an unfortunate situation. griffin thinks that's a bit of an understatement, but he can tell from the look on his dad's face that he isn't necessarily in the greatest headspace. neither is griffin, to be fair. neither is most of the town, probably. he lets out a breath, nodding at his dad, "it's... it doesn't really feel real, y'know?" and he knows it's still fresh and there aren't a lot of details, but it's so surreal.
he's a little bit terrified and a lot worried about his family and the people he cares about. he wants nathan to tell him that everything is going to be fine, but griffin knows he can't, he knows that's an impossible ask. with everything that's been going on? he can't see a future where things get better, just maybe less terrifying. because even if he survives this, if everyone he loves survives this, nothing will ever be the same. "i don't work today, so... yeah, yeah, i'll be home. i'll stay home." griffin nods. he swallows hard, tugging on the sleeves of his sweatshirt as he stares at his dad. "dad..." he hesitates a moment, feeling a little bit stupid at what he's considering asking, once again that same seven-year-old instinct washing over him, his cheeks go pink with embarrassment, "can i hug you?"
〔 🦂 〕 … 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳, nathan looks griffin in the eyes, hopes the presence of his youngest son could help pull himself together but the forlorn look on his face is almost enough to break him. his heart is caught in his throat, trapped between the scream trying to claw its way out of him and all the secrets he cannot dare to say. the answer is so simple — she was murdered — and yet he can't bring himself to say it out loud. never in his life has he felt so powerless, drained of all the confidence that typically came to him like second nature. it used to be so easy answering all of griffin's questions, but not he doesn't even know what to say. “ an unfortunate situation, that's what. ” but it's more than that, and he knows it. it's an act of violence, it's a warning. kirby's death was likely not a stroke of bad luck if whoever killed her is trying to put the blame on him. the only thing nathan doesn't know is why. he heaves a heavy sigh. “ would it be be too much to ask you to stay home today? i can't — i — ” i can't risk losing you too. “ i don't think it's safe to be outside right now. ”
// ( spike fearn . cis man . he/him ) . ⸻ griffin talbot , a twenty-one year old , has survived another day in red creek where they have lived for his whole life . the introvert is known for being attentive and timid and is often associated with notes scribbled in margins, not speaking unless spoken to, long walks with no destination . in a small town where they work as a cashier at red creek pharmacy word travels fast . it’s hard to keep a secret , and it looks like the boogeyman knows that redacted .
STATS
full name: griffin douglas talbot hometown: red creek, mi sexuality: bisexual birthday: june 30 zodiac: cancer sun, cancer moon, capricorn rising height: 5’9” languages spoken: english, some spanish marital status: single children: none traits: attentive, imaginative, independent, timid, oversensitive, evasive
BACKGROUND tw drowning mention, anxiety
the youngest of the talbot clan, griffin knew from a young age that his family was a Big Deal
when he was little he liked the attention, he was a rambunctious and loud child, always running around trying to keep up with his older siblings
this changed when he was 9; that summer, he was playing in a creek with some friends, he fell into a deep drop off and in a freak accident his foot got stuck in a sunken log and he was trapped beneath the surface for too long
his friends eventually freed him but he had lost consciousness and was rushed to the local hospital
he lived obvi, but the event left him traumatized and embarrassed and anxious all the time
he started to withdraw, wracked with fear and anxiety, to this day he has pretty horrible social anxiety and is afraid to go near water
he exceeded all expectations in school though, getting great grades and eventually getting into every college he applied to, including his dad’s alma mater, princeton
but he decided to stay local, commuting to school from red creek
he’s in school to become a pharmacist which is why he works at the pharmacy part-time; he isn’t exactly passionate about pharmacology (he’ll happily collect those nice checks someday though)
PERSONALITY & FUN FACTS
painfully shy, social anxiety beating his ass daily
much prefers to spend time alone or with very few close people
reads a lot (likes horror, thriller, mysteries, but HATES true crime), plays videos games (idk which ones, i don’t go there), watches a lot of movies (letterboxd top four: star wars episode i, wallace and gromit (were-rabbit ofc), the parent trap, snakes on a plane)
really into herpetology as a hobby and has a lizard, bearded dragon named wallace, and a snake, rainbow boa named gromit
always has a plastic baggy of yellow starburst on him (he only really likes the yellow ones but will eat a different flavor if it’s offered by someone else)
has so many pairs of socks that he just keeps them in a large cardboard box in the corner of his closet
has never been in a relationship, is incredibly scared to do so and would not know where to begin
but definitely has a number of crushes and a tier system for them
writes shitty poetry and short stories for fun in a notebook he always carries around with his starburst baggy
in typical baby brother fashion, thinks his older siblings are the coolest people alive
a really good listener, he is observant and notices everything, so even though he’s probably not talking a lot he’s absorbing everything you’re saying
hates the prominence of his family name these days, would rather live anonymously as some local nobody than be in the spotlight
has had problems w insomnia since the incident at the creek, but he’s kinda okay with it bc more time to read and fall down a wikipedia hole or just go on a long ambling walk to nowhere
big into tea, never drinks coffee
sweet and very sensitive, like okay water sign
incredibly caring towards those he loves
character inspo: jughead (riverdale), fez (that 70s show), ferb (really a ferb sun, baljeet moon) (phineas and ferb), quentin (the magicians), marcus (the bear)
"i'm a mess?" shreya scoffed at her coworker/friend?/whatever the fuck that one summer was, dirty shirley clutched in her hand as she advanced toward him, "look in the mirror, dude. even on my worst day, i'm beautiful. ask anyone." she flashed a smile. she was teasing (mostly). "i don't even know how to play poker and i don't plan on ever learning, so we're safe." she was fine with knowing go fish and a number of drinking games — seemed more necessary. "plus, you shouldn't call me a mess after your headline this morning," she joked, poking bash in the ribs playfully as she deadpanned, "you're lucky i spent the morning processing and reflecting on the tragic events our town has been plunged into and not stationed at my desk, typing away like that cat who plays piano."
