Right? At least that's what everyone else said so they could rationalize bettering their lives whether it be through throwing a tantrum towards her and just disappearing to go to LA with their band, or chasing after a girl they hadn't seen in years, or just willingly choosing to do whatever they want while throwing a certain someone to the wolves of her shitty life. All under the excuse; "Oh, she's Khepri. She can handle anything" or "She'll get over it, she's Pri."

Okay, maybe it was more than a small mental breakdown mounting but, she'd deal with that at a later time. When she wasn't supposed to be already left to go to some dinner party. But, that small fact didn't make her look away from her computer screen. She was less than 24 hours away from her report (that none of her friends still knew about but, they'd find out soon enough) and she was so close to finishing up her report to send to the teleprompters that she could taste it. She was in a rhythm about this story, something that hasn't happened in a really long time, and she wasn't going to break that for some stupid party with her high school friends who all probably secretly couldn't stand her; Lex and Becca excluded. She wouldn't even be going if it wasn't for the fact that Miss. 'Put Together' felt like she had had to in order to make everything look like she was perfectly fine. She didn't break routine, not once, no matter how much her body wanted to rest.

She went to the gym, researched, kept notes on the case, went to her therapist, kept up appearances, and acted as if nothing was wrong. And from the outside looking in, she seemed... oddly fine but, by those closest to her she knew they'd start seeing the cracks if she didn't get smarter about it. And going to this goddamn dinner, party, whatever you wanted to call it seemed like a good place to start. She'd show face, have a drink, have an actual conversation with Lex, and slip out. Easy. It was a chance to show them she was fine, no need to check-in, and another reason for them to leave her alone. Plus, who knows maybe someone would let something slip that she could use. And all she had to do to do that was get up! "You antisocial, workaholic, lazy piece of shit, get up! You have been in the room for days! You're dressed and look like a bad bitch. We have to go!" Even her nagging thought fell on deaf ears as she was finishing the last paragraph. Five minutes turned into half an hour before she finally read it over for what felt like the tenth time and finally smiled in triumph. It finally didn't sound like hot garbage. She could relax, for now. She hit send and took a deep breath. Finally getting up from her desk to slid on her knee-high black boots. She texted her driver that she was finally ready which gave her about ten minutes before he was at the front door waiting for her. And in that timespan, she caught her eyes darting back to her computer. [color#B76A81]"You know that draft was hot garbage, right? Somehow you found a way to fill twenty minutes of screentime while not saying anything of substance. Good job."[/color] No, no. It was fine. She was going to let that little voice in her head make her think otherwise. Even though fine wasn't going to get her out of this hellhole of a city...

She had ten minutes, she'd just fix a few things. What would that hurt? She'd tweak a little of the language, use a few more hard-hitting words, and then she'd be done. Then she'd go. Ten turned into thirty more minutes and now she was almost an hour later. Great. She was rereading, again and again, her acrylic fingernails tapping rapidly against the wood desk while her phone was vibrating next to her. She snapped out of it to realize the time. "Shit!" She saved the final, final draft and sent it to the editors to savage in any way they could before snatching her little baggie and tossing it in her purse and grabbing the bottle of aged bourbon she had gotten as a peace offering party gift for Soren. She hurried down to the main lobby and smiled as she silently huffed. She apologized to her driver and slid in the back before turning her attention to her phone sending out two texts to the two most important people in her life right now; Lex and her editor.

To: Lex
Sorry I've been MIA, busy w/ work. I'm on my way to Soren's now, save me a drink.

To: Rick
My notes are shit, I know. I'll fix them when I get home.

The rest of the ride was filled with wine and just trying to get herself to relax. The script would be okay, she'd stay up tonight and fix it. This was going to be a time to stop thinking about the report and Lauren and finally fucking relax. By the time, she made it to Soren's, she had some much to drink she was actually smiling. When the door opened, she grabbed her belongings and thanked her driver before walking up to the stairs. She was going to knock but, when twisting the knob she found that whoever came in last forgot to lock it. So, she just let herself in. She smiled towards Lex but was not in any way prepared for the sight that was unfolding in front of her: Nate holding onto Becca, Soren kicking the-- the detective (?!) out, Erin between everyone, and well, overall a pretty interestingly chaotic scene she had walked in on.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kyle Monahan Character Portrait: Rebecca Cruze Character Portrait: Soren Bowers Character Portrait: Erin Monahan Character Portrait: Nathan Miller Character Portrait: Alexander Yang
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0000Erin0Monahan 00000000000000000|00000000000000000000|Kyle0 Monahan

outfit : herex|xhex: #80000 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000outfit : herexxhex: #063A67

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Everything that could have gone bad, was going bad. From the mistake of bringing Kyle to the party, to the events that took place before and during the week that led up to this, and then the fact that Erin had never told them until now. She hadn't told anyone that she knew that Kyle was back. She had been so busy and by herself in the days that followed that she never once thought to tell them. Let them know what was going on and that Kyle was here, and that he was the agent that had to question a vast majority of them, or had some part in the entire investigation. One simple mistake. One simple, god damn mishap had ended in the result of this. Kyle being pushed back and harrassed by Rebecca, who was then taken to the side by Nate as he told her to calm down. She was now literally in the middle of this, and she had to play her cards right. She couldn't make any more mistakes, she had to make sure that nothing escalated further. Her eyes darted between them all, knowing full well what and how they'd react. They'd be angry, they'd have every right to be. But they had to listen, right? They'd understand, they'd have to. It was Kyle. Not only a childhood friend, but her brother. They knew him well and knew how he was, they'd have to know he wouldn't be any trouble. That they could simply listen and just let him stay. Erin cleared her throat and began to speak with as calm of a voice as she could, "It'll all make sense, but Rebecca. You have no right to just fucking push someone around like that, alright? You don't need to be such a fucking bit-" she started to speak, somewhat loudly and oddly defensively. But she wasn't expecting what came next. Whether it was Rebecca wriggling out of Nate's grasp, or the slap that came next. She almost didn't even realize what happened initially as her face paled, eyes growing wide at the initial impact of the slap. She simply stood there, mouth slightly agape as she finally recollected her thoughts. The words that had come out of her mouth before Rebecca had lashed out, came out faster than she could process them. She was just surprised about what she said as the others were. She knew full well that when she gets even the slightest bit heated, she has a tendency to say things she shouldn't, but having called Rebecca a bitch over this whole mess was one huge mistake. All of this was.

