insomnia ;

His blood runs cold at the words falling from her mouth, he can't help but look away from her again. The word dad sounding so foreign to him in regard to their father. "He's here, isn't he?" Even though he was a grown man now, someone who could easily hold his own against the older man their father would be now, Austin could help but feel the chill run down his back. What a time it would be for this to be the moment that his father came to find him and finish the fight they had started. His eyes darting everywhere around the place, waiting for the cold eyes of his father to meet his. He knew this whole time, Austin. The words make him feel sick, like all those nights he had been paranoid that someone was watching him, someone really was. He could feel his breathing quicken slightly as he continued to search around the sea of panicked people. "Where is he, Josie? I've done a lot to protect myself from back home and I've made myself into someone else, someone I like. I-Josie, I won't do this fight with him."

she didn't know what she thought was going to happen, when they would finally meet again. even in the wildest of scenario she'd prepared for, she hadn't expected that reaction from him. not after all of these years. but she should've, understands now the extent of what had happened within their family years ago. it's hard to try and settle him, harder to find his gaze again in the agitation she can feel from her older brother. she needs to fix her mistake, needs to ignore the sting to her chest when in his rushed voice, he mentions making himself into someone else and insinuates she would've ever brought that man along. ❛ no, no, no he's not here. i promise, he's not here. that's one of the things i need to tell you, he's — ❜ she has to stop, the news still fresh even to her. the complexity of her feelings towards their father does not diminish the grief she carries and tries to process, makes it all the more complicated. she's been practicing how she wanted to tell him, and while this isn't the time nor the place, she cannot leave him with a doubt planning over his head that gregory might ever show for him one day. ❛ he passed, austin. he's not coming. fighting's over. ❜

She was right — even if Scarlett had some way to help, to stop them, all of the people hiding behind their masks seemed quite dedicated to the cause. And she understood that, she was dedicated to her own. But her cause didn't have her convincing anyone to jump into a raging fire. "Yes. Yes, of course," she nodded slowly, not even noticing she was beginning to walk with Josie, clinging to the question: will you help me get away? She needed a reason, no matter how big or small, desperate to feel like she was nothing more than a helpless audience member. "We just have to be careful," she spoke after a moment, calming herself with a deep inhale, "don't get knocked down. Everyone's in hysterics." Including her. Rightfully so.

the first — and perhaps only — sense of relief she'll feel for the night comes at the affirmation of the other, glad to see a glimpse of reality snap back between both of them. where scarlett clings to her words, josie clings to her presence. she's right, they need to be careful, so she'll steady her shaky steps to at least lead the other to safety. ❛ left or right, the shortest route out ? ❜ despite everything, orientation is one of the skills she lacks in this new environment. it's scary to rely on someone that could easily lead her astray, but the calm facade has to prevail. they need to follow the right herd, and scarlett positively knows the helltown flock better than she does. ❛ tell me, how would ' she ' help them if they would listen ? ❜ she won't claim to understand who scarlett had been speaking about, but anything to distract their minds is good as their bodies slither their way out.

"You don't trust me with a bat?" He grinned giving her a slight squeeze. "I'm actually quite athletic you know? I'm more than just a pretty face with a great body." Josh tormented her slightly. "Also you want me to sleep in the same bed as you?" He fake gasped at her as he joked in an attempt to lighten the mood some. "I don't know, Josie.. I don't know if you can keep your hands to yourself.. I can't blame you either, I'm quite the temptation to have around." He smirked as he looked down at her, his gaze meeting hers briefly. For a moment he forgot what had actually happened, what they had both witnessed, he was able to be his usual jokester self and it felt good but of course reality set back in once there was a moment of silence between the two even if it was just brief. Part of him almost didn't want to sleep because once he did he couldn't control what happened in both reality and his dreams.

❛ i know you're more, handsome boy. and this is why i trust your wits more than your swing. ❜ always been more of a visual person, she needs the facts over the good intentions. ❛ oh wow, that is so weird you would say this, because i don't recall saying anything about you sleeping in the bed ? ❜ her eyes dart to the less than comfortable chair in the corner they both know she would never actually make him sleep in, but he is teasing her, and she has to give it back. there is more of tonight's events she would like to discuss, delve in, put together. but catching his glance once more, mixed with the implications of his, distracts her mind from it all. along with bringing a blush to easily embarrassed cheeks. while she is good at controlling her impulses, josh's making a fair point : he's been the one temptation she couldn't resist. but she's not willing to give truth to his insinuations just like that. ❛ hey, that's unfounded. wouldn't you say i'm doing pretty good right now ? ❜ and yet, the way her thumb has been rubbing on his the second he's locked their fingers together, always too eager to feel more, is grounds enough to give him this round.

