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]

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 ]

[toddy]

You are surrounded by nature and mountains, I'm sure you could cover some of those things. Maybe not after partying, partying is a pretty intense activity itself. [ raises eyebrow at her. she's going to refrain from asking how her night really went. she's not a jealous person, but she's a little bummed she didn't get to go play. ]

[tralineate]

Yeah, someone told me about caving. I reckon I'll try that.

[ she smiles at her joke and laughs, nodding in agreement ] Maybe not, then. [ she tilts her head over to the door ] You come here often?

[