Erin rubbed her cheek silently as Nate quickly grabbed Rebecca from behind and pulled her backward. All while yelling at Erin that she better have one hell of an explanation for all of this. Her eyes darted around the room as she tried to think. Her eyes darted from Rebecca, to Nate, and then the others. Sighing for a moment as she took another moment to recollect herself, as everything that transpired happened in just a few short seconds. "First, you hit like a very small child." she rattled off, which was more or less under her breath, but loud enough for Rebecca to hear at the small distance between them. Erin took a short pause to compose herself, looking at Nate as she spoke next, "I do, if you just let me speak-" she was cut off yet again, but this time it was Soren. She quickly turned her head to look at him as he spoke. Her eyes narrowed as he said he didn't care what the explanation was, and that he had to leave. That it wasn't okay for him to stay there and that he needed to leave. He knew too much and he made their lives hell.

Her mind was a whirlwind of things as she was processing everything that happened. She took a short moment to look at Kyle, seeing how he was just blankly staring at the flood gave her enough of a notion to know what kind of mindset he was in. "Are you okay, Kyle?" she asked softly, he simply nodded his head, his voice coming out in a soft whisper, "I-I'm fine..." Kyle said, his eyes never leaving the floor as he was stuck in one of his episodes. Erin turned her head to look back at Soren. Her jaw was locked in place for a moment as her eyes closed, trying to remain calm and collected. But she had been calm for far too long, and she could feel the anger slowly rising and it was only a matter of time until it all bubbled over, and now it was just starting to show. "You know what, Soren? Fuck you." she said suddenly and coldly. The words dripping out of her mouth like poison as she approached him, keeping a small distance from them as she continued to speak, "I have been so calm and easy-going through everything. Everything." she put an emphasis on the second part, making sure Soren knew exactly what she was hinting at. "From the bullshit and break up with Lauren, to the thing with Pri and Lex, and especially when you fucking left without a word. I was there, through it all. I listened. I never once questioned anything. I was there through it all for you, and I never once left you. I never once left anyone to question what they did to deserve being walked out on." her voice and presence was growing colder and colder the longer she spoke, every word sounding more pained than the last. She could feel the all too familiar burn start behind her eyes as tears slowly trickled down her cheek, wiping them off with her sleeve. Her eyes focused on Soren for a moment before she pushed him back slightly, "I never once asked for anything in return, ever. And what did I get? You leaving without a god damn word. Just like everyone else. I never once left you or anyone else alone and I am not going to do the same to him." Erin said with an ice-cold tone, her eyes never once leaving Soren's. "So go fuck yourself, Soren."







Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kyle Monahan Character Portrait: Rebecca Cruze Character Portrait: Soren Bowers Character Portrait: Erin Monahan Character Portrait: Nathan Miller Character Portrait: Alexander Yang
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SOREN BOWERS
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outfit : herex|xhex: #575772
xxxsomewhere in between
xxxwho i used to be
xxxand who i'll be tomorrow
xxxwhen the champagne blows my mind

xxx
Something was wrong. This wasn’t just his meds and the alcohol messing him up, something was really, really wrong. It felt like he was suddenly under water. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. Everything around him felt false, surreal, like a dream.

Erin’s words made it feel more like a nightmare. In all the years they’d known each other, they’d never fought. Sure, she’d yelled at him for being dumb or for doing something dumb. But it had never been like this. Before, it had always been out of love, out of concern. This wasn’t. This was anger, anger that had been brewing for too long. And the worst part was?

She was right. It would have been easier if she was yelling at him about something he couldn’t control, about something that he’d been right about. But he’d just left her. He’d regretted it ever since. But he’d never actually apologized. He had just been so… angry, so hurt. He’d been willing to leave her behind with all the rest of the shit he’d been through, despite the fact that she’d been right there with him.

And he couldn’t get a fucking word out to explain himself. He was trying, trying to push through the fog, wanting to grab her and hug her and say sorry and try to make everything better. But instead, she just shoved him and he stumbled over his own feet, having to clutch on to a chair to hold himself up. He couldn’t look her in the face. He’d ruined everything. He’d destroyed it.

“Erin, I-” he managed to force out, determined to say something at least. “I’m sorry,” he slurred. He’d only just gotten the words out and the world seemed to tilt violently, before he hit the floor and everything went black.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kyle Monahan Character Portrait: Rebecca Cruze Character Portrait: Soren Bowers Character Portrait: Erin Monahan Character Portrait: Nathan Miller Character Portrait: Alexander Yang
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ALEXANDER YANG
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Ethical Hacker | Outfit | Hex: #4E3475
There is only one way to avoid criticism:
do nothing, say nothing, be nothing...

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With his cigarette still in his mouth Lex saw the door to Sorin's apartment open, seeing one of the people he was concerned about, Becca. Since the time they last saw each other she had changed her appearance, this made Lex even more frustrated with the events that happened on Lauren's memorial, believing that this sudden change was because of the emotional state she was in after everything that has happened to her. Several thoughts began to occupy his mind, including: if only he was there with her when she was attacked, if only he could've convinced her to stay with him to protect her, and if only those men would've followed his orders and no one else.

Lex shook those thoughts out of his mind, stubbing out his cigarette on his watch face and flicking it into a nearby trashcan, walking towards Becca and taking her hand as she invited him in. While she was guiding Lex around the apartment, noting everything of importance, he remained quiet as he tried to find anything or anyone that may be suspicious. With Becca being recently attacked he couldn't take any more chances, his hands lingering near his concealed weapon as he looked around, they all had targets on their back and he would target whoever was behind this.

When Becca spotted Sorin she made a remark on how drunk he was, something which didn't surprise Lex. "I mean... This is Sorin we're talking about. Nothing new about him drinking in excess." He chuckled lightly after saying that before noticing that Becca didn't seem to hear him as she was staring in Sorin's direction. Wanting to understand what was bothering her Lex looked in the direction she was and saw the officer who had questioned him.

Becca began to walk towards that officer and concerned for her and what she may do Lex followed after her, grabbing a drink as he did. When Becca began to question the officer, who was dressed in civilian attire which made Lex question whether or not he was here undercover or for another reason, Lex's phone alerted him of an incoming message. Looking down at his phone he saw that the message was from Pri, curious as to what she had messaged him, he opened the message and read it. When he had finished reading the message, Lex looked up to see Becca push the officer. As Becca looked towards Lex he felt her need for help, sighing and walking closer to the two. He began to talk to the officer, saying "Look, I don't know why you're here and I really do not care. I believe for everyone here we should just forget about everything that just took place..."

