salvador emerges from the heavy back doors, both hands clutching oversized black trash bags that reek of grease and kitchen waste. the shift from the suffocating heat of the kitchen to the sharp chill of the night air sends a shiver up his spine, making him painfully aware of the sweat clinging onto his brow. he exhales sharply, annoyed that his hands are too occupied to swipe it away. then his gaze lifts—and locks on her. henrietta nivan. the woman of the goddamn hour. salvador had clocked the moment she walked into the diner, could hear the commotion of surprised patrons through the sizzling of the stove and the blaring baseline of his coworker's shitty playlist. even he couldn't resist peering through the ticket window to catch a glimpse of her as she left the diner. she’s back. he doesn't expect to see her out here though.
her greeting is quick to fill the silence between them and a laugh from him shortly follows. "please." he scoffs, the corner of his lip twitching upwards as he turns away from her to finish his task of hauling trash over a grimey commercial garbage can. "nah, hen. no kids." none that he knows of anyway. he shoots a sideways glance her way, full of feigned expectancy. "⏤ unless you have news for me?" the last bag is tossed over and the lid is closed with an echoing thud against the metal. he wipes his hands on his apron, uses his forearm to finally clear his forehead before stepping back towards her. “i’d give you a hug but i’d hate to ruin that fancy blouse you got on.” an outfit he never once saw her wearing if he's honest. prim and proper and so unlike the girl he remembers fooling around with. it wasn't a bad look. just... different. “are the city cops after you for raiding hilary clinton’s closet or something? that why you’re back in town?”
ꜜ ﹙ 🪞 ﹚ ﹕ homecoming was its own specific kind of hell⸻ sat on the corner booth of dolly's, the cracked leather of the seat pinching at the back of her thigh with every shift. the clatter of forks & plates punctuated the low hum of conversation that seemed to crescendo with each passing minute, whispers and glances sliding off the walls and settling right on her shoulders as they finally recognized her. church friends of her parents, high school classmates who had never left town, people well-aware of the nivans name, all of them orbiting, pausing at her table with bright smiles and the mind-numbing idle chit-chat. do you remember me ? you've grown so tall now ! is that a wedding ring on your finger ? didn't think we'd see the day, hen ! fingers drummed against the chipped tabletop until the small talk finally clogged her throat, jaw finally hurting from her everlasting polite smile, appetite shriveling beneath all the tedium of smalltown reunions. henry excused herself to attend some imaginary business, throwing down enough money to cover the pancakes, lukewarm fires and watery cola ﹕ the door's bell shrilling her departure. but henry didn't get anywhere too far, the alley behind dolly's was cooler, quiet, gravel crunching underfoot as she leaned into the rough brick wall and reached for her lighter. that silence didn't really last very long however, smoke curling from her lips as she noticed the backdoor swing open ﹕ and there he was, salvador, an apron splattered with grease tied around his waist. “ so, ” hard stare pressing against him, lips slowly tugging into a smile, almost as if trying to formulate a theory on salvador's life during the last eight years she had been away. “ did you ever manage to knock someone up ? got all sorts of welcome, only thing that's really missing is someone telling me i'm the godmother of a child i haven't met. ” @brntout
“tonight? whatever the hell you want!” kennedy replies to nadia's quip with an easy grin. in a town full of try-hards and depressed wannabes with broken dreams, nadia's levity was such a treat. especially on nights like these, where kennedy is certain they weren't the only one hoping to snag her attention for a couple moments at this party. in true kennedy fashion, they feel like they've won. they make their way out of the dancefloor, maneuvering through sweaty, stumbling bodies before reaching the bartender. it's only a bit quieter, but at least kennedy doesn't feel like they have to yell. "you know me, i'm a basic bitch. tequila soda for me. what are you getting? my treat, for letting me drag you out there! "
" abso-fuckin-lutely . " nadia says easily . while kennedy could dance and move , nadia's extent was shuffling on the spot , and still managing to get grossly SWEATY . " what are we ? " she teases , at kennedy's warm , SOFT touch on her skin . " but more important , what are we drinking ? "
♰ ⋅ ⋆ ─── #𝑩𝑹𝑵𝑻𝑶𝑼𝑻 . . . is a dependent, multimuse blog for REDCREEKFM brought to life by aime, twenty7, she/her, mst.
