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

[tralineate]

Yeah? That's too bad, I always like it when a cute girl says I'm pretty.

[ nicola has long since cared to hide her sexuality. she's come to terms with it since she was a teenager and her only regret is not telling her family sooner. it might not be the brightest idea to be so open about it when in a small town in west virginia, but it's not like she goes around announcing that she's gay. she just can't be arsed to pretend or make a big deal out of it.

besides, she knows it can be Uncomfortable to accidentally slip up, she had that phase too and she won't make a big deal out if it now, that's for sure, as she continues to walk as if had said the sky is blue or grass is green ]

You work here? Not here, here, here as in Blackwell.

[singlestrand]

[ and now she was reading signals wrong. isabella groaned softly, shifting the basket on her arm. it wasn't that she was hiding her sexuality, but coming from NYC where she had zero fears and no worry of extreme judgement, returning to blackwell reminded her of it's many, many problems.

but whatever. nicola thought she was cute. that's a good sign, right? ]

Uh, yeah. At Chew a few blocks over. My dad owns it. [ and her step-mother, but she doesn't matter. ] I'm a waitress. Not as exciting as putting out fires, let me tell you.

[tralineate]

[ good sign. ]

Oh, I think I heard some guys at work talk about that place. [ it's a well known restaurant around blackwell, from what she gathered, so she feels weirdly proud to be able to know something. not that it's a big place so she should know the more famous spots here and there ]

You guys serve these, uh-- [ she frowns, trying to recall ] some kinda stuffed peppers?

[singlestrand]

With beef or chicken. They're probably one of our best sellers so the chef won't listen to any of my suggestions on spices because they're good enough. [ there's an eyeroll there. she's definitely recalling a few past conversations just now. ]

You should come by. I don't say this a lot but the food is actually pretty good. It's better than going to Red Robin, anyway. [ isabella laughs, stopping for a second to shove a bag of marshmallows in her already too-full basket. that's it. that's all she can get. nothing else will fit. ]

[tralineate]

[ she purses her lips and closes an eye, pulling one of them cute selfie faces. ] But you're biased. [ her tone, however, clearly makes it sound like she's joking and she straightens up again, walking to the cashier once isabella fills her terrible choices quota over there in her basket ]

Is that the competition? [ not that she cares much, she's just making conversation as she waits in line, turning around so she can face izzy ]

I'm probably coming over sooner or later; the guys were talking about dragging me there before drinks. What do you recommend?

[singlestrand]

[ this line is exciting. she's a little bummed out that nicola turned around, let's be honest. the view from behind was almost as great as the view from the front. she's letting her gay pour out a little, partially because the only interest she's gotten since she's been back in blackwell was ben. and it wasn't good enough. and after last night, there needs to be some other woman crossing her mind that isn't noah. she's going to try her hardest to make that happen. ]

There really isn't any competition. Everything else around is a chain, so Chew wins hands down every time. [ isabella smiles at her. it's good she'd come by the restaurant. it means she won't have to set a kitchen fire to get to see her again. ] The steak fajitas are pretty good. My favorite on the menu. It was their attempt to try to do fancy Mexican-- it was the only thing on that menu that stuck around.

[ she tucks some hair behind her ear. ] If you do go by, ask for Izzy. I'd be able to give you more recommendations then.

[tralineate]

[ please don't set the kitchen on fire, isabella. just ask for her number and text her like a normal person. ]

Is that so? [ she smiles at her marketing skills. she's selling it pretty good so she just feels compelled to go along anyway. she's easy to coerce, a bit of a doormat and all. ] I'll remember it.

[ she nods at her name with a grin, always very friendly ]

Nicola. It's nice to meet you, Izzy.

[singlestrand]

I'm sure you'll love them.

[ she's not suave today. the number will have to come later when she's feeling more up to flirting, although her comment earlier was good enough. she guesses. a start. ]

It's nice to meet you too. [ isabella shakes her basket a little. ] Try not to remember me like this. Pretend I just got wine and chocolate.

[tralineate]

Nah, I like this image. [ it's not really flirtatious even if it could be interpreted that way; she's just being friendly and encouraging. ] Can't say I'm much of a winer, but give me a coldie and I'll be happy.

