𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄❜𝐒 𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓

WHO: Dusty @drvgonbvnny WHERE: 107.5 BLACK DRAGON PEARL RADIO.

It wasn't unusual for her to work just a little bit later than most at the radio station. While it had been an attempt to incorporate herself into the town and adjust while waiting for her assignment, she actually really enjoyed the work she did. The people she worked for, and under, were part of that. If you asked her, she wouldn't be able to say she cared for them exactly, and in fact she couldn't. They were causalities in her life. Telling people she didn't give a fuck about anyone would mean they'd survive another day and keep them from the truth of it all. Heartless? No, she liked them too much to pull them down with her. Their bullshit and her bullshit were mighty different. So in the end, it really was a never ending nightmare of wanting to love these people and knowing she'd have to leave them one day.

Hearing her stomach growl, she put her headphones down and went in search of food in the break room. She had thought everyone left but she wasn't surprised when she saw Dusty there, hunched over a thing of coffee probably. "You look how I feel but good news is, I think the sound issue is a cord thing. We'll have to get another one." Because let's be honest, between the two of them? They kept every mechanical detail so neat you could graze it with a fine toothed comb and not find an issue. The cord might account for the fact that the last show had a slight cut here and fizzle there. Sometimes, cords just go bad. She would take care of it because Dusty and Sera had a baby to take care of whereas Ziggy could handle waiting for his feeder to go off... but there he was, and Arie wasn't alone once again.

If she was being forced to live in this town as she waited for her order, she was going to at least explore it and have a little fun doing it. Every few days or even weeks, she picked a different spot and hung around it for a while. Today just happened to be the ranch with the bed and breakfast. If you asked her what she thought of it, she'd say... kind of dull, but in again, her definition of beauty was created distorted. It almost made her think of the word quaint; some idea of paradise in the middle of a warfare of wit and cruelty.

She stood there, lips around her cigarette watching the two with a squinting expression as if trying to see something better before Arie gave an innocent smile. "I think I found what I was looking for actually," which seemed flirtatious but the truth was, she was looking for nothing entirely. What the fuck was the reason she was sent to this place of all places? "found a handsome boy too. The horse, I mean." Teasing? Maybe. "Do you, or the ranch, offer lessons? I'd like to ride but it's been a few years." Not for her, not really, but there seemed to be an itch to ride now that she was here, seeing all of the horses.

starter for: open ! ( @anchoragestarters ) cap: (1/4) ! location: prancer's ranch/bed and breakfast spot ! time: later in the morning !

The ranch hand held the lead rope with the smallest sense of annoyance, the stallion beside him following obediently as the horse's tail swished back and forth behind his rider. The pair had grown rather attached due to the overall needs the ranch required. He took the leadrope and tied a quick undoing knot against the post, his hum escaping as he carefully took the bridle off of his shoulder. Dakota turned his head and soon felt a snort escape as the stallion made eye contact with him, almost curious yet almost as annoyed as him for being forced to work.

"We've literally been doing this for three years now, we can be annoyed when I wash you and get you fed." He spoke in a tone, acting as if the beast who carried him gave a damn as he walked forward. His hands soon held the bit as he carefully pushed it into the stallion's mouth, giving a pat on the neck as he fully moved the bridle over his ears before grasping and tightening the throat latch. His finger soon sticking underneath to ensure it wasn't too tight, but not loose enough either so it doesn't disappear while riding ... again.

"I know I know, it's annoying." He mumbled as he heard the snorts, soon moving and loosely throwing the reins on the side of the saddle horn closest to the seat. He then patted around, almost groaning in annoyance realizing he didn't have any of his important list of things he needed for the ranch with him. "Motherfucker..." He then moved and undid the lead rope, soon sticking his foot into the stirrup as mounted and clicked his tongue, the stallion snorting as he moved into a quickened canter feeling the added touch of his rider's heel.

The annoyance on the cowboy's face staying present as he arrived to the bed and breakfast, almost perking up a brow as his eyes met with someone. "May I help you find something or have you never seen a cowboy before and want to take in the view?" He teased, soon hopping down from the saddle as he moved the reins over the stallion's head and held them in his gloved hands. He awaited the answer, soon tying the reins to the tying post added in for the staff.