Josh had never been the best with words.. he was never usually the one that friends turned too for advice or to feel better. He was the jokester, the class clown, he was the guy who was cheeky and flirty so he was out of his comfort zone here yet it felt somewhat good. What they witnessed at the bonfire was something nobody ever expected, it's not something that happens every day anywhere in this world let alone this small town. At least he would hope it didn't. His fingers naturally locked with hers as he gave her hand a slight squeeze for comfort. "It was a strange night for sure.." he sighed, "still kinda feels like a nightmare I haven't woken up from yet, it's wild." Shaking his head slightly at her words he quickly responded in hopes of comforting her, "Of course it's not too much to ask, there's no way I could walk out of here tonight and leave you alone in this motel room.. not after everything we just saw.." he smiled slightly with a small laugh before continuing, "hey, if you wanted I'd even stay up all night with a baseball bat in hand while you slept."

she's tethering on needing to navigate the confusion, ask the questions she knows both don't have the answers to, and not wanting to think about the acts any more for tonight. she thinks they've earned a respite from it all, the soft flow of cool air in the room already a nice contrast to the blazing fire that was burning them up early. it's a step away from this nightmare, maybe the start to a gentle wake from his daze she also shares. ❛ when you feel like you're about to wake up, shake me awake too, will you ? we can dig into the meaning of it all then. ❜ he doesn't have to face this bad dream on his own, just like she didn't have to be lonely tonight. she can feel a mirroring smile coming to her lips when she notices his, the scenario depicted slightly worrying. ❛ you, josh, with a baseball bat, in the middle of the night, unsupervised ? ❜ the enumeration, along with the laugh she hears from him, is enough to bring a slight moment of teasing. ❛ as . . sweet as it sounds, i'll take my chances with the nightmare. but you are more than welcome to sleep . . away from the bat. ❜ he put it quite well, after everything they just saw, she's not sure she's catching much rest. but tonight, she'd rather spend a night awake having him here than falling asleep without.

It was the embrace from her that let him know it was real. His head swirling with memories of their childhood, of all the reason he used to have to stay home. The guilt had never stopped growing inside of him since the day he left his little sister at that house, there wasn't a day that he didn't think of the younger Huntington. But his decision had been final with him and even of the darkest of days, Austin wouldn't dare reach out and give his father the chance to catch him. "Supposed to?" His puzzled, unsure of what exactly she had meant with her words. He let go of Josie, searching her face for answers to what she really was doing in this town. A town that Austin both feared and loved for giving him a chance to call it his home. "I.." He started, letting out a sigh as he scanned the crowd once more before looking back to her again. "I can't leave here without know my fa-friends are okay. Just tell me what's going on, kid. How did you get here?"

in the moment, she's forgotten about anyone else. she doesn't know which is the most unbelievable, the insanity around them or that he's in her arms once more. so it's a hard pivot to reality when feels a separation, when she sees the urgency to find his missing people. ❛ your friends . . ? right, your friends, of course . . . ❜ she doesn't doubt that he has friends, finds it quite likely for him to have a wide array of them. he should get to them, they're who he came with. but it's the questions lingering in his eyes that get her, throat tightening more at the prospect of having to tell him exactly why she's here. ❛ it's dad he . . he told me to come find you. and where to find you. ❜ because of course, the man knew. knew to keep it from everyone until his last days, too. it feels wrong, the anger underlying her rushed voice. ❛ he knew this whole time, austin. i didn't . . i didn't, or i would've come sooner . . . but i drove here. i've been looking for you all over town, but it was like no one knew who i was asking about. ❜ clearly the oldest huntington lived here, she doesn't know why people would look at her like she was talking nonsense.

"No, it doesn't make sense and it probably never will.." he figured honestly was the best right now. He didn't even understand any of it himself so how could he lie to someone else to make them feel better? He'd never experienced or witnessed anything like it before and hopefully never would again. He was hoping to go to sleep and wake up the next day to it all being one crazy dream but he knew that wasn't going to happen. Instead he was allowing whatever this was between the two to take his mind off of the crazy night even if it was only momentarily. "I think I'm doing better than others" he sighed, "I don't really know how the fuck to process any of it and I don't think anyone who was there tonight knows either. My friends and family are okay. Well.. as okay as anybody can be." It was such a strange topic because how can anybody be okay? His version of okay right now was that they survived it, they didn't run head first into a bonfire like the others did. "Do you want me to stay tonight? So you're not alone?"