Before he could continue Lex was interrupted by Erin, who had just walked up to us, stating that she had invited the officer and that she could explain why. Considering how close the once were and that Erin could probably smooth the situation better than him, since she seemed to personally know the officer, Lex was willing to give her the chance she needed to explain everything to everyone. While rubbing his temple with his eyes closed, Lex said to Erin, "Alright... you should probably start talking before anything else..."

Before he could finish talking Lex was interrupted by Erin. Just before Erin could call Becca a bitch the sound of someone being slapped could be heard all over the apartment. Alarmed Lex opened his eyes to see that Becca had just slapped Erin before being held back from doing anything further by Nate, who exclaimed how Erin better have 'a hell of' an explanation. Sorin, in his drunken stupor, began to say his piece before he began to hesitate between statements. Apparently whatever he was trying to say was hard for him to reveal to everyone here but Erin seemed to know what he was getting at, how close the two have been this wasn't a surprise.

After all of this had gone down Pri must've arrived as Lex saw her smiling at him. Seeing her arrive made the accumulating tension in Lex's mind slightly release, if anyone could help him better control this situation it would be her. Lex walked towards her, giving the drink he had grabbed earlier to Pri, before he whispered to her, "Here's that drink you wanted... You sure picked one hell of a time to arrive." Lex laughed a little, putting an arm around her shoulder and walking towards the main group before continuing. "Hopefully things will calm down now that we're here together... but I'm guessing that's unlikely."

By the time Lex and Pri had walked back towards the group they could hear Erin talking to the officer, calling him Kyle. It was at this moment that everything Erin was talking about began to click in Lex's mind. The officer who was investigating the group had been Erin's brother Kyle and he was here at the party for personal reasons, most likely because he was invited by Erin. Lex began to sigh as he thought that this misunderstanding could've all been avoided if Erin had just messaged everyone beforehand but he couldn't really be upset with her because she didn't have to. She didn't have any obligations towards any of them to reveal anything.

Erin, now frustrated and no longer capable of restraining herself, started to cuss out Sorin and began to express, in part, things that were bothering her. Lex could feel her pain as she expressed herself and everything she went through. When she mentioned about the situation with him and Pri, Lex couldn't help but feel the emotions he felt during that time. As Erin continued to vent Lex saw the tears begin to form in her eyes before they began to fall.

When she had finished and had told Sorin 'to go fuck' himself, Lex looked towards Sor who had approached Erin before being pushed back by her. Lex noticed there was something a little strange as Sor began to stumble back and clutch to a chair. Concerned for Sor, despite everything they went through, Lex let go of Pri and began to walk towards Sor. As soon as Sor's apology to Erin came out of his mouth he collapsed, hitting the floor with a loud thud.

Lex rushed towards Sor but was unable to grab him before he hit the floor. Kneeling down next to the unconscious Sor, Lex laid the back of his hand across Sor's head checking his temperature and was confused when Sor's skin was cold and clammy. Not wanting to panic right away Lex placed his index and middle finger next to Sor's windpipe, where the carotid artery should be located, while watching his watch as Lex attempted to take note of Sor's pulse. Lex had a hard time doing this as Sor's pulse was very weak but when he finally got a grasp of it he noticed how fast it was. It was also at this moment that he noticed Sor's lips turn blue.

"Fuck..." Lex exclaimed as he looked down at his phone, thinking about what he should do. Something was wrong with Sor and if Lex's fears were right it was most likely what had happened to Lauren. Of course this could be an overreaction on Lex's part but with Sor unconscious he didn't feel like he could take any chances. He thought about how fast an ambulance could get here and back and decided that it would be too slow. Lex decided that he would call his men up to help, messaging the two patrolling the building to come up, while trying to formulate a plan with those here with him.

"Look... everyone shut the fuck up and listen to me!" Lex shouted, loud enough for everyone in the apartment to hear him, while standing up. "Something is wrong with Sor, most likely a heart problem from what I've checked but I'm not a medical professional. If anyone here is can you please take a look at him... I would rather not act before knowing what's wrong but if no one can help in this aspect I plan on taking him to the nearest hospital as soon as possible." While looking over the crowd he started to think about what else he could do to make sure that he was as prepared to address this issue as possible, not noticing if anyone did check Sor.

Lex looked over towards Erin and Kyle, saying"I know you've gone through a lot, we all have, and we all have a lot of things that is bothering us and tearing us down. We all lost someone who was once close to us and I doubt that any of us wants to lose someone else... Say I'm overreacting or whatever the hell else you want but if I'm the one concerned for this fucking asshole then there probably is something fucking wrong... We can all continue talking out our shit later but what matters right now, this very fucking moment, is Sor."

After saying that Lex looked directly at Kyle, saying, "If no one here is capable of reversing whatever is happening to Sor, I need to know if you have a police cruiser, or sirens, anything we can use so we can transport Sor to the hospital as quickly as possible. I've got my ride downstairs in that instance we don't and can take Sor as well as our group there... and I have some men coming upstairs to help us, if needed." Lex's mind was running at a thousand miles and hour trying to think of anything else he could personally do to help but the stress was starting to get to him, he began to feel lightheaded.

Lex stumbled a bit before regaining his composure, grabbing a glass of alcohol nearby and chugging it, trying to calm himself. Now looking at Nate, who was still holding Becca, he said, "You can probably let go of her now..." With his mind still racing Lex looked towards Pri with a look that tried to convey what he was thinking. He was thinking if there was anything else that they could do and if there was anyone who could answer Lex it would be Pri. Pri was his closest friend and with everything going on he knew that he hadn't been as supportive to her as he could be. After this he knew that he needed to be there for her, and he needed to be there more for everyone, despite what they've all gone through, as well as Becca.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kyle Monahan Character Portrait: Rebecca Cruze Character Portrait: Soren Bowers Character Portrait: Erin Monahan Character Portrait: Nathan Miller Character Portrait: Alexander Yang
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N a t h a n Miller
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outfit - #D6CF13
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Nate couldn’t help but roll his eyes when Erin went off on Soren. This was hardly the time or place to air past grievances, but Erin was still taking the opportunity. A lot had gone on between them, between all of them, but right now they probably all needed to just calm down and talk like adults. The whole dynamic of the group had changed since everything went on between Lauren and Soren, and it seemed that some of the emotions were finally rearing an ugly head.

