D A Y 0 8

[founds]

CHAPTER 2

NOV 7TH | 54℉☀(windy)

▸ Parka up for a cold an--*CHSKSSS--*- windy day in Blackwell folks! I sure do hope--*CHSKSSS--*-search team down at the lake won't--*CHSKSSS--*---*CHSSK--*-trouble out on the waters. Professional divers have been going in since dawn, let's give it up for the professional --*CHSKSSS--*-!!

▸ Old Lady Petunia has paid me to say DO NOT SEEK OUT THE ANGELS--*CHSKSSKK--SK--SSSH--*- In fact, there are no such thing as angels. See how easy that was? No angels, no problem.

▸ And now back to our --*CHSKSSS--*-regularly scheduled programming.

THE RISING IS NOT IN EFFECT

Comments

[eternalboy]

[ reaches his hand to take the five. it's yours. ]

If this is your room, I'm sorry for the mess.

[ he was supposed to hand back the keys two hours ago. ]

[tralineate]

[ smiles and nods a thanks, sticking the comic book under her arm. there we go. she shakes her head and looks around the said mess ]

Not mine, I live in Elkins. [ shrugs and makes a vague gesture over the boxes and chaos ] Moving out?

[eternalboy]

Yeah, I found a place in Blackwell.

[ won't say it's permanent thought because. who knows. ]

[ picks up a paperback that fell off the box. ]

I used to live in Elkins when I was little though. Can't say a bad thing about it.

[tralineate]

[ she won't ask either because she's about the same; she hops around a lot because she's such an escapist. maybe this time she'll stay a little while longer, maybe not, who knows? it's been good so far. by so far i mean these past three days. but the second day was great. mmhmm. ]

Yeah? I've noticed people like it here, generally speaking. [ she holds out a hand ] Nicola Oxley. Just transferred over to the Fire Department.

[eternalboy]

Ben Vaughn, MPU.

[ puts the book under his arm and shakes her hand. ]

You might have met one of my siblings already. They're all over the place.

[tralineate]

Oh, Mr. Officer. [ her eyebrows arch comically and she laughs a little, in good, friendly humour. she puts the hand back in her pocket and shakes her head at his words ]

Can't say I have. Unless they're firefighters? [ or go to underground gay bars ]

[eternalboy]

[ everyone but Trent does. ]

One of them might very well be. For all I know I might not even have met them all yet.

But that's not to say they weren't bigger families around.

[tralineate]

[ laughs a little because wow you don't know? damn boy. ]

I bet. Small towns, right? [ she points to the boxes ] You need help with those?

[eternalboy]

[ today's like a gift that keeps giving. smiles brightly at her. ]

Firefighters have strong arms, right? [ looks like he's trying to estimate her strength and consider the offer. ] If we get them downstairs before 3pm I'll buy you a drink.

[tralineate]

[ she mocks flexes lazily with an amused smile and rolls the comic book, shoving it in her pocket. she might look kind of thin but she is pretty strong, yeah ]

How about you let me go through some more of your comic books instead? [ she crouches to pick up the box and picks it up ] Lead the way, officer.

[eternalboy]

So you are into Storage Wars after all.

[ picks up a box too and starts heading down the hallway. there's more empty boxes inside but loading them won't take too long. ]

If you're not moving and there's no fire... you didn't come here to check out the murder scene, did you?

[tralineate]

[ she snorts ] No, mate, I've told you, I like comic books. [ she doesn't watch that much tv either.

she makes a wtf face at him and winces, shaking her head ] What? No! I was told to go around town, get to know a bit more of it. Get familiar with the terrain. [ she leans her head forward to him and squints slightly ] What murder?

[eternalboy]

Yeah, I thought that would be pretty morbid.

[ holds the box to the side so he can press the elevator summon button with his elbow. ]

A kid died here on Halloween.

[tralineate]

Oh, Christ. [ this conversation took a turn for the worst. and he said murder scene on top of that, so it's not a kid died. a kid was murdered. jesus she just wanted a dinky small town where nothing happened. ]

That's awful. Poor kiddo.

[eternalboy]

[ you chose the wrong town. western music plays. ]

[ no it's just elevator music as the doors open. ]

Sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up.

[tralineate]

No, it's fine, I just wasn't expecting it. [ sucks her lips in awkwardly and waits for the elevator, then walks in, leaning against the wall ]

How long have you been a copper? You don't really have the face for it, anyone ever tell you that?

[eternalboy]

My face? Many have expressed fondness for it.

[ he'll always take these kinds of comments as compliments. follows her into the elevator. ]

And the word's detective, not copper.

[tralineate]

[ it wasn't said with malicious intent though, more like a half-true half-joke deal, so she smiles at how well he takes it. she shrugs at him when he corrects her ]

Sorry about the blue, then. [ tilts her chin at him. come on answer the question, detective ]

[eternalboy]

I'm a newcomer here like you. Only been working here for two weeks.

[ who cares when he started. the main thing is he's here now. ]

Can't say it's been boring.

[tralineate]

Missing people and a kid died. Too right I chose the wrong town. [ but it's in the middle of assfuck nowhere so it's safe for her to be here. no gangs coming after her. hopefully. ]

But you worked in Elkins before?

[eternalboy]

Lived there. As a kid.

Before I came here I stayed in Chicago. Most of my family's already here, like I said.

[ watches the numbers drop. he'd rather not discuss work anymore. it's his day off!! guys! ]

Whose house did you watch burn to ground for them to have sent you here? Or was it your own idea?

[tralineate]

[ she literally just met him and the only thing she knows about him is his work so of course she's going to try out with the work

woooowww rude. she arches an eyebrow at him. that's possibly one of the worst things you can say to a firefighter?? wtf man. but she doesn't hold on to it because she's the furthest from confrontational ]

My idea. I wanted to go somewhere quieter than a big city.

[eternalboy]

[ doesn't even realize what he said might have offended her. it was a joke. ]

Oh you've come to the right place.

... Although Lost Lake is even quieter, I bet.

[tralineate]

Isn't that the abandoned place beyond the lake?

[ she might have heard it once or twice but she has no idea what it actually is or its history; abandoned places never interested her anyway. too quiet, not enough to do ]

[eternalboy]

A real ghost town.

[ glances at her. ]

Not your thing?