* modern loneliness

                   staying at the hotel somehow makes it feel like he’s not really in misty. though not exactly in hollywood either. it’s some sort of middle ground, a purgatory where he’s forced to ponder over his mistakes and loose ends back in his home town, too afraid to walk the streets with the same ease he did before. ethan feels tainted by the glamour, blinded by futile and selfish endeavors ... and being back, if anything, only makes him feel humbled. in comparison, he’s probably never worked half as hard as most of the folks in misty, yet certainly has a lot more to show for it. the fact he’s paying indefinitely for a cabin at colie’s resort a proof of the mater. “funny you should say that, because my mom actually asked me to pick some things up too... she refuses to order dinner, it goes against everything she stands for. in the bronson family dinner is a sacred, home cooked affair,” and as he speaks, the male attempts not to dwell on the memory of his late father. “would you like a ride?” presenting the offer, he finishes his coffee and grabs his jacket. “i’d love a tour ! i heard you have a fantastic piano in some kind of big music hall ... and a movie theatre? there were a lot of rumors about this place when we were growing up.” 

                “aren’t you smart, huh? you tots’ thought you had me there, sophs,” squinting her eyes and smiling with amusement, she nods at the attempt to catch her fleeting an appointment. which, in the other’s defense, is totally something she would do. it just happened not to be the case this time. “i agreed to work an extra shift so someone could take the day off ... i’m such an angel, aren’t i?” a nonchalant, sarcastic shrug follows her words before a chuckle eventually comes past her lips as well. mal can hardly keep a straight face for too long. “hey, it was just an idea --- i know you’re all trained and shit, but being the owner of the place you could be afraid of scaring off the clientele. me, on the other hand? i ain’t got no issue shaking down the yoga pants out of those housewives,” and if you’re not as deranged as she is, you’d think she’s kidding. she’s not. “there’s classes with food? how the fuck didn’t i know that? literally sign me up for all the lunch classes here on out.” 

                   he didn’t do this often. sure ethan liked to give opportunities to people under the radar as must as he could, so long as he deemed them talented enough. but elienna wasn’t even on the radar. she wasn’t an actress, had absolutely no stage or set experience. on paper this was an absolute shot in the dark that could very easily back fire ... putting all his blood, sweat and tears into a project and offering it on a silver platter to someone with no resumé? it was a risk yet, for a reason he couldn’t quite explain, the male felt it in his bones that it was the right thing to do. there was an aura of darkness to her, a pulsing attraction to which he couldn’t help gravitate towards. not to mention, she was absolutely stunning. “i can tell ... i don’t mean to pry, but you seem like someone who’s been through a lot. and that energy, being able to channel that into a role like this --- that’s the kinda shit most actors can’t do, because they don’t have any real trauma to draw from,” words flow with enthusiasm, his passion and knowledge of the craft quite clear from his speech. ethan can’t put a number on the amount of people he’s considered for the part over the years of developing it in his head. no-one’s ever felt more suitable for it than her. and for all he knew, she deserved the chance to shine, the chance to get out of misty and make something of herself ... dreams he can very well recall having, too. “don’t get me wrong, you are beautiful, but it’s not just that. it’s the way you speak, the way you stand, the way you present yourself ... your poise, your effortless charm. it’s alluring. i don’t know many actresses that have that without faking it,” sincerity is delivered with ease, shoulders raising and falling in a shrug that means to convey just how tired he is of fabricated hollywood stars. “you’re real, ella. you can’t train that. and as long as you stay true to it, you won’t fail me.” 