He hardly even noticed Khepri arrive, but by now he was starting to consider that maybe moving with her hadn’t been such a bad idea, after all. All of this drama was exhausting, and he while he felt it was easily avoidable, he also knew that, for the most place, it wasn’t his place to butt in with his own opinions, beyond that a physical fight was a very bad idea.

When Soren hit the floor, he froze, still holding on to Becca as if to hold her back, but his grip was loose, and really he felt more like she was anchoring him than he was holding her back. He knew something was wrong, and he’d known it the moment Soren had greeted him. And now this happened. Nate felt, in his gut, that he’d only managed to make things worse. They should have sat down, or Nate should have paid closer attention. As Lex spoke, Nate shook his head. He was right. Of course he was.

Nate started racking his brain for everything that had happened since he’d arrived. He’d been with Soren, and he felt guilty for not being more attentive. He started thinking off all Soren’s behavior, everything he knew about the man. He knew what this looked like, he’d seen it plenty of times before. But he didn’t think Soren would be taking anything at a dinner party, he didn’t seem like the type. Then again, Nate was quickly coming to the conclusion that he’d never really known any of his friends very well in the first place.. Nate finally let go of Rebecca’s arms when Lex spoke to him. He’d honestly forgotten he was still holding on to her. His heart was pounding in his chest, accompanied by a terrifyingly familiar ache. He didn’t want to lose someone else, not now. Not so soon. Not like this.

“How much has he had to drink?” He mused, thinking out loud. Something wasn’t adding up, then he thought he remembered something from when he’d first arrived. He looked towards the kitchen and spotted the familiar bright orange plastic of a prescription bottle, then looked at Becca, “Soren’s on medication?” He asked her because she was right there, and because she’d already been there when he arrived. He didn’t really need an answer, though, or specifics.

Shit. He hadn’t wanted to be right, but now he thought he was. “He’s overdosing.” He said it aloud, loud enough for everyone to hear. He’d sounded so sure of himself, but then he shook his head, confidence seeming to leave his eyes, “I mean, I’m no expert, but… But this is…” He looked to Erin, as if asking her for help, or to back him up. He didn't know what to do next, but he knew that this could go from bad to worse very quickly. He and Soren had never been particularly close, but Nate still thought of him as a friend, and he didn't want to see anything happen to any of his friends.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kyle Monahan Character Portrait: Rebecca Cruze Character Portrait: Soren Bowers Character Portrait: Erin Monahan Character Portrait: Nathan Miller Character Portrait: Alexander Yang
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Rebecca Cruze
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outfit : herex|xhex: #696969
xxxI act like I don’t fuckin care,
xxxLike they ain’t even there,
xxxI act like I don’t fuckin care,
xxxCuz I’m so fuckin scared,

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Rebecca was getting a little annoyed waiting for this cop to respond or react to her, sort of expecting something more out of the cop. When someone put her hand on her shoulder Becca quickly shrugged it off and turned to see who it was, still a bit of fire in her eyes. She was surprised it was Erin trying to calm down Becca, and she was even more surprised when she was taking the cops side, even saying she brought him here. She was shocked, this cop and his buddies were saying any of Lauren’s close friends murdered her, interrogating Soren and making him feel terrible and throwing the possible blackmail in his face. “What the fuck do you mean ‘you brought him here?’” Becca asked, not moving. She felt another presence next to her and heard Nate’s voice saying he had her back, but right now she just had her eyes on Erin.

At first Becca was listening to Erin when she said it would make sense, but then she started lecturing her about what she should and shouldn’t do. This just added fuel to Rebecca’s fire and before Erin could get the next word out Becca slapped her across the face, and then lightly pulled back from Nate. “How dare you! Look at Soren! He’s distraught, because this guy and his cop buddies interrogated him.” She shouted over Nate. Then Erin insulted her slap which set Becca off more, luckily Nate lifted up and by her waist and carried her a few more feet away from Erin before it could get ugly, entire time she was struggling and telling him to let her go.

Nate finally set her down but was still holding her in place, still a tight enough grip so she wouldn’t be able to charge Erin. “Fine. And I don’t want to go outside. I’m fine being inside. Just… me a bitch? She brought this asshole here.” Becca pleaded with Nate, a little bit of a frown but could still be seen as angry. When Soren and Erin started to argue she wanted to go back over there but Nate just whispered to her no and held her in place. As She listened she was surprised by one of the first thing’s that came out of Erin’s mouth. Kyle. This cop was Kyle. And it slowly started to make sense, that's why Erin had invited him here. Not as a cop, but as their friend.

But then Erin started going off on Soren. Erin shouldn’t be saying those things to Soren, even with all the drama, he didn’t deserve it. But Becca started to feel a little bad when she was yelling about how everyone left her and Becca just stopped struggling. It was true. Rebecca left town as soon as she could, even if everyone else stuck around while she did her senior year. She didn’t just leave town, she left the country and didn’t really stay in contact with anyone, including her.

When Soren fell Rebecca was shocked and scared, and quickly broke off Nate’s now loose grip and went to his side. “Soren? Soren talk to me, wake up.” She quickly said, choking up a little bit between her words. Then Lex and Nate started talking, explaining what was going on. “No… not you too…” Becca mumbled out. First she lost Lauren, she couldn’t lose Soren as well. She was brought out of her trance when Nate asked her about the medication. “I… Uh… He mentioned it earlier, but I think he said something about forgetting to take them or something.” Rebecca said looking sorrowful into Nate’s eyes and looking around the room, her eyes stopping on Kyle. “Wait, you’re a cop. Call this in, or something!” She shouted before turning back to Soren and tightening her grip on his hand. “Please…”





Agent Cassandra Heiks
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outfit : herex|xhex: #085721
xxxGot a jail on my heart from the pessimists
xxxGot those nails in my mouth for impressionists
xxxSpent too much money on a therapist
xxxCouldn't fix me, I accepted it

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Cassandra sat in the car with low music and taking notes on what she was seeing going on. Typical party things, people being drunk, making out on the porch swing, drunks yelling. Nothing illegal yet exactly, but even if they did start being a ruckus and disturbing the peace she would have to stay quiet as to let these people mourn and not cause any more drama for Kyle. Cass specifically took note on Khepri Mahajan arrive later than everyone else. “Looks like the whole gang showed up tonight…” She said as she took down the time of her arriving and underling some other key points for her to focus on.

