girl is a gun

riley devereux ( she/her ) is a cis!woman, twenty-eight year old bartender @ brinie bar who has been living in moorbrooke for six months. they were born on june 10th and right now, they are currently residing in oakley court. it has been said that they look suspiciously like alisha wainwright and if they had to choose a song to describe themselves, they would choose townie by mitski. ( salem, 25, est, they/them )

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 & 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒  —  open.

for:  open  starter  @moorbrookestarters​

location:  the  beach,  late  evening. 

❝  why  is  it  always  such  a  SURPRISE  ?  ❞  a  blank  monotone  curls  on  robin’s  tongue,  head  lulled  toward  the  distant  pearl  in  the  sky.  ❝  the  moon  ———  even  though  we  KNOW  it’s  coming.  every  time  we  see  it,  it  makes  us  pause,  and  hush.  ❞  her  words  had  a  lovely,  MISERABLE  ring  to  them.  &  though  the  utterance  was  more-so  directed  toward  the  faint  voice  in  her  head,  the  woman  can’t  help  but  to  divert  her  hazy  sights  toward  the  figure  she  had  only  just  realized  had  been  stood  beside  her.

FINLEY.

finley met the others gaze, trying to keep her face as sweet as possible. they heard how weird the request sounded after they’d said it out loud so they were overjoyed when they agreed. ‘really? hell yeah! um, no idea what kind of animal is missing. i’m assuming someone small and furry, but honestly could be anything.’ they grinned and bounced in their spot for a moment before beginning their search. ‘i’m finley, by the way! still sort of new to town and just looking to see some cute animals and make new friends. you’re already so wonderful for tagging along!’

Drink finished, Ray set the bottle aside. It had been a while since she’d had time for herself, no child to think of, no husband, no friends. Just Saraya. It felt nice to just let loose and live for once. “All right,” she agreed, “but I’m trusting you to keep me from getting too messy. If it looks like I’m about to throw myself on some poor unsuspecting stranger, you have full permission to trigger the ICE number in my phone.” 

FINLEY.

location: outside the moorbrooke zoo when: afternoon, any day status: open || @moorbrookestarters​

being in moorbrooke had already been tremendous for their mental health and day by day they felt more like actual person.  the people here were so friendly, sometimes too friendly, but they’d begun to find that adorable too. everyday fin tried to do one thing new and on a warmer, snowier day like today they wanted to visit the zoo. when they got to the zoo however, they were informed it was closed until they found the missing animal. with a pout finley headed out to the exit and looked around to see if they could help find the animal, and maybe convince someone else to help too. ‘hey! hi! wanna help me look for a lost animal? i don’t know anything other than that. the zoo says they won’t open again until they find the animal and i… really want to go to the zoo. i’ll buy you a ticket! you could come with me. we can make a whole day out of it.’ finley cracked a wide grin and tilted their head, even going as far as to bat their lashes to convince the other. ‘so? you in?’

for: riley ( @devereuxs​)

NICO

   nico wasn’t doing too hot. they had been going through a lot, and there wasn’t a person they could turn to. the one person they would typically turn to, andrej, felt so disconnected from them as of late that it almost felt like they were strangers with one another. despite what had happened when he last saw andrej, though they tried not to think about that. it wasn’t that they regretted what had gone down; it was more like they felt like they should’ve never crossed any lines in their friendship, but it was too late for that now. things only got worse for nico after that, they couldn’t stop the dark thoughts that plagued them, and they continued to stay out later. tonight they found themselves in brinie bar over a decision made under the influence and pure impulse.

   as they entered the bar, their eyes instantly scanned the ground to see if anyone they knew could be around, but they didn’t see anything. for some reason, finley, their roommate, came to mind right now. and a string of guilt hit them, knowing the state they found themselves in, higher than a kite, and being out instead of just going back home and sleeping it off. more importantly, stopping everything entirely. the guilt would normally get most people to turn around walkout, but with nico, it only made him quicken his pace to the bar. as they approached it, they offered the bartender a warm, friendly smile, “hey, how’s it going?” they take a seat, quickly beginning to play with the rubber band he had around on wrist, “could i please have whiskey neat?”

in all honesty, riley was in the mood to do little more than toss the glass she was cleaning into the sink (maybe literally, the shattering glass could really liven things up around here) and call it a day. she’d even take a long walk home in the freezing maine air, because fresh air was good for your soul or whatever, or at least that’s what they taught her in rehab, not to mention a cigarette would absolutely hit the spot right now. she could practically physically feel the way her brain wanted to badly to spiral out of control, or just give up entirely. something about the night was just...terrible. 