                     mallory should probably cut the conversation short and tend to other clients, go get orders from people she could tell from her peripheral view that they’d been waiting a while. but for some reason, the girl was taken by the brunette, mal suddenly interested in making small talk. which wasn’t a matter she often had the patience for. “maeve... that’s an interesting name. i’m mallory,” extending her hand, her hues scrutinize the other to the best of her capacity. she really is cute. “why are you flying solo tonight? don’t tell me a stupid boyfriend stood you up, or somethin’”

                     she’s hardly known for her honorable intentions and whatever goal mal has set in her head in regards to sid is no different. call her crazy ( you wouldn’t be first and certainly not last ), but she’s always dreamt of hooking up with a rockstar. a casual fling on a filthy tour bus with no privacy or the old sofa at a backstage dressing room are some of the places she’s envisioned, though none of them attainable with her current budget ... being a groupie must be fun and all when you have the money to get yourself in those situations in the first place. unfortunately, a couple hundred dollars for concert or festival tickets is just not something she can spare at the moment, so the fact misty somehow is entitled to its very own music god ? it’s a play field for her. “ i’m not making fun of you, idiot, i’m agreeing with you ... it’s not like you’re some country singer from texas with a taste for incest, for fuck’s sake.” in her head, that argument sounded bullet proof. “ you’re from here. the fuck is wrong with them to think you’d get back in town and kill a kid right after ? you’d have to be the world’s worst kidnapper-killer. ” and she almost takes it too far, almost implies he could kidnap her anytime ... yet refrains from doing so in fear of scaring sid away right when she’s finally reached through to him. 

               what happened between him and faith was unexpected. sure they had a brief fling as kids, but it hardly went beyond holding hands and giving hesitant, child-like pecks to each other. nothing romantic ever arose since and, in his understanding, it never would ... except it did, and while both of them seemed to have dealt with the subject in quite a humorous capacity, it left ethan unsure of how to proceed from there. how to address her about henry going missing. how to be a helping hand, a friend, like he’d been in the past on so many occasions. the easiest answer is almost always the correct one, which would explain his unannounced visit. “if this is payment for the other night, i’m afraid i’m gonna have to charge interest,” a smile makes an appearance, his eyes taking notice of how her features looked tired, a red tint in her cheeks and hues. “glasses, uh? can’t believe it’s taken us twenty years to think of that,” getting inside, he closes the door behind him and sets the bottle on the table by the couch, waiting for faith to return. “do you remember the last time we drank this? it was that night, of the bonfire ... we fooled alice into drinking it too by pouring it into her soda when she wasn’t looking.” 

                  “well, do you give a fuck ... about me?” once aired, the question comes out a lot more serious than she’d intended it to. it definitely sounded better in her head, perhaps as some kind of gag, but ended up seeming like she’s some insecure little girl looking for his affections. it only goes to show, how much the whole situation was taking a toll on mallory, since otherwise she wouldn’t be caught dead asking that kind of thing. not to him, anyway. “hey, c’mon ! i’ll have you know, he’s my best costumer,” she protests as a reaction to his gesticulation at the man she’d mentioned, hoping the heaviness of her prior query would dissipate with a chuckle. “how about some shots instead, you wuss? i dare you ... double dare you.” 

                    “comin’ right up,” throwing the brunette one last once over, mal then turns her back on the new comer and begins preparing her drink, tossing the necessary liquors inside a tall cup half filled with ice. a slice of orange and a pink umbrella on top to finish it off. placing the drink in front of her, she watches the other’s demeanor attentively, trying to perceive what she thought of the beverage. mallory might not be the most exemplary employee, but she does try her best to please the clients she finds worthy of her time. “what’s your name, cutie? i don’t think i’ve seen you around here before ... i’d remember that pretty face.” 

                  “it might be a broad term, but you still managed to avoid the question,” his brows quirk upwards, meaning to convey that he’s more than aware of her attempt not to answer, yet that he’s not interested in being left in the dark in regards to her well being. ethan can imagine what her response would be, should she provide it or not, but he would rather hear it first hand and counter with empathy. or be a shoulder to cry on. “gosh, when was the last time we had pizza and cheap wine, uh? i’ll make the call,” sitting at the other end of the couch with his glass in one hand, his free digits reach for his phone and type out the number of the local pizza delivery, which he still knows by heart. he orders their usual, in the largest size they offer despite how his better judgment tells him alice probably isn’t too hungry. “how is faith in the middle of all this? i’ve been meaning to talk to her, but i wouldn’t even know what to say.” 