Then there was a scream that made Cass sit up, as if something happened. But Cassandra didn’t want to rush in since people screaming was typical at parties so it could have just been that, but then some of the guys that showed up with Alexander Yang quickly rushed inside. Something didn’t feel right with what was going on and she was about to run inside as well when her phone went off. Not an email notification, or someone checking in on her, but a phone call from her partner Kyle. Cass quickly answered the phone and listened to Kyle, barely able to make out what was going on. “What? God damnit. Bring him outside.” She said before hanging up and quickly starting the car.

After pulling up onto the curb and honking for people to get out of the way Agent Cassandra hopped out and opened the back door for Soren, who Kyle had told him was overdosing. She dug through the trunk and quickly found the attachable police siren and attached it to the roof and hooked it up while the others put Soren in the back seat. “Whoa. I can’t fit everyone inside this dinky piece of shit. Two more people tops. I’m your best chance of getting him somewhere to live so no arguing.” Cass said as she climbed into the driver seat and waited for the others to get in. “Kyle, get a handle on this party.” She revved the engine and turned on the siren. “And be safe.” Cassandra finished flashing a smile before pulling off and speeding down the road.

Driving to the nearest hospital wouldn’t take too long, but Cassandra knew they didn’t have much more time and sped through traffic, calling in situation as well. “This is Agent Cassandra Heiks, I have a possible overdose of a suspect. Soren Bowers. 10-45C. On route to NYC Metropolitan Hospital.” At the moment traffic laws didn’t matter as she sped through lights and stop signs with her siren on and honking for people to get out of her way. “How is he doing back there?” Cass asked she rounded a corner.

When the car finally arrived at the hospital Cassandra skidded to a stop at the ER entrance where a stretcher was already waiting for them. She put the car in parked and quickly got out giving the small information she was given. “Possible overdose, also a mixture of alcohol. Was given this bottle saying this is what he was taking by some witnesses at the scene. Name Soren Bowers.” Cass quickly told them as they took Soren into the back and then turning her attention back to the two that came with her. Two suspects in Lauren’s murder, and now two witness to another suspect overdosing. “Now… what happened.”

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kyle Monahan Character Portrait: Rebecca Cruze Character Portrait: Soren Bowers Character Portrait: Erin Monahan Character Portrait: Nathan Miller Character Portrait: Alexander Yang
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Erin Monahan
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outfit : herex|xhex: #80000
xxxIf I could stop the sun
xxxAnd undo all I've done
xxxI'd be that same some one knocking at your door
xxxLike The Way We Were before
Everything that had come out of her mouth after the initial push of Soren, had come out without her thinking. She just had so much pain, anger, regret, and it had all been festering. Festering for years without any outlet to expose of it. She kept how she felt to herself for years, everything that she had been put through, she had been silent. She kept how she felt about everything to herself, and never let it out. She simply kept it building, and building. It was only a certain amount of time until everything came unraveled, and it only snowballed from there. She wasn't angry at Soren, or anyone else. She was angry at herself. She let herself be pushed around and walked over by everyone for years, and never said a thing. Sure, she called people out on their bullshit after doing something stupid, like the night Soren told her about him and Pri having slept together. Sure, it was stupid and irresponsible. But she had no room to judge, and the judgment she gave was minor at best. Erin simply called him an idiot and that he should have known better, and Khepri should have known better, especially with her fiance. Erin hadn't really cared much after calling Soren out on his bullshit, and she, sure enough, called out Khepri for it as well. She told them both that it was incredibly stupid, and that if they wanted to keep things up, it was best to keep her out of it. Then when things with Lauren happened, both the cheating of both Lauren and Soren, she, sure enough, had called them out as well on that. She called them out on everything, even after the break up when Soren kept going back to Lauren, but she kept how she felt about the situation to herself and only let small amounts of frustration out whenever Soren went back to her. It was a deadly mix of alcohol, mistakes, lust, and sex and everyone knew it. But they had no right to judge as they were all guilty of something stupid, therefore they kept silent for the most part.

But even after all of that, even when Lauren and Soren finally broke up for the last time which resulted in everyone separating in their senior year, Erin was there. She was there for Soren, Lauren, Nate, Rebecca, all of them. Even Alexander and Khepri, she listened to them and heard them out, being the mediator half the time for their petty squabbles and bullshit. But just as always, she kept how she felt about everything to herself. Burying it deep and hidden away where no one could see. Everyone else had their own bullshit to deal with, and she knew it. They didn't need to hear her out, or her own issues and troubles. She was the one they came to when someone needed to vent, and she listened. Only giving her peace when it was all said and done. And now, now she had enough. After years of listening to everyone and their issues, their bullshit and problems. Their drama and so-called bad times. She was there, and she had enough. After the group split, with Soren and Khepri and Rebecca leaving without a word, with only a few of the others staying in New York, Erin had no one. She tried putting the pieces back together. Tried reaching out to them. She tried everything, but they all simply didn't want anything to do with her. Even after all that she had done for them. After every little thing, they tossed her out and left her to the curb. While everyone else was traveling the world and making a life for themselves, she groveled and made her way to where she somehow managed to end up now.

Looking where it got her, she couldn't help but scoff. Losing her friends, the ones she gave everything up for, and the one she only ever truly cared for, walked out on her. Hanging her high and dry. She expected it from some, but some hurt more than others. Such as Soren. They had been the best and closest of friends. No matter what, they had been there for each other. Through the good, bad, and the ugly, they were there for each other. Through their first heartbreak, to their stupid decisions. To being each other's first person to come out to, and know that no matter what anyone else said, they'd have each other's backs. From the petty fights they had, they always came back and apologized, to the nights where they'd travel to upper state New York and just star gaze in the middle of the woods while getting overly drunk and sharing each other's secrets and troubles. Get away from the city and others, and just talk. The two of them. So when Soren just upped and left with his band, leaving the East coast and going to the other side of the country, without a word. She had experienced pain and depression, but that was what did her in. Leaving her without a word, no explanation. Nothing. Not even a simple, I'm sorry, which would have sufficed. Hell, even a simple postcard to know he even thought about her would have been enough. But she got radio silence for years. And not just from Soren, but everyone else. Even Nate. She felt like she had been taken advantage of, and as such she began to become more closed off and reserved as the years went on. Seeing how everyone seemed to forget about her, she simply tried to not care. But she couldn't. It hurt because she cared too much, and tried to act like it didn't affect her. Act like nothing ever got to her, and pretended everything was okay. Even if she did spend years wondering what she did wrong. What had she done to make everyone leave? Was she not worth keeping around? Was she simply being used for her kindness and being there to lean on by others? Probably, but she did whatever she had to, to keep her friends together, even if it was just to keep them in her life and to know she was actually cared for by them still.

