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]

[ good because she's marked down as a friend in his books too. ]

[ instead of going straight to the elevator he's standing in the hallway, apparently wondering about something. ]

Do you think they have those dinner elevators here? You know, those mini elevators for food? It's a relatively old hotel.

[tralineate]

How should I know? [ she's literally just arrived. ] Haven't you been living here? [ she's assuming by the amount of shit he has laying around ]

But it shouldn't really matter, since you're moving out?

[eternalboy]

Yeah but you are the firefighter. Doesn't knowing this stuff fall in with your job description?

[ knowing the layout of the place, what way the smoke might travel, etc. ]

No, it won't matter tomorrow, but it kind of matters right now. I'd like to find one.

[tralineate]

I'm new in town, give a break.

[ she gets the heavy box into the van and dusts her hands off, setting them on her hips as she gives him a really? look. but who is she but an enabler and also an adrenaline junkie? nobody. might be fun anyway. maybe she can squeeze his lanky ass inside it ]

Then let's go find one.

[espish]

Found a cuter roommate, huh?

[holding a couple paper accordion files under one arm, and a carpet bag under the other. on his way out to the van, having finally got his notes together. addressing ben, but he's looking at the woman.]

[eternalboy]

[ they could put the boxes in it. ]

Yeah, she's moving in with us. Nicola, Sam. Brooklyn, Australia.

[ we're all friends now? yeah! ]

You ever seen those small elevators around here, Sam?

[tralineate]

[ she tilts her head in mild surprise, not expecting sam, but once ben starts talking and introducing, she smiles and shakes his hand in greeting ] What's up? [ like saying hi, not really asking, and she returns her hands to her pockets

she looks over to ben and back to sam with an amused smile, a little bit rascal in nature ]

Yeah, we're on a hunt.

[espish]

Nice to meet you.

[shoves his carpet bag in the back of the van, then carefully sets the accordion files on top of it, so he can shake nicola's hand.]

A dumbwaiter? You're on a hunt for a dumbwaiter?

[eternalboy]

So that's what it's called.

[ excuse him for not knowing since he's not from the 1920s. ]

Have you seen one or not?

[ this is urgent. ]

[espish]

[kind of from the 30s]

Yeah, there's a dumbwaiter. What do you need one for?

[he found it on one of the walks around the hotel he'd made himself take after he realized he'd been standing in the middle of the room staring at the wall for fifteen minutes. incidentally it won't hold an adult's weight. He asked. It seemed like an important question but the maid had been a little alarmed.]

[eternalboy]

[ that's a good question. one they won't be asking. ]

A secret mission. MPU only.

[ nods to Nicola. ]

And the fire department.

[tralineate]

[ she shrugs with a i dunno face on because who the hell knows the actual name of those things? not the ozzy that's for sure!

and then she does a little mock salute when ben nods at her ]

Yep. Top secret.

[espish]

I guess you won't be needing my help finding it, then

[pockets his hands and raises his eyebrows. That was all of the stuff he brought here in that one bag and two folders. He's got nothing better to do now.]

[eternalboy]

[ that's it? more space for him then. ]

But it is a matter of urgency. No time to waste and such. Please show us the way.

[ using his official voice, hopefully to his new friend's amusement. ]

[tralineate]

[ his official voice is the worst. like a kid trying to be serious. which makes her laugh a little and she nods in mock-seriousness to sam ]

Yes, very urgent. Utmost importance.

[espish]

I dunno, what's in it for me? You want me in on the investigation, Vaughn, I'm in on the investigation.

[oh, he can do mock-serious. watch him. He's heading back inside even as he protests, addressin Ben and nicola over his shoulder. C'mon.]

[eternalboy]

[ no you are wrong. his official voice is very convincing. follows Sam inside. ]

Unofficially speaking you could choose the bigger bedroom.

[tralineate]

[ no it isn't. look at that baby face. she laughs at this whole dumb joke but goes along, more watching the two of them rather than contributing for now. since she's just getting to know the place and all ]

So, roomates huh? [ just that? nothing more? wink wink ]

[espish]

Accurately speaking, they looked the same size to me.

[god he hasn't even seen the place in person. what a bad idea this whole endeavor is. why. ]

Looks like it, yeah.

[like water off a duck's back]

[eternalboy]

Just doing the detective here a favor.

[ you'll thank him later. or not. ]

Where are you staying? Do they make you sleep at the fire department? Next to the pole?

[ aww yeah the pole. you gotta take him there one day. ]

[tralineate]

If I'm on the night shift, yeah. It's not next to the pole.

[ you're such a weirdo. ]

[espish]

That's funny, because the detective here phrased it like he needed a favor from me.

[his exact words were something about needing a roommate.

presses the button for the elevator.]

[eternalboy]

We're helping each other out.

[ corrects his words. happy now? ]

I wanted to be a firefighter once.

[ leans against the wall as they wait. offers information no one wanted. ]

[tralineate]

Everyone wanted to be a firefighter once.

[ she smiles and shrugs; it's true though. a lot of kids just love the whole sirens and red trucks. ]

[espish]

This was before you discovered Hammett and Chandler, I assume.

[since you said the pulps made you want to become a detective when you were a kid, and that one stuck. as much as anything seems to stick to ben.]

I wanted to be an X-Man. Or RoboCop.

[steps into the tiny elevator when it dings and holds it open for nicola and ben.]