             things had been mostly quiet all day. at the bar, around the whole town. you would expect a place that sells a variety of remedies to buzz out tormenting thoughts and general anxieties to fill to the brim on the cusp of this type of event. yet only the regular faces made an appearance, sticking around while a handful of occasional comers stopped by for a drink.  everyone seemed to be processing the news at home which, in some capacity, she could understand. but mal hated the silence, hated not being stretched thin at the bar for it allowed too big an opening for her mind to drift. and while she trying her best to keep herself occupied, the girl was starting to run out of ideas. “how about three for me and one for you?” she jokes, reaching for a glass similar to the one he just placed on the counter and filling them both with just about a shot of whisky each ... perhaps two shots on hers. “i’m just like--- y’know, kind of ... blaah. this whole thing is --- well, like ... fucking awful,” stumbling on her own words, her hands try to compensate for the incoherence of her speech by motioning along, though not proving much further enlightenment. “cheers?” she asks, raising her glass. 

                  mallory could tell that anne too seemed to be affected by the terrible news, from the way she had been fidgeting with a half decent small square of napkin, the words lucky’s tavern engraved in small lettering on one of the corners. and unlike the other’s worries, there wasn’t anything pathetic about it. it’s only human to be taken aback by such a sudden and incomprehensible event ... in a way, it was good that neither of them could fathom how and why something like that had happened to such a little boy, for it meant that maybe mal’s moral compass wasn’t so broken after all. just in need of some calibrating, in regards to other matters. “ not pathetic. just ... like you’re thinking about what i’m thinking. what everyone’s thinking, ” shoulders raise into a nonchalant shrug, not wanting to delve too much into the topic, yet still wanting to make it clear she shared in the same feeling. “ no no, c’mon. tell you what, it’s out of my tab ---- if that makes it better. i get an employee discount, ” tilting her head whilst waiting for an answer, the girl then takes a swig of the beer she’d already been drinking for a while. “ either way, i’m pretty sure my boss is in a less strict mood today. i also might or might not be his favorite, and that must count for somethin’. ” 

                 mallory listens attentively, curiosity peaked by the semblance of uneasiness he’s showcasing. she usually can’t draw that many words from him without feeling like he’s about to run as fast as he can, almost as if he could sense her ulterior motives from a mile away. but this time around, sid seems to have deemed her worthy of his venting. for whatever reason it might be, she sure isn’t complaining. “ they WHAT? that is absolutely ridiculous. those detectives must’ve seen one too many episodes of csi, ” she could be feigning her surprise to appear more sincere, yet her words were nothing if not truthful. the girl really was shocked with the notion the police could have any sort of suspicion about his involvement in the terrible tragedy that had shaken the town. “ as if they don’t know who you are? imagine being that disrespectful, ” an attempt at comic relief is implemented, features displaying a half smile to indicate so. 

                "trust me, i wouldn’t be doing this if i didn’t think you have potencial,” hues arise from the paper in between his digits, black ink circling around the information he deemed most essential for her to note out of the lot, at the time. it’s mostly a rough draft, a work in progress of what he envisions her character to be like, act like, dress like. a general idea of what agreeing to do this with him would entail. “i like to give chances to new talent since, well ... i was a new talent once too and i wish someone would’ve given me more chances. that i didn’t have to fight for everything on my own,” he confesses, a hopeful smile taking over his features before he hands her the fact sheet. “i’ve had this movie script in my head for years and i never went though with it because i couldn’t find a good lead ... you’re my lead, ella. you’re exactly what i’ve been looking for.”

         “ on a real note ? dying being alone. i don’t know, i guess just because i act like i’m hot shit doesn’t mean i don’t need some actual human interactions sometimes. that don’t just revolve around sex and superficial shit. shocker, right? ... this is stupid. ” 

              “ i’m not one to kiss and tell, but ... this hollywood a lister once talked me into bondage. it was a tricky situation, to say the least. i won’t name names, but it’s for sure someone you wouldn’t expect to have those kinks. ”