D A Y 0 4

[founds]

CHAPTER 2

Nov 3rd | 63℉☁

▸ Due to last night's storms, a quarter of Blackwell is still without power. It seems a tree has fallen on a power line, which will be promptly inspected by BWI and fixed ASAP.

▸ The worst of that storm is now over, thank god. Weather reports cloudy days from here on out.

▸ Fairweather and Winters kids are still missing. Local authorities and volunteers are resuming their search in the immediate area. Please, if you have the time, go join the cause.

▸ In a sad turn of events, the remains of Kara Samson have been returned to the family not a week ago. Details surrounding her disappearance and cause of death have not yet been released.

▸ Rumors say that the county morgue outside of Elkins was broken into early this morning, but officials decline to comment on the matter.

▸ Today's news radio is brought to you by Black Lodge Bar! Head on down to Black Lodge for their all day Monday happy hour!

▸ And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

THE RISING IS NOT IN EFFECT

Comments

[inheritable]

[scrunches up her face and moves up a little when dad bops her with the menus. she's not a kid anymore, dad, she's sixteen.]

No, I've got a pretty clear schedule for the rest of the day.

[dryly, with a hint of that embarrassment from before. school'd be over by the time she made it back even if she did try to head back to elkins now.]

[embroil]

[ oh, that's right. his bad. he finally detaches his arm from her shoulder and crosses them on the table, watching her. ] Good, I'll be needing your expertise on the subject.

[ a smile and then it's gone, but not in an unpleasant matter. just a Dad manner. ]

So, what's this about the Moran kid? [ dad talk n#2 ]

[inheritable]

[she'd just been preparing something snappy about her interior design skills when dad gives her his patented "gonna change the subject on a dime to something you're not gonna like" look. it's a very familiar look, and she braces for it by starting to pick at the pleather edges of the menu folders. the question, when it comes, isn't what she expected, and she glances back up in surprise.]

Moran kid? Colby? What about him?

[embroil]

You shouldn't be walking around with him. [ he's a freak and i don't like the way he looks at you also he killed his last girlfriend so you're not allowed ]

[inheritable]

[sits up straight and leans back a bit so she can stare at her father a little more clearly.]

Are you serious? I've hung out with him, like, once, and that was just today. What's wrong with Colby anyway?

[she knows what people think is wrong with colby, she just wants to make sure the argument that's about to happen is accurately rebutted.]

[embroil]

[ does that dad face. don't u contradict me, young lady. ]

Hailey. [ very Strict tone. we're not having an argument. ] I don't want you hanging out with that sort of kid. [ the freak kind. no. ]

[inheritable]

What sort of kid is Colby supposed to be?

[plenty of people think hailey's a weird kid, and probably plenty more think it after this morning than did the day before.]

And who is it okay for me to hang out with? Most of my friends were her friends.

[embroil]

The kind that gets you in trouble. [ hailey your dadda spent years as an extortionist he knows very well how to convince people into giving in. not that he would threaten her ever but he can be very imposing without trying too hard

then he leans in very closely, but dad-threatening not gangsta-threatening ]

And aren't you still friends with them?

[inheritable]

[the thing about being your father's daughter is that you're kind of immune to his intimidation attempts.

still.

crosses her arms over chest and shrugs down at her menu.]

I don't know. Some of them posted on my wall but nobody's said anything to me in person. None of them even texted me.

[embroil]

[ don't make him rev it up to one hundred. but his intimidation is replaced with some confusion because she's talking about wall posting and papa and the internet aren't really friends. ]

They probably don't know what to say. [ but they're not colby so it's Better ] You should call them. Have a little slumber party.

[ or whatever kids do these days ]

[inheritable]

[yeah she knows. thank god for that much. unfortunately, uncle ben follows her every move online, and she's pretty sure if she did anything worth reporting to her dad, he'd report it to her dad. not that she does anything worth reporting. yet.]

I haven't had a slumber party since I was five.

[and it was just her and bela. no, wait, there was this other girl from their class but hailey doesn't remember her name.]

[embroil]

I'll let you throw one when we get a new place.

[ ruffles her hair in the way he knows it annoys her because daaad i'm sixteen!, which is mostly why he does it. ]

[inheritable]

Dad.

[now she has to pull the tie out of her hair and re-do her ponytail. she's not actually upset about it, though. this is what dads do. this is a sign of dadliness and therefore acceptable.]

Got any thrilling tales from the night watch this week?

[it's funny because nothing happens.]

[embroil]

[ he shrugs ]

A tree fell on the wires, caused a massive blackout. [ he knows she doesn't read the newspaper or listens to the news in general because teenagers never do. to be fair, he doesn't either, only listens to it on the radio in his car ] Nobody was hurt.

[inheritable]

Oh yeah, I heard about that.

[well, she heard about the blackout. it didn't really register to her because it was in blackwell and because nothing was really registering to her, but it was like. everyone's statuses and ben was complaining about it nonstop.]

I guess I didn't realize it was at the dam. Everyone's okay though?

[embroil]

I think Karl nearly shat his pants, but other than that, everyone is okay, at least from what I heard. I wasn't there at the time. Night shift was as dark as ever.

[ smiles and gives her a shrug, leaning back slightly when Clara brings their drinks and food. he gives her a thank you nod and then grabs a slice of his pizza ]

[inheritable]

[reaches across dad to grab her shake. pizza can wait a minute. especially here. it's always been a little too heavy for her, but dad seems to like it so it's fine.]

Glad everyone's okay. I guess they still haven't fixed everything, though, since I heard some places are still out. You work again tonight?

[embroil]

[ they make it almost like they back it in chicago. not as good. he needs to take hailey there sometime. show her where he grew up. ]

Day off. We have time to see any houses you want to see. [ and take your mind off freak boys. he'll take her opinion into consideration as long as the rent isn't going to make his pockets suddenly be a lint-filled void. ]