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]

[ it doesn't take her too long after getting the text with the address; she has been wandering around blackwell doing exactly what she was told to, aka getting familiar with the place. it does take her longer than one would if she knew the place properly, but eventually manages to find the street. she parks the car but leaves the motor running and sends her a text, Waiting in my car. I think I got the place right. and lowers the volume of the radio. it's an interesting station they have around here.

it's a little too cold outside to wait out of her car, but it's a black pick up truck with its lights on, so harry should find it pronto. ]

[toddy]

[ doesn't even need the text to know that she's there. she takes a moment to check herself out in the mirror before fleeing downstairs to the lobby and out the door. sure enough, she's easy to find, slipping into the passenger door at a jogging pace.

it's horrible outside.]

Good, you didn't get blown over on your way.

[tralineate]

It was a challenge. [ she flashes a grin at her and delays her eyes on her for a while, before pulling the car back on the road ]

So, ghosts, uh? You believe in that stuff? [ not in a judging way, but in a curious tone. ]

[toddy]

[ sinks back in her seat as she takes off, getting settled in with ease ]

Uh, I wouldn't say I'm an avid believer, but I'm not gonna rule it out. There's just some stuff in this world we'll never really understand. [ noncommital shrug ] What about you?

[tralineate]

[ she makes one of those nods where you bob the head side to side as you're weighing your words before pulling a shrug right back. ]

Not really. I never got the whole paranormal deal. But I reckon there are things in this world that don't need an explanation. Y'know, it's just Nature doing its thingo. [ she takes her eyes off the road for one second, but this isn't a movie so she sets them right back to where they going ] But it makes sense in a small town. Gotta have your fun.

[toddy]

Old town with a lot of history, it's only asking for a bunch of those superstitions to come up. Growing up here there's not much else to do than use it to scare the shit out of each other. [ blackwell is hardcore and there's plenty of material to draw from for its own full fledged fear factor. don't ask where it came from or why everyone believes in it, mob mentality. ]

[tralineate]

I see. [ she smiles amusedly and slows down at a red light, using this opportunity to actually look at her like a Proper Driver. ]

So? What's the story?

[toddy]

What with the town? [ looks at her with an eyebrow raised. her chance to be shitty historian. sure ok ]

The lake used to be an old town called Gainsbourg before Blackwell built the dam and flooded it. You hear stories of people refusing to leave their homes, trying to protest the installment, but Blackwell didn't care. They flooded it anyway and the people with it. Bad juju and all that shit. But we know that's not all true, a lot of people from Gainsbourg set up in Blackwell, the rest who hated the company tried to start a new town: Lost Lake.

[tralineate]

And you aren't worried about karmic retribution? [ she makes a low whistle, before winking playfully. the sign turns to green when she finishes her story, so she's back to pay attention to the road.

hopefully harry is pointing the directions or they gonna get lost. ]

But that didn't work out, right? What happened to Lost Lake?

[toddy]

Hey, my family moved here from Europe after the war, it ain't on me. [ sure maybe for the seasoned founders of Blackwell, those families got it coming if you believe in that sort of thing. ]

Left up here. [ weren't you just up at the hotel don't even. ] Lost Lake tried but there was no recovery after a fire in like 1970. It was too poor and too weak to rebuild, so people abandoned it. Now kids think its haunted and go down there to do stupid shit. [ her voice kind of pales out at the end as she scratches at her throat idly. nothing more worth mentioning, at least that's the general opinion around there ]

[tralineate]

[ look, she stumbled upon it by chance. she won't remember the way.

turning as pointed, nicky spares another glance and nods in interest. hey, a piece of history about the town she's going to be working in for who knows how long is always welcomed and interesting ]

Did you use to play chicken too?

[toddy]

[ just an abandoned town. super dangerous and exciting. no big. how can she play this down ]

I've been down there a few times. It's never worth it.

[tralineate]

Trouble maker. [ she leans over to give her a playful nudge. ] Never even see one Casper?

[ she's just kidding heey. or is she? yes. she is. ]

[toddy]

Not a fuckin' one. [ she reacts a little defensively. but hey it's not her fault, she dials it back because she's always rough around the edges. ] That place should refund my gas money.

[tralineate]

[ she doesn't mind the roughness; in fact, she finds it part of harry's charm so she welcomes it with a grin, like she's proud she made her a little riled up; but with only playfulness in sight. ]

You should ask for it.

[toddy]

Yea yeah, eyes on the road. Take the one to the bridge.

[tralineate]

[ she holds her hands off the wheel of a second to hold them up like a white flag and does so. yaaay driving around. let's pretend they got there already. she parks the car and turns off the engine, arching her eyebrows ]

So? [ where to ]

[toddy]

[ rubs her neck as she looks up at the place. ]

I spent my prom here. Well, I ditched my prom here to snort coke with a guy in the attic.


[ oh yeah her point. starts walking ]

There's a ton of little forgotten rooms here.

[tralineate]

Sounds exciting. I ditched prom to go to the beach get pissed with my friends.

[ smiles and shrugs, we all made our choices, ain't judging, etc. she follows with harry, hands in pockets. i hope u don't mind she didn't dress up and still wearing her work clothes oops ]

Are they haunted?

[toddy]

[ who'd judge. she still likes coke.

pulls the front door open for her.]

Probably. Wanna hold a seance and find out?

[tralineate]

[ she wouldn't. she pops pills. yaaayy health!! ]

[ she walks backwards to keep her eyes on her with the whole gentlemanly door opening ] Only if you hold my hand through it.

[toddy]

I can do more than that. [ ohohoho. ]

[ slips by and b-lines to the elevator. quickly, because they're not supposed to be there ]

[tralineate]

[ funny. she laughs, following the speedy gonzalez to the elevator with no questions. they can always use the excuse that she's here on fire department business. who would doubt it. nobody. heh. ]

[toddy]

[ taps the third floor and leans up against the side of the elevator once the doors close. watching her ]

So without ghosts, what'd you do for fun?

[tralineate]

[ she leans on the opposite wall and shrugs ]

Usually with live people. [ she smiles. just kidding. well, not really, she really does that with live people, but she will extrapolate on that ] Surfing, diving, climbing. Which has kinda been put on hold now. At least there's still partying. [ she winks at her and leans her hands back against the wall ]