LOCATION: REDSTONE BAR TIME: LATE NIGHT STATUS: OPEN STARTER
WORDS PAINTED ON THE HEADLINE always tended to be main goal at the register. bash; however, prided himself on an immersive story that held facts. unfortunately, the only facts seemed to be everyone knew fucking nothing. still, the entire day had escaped sebastian as vision went blurry once hues grazed upon the same words over, over, and over again . . . there was nothing to be proud of with the article and quite frankly, he planned to erase any association to the scattered theories by having one, two, five drinks. it didn't help that since the notice of another local dead, pressure only skyrocketed for the next leak. after all, you're only as good as your next story.
attention whipped to another as they somehow caught his attention enough to lower the glass from his cracked lips. it would have been difficult to hold back the smirk peering on his lips if he gave a fuck enough to try to hide it. ❝ well aren't you a fuckin' mess , ❞ he blurted out the honesty as he took in the other's appearance. ❝ what ? you can't actually be trying to hide it . if so , definitely don't part-take in poker any time soon , ❞
besides being a lifelong part of the town, shreya's gone to the memorial to cover it for the paper. she expected it would mostly be a puff piece with some in memoriam type parts to balance it, make it a respectful piece. but as soon as the veil drops, there's a gasp, and suddenly the piece isn't an article commemorating the town's losses. it's replaced with something darker, something hard to read and something even harder to write. "what the hell?" she murmurs, wide eyes flicking over the extra names, the names of people she knows, some of people she cares deeply about. when alara grabs her hand, shreya glances over, the realization that alara's own family is represented on the new list washing over her. "fuck. i... do you want to get out of here?" is what she asks, empathy bowling over the journalist inside of her.
LOCATION : the candlelit memorial , sometime around 5pm . open to everyone .
there was something so surreal about the things that were happening in red creek , for the first time the thoughts touching her in more than just a passing way . when she was younger , she had been so idealistic , protected by her parents and looking forwards to life . she thought now that maybe her eyes were opening little by little to what was really going on and how those losses must feel , empathetic heart bleeding more and more for those left behind . she isn't there for personal mourning but to think about the lives that have been lost , to consider the hole they left in the world and all their lives . then , the veil is pulled back and there's more writing than she remembers , a second for her brain to catch up to the foreign thing that is taking place ... she doesn't make a noise as others seem to have some kind of reaction . blink once . instinctually , she reaches out and grabs onto the hand of the person standing beside her , having came alone , separated initially from anyone . it is almost a knee jerk reaction but she doesn't let go , least of all trying to comprehend the presence of her sisters name . not a word spoken . fight , flight ... freeze .
"yeah, if you're a masochist who wants to get your heart broken, a mess is alluring." and she had plenty experience with that sort of attraction unfortunately, but it always made for a good story and isn't that what really mattered at the end of the day? "alright, alright, relax, i'm just giving you shit. the article was fine, bash. not a lot you can fucking do in this sort of situation." shreya shrugged before taking a long drink of her dirty shirley. she stirred the straw around, tilting her head to the side and humming, "i mean, i'm glad i didn't have to write it." she'd rather stick to the not highly publicized stuff. she was, of course, a self-proclaimed personality hire.
THE SMOOTH BUZZ WAS a lazy attempt to rid of any frustrations vibrating within his body. the whole town felt on edge, ready to fall at the slightest drop of a pin. he shrugged at shreya's rebuttal nonchalantly. ❝ never mentioned beauty , some people would argue even messes can be alluring , ❞ he meant that truly, even if it wasn't relevant for the woman side him. what were humans if not all poetically broken? still, the dig at the headline caused his lighthearted mannerisms to tighten. it wasn't something he was particularly proud of, which was unfortunate considering he was rather protective over his work. but news came out, deadlines were due, the opportunity was painted in red that now stained his hands. ❝ right , like i had a fucking choice . ' hey bennett , can i take the day off to mourn this latest tragdy ? ' ' yeah , let's just shut down the register for the day . ' that sounds practical . ❞ he mused with irritation, rolling his eyes in irritability as he downed his drink in response.
the pinch grabs his attention and he glances over, eyes meeting piper's for just a split second before she heads off. without words he knows and he follows. just like he has since he was a kid, followed behind his older siblings. anywhere. off a cliff if that's what piper told him was cool. "you okay?" griffin asks as they get outside, pulling at the sleeves of his too-short jacket. it's a dumb question because he knows nothing is okay and he felt that same way she did in there, the grief and sadness weighing on everyone, making it hard to even think straight. "some of the flowers in there are dying already. they should've caught that. the bereavement committee people or whatever."
🗝️ dedicated to griffin talbot / @chappcdlips . 📍 redemption chappell ( kirby's funeral service ) .
the one place that should feel safe merely laces piper's very bones with discomfort. the emotions of funeral attendees loom over their heads; a cloud of gloom that is almost palpable, a fog so heavy that it suffocates— she stands suddenly. there are surely only minutes to spare before a sermon begins & being here feels impossible. fingers pinch at the fabric of griffin's shirt, then withdraw like she's been scorched. it's irresponsible to pull him away from their family mourning, but it's also a silent plea— walk out with me. don't make me leave alone. she blinks down at him, then spins on her heel.
cyrus & griffin & shreya written by ef for redcreekfm
cyrus- about griffin- about shreya- about