It was only when the others reached out over time, first it was Nate. He needed a place to go and a roof over his head, and seeing how after the years went on she had her own place, she let him sleep on her couch for the first few weeks. She promised him no matter what she wouldn't kick him out on the street as she knew how that was, and how bad a life like that was. They lived together for about six months when Erin had finally asked if he wanted a job. After more or less demanding he took the spot she was offering, they lived together for a few more months before he moved out and moved in with a group of friends. Having him work for her was one of the ways she could guarantee he'd stay around, and he proved to be a good worker, even if he needed a little motivation sometimes. All that mattered was that she had one semblance of normalcy again. One person, she knew she could trust to have her back, everything was gonna be okay. Eventually, Soren reached out again. At first she was hesitant due to not knowing the real reason for him reaching out to her. But after a small exchange of words, they promised to just move on and forget about it. That it wasn't that big of a deal. Even if it wasn't entirely true. His leaving hurt her more than anyone else, even Rebecca. But she refused to dwell on that.

But now, now she stood in a room with everyone back again. In one room, excluding one individual. She pushed her thoughts out of her mind as reality set in. With the mix of people yelling at Kyle, and telling him to leave, to everyone yelling at her, it was all a blur. One moment she was telling Soren to fuck off, telling her how she felt about everything. That everything that happened had hurt her, far too much. She could have said it any other time, and maybe she should have. But a match was lit, the gas have been poured, and it was only a matter of time until everything was set alight. And before she could catch a single ember, everything was set on fire as Soren stumbled backward from her shove, mumbling under his breath as he struggled to say sorry, and fell. Collapsing onto the floor. Erin watched in silence for a few seconds for any movement. After nothing happened, she rolled her eyes. He was always one for pulling things and over exaggerating. She looked around as the others quickly jumped into action, kneeling by his side. Erin nudged him with her foot, speaking up after a moment as her voice cleared and her tears were dry. "Wake the fuck up, you over dramatic bitch ass. It's not funny, Soren." she said rather harshly. But after a few minutes, she knew something wasn't right. From the way he had been acting a few moments prior, or more so the whole time. Something was off, so very off and not right. Erin quickly moved past the others, kneeling down next to him as genuine fear and worry overcame him. "Soren, c'mon." she said as she nudged him by the shoulder. Everything went silent as she only heard two words come from Lex. Everything else fell silent as the reality of the situation hit her.

"Overdose."

Just that one word, and everything came crashing down on her at once. It wasn't right, right? Soren wouldn't have done this...right? Besides, he only had a few drinks, or at least that's what she was aware of. She didn't think that a few drinks that she made would have been that much to knock him on his ass, not this hard anyway. It was when a few other ramblings came by and registered. A mixture of words went in and came out without a thought, but the ones that hit her were, overdose and medication. Everything froze in that moment. It wasn't possible, Soren wasn't on any medication, at least she wasn't aware until she looked up, seeing those all too familiar bottles on the counter. Fuck..., she thought to herself. She rifled through her jacket's pockets, trying to find them. If they were even there. Horror struck when her hands grazed through the interior of her pockets, nothing feeling anything that even resembled her own medication bottles. Only a lighter, a pack of gum and her phone. She froze in place, she knew she came with her medication in her pockets. She knew full well, she didn't go anywhere without them. So, where did they go? She wanted to move, to just get up and look for them. She had to find them. No one could know. Not now. Not in a time like this. Not after...Not this. She wasn't able to move how hard she tried. Her body just wouldn't move. Everything was frozen in place and anchored to the ground, her hand gripping Soren's arm. That all too familiar burning began forming behind her eyes as everything finally hit her like a brick wall. Why? Why would he...Why would he do this? He promised, no matter what, that he wouldn't. He wouldn't take the easy way out, not after everything that they'd bee through. And not after the time she told him that she had made a mistake...So, why now? She didn't know what came first, the waterfall of tears as she begged and pleaded with Soren to wake up, to be fine and not let this be the reality.

Her voice cracked and shattered, barely above a whisper as she yelled, pleaded, begged for him to just wake up. Wake up and call her an asshole. Let her know that she went too far, that she was wrong. Hell, blame everything on her, tell her everything was her fault. Anything at all. Just don't let this be the reality for them. Not like this. She didn't know what happened next, or hear anything as that soft, dull and numbing ring echoed throughout her head. All she knew was that she was pulled away from Soren as other came into the apartment, taking him away as she was sat down somewhere else. Everything was just a blank slate, as she sat there in silence. Not moving, not saying a thing. Her eyes were anchored down where Soren had been, and just stared. Her knuckles turned white as her face went from red and tear-stained, to pale as a ghost. Erin sat there, in an unmoving anchored state. She had done this. She did this to Soren. She yelled at him, told him to fuck off, and only pushed him away. She was responsible for this, for everything. And now, now she was responsible for everything that had happened. Everything was her fault, and she couldn't explain why. She couldn't tell them the truth about what happened at Lauren's party, and what happened there, and she couldn't tell anyone of what she did here. Everything was just one big, fucked up mistake. And it was her fault. She'd have to live with the fact that she had hurt two people she once called friends. No matter how hard she tried, no matter what she did, it was all her fault and she'd have to accept it. Erin sat there in complete silence, unmoving as she wasn't able to regain her composure, nothing would take her out of her current state. Not that she wanted to, she was responsible for the possible murder of her friend, and she didn't know how she was supposed to live with herself...








Agent Kyle Monahan
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outfit : herex|xhex: #063A67
xxxBut I know some day I'll make it out of here
xxxEven if it takes all night or a hundred years
xxxNeed a place to hide, but I can't find one near
xxxWanna feel alive, outside I can fight my fear
Everything had happened so fast, and everything was an ultimate nightmare. He shouldn't have been there. He should have stayed at the station and continued on with his report with the investigation. They had no major leads or any proper concrete evidence to point themselves in the right direction. Everything they had was simply circumstantial and speculation for what happened that night at Lauren Clark's party. All they had known for certain, was that Lauren Clark was murdered sometime before midnight, her cause of death was known, and who the suspects were was everyone at the party. That was unless the killer had escaped and left the apartment before getting caught. Their only reasoning for ruling that out, was the all the tension and bad blood in the group. Their history, which Kyle knew far too much came into the investigation. And it just felt wrong. Knowing what he had to do, and what he wanted to do were two entirely different things. But now, now he was in the middle of an all out argument, which he half blocked out as his brain went into lockdown mode. A self-preservation mode he created for himself as a way of dealing with trauma and anything of that nature. It was one of the few things that him and Erin both shared, mainly from their past experiences with their own parents and upbringing, to his own disorder, as well as Erin's. He was only brought back down to earth when suddenly, a loud and demanding voice broke the silence.