Ⅰ . . . 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚂𝙷𝙴𝙿𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙳 — vikram shah. thirty5. he/him. funeral director.
ⅠⅠ . . . 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙳𝙸𝙶𝚈 — kennedy stuart. twenty8. she/they. journalist/author.
Ⅲ . . . 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙱𝚁𝙾𝙺𝙴𝙽 𝚁𝙴𝙲𝙾𝚁𝙳 — joey harlow. forty4. she/her. owner of redstone bar.
VIKRAM SHAH'S POLICE INTERROGATION
can you state your full name and age , please ?
"vikram shah. thirty five." he replies, voice steady despite the nervous bouncing of knee. it's clear that he is uncomfortable, has his hands resting on top of the interrogation table, his left thumb and index pressing on the valley point of his right hand. a pressure point known to reduce stress and migraines.
are you aware of why you're here today ?
"i'm assuming it's because of the knife right?" he looks between the two officers, frantic eyes hoping for validation. answers. anything. "does it have anything to do with... with the body that was reported?"
when was the last time you saw or spoke to alaina price ?
vikram doesn't like that they answer his question with one of their own but he tries to push past it. tries to focus on giving good answers rather than how clammy his hands suddenly feel. "alaina price?" he frowns. "i don't remember." a pause "please don't look at me like that. i really don't. "
what was your relationship with the victim ?
he looks away. hates feeling like he is under a microscope. his gaze lands on the corner of the table. uninteresting in every way but it's better than meeting the officer's analytical gaze. "i um, didn't have much of one. i don't have any kids so i never needed her services. i would see her around town sometimes but i rarely spoke to her."
were you aware of anyone who would want to hurt the victim ?
"no." he answers firmly, a sigh escaping him as he does. "no. as far as i know, everyone loves her. she is—" was? "—a valuable member of the town."
can you describe your whereabouts on the night of october 31st , 2024 ?
"i was um, out and about with everyone else in town."
is there anyone who can corroborate this ?
"i was with hana for a good portion of the night. before the warehouse shut down. then i spoke to kirby for a bit. made sure she didn't stray too far from the crowd." he closes his eyes then, knee still shaking, trying to recollect who he spoke to. "and in redstone uh, i think the only person who saw me was avery. everyone else was too preoccupied with their own shit." never one to throw around curse words, the profanity feels dirty on his tongue. reminds him of his younger, rougher days.
did you see and or hear anything unusual on the night of october 31st , 2024 ?
"aside from a body being found?" vikram scoffs and for a second it almost sounds like it might turn into a sob. death, he was accustomed to. but murder? "god, i was walking home when i saw azizi... standing over a bloody knife. it was behind the diner, so there wasn't a lot of light there. for a second it almost looked like.. i don't know. like he planted it there." it's all word vomit now, the stress of the situation settling in, heavy against his chest. if the officers exchange a look at that, vikram doesn't notice. hasn't looked back at them yet. "i don't think he did. it just, looked like it. i thought it was a prop at first. even made a joke about how real it looked. azi was the one who suggested we call the cops and so— here we are."
❝𝑌𝘖𝑈 𝐴𝘙𝐸 𝐶𝘙𝑌𝘐𝑁𝘎! 𝑌𝘖𝑈 𝐴𝘙𝐸 𝐴𝘍𝑅𝘈𝐼𝘋 𝘖𝐹 𝑀𝘌! 𝐴𝘕𝐷 𝑌𝘌𝑇 𝐼 𝐴𝘔 𝘕𝑂𝘛 𝘙𝐸𝘈𝐿𝘓𝑌 𝑊𝘐𝐶𝘒𝐸𝘋. 𝐿𝘖𝑉𝘌 𝘔𝐸 𝐴𝘕𝐷 𝑌𝘖𝑈 𝑆𝘏𝐴𝘓𝐿 𝑆𝘌𝐸!❞
( dev patel . cismale . he/him ) . ⸻ VIKRAM SHAH a thirty five year old , has survived another day in red creek where they have lived for most of their life . THE SHEPHERD is known for being loyal and off-putting and is often associated with digging a finger under a tight collar, mornings covered in dew and fog, the clenching and unclenching a fist, a cornered animal snarling both in warning and in yearning. in a small town where they work as the funeral director at red creek cemetery , word travels fast . it’s hard to keep a secret , and it looks like the boogeyman knows that [ REDACTED ].
𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳𝚂 | 𝙼𝚄𝚂𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂 | 𝙼𝙸𝚁𝚁𝙾𝚁 | 𝙴𝙳𝙸𝚃𝚂 | 𝙿𝙻𝙰𝚈𝙻𝙸𝚂𝚃 | 𝙿𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚃
Ⅰ . . . 𝙱𝙰𝚂𝙸𝙲𝚂
full name : vikram shah nicknames : vik age : 35 birthday : november 15th gender : cismale ( he / him ) sexual orientation : demisexual occupation : funeral director at the redcreek cementary fc : dev patel
Ⅱ . . . 𝙵𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙻𝚈
mother : uvrashi shah father : jasprit shah
Ⅲ . . . 𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚃
∗ back in the day, viktor shah was a name that was more whispered than celebrated around the streets of red creek. hushed rumors of a troubled child, a young man with a hot temper and a knack for getting into trouble. ∗ what a shame it was too, that his parents were the sweetest people! jasprit & urvashi shah were nothing if not upstanding citizens. and well, vikram resented them for it. his parents were too busy cultivating their image and keeping the business that they put raising vikram quite low on their priority list. ∗ affection was not something that was commonly found in the shah household. sometimes it felt like they saw vikram more like their personal assistant rather than their child. ∗ as a young man who lacked the space and the ability to express himself, he resorted to acting out instead. smoking, drinking, trespassing, vandalism, all the petty things rambunctious teenagers like to do to raise a ruckus around town. ∗ which was interesting, because vik didn't carry himself with the same type of rowdiness or misconduct that his peers did. ∗ he was shy, soft-spoken, got decent grades -- all the makings of a nice unproblematic kid. there was definitely something else though. an underlying temper that could spring to life in a blink of an eye. one wrong comment could turn a meek smile into a vicious snarl just like that. ∗ it's unclear to everyone what finally got vik to mellow down. maybe something his parents said finally got through to him or maybe he grew tired of being known as the towns 'freak' ∗ regardless, vikram slowly began to phase out his rebellious, wannabe criminal phase during his college years. he graduated, went back home, and eventually took his father's place as the town's funeral director. ∗ vikram is still known around town as a generally polite man. a little quiet, tends to keep to himself, but is more than willing to lend a helping hand around the community. in the morning, he is usually spotted walking downtown holding bouquets of flowers and in the evenings he is known to catch a film at the movie theatre or grab a drink at one of the local bars. ∗ his profession and overall awkward demeanor still makes him a little of a freak to some people but any rumors around him are more made-up tales stirred by the more judgmental folk. stories of him being a necromancer or a witch, snide comments about how he seems more comfortable with dead bodies than live ones. anyone close to vik would tell you that he's a sensitive soul and simply prefers a wallflower lifestyle. ∗ if one were to pay close attention, they would notice that he keeps his knuckles bandaged most days, that he rarely invites people over to his home, the shadow that falls on his face when someone brings up his childhood, and sometimes, a pensive look - like he has something to confess
𝚂𝚄𝙼𝙼𝙰𝚁𝚈 : your local angsty teen grows up to be a soft-spoken, somewhat nervous adult. followed his father's footsteps in becoming a funeral director. living proof that emo is not a trend, it's a lifestyle.
Ⅳ . . . 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙽𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 - all connections are open to any gender unless specified otherwise.
wc pinterest | wc tag
Ⅴ . . . 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚃𝚈
+perceptive+sensitive+loyal -awkward-intense-insecure mbti : ISTP natal chart : ↑ libra, ⊙ scorpio, ☾ scorpio inspired by : the phantom ( phantom of the opera ), evan kelmp ( misfits & magic ), carrie ( carrie )
Imitation of Life (1959) dir. Douglas Sirk
santiago's attempt at levity makes her scoff, and it's only because she got most of her bitching out already that it manages to add a hint of amusement in there. "you're so annoying." and right. when has santiago ever listened to kennedy? how many friends has she warned him against? how many parties did she try to dissuade him from going? how many family dinners did she suggest he attend? kennedy knows that santiago has always been the type to march at the beat of his own drum. maybe she wouldn't get so worked up about it... if it didn't sometimes feel so personal. "i'm glad you didn't get into any trouble." she huffs, "- and that you're okay." she makes her way over to the other side of the couch and settles themselves down there. "i wonder what the fight was about... do you think it was just some drunk dudes pounding their chest at each other?" men are so unserious.