[ she sets her stuff on the rolling carpet and digs out her dinky wallet ]

So what do you do for fun around here? Besides Netflix.

[singlestrand]

Well, my life right now usually just consists of hanging out with my friend Sophie. [ who hates me right now. ] Otherwise it's just barhopping and the occasional club. I guess that's fun, right? [ she shrugs her shoulders, leaning against the little conveyor belt platform. her accent is so amazing. keep talking to me, nicola. ]

Sometimes I like to try to convince some people to go bowling with me, too. Bowlings fun, right? We have this like bowling alley that does midnight runs with glow-in-the-dark pins. It's great.

[tralineate]

Too right! [ on barhopping and clubbing she can agree. it's a wonderful vehicle for her self-destructiveness and escapist nature. drinking and popping pills, what ever could be wrong with that? but it's a step further than she's comfortable in saying so she keeps her mouth shut about that and just agrees with the general sentiment of fun.

except on the bowling. she scrunches up her nose a little ]

Really?

[singlestrand]

Okay, I'm making a mental note to never ask you to come bowling with me. [ a shame. she needs more bowling buddies. one day she's going to get enough people to get some cool bowling jackets. one day. she won't ever admit this, though. it's like her private shame. ]

Did I just lose cool points?

[tralineate]

[ she laughs at that, pretty delighted at the honesty. she pays the cashier and holds her hand out for the change, putting it back in her wallet. she doesn't get the paper bag either because she's going to eat it right away, so there's no need.

she's very conscious about the environment. ]

No, don't worry. I'm just a more, uh, extreme kind of chick. Do you guys snowboard or mountain climb around here?

[singlestrand]

[ isabella flips her basket over and lets all her items fall onto the conveyor belt. have fun with that, cashier. she pries herself away from his judging eyes to look back over at nicola. ]

Not in Blackwell specifically. You have to go out a ways for enough snow for that, but there are plenty of trips that take you out climbin'. [ we are in the mountains, so that would. make sense. ] So you like the kind of thing that can end you up in the hospital.

[tralineate]

[ stares at the flipping of the basket and looks at isabella with a little smile. rascal. but she's listening to her instead of caring about her chaotic shopping, nodding along her words before grinning. ]

I reckon I do. [ she shrugs and opens her bag of chips, pulling out one in her mouth ] What can I say? I like my adrenaline.

[singlestrand]

I'm sure you'll find plenty of things to occupy yourself with here, then.

[ basically you won't. welcome to middle of nowhere, west virginia. where there's a bowling alley and a gay club in a creepy basement but otherwise you need to drive your ass elsewhere to get your kicks. isabella is too out of sorts to even think of anything fun and exciting outside of her netflix binge that is about to happen, but she knows that when she's back on top of things she'll be able to come up with a list. wasn't she supposed to be the dangerous one? this firefighter was one upping her. she suddenly felt incredibly lame. what happened to her life. ]

Do you like caving? That's actually something I do know well. [ a pause. ] There's also a spooky "haunted" town nearby. Maybe that's your thing, too.

[tralineate]

[ don't worry, she's crafty. she can always find something to have fun. she's definitely going to miss surfing, but it's a small price to pay to hide away from gangs that might want her dead or worse. ]

Caving? I can't say I've ever done it. Maybe you could show me sometime. [ she says, absent-minded, as she puts another chip in her mouth and chews. she waits for isabella to pick up her stuff before heading out. ] Spooky thingos aren't really my bowl of rice. Not much of a ghost buster type of person.

[ she can see the appeal in this type of place, small and with not much to do, so she figures they have to make up urban myths or whatever to keep the kids entertained and tourists coming, but the paranormal never interested her. ]

[singlestrand]

[ yeah, no gang activity in boring west virginia. nooo. ]

Oh, I'd love to. It's been a few years, I've been meaning to get back into it. [ it's almost as hard to convince people to bowl as it is to cave. with all the hiking, climbing, and sliding into small spaces and all.

she takes her bags of groceries (in plastic bags! she's not so environment conscious) and returns the basket to it's proper place before turning to nicola and beginning to head out. ]

I never really got into the spooky thing either. Just seems silly.