Alexander had yelled for everyone to shut up and listen up. Blinking back into reality, Kyle looked over to see what the commotion was. His eyes widened with horror. Soren had fallen and was lying on the ground with a slowly overgrowing group of people crowding around him. At first he wasn't certain about what happened, not until Lex and Nate began searching Soren over and came to a conclusion. Overdose. That was all it took. Kyle immediately went into action, pushing his way through the crowd, kneeling next to Lex and Nate as they told him to do something. He was a cop, right? So he must have a way of helping, even getting to a hospital faster if he could. He silently looked at Lex for a moment, trying to compose himself as he tried to formulate his words properly. His eyes never meeting Lex's as he spoke, only to be looking just past him. "Yeah...yeah...I....I have someone outside who...who can get him there...there...there faster." he stuttered, fumbling over his words. One of the few things he never overcame was his stutter, especially under overtly stressful situations. Kyle immediately got to his feet, taking out his phone and speed dialing Cass. His call with her was brief as he tried explaining the situation to her, only saying that they'd need a ride to the hospital and that they'd need to lights and siren to get there.

Kyle immediately looked around, trying to figure out what to do. He knew full well they'd be able to get him there, but he'd have to stay back here and look into things. Gather clues on what happened and ask people what they saw, if anything. All over again. He knew this group was trouble, but god damn he never thought they'd possibly be involved in two potential homicides. He watched as people helped lift Soren and carry him out, a few of the others leaving as they'd be going to the hospital with him. Kyle looked around and his eyes landed back on Lex, "The car with the sirens is where my partner is waiting. Just help Soren inside and she'll take them there." he said quickly, his eyes glancing about the room. Now was his time to act, and do what he did best. But first, his eyes landed on one more person, and he felt his heart leap into his throat. Erin had been moved to a corner of the room, where she sat in silence. He knew simply by the look on her face that she was disassociating, and by what had happened and had been said, he knew it would be hard to get her to saw anything of importance. He walked over to her and knelt in front of her, gently cupping her hands in his. "Erin, I know you can hear me, so I don't expect you to say anything. But just listen, and do your best to tell me." he said softly, feeling his eyes begin to burn. She was always there for him in his episodes, rarely ever having to be there for her. But now, now he had to do something. And as much as he hated this, he knew he had to. "When..When was the last time you took your meds? And I don't mean whenever this happens, I mean actually took them when you were supposed to?" he questioned, his voice was sturdy and sure, but held some sense of sadness and genuine worry. He studied her face over, knowing full well the answer already. "Did you bring them with you?" he questioned. He waited for her to reply. Not with words, but with her hands and body language. He knew how to communicate, simply ask questions and wait for a physical reaction. Her eyes never left the floor, but her fingers tapped to a rhythm he knew all too well. It was a sign of saying yes in morse code, or better yet their own version they had. He nodded as he slowly stood up, gently squeezing her hands as he turned. He examined the rooms, and seeing two small bottles of medication on the counter.

Kyle eyed them, seeing how they were both closed. He searched more, coming across another one in a separate room. Eyeing the container, it was slightly open. The name on the bottle caused some alarm, for why was it in his room when...When it should have been in...He shook his head, picking up the small orange bottle he stuffed it into his pocket and walked back over to Erin, placing the small bottle in her jacket's pocket. He looked at her, moving close by her ear as he spoke, "Thank me later." he said lowly. He turned back around, reaching into the pocket of his jacket as he removed two latex gloves. He'd have to look for something, any real sign of what he expected was foul play...Or, what everyone was thinking. Overdose, and that Soren had done it to himself, which...Considering everything that had happened, he wouldn't be surprised if Soren resorted to that. But for now, he had a murder case, and now a possible suicide case on his hands. And neither of the options were looking good, nor was the suspect list.






Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kyle Monahan Character Portrait: Rebecca Cruze Character Portrait: Soren Bowers Character Portrait: Erin Monahan Character Portrait: Nathan Miller Character Portrait: Alexander Yang
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SOREN BOWERS
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outfit : herex|xhex: #575772
xxxsomewhere in between
xxxwho i used to be
xxxand who i'll be tomorrow
xxxwhen the champagne blows my mind

xxx
Soren didn’t feel anything after he hit the floor. There was no blinding light, no burning flames, no life flashing before his eyes. It was just… nothingness. And then bit by bit, sensation started to seep back in. It started with pain, an awful, dull ache that seemed to gradually spread throughout his whole body. Unfamiliar voices started to filter through, saying words that didn’t seem to make any sense. The overwhelming, almost nauseating hospital smell of antiseptic and the sensation of latex gloves against his skin.

“Come on, let me see it,” Erin begged as the tattoo artist declared he was finished. Soren leaned back slightly so she could see the geometric design on his wrist. She laughed and shook her head. “You’re such a freaking nerd. Like, the treble clef? Could you get any more stereotypical?” She teased. “I’m sorry miss ‘let’s get a tattoo right now!’ I didn’t exactly get much of a chance to put all that much thought into it,” he retorted as he pulled on his jacket. “Couldn’t have you chickening out of your birthday present now, could I?” Erin said with a grin. It took Soren a moment to realise what she’d said, but he wrapped her in a hug once he did. “Eugh, you’re such a nerd. Come on, we’re going for ramen.”

A panicked voice, cutting through for just a moment. “He’s crashing-“

He shouldn’t have driven himself here, he knew that. There was adrenaline pounding through his veins and his hands were still shaking. He’d had to blink back tears more than once to make sure he could still see the road in front of him. Sure, he’d thought it was strange that he hadn’t heard from her in a few days, but he’d been working double shifts, then playing shows on his days off, and arguing with Lauren whenever he had time to breathe. But the guilt of not even having known things were that bad had left him shaking, and he wasn’t going to let it happen again. Erin was waiting for him just inside the door of the clinic, looking tired, small, and far, far too pale. He ran to meet her and wrapped her in a bear hug, refusing to let go. “You don’t ever do that to me again, you hear?” He whispered, forcing himself to blink away the tears. “You don’t get to leave me like that. I’m not leaving you alone again.” She said something, possibly an apology, but he didn’t care. He’d nearly lost her, and he wasn’t letting her go like that.