“Well sign me up because boy do I need help.” Saraya only half joked. It had been a while since she’d been on a date. There had been a few people after her divorce. Some she still thought about, but for the most part there had been a lot of failed connections. “Not that I’m looking for anything serious right now. So, the moment you all hire that beefy security guard, give me a call.” Fingers wrapped around the neck of the beer bottle, Ray quirked a brow. “Tequila makes me messy.” There was a bit of emphasis on the final word. “But seeing as I’m not going home to anyone tonight, why not?” 

ada wasn’t one to hold her tongue, but she often regretted not doing so directly after the fact. and so she felt that embarrassing twinge of regret as the woman in front of her responded, which only increased once she recognised her to be her neighbour, riley, who ada had noted actually seemed very cool. besides, it wasn’t like riley had done anything to her - she’d merely caught her in a very bad moment. ada looked down as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. luckily, it seemed like the other woman didn’t seem to mind her attitude too much. besides, running into someone interesting was already beginning to ease her anxiety.

“ sorry. difficult customer. “ she muttered, knowning that she probably shouldn’t lie. one, because she wasn’t very good at it, and two, because she would struggle to come up with answers to any follow up questions. that’s why, when riley offered her a cigarette, she gladly accepted. “ yes, please. “ stretching out the last word, ada attempted a smile as she finally looked back up at her neighbour. she hardly ever smoked, but she had found that it eased her nerves quite a bit in situations like these, and so was glad to accept the other’s offer.

as she looked at the woman, she couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was. it was the kind of beauty you were hard pressed to find in small towns. it was sort of… european. riley’s accent seemed to confirm her suspicion, though she couldn’t quite place where it was from. “ this is a strange spot for a smoke break “, she pointed out, looking around at the alley of dumpsters and rusty backdoors. “ do you work around here ? or are you just enjoying the view ?  “ 

riley nodded, feeling an instant twinge of sympathy for the younger girl when she noted that she was having a bad day so far. she herself was no stranger to an awful customer ruining her day without warning. which was why she was happy to give up a cigarette for ada, offering a light to go along with it. she wondered belatedly if she should really be giving nicotine out to the youth of america, or whatever the fuck, but it wasn’t weighing too heavy on her conscience. besides, the girl clearly needed it. 

gabz listened quite contently to riley as spoke feeling quite a bit of anger bubble up in her stomach as the story concluded.  she tried to understand why someone would do that to someone, but couldn’t find a reason other than pure disrespect. working in an industry that dealt a lot with customer satisfaction, she knew what it was like to be stiffed. a time where a client got a full face of glam makeup done then pretended they left their card in the car only to drive away stood out in her mind. it was rare, but it happened and she became much more careful of those types following the experience. “jesus christ, please tell me that you’re going to file a police report? what kind of idiot does that to someone? it’s pretty disgusting. i’m sorry that happened to you, hon.” gabz took a deep breath to calm herself down, offering the other woman a sweet smile. “if it’s not too much work, I’d love a mojito. don’t be afraid to make it strong,” she remarked with a giggle. “is your shift almost over? if so, I could stick around and we can go somewhere else and unwind? unless you’d rather go straight home and get some rest.”

location: outside of the diner

time: afternoon

when ada jolted awake from her day-dream, she was unsure of the time and almost certain she could not place the day of the week either. it was as if she had been sleepwalking for who knew how long, and only the piercing sound of a fire alarm could have awaken her in this way. chills ran down her spine as she instinctively stood up straight, heading towards the kitchen whilst supporting herself on the always-slightly-greasy countertop where the register had stood for years. she swallowed hard, cold sweat forming on her top lip. when she got to the kitchen, the chef was already balancing on a chair and trying to turn off the awful beeping sound which was drilling into ada’s ears with such force that her nails were digging into her skin. it wasn’t until ada locked eyes with the chef that she realised how alerted her expression must have been, and his embarrassed apology, filled with sympathy and that terrible twinge of pity, made her feel sick to her stomach. she took a sharp breath and broke eye contact, her feet quickly guiding her towards the back door. she could feel the chef’s eyes on her as she passed him. “ learn not to fucking burn food, will you ? “ she muttered, teeth firmly pressed together.

ada flung the door open forcefully, letting the air in her lungs form a visible cloud in front of her eyes and take to the blue sky. as the door shut behind her with a thud, she leaned against the cold metal and tilted her head back. her eyes were squeezed tight as she swore under her breath, repeating the very same mantra she had for the past five years - the only thing that had kept her sane for all that time. “ auburn, augusta, bangor, bath … “ suddenly, she felt eyes on her yet again. and this time, as she opened hers to look at the person in front of her, she made sure they couldn’t see the same vulnerability the chef had. “ can I help you ? “ she asked, though it was less of a question and more of a firm encouragement to leave her alone. if it hadn’t been for the apron she still had on, her words would have surely been chosen less carefully.

