#thread.valerie

Pesor had a couples costume with Dorothy. In a way, it was a dream coming true. They’d never known how happy that could make him. But it did! It made him so happy that they could walk around together, with their easy-to-make costumes. It was clear, at least they figured it was clear, to anyone, that they were a couple. That Pesor and Dorothy were together, either as very very good friends, or something more. 

They kept a good eye on their hat, not wanting it to fall off or get wrinkled, it didn’t matter that they had secured it well with Dorothy’s help. His eyes landed on Valerie, who was dressed as Jessie from Toy Story, who Pesor instantly recognised because they loved Pixar movies. “Hey!” They said, joining her on the dance floor. “I saw Seojun dressed as Buzz Lightyear, did you see? I like that you both have a very good taste when it comes to movies!”

Death was a subject most people were familiar with, whether it was the death of a close friend, family, or someone simply once in their life. Everyone reacted differently to such news. Abhinav had grown up in a culture where someone’s death was followed by a whole ritual, where steps had to be taken before one could let go, where things took time, but where there was so much time to stand still to remember. He’d always been invested in the matter, had always looked for meaning in every moment that death took within the world of the living. He’d made sure the rituals presented for his wife had given his family time to grief. But not all deaths were given the same amount of attention. He’d figured out when he had moved to the United States with his mother and siblings, that in Western cultures, it was something that had to be barrelled through as quickly as possible, and to take a moment to reflect was impossible. One didn’t speak of death. 

In Anchorage, one spoke of murder. 

Abhinav was glad to find Valerie within the crowd as the talk turned sour, the murdered girl cast aside to speak of her potential murderers. He wasn’t even part of the conversation, but he could feel the claw of its subject push its talons into his back, and he addressed Valerie hoping he didn’t come off as too eager to get out. “Val, hi,” he said. “It’s beautiful weather, isn’t it, would you like to drink our coffees outside?” he asked.

Pesor could recognise Dorothy’s family from miles away, they’d spend so much time watching every part of her face, studying all the same things about her, that it was easy to spot any similarities with others. They knew Dustin, Dorothy’s brother, but they weren’t that familiar yet with Valerie, Dorothy’s sister. Not that any of that would keep them from introducing themself, even if they wouldn’t introduce themself as Dorothy’s boyfriend. They’d never used the term openly with Dorothy, though they felt like they were exactly that to her. 

“Hi,” they said, joining Valerie in the queue for coffee. “Uhm, you’re Valerie right?” they asked. “I’m Pesor, I’m a friend of Dorothy.” Because that was still very much the truth.