Light started flickering through next, just for a moment or two. And then there was someone calling his name. “Can you hear me?” The voice stayed talking, and Soren thought he managed to answer at least one of the questions, but he was still far too groggy to speak, and he slipped back into unconsciousness.

It was finally happening. His heart had been pounding ever since it had happened. Ever since they’d showed up to that first meeting, ever since they’d been handed the contract, every single meeting since. Because he kept waiting for something to happen, for something to fall through again. But here he was, getting ready to leave for his flight. It didn’t feel like it could be happening to him. It felt like a pleasant dream in the middle of the nightmare. His hand hovered over his phone momentarily. He’d lost count of the amount of times that he’d gone to text Erin to tell her, or to send her a picture of his plane ticket, or annoy her about something. And every time, he remembered. Remembered that she’d known that the night with Lex hadn’t been the first time. And she’d said nothing. Then his phone buzzed with a notification to say his Uber was outside. He grabbed his bag and cases and headed down to the car, shoving his phone into his pocket without a second thought.

“Soren? Soren, can you hear me?” This time, the doctor’s voice was clearer, the light was brighter, and the pain was worse. But he felt more conscious, felt more aware of his surroundings. He was able to answer the doctor’s questions. Yes, he knew where he was, he was in the hospital. His memories of what had happened were vague. His memories from Nate’s arrival onwards were severely foggy, but he knew he’d passed out. The doctor said something about some of her colleagues from another team coming to see him in the morning.

“But,” she said with a small smile. “We’ve some people who are very eager to see you. Are you feeling well enough to see them?” She asked. He didn’t even need to ask who they were. He just swallowed a little nervously and nodded.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kyle Monahan Character Portrait: Rebecca Cruze Character Portrait: Soren Bowers Character Portrait: Erin Monahan Character Portrait: Nathan Miller Character Portrait: Alexander Yang
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N a t h a n Miller
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outfit - #D6CF13
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One moment there was yelling, pleading, crying and panic; then Soren was taken to the hospital, leaving everyone that hadn’t gone with him to pick up the pieces. Or at least try to make sense of it all. It was eerily quiet, Nate thought, almost like everyone was afraid to speak. As if using their voices would break some sort of seal and unleash a curse upon them all, or maybe just make them look guilty of something.

Eventually (though it was probably only a few minutes), Kyle had to ask some questions to everyone who’d been in attendance. It was pretty standard, and Nate volunteered first. He recounted everything he remembered since arriving; looking back, he once again felt like he should have seen some of the signs sooner. He and Soren had never been close, but even Nate knew that Soren was acting strange. When Kyle was finished with his questions, Nate went and settled down next to Erin.

Neither of them said anything, and that was fine; Nate didn’t sit down beside her to have a conversation. Erin had done a lot for him, and he didn’t know how to express how much it meant to him, so he settled on trying his best to be there for her. He hadn’t always been good about that in the past, he’d often let himself get so absorbed in his own problems (whether that be money problems, parent problems, or what have you) that he didn’t think to reach out to make sure his friends weren’t struggling, too. As a child, he’d learned to ignore problems to survive. The less you confront your problems (and the problems of other’s, by extension), the less trouble you end up in. This… Had not carried into adulthood, but it was an old habit that was increasingly hard to bury.

He looked around the apartment while they sat: it was a mess, but everywhere seemed to get that way after a party, even just a dinner party. Kyle eventually sent everyone out, told them to go home, try to get some rest. That was good advice, and Nate tried to take it, but he felt so useless. He knew that what he was feeling was normal, but he just wanted to do something, to help in some way. He didn’t know what he was going to do, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep, and sitting around waiting was going to drive him insane.

Maybe the waiting was too difficult, maybe it was Nate trying to prove that he wasn’t as useless as he felt, or maybe it was the knowledge that he wouldn’t want a mess to clean up after being rushed to the hospital; but Nathan found himself sending out a few messages, getting back into Soren’s place, and cleaning up a bit. He didn’t do anything dramatic: mostly just threw out trash, washed dishes. He didn’t know where things went, and trying to figure it out felt like snooping, so he stuck to simple things, and figured leaving things out to dry wouldn’t hurt anything. At least there wouldn’t be rotting food sitting in the sink for someone to deal with. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than nothing, and better than nothing was what Nate did best.

After a while he made his way to the hospital, most everyone else was there, just waiting. Waiting for news, or for Soren to wake up, or whatever. Nate hated hospitals. He’d been in plenty as a kid, but he hadn’t stepped foot in one in years. The waiting was always the worst. Waiting for news, for the doctor, for an x-ray, for the social worker to come and ask a few questions. He had to remind himself that he wasn’t a kid, anymore. This wasn’t his visit. They wouldn’t ask him questions, and even if they did, answering honestly held no consequence. Not this time. He didn’t really keep track of how long he sat around waiting: he spent the time fiddling with the apps on his phone, or listening to the others. He didn’t have a lot of thoughts to share, and they wouldn’t be helpful, anyway. He felt the collective weight off everyone’s shoulders when they heard they could see Soren, though. That meant that things were going to be okay. Maybe not for certain, and maybe not for forever, but for the moment, everything seemed okay.

It didn’t take long for everyone to gather up their things and start heading down the labyrinth of halls, doors, and desperation. Ultimately, their path led to hope... At least, Nathan hoped it did.

When they reached the door, a sudden nervousness hit Nate. He didn’t belong here, not really. He and Soren weren’t close. He suddenly felt like he’d been horribly overstepping this entire time, and hung back just a bit, waving everyone else into the room ahead of him. When he finally entered the room, he hovered in the back, near the door. He offered Soren a smile, but it didn’t quite come out right. He’d meant it as a reassuring gesture, but instead it looked (and felt) awkward, maybe a little strained. He pretty quickly dropped his gaze to the floor, almost as if being noticed could hurt him. He hated hospitals, and he didn’t know what to say. ‘Hey man, glad you didn’t die,’ didn’t quite feel like the right thing to say, even if it was what he felt, so he opted to stay quiet. Maybe someone else could word his feelings more appropriately. Or just in a way that was more palatable. Or maybe they wouldn’t, and that would be okay. Everything didn’t need to be spoken aloud to be true.