there's a bluntness about him she appreciates, sugar coating has never done her good. he's not reassuring in what he says, but how he says it. it's nice to know someone else thinks this is not normal, compared to what a bunch were chanting back in the woods. it won't stop her for trying to understand, but he's right. it probably will never make sense. she shifts slightly from josh, wanting a better look as he speaks, one of her hands coming to find the one he has around her. ❛ hey, if no one close to you got hurt, that's already a start. i think that's the only thing worth processing tonight. the ones that are safe. ❜ the good before the bad, they'll have their whole lives to deal with the aftermath. the offer sits for a second. this is not their usual get together, and truthfully, she half expects him to not even be here in the morning. taking him up on this feels as unearned as it feels needed. ❛ only if it's not too much to ask, but . . i would like that. ❜ she's made a home out of loneliness, it shouldn't bother her this way tonight. but again, this is not an usual night for neither of them. ❛ there's some beers left in the fridge from last time, if you'd want to unwind. ❜ she's had one earlier in the night, found it actually did wonders on her nerves.

setting: post part 2, the tap house tagged: @helltownhqstarters

she has no idea why she even step foot in the brewery, barely out of the woods with hands shaky still. maybe it was the first business with signs of life that doesn't make her skin crawl with bad vibes. she supposed this was better than a dark empty motel room, and isn't that what people do in the movies to calm down nerves ? maybe she'll chug a beer, screw it with tonight. ❛ oh, would you mind the company ? ❜ the invitation had been reached out to her, and yet she still doesn't want to impose. but it would beat being alone. ❛ but a gentle distraction, please ? i don't think i can handle more ' craziness ' for the year. ❜ that term seems so tame for what they'd witnessed.

Her eyes darted Josie's face, taking a moment to truly process what was happening, that someone was even standing in front of her despite being the one to reach out and grab for her. The chaos that was erupting around them felt like home to Scarlett, but it wasn't the right kind, it wasn't meant to be like this. "I don't... I don't know how to help them," she spoke, her voice smaller than usual, weak. Scarlett went through life with this idea that she was capable of more than she was, that she held some sort of control, some truth that would save them all and now as people were throwing themselves into the fire, trampling each other, now that it mattered the most... she was utterly powerless. "I don't know why this is happening, I don't understand."

❛ i don't think they want to get aid right now, darling. ❜ she's not trying to be a smartass, only trying to bring the other to a gentle state she herself isn't in. knows all too much about wanting to lend a hand, but the lot causing this hysteria is far beyond saving. and if the remaining praying masks are not amidst the logs yet, josie can't help the feeling in her guts that tell her they would soon join. but she doesn't want to find out. each word scarlett speaks is an inch josie leads them away from it, not wanting to be sudden in the maneuver. ❛ but you should help those that will listen, yeah ? will you help me get away ? we'll try to make sense of this. ❜ scarlett isn't the only one swimming in confusion, though she wonders if they're bewildered by the same thing.

Closing the door behind himself and making sure yo lock it too he slowly made his way into the centre of the room. "You don't need to be sorry." He knew whatever it was they had witnessed was crazy, it was a lot for anyone to process. Witnessing a death alone was traumatic but multiple in one night was insane and then to factor in that they were sacrificing themselves? That was something else entirely. "It's fine, you don't have to be alone.." he spoke softly as he sat beside her, his arm roping around her as he pulled her in closer to his body. He knew facing this alone in this town with no family must be tough, he at least had his brother and friends he could turn to.

❛ what even was that, josh ? it doesn't make sense . . . right ? ❜ trying to make sense of this in her corner, she hasn't come up with a logical explanation. knows better than to assume it's a regular custom in their town — every unmasked local had been as shocked as she was. human sacrifices haven't exactly been a thing of modern times, either. rubbing her temples, she feels the added weight next to her, and she naturally seeks more of the proximity, sigh of relief following the moment she breathes him in. there's a lot about today she can't stomach, the ease in which she leans into him only adding to them. granted, it's an afterthought, vivid visions of blazing townsfolks taking most of her mind. so she'll swallow it back and let his presence wash over as she's fighting against a better judgement telling her she shouldn't rely on him for something like this. because she knows he'll show up like he did, and she can't know that. not when her stay is finally looking like it's heading towards the end. ❛ are you okay ? are your friends ? ❜ yet, she still can't help herself but ask more about him.

LOCATION: summer solstice, part 2 FOR: @helltownhqstarters (open)

there's so much happening all at once, all she knows is that being sent on her way out has been more difficult than painted up to be. but the determination to make it to tomorrow has never been stronger, her purpose found in the chaos saw to that. though, she cannot ignore pleas, no matter how dangerous the surroundings. another hold at her sleeve in the night, she shouldn't find it surprising ; josie does wear her heart on it. ❛ hey, hey, we have to get away from here, okay ? ❜ her own dismay pushed to the side, hand hovering the gripping one, ❛ i'm listening, you can tell me about what she wants, and what her plan is on the way out, yeah ? ❜ her reassurance sounds shaky at best through her own reactive tears and confusion, but she means her words. she'll try to remain calm for the both of them.