in retrospect, riley considered the possibility that she maybe hadn’t picked the greatest of places for a smoke break after her lunch. so far, the little alley behind the diner had been nothing but fraught with distractions and annoyances — from an unbearably loud garbage truck that had taken forever and a day to pick up its dumpster, to the group of college-aged assholes who had gotten a laugh out of catcalling her in the broad daylight, riley grumbled slightly as she wondered if it wasn’t worth sacrificing the end of her cigarette to move on with getting her errands complete for the day.

just in time for that thought, the loud bang of the metal door slamming open and then shut again startled her back into the here and now. immediately, her eyes were drawn towards the younger girl slumped against the door, wearing an expression that wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to riley. that being said, it was still none of her business, so she felt a slight twinge of embarrassment at her accidental eavesdropping when the girl spoke harshly to her. 

even though kai didn’t normally find themselves at a bar, tonight they did. they hadn’t been there very long before they found themselves listening to the poor bartenders story. people could be such assholes, kai never understood why they had to act like that, it was unfortunate when they struck good people. the blonde before them seemed like a good person, they didn’t always have the best sense of judgement, but, she gave off a good energy. “pina coladas? at this time of the year?” kai shook their head, “that all sounds like a nightmare shift, i’m sorry you’re going through one.” they offer her a friendly smile, leaning a bit more on the counter, “maybe you could convince your boss to check the cameras and see if you guys can track this asshole down. you deserve justice!” they playfully slam their fist on the counter, giving a little nod. 

“you don’t have to stop venting,” kai reassured, “that all sucks. i can’t imagine going through it and remaining as calm as you’re being. i think i would’ve chucked the container with the chopped pineapples at him as he ran off.” they laugh a little, giving a small shrug. “i promise i’m probably going to be your easiest customer tonight, i don’t really drink. i will take a coke, though, if that’s okay. and i know, it’s probably weird i’m even here, huh?” kai laughs again, still feeling the effects from the earlier joint, “i didn’t know what else to do. i wanted to be around people, but nowhere else is really open right now. i’m, um, kai. well, that’s what i prefer to be called. hopefully i can help turn your night around…somehow.”

“i know, right? you couldn’t even convince me to drink an iced coffee in the middle of fuckin’ january, i don’t know how the brain freeze didn’t kill him,” riley continued to rant, rolling her eyes at the man’s audacity even now after he was long gone. “that’s a good idea, but if i’m bein’ totally honest with ya...i’m not convinced the cameras actually work. they have a little light to scare people and whatnot, but i’m almost positive it’s nonfunctional. they’re pretty cheap around here.” she didn’t say it with annoyance, per se, but with an exasperated kind of fondness, gesturing vaguely to the walls of the divey bar she’d come to love so much. 

riley gazed at the younger patron with a soft smile, giggling as they mentioned the pineapples. “oh my god, i wish i woulda done that,” riley lamented with a shake of her head, still laughing just imagining the scene. “next time, i’ll throw the maraschino cherries all over him, that way i can easily identify him.” it wasn’t the most surprising thing to learn that they didn’t drink; not that she had expected that as an answer, but it didn’t make her bat an eye as she pulled out a glass for the soft drink they requested. 

“You’re a damn godsend,” Saraya laughed. A part of her was embarrassed, but the bigger part of her couldn’t care less. She was a woman and she had needs. “Hardly saintly. Just having small mom’s night out.” She felt a bit of guilt being out while Gabe was home, but so much of her life had been absorbed by her son that she hardly remembered who she was outside of being his mother. Her night out hadn’t been particularly excited, but it had been necessary. “ It’s been a while since I’ve done this and I don’t think I remember what I like. So, beer it is. “

One of the best things at a bar was the interesting stories that a person got to here. Sure, most of the time it was the drunken bar patrons with a story but this time, it would seem that the bartender herself had a story and Estrella found herself lost in the story, like she was watching one of her favorite Telenovelas. 

“Oh no, that’s totally fine! Honestly my life is super boring so I love coming here and hearing all the interesting stories that I can live vicariously through.” Star chuckled, finishing the drink that she had and hummed. “Make me another one of these? I don’t know what you did to it, but it is amazing and I want to get drunk tonight.”

“aw, i’m sure that’s not true...nobody as beautiful as you could be boring!” riley insisted, leaning into the conversation to ensure the woman could hear her over the crowd in the bar. “but i do agree that life can easily seem boring a lot of the time, so you’re welcome to come here and live vicariously through my troubles any time.”