⁑ ❝ okay, but— when have i ever listened ? ❞ santi asks, trying to shift the mood to something lighter. he wants to roll his eyes, but she does have medicine in hand & his head is starting to pound. the wound on the side of his cheek stings, but nothing too bad. santiago huffs and adjusts the frozen bag of peas on his head, holding out his free hand. ❝ i'm alright. at least i didn't get in the fight, right ? ❞
kennedy does one better than closing the door. they lock it. in one sharp motion, unwilling to let anyone get wrapped up in the shit storm that is about to ensue... they turn back to face him, expression a melting pot of emotions— anger, disdain, disgust, and just when it's about to flicker into something more vulnerable... he opens his goddamn mouth. "don't—" they raise a cautionary finger. the smug calmness in his response only serves to stoke the fire burning inside them, their pulse pounding in their throat. "don't act like you have the situation under control. dimwit officers? don't trust the sheriff?" it wasn't that kennedy didn't share the sentiment. they're certain they've made a passing comment about the incompetence of most police departments to ricardo. but in the world of journalism, there were rules to play and pissing off the most reliable source of information had rookie mistake written all over it. "you fucked us. you fucked me." and he doesn't pay her enough for that. "where did you even get this information? why didn't you share this with me? or effie?"
ricardo knew this was going to happen . he's never been an idiot , but he does move fast enough that sometimes it makes people consider he COULD be an idiot . cunning always is worn in a certain way when it comes to him . WHEN HE GOT THE PHOTOS - he did think of kennedy . he thought of them straight away . he knew exactly how they would have looked at the photos in reverence and awe . kennedy would have known exactly the way to deal with it . the best way to write it . the PUNCHIEST statements to click ' enter ' on . ricardo hates to admit that he needs anyone , let alone kennedy . but if she had been in the office with him that morning , things might have turned out differently . ALAS SHE WASN'T . he was as alone as he was born , and like wolves do - he struck as quick as he could . RICARDO CLOSES HIS EYES AS SOON AS HE HEARS KENNEDY ENTER . the rage within her in imminent , it vibrates through the walls of the register . " close the door behind you . " he greets back , pleasantly . he doesn't need to look down at the newspaper to see his own typed words and the photos BLINKING BACK AT HIM . he's spent enough time with them . " you're mad . " he notes .
“am i?” vikram asks, taking a beat too long to process the playfulness in natha's voice. once it does, he offers a breathless chuckle “yeah, i suppose i am. i um, actually stopped by to see if you wanted some extra candy to hand out. i… overindulged.” especially for the number of visitors vikram tends to get. it should be no surprise to anyone that the mayors house would be more popular to bring your kids to than the funeral director's. “oh —this?” he looks down at his costume, which isn’t all too different from his usual attire — a black suit. “one sec,” he frees a hand from the pumpkin shaped bucket of candy bars he’s holding to dig into the pocket of his suit jacket. some shuffling later, he pulls out the only real indicator that this would be a costume — a white half masquerade mask. he quickly puts it on before facing nathan once more. “i’m the phantom… from phantom of the opera? are you a fan of musicals, mayor?” vikram is certain he should know the answer to this but alas, his memory falls short.
𝖫𝖮𝖢𝖠𝖳𝖨𝖮𝖭 : nathan's front door, around 7pm 𝖲𝖳𝖠𝖳𝖴𝖲 : open for anyone
“ aren't you a bit too old to be trick or treating? ” nathan asks, cradling a bowl of candy on his hip as he leans against his cobweb-decorated door. there's no malice in his tone, if anything he's amused, chuckling as he hands them over a few fun-sized chocolate bars. “ and you're supposed to be … ahh? … ” he wonders with a raised brow, gesturing towards their costume.
𝐢 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝐢 𝐀𝐌 !
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