KEKE PALMER as EMERALD HAYWOOD  NOPE (2022) dir. by Jordan Peele

She was, important to her, yes, but not in the sense that the other might realize. It was drilled into her head, more less violently, that she should avoid the past. It would help diminish any hope that those who loved her mirrored appearance and not just that, but any questions of memories that may or may not of been her own. "You are," Arie mumbled, eyes flickering to look anywhere else than the woman who looked at her as if she held the key for not world peace, but a peace of mind for the woman herself. WHY HAD THEY SENT HER HERE OF ALL PLACES? The only answer that registered in her mind was unfathomable. It only followed with another that seemed less but still concerning never the less. Destroy the part of her that wasn't her, or destroy the part that was. She was able to adapt easily; she could very well become Aretha Hatzi. Was that the goal? Or the opposite... Her head swam.

Her fingers itched to type. Her legs shook with the need to flee. "Before then... All I could remember was Arie," But Aretha, it seemed, came later. "Sometimes, I think, I saw you when I dreamt but I never knew what it meant." It came out choked and true, even if she only learned later on. This was her other half, whether she willingly stole it or not. "I'm sorry I didn't remember completely."

Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck ! They were going to blame this on her if it weren't some fucked up way of telling her what she wouldn't admit. There wasn't some small possibility in the void of existence that told her this was a good thing, much less unplanned thing. "I'm not much of a joker these days," came in a serious voice, which is more or less of a lie. There were only some she was close to in a town like this, listed under her broadcast engineering job as Aretha ... something. Hatzi would've been too on the nose. It didn't matter. They weren't names she grew attached to much less cared for. Hashtag, although given by the Dead Idol, was her chosen nickname. In some ways, it was a safety blanket at the end of the day. She liked Rita though, given to her by her boss. Meow, by Ziggy, that sounded peculiarly like MOM. "You know my name." Her voice is soft. Distant almost. As if she's searching memories, no matter how pretensive it was. "You're ---... You're important to me, right?" Or rather were, once upon a time, as if she hadn't suddenly thought to pretend I DON'T REMEMBER YOU. What else could she do?

"Did we know each other before the Daniels adopted me?" Random name, but hey, she couldn't very well call herself Aretha Hatzi. Someone might notice and not keep the assumption that the woman wasn't missing or declared dead after being missing for so long. "Or the Scaredy Cat? It was probably the Scaredy Cat."

Emerald Haywood + outfits

WITH: Suraj @b4rredteeth WHERE: Scaredy Cat

She'd been there a couple of times since arriving in Anchorage -- not enough to be a regular, no, but enough to recognize some faces that might be. On this particular night she found familiarity in a face from somewhere else that she couldn't quite place. Had they spoken before? She couldn't remember but maybe that was the Tequila talking as she leaned closer just to be able to hear what they'd say in response, asking, "You're familiar? Now why's that?" Flirty, yes, also a side effect of the Tequila but also because she didn't find it too difficult to find something attractive about someone, no matter the gender, and whoo, there was something attractive about them in this moment she couldn't put her finger on.

sometimes i fantasize that someone misses me

"Oh," came out softly, lips pursing in a sort of thoughtful way. "is it a kind of smash the windows out of someone's car or worse? Because let me know, I got a bat." Was she kidding? Maybe, maybe not. The good thing was the fact that she wasn't judging, or maybe it was weird that she wasn't. Who knows? Social situations weren't her favorite thing. She preferred the company of a computer to most; besides the lucky few she actually liked. "You are totally right about that. I just can't get over the fact that people are VAGUELY familiar to me." That's not the entire accurate explanation as to why certain people seemed to vibrate at certain wavelengths in her vision but she didn't explain it. "Doom Woe sounds pretty badass if you ask me. Someone should get on that." What would his superpower be? In her luck, it would just be a slightly mysteriously annoying figure, but wouldn't it be fun if a TV show could warp to the individual viewer? "You wouldn't know my voice. I'm the broadcast engineer so I'm behind the scenes, just like I like it. Dusty and Sera needed someone to step in when little Crash was born, so when they let me, I keep things running smoothly." Learning that he was a vet sparked something in her, so she curiously asked, "You're a vet huh? Got any cats needing a home by chance?" Sure, there were shelters, but Arie also knew some vets kept pets who needed medical help with them while looking for homes, if possible.

“Ooh, well, this is a special situation,” Matevos said, though he’d be lying if he said it was the first time. He’d had special situations before. “A friend of mine is in a very terrible predicament and I can’t do anything to help her,” he said, with a sigh. “Anchorage you mean?” He asked, a tired grin replacing his worried expression. “You wouldn’t be wrong, but such a fun place as well.” He looked confused at the response and shook his head. “Doom Woe? Is that a tv character or something?” He lay the British accent on thick, just to make sure he wasn’t missing something as a Brit. “Matevos, though Doom would be a much cooler name. What do you do at the radio station? Presentor? Maybe I should know your voice, we have the radio on constantly in the waiting room of my practice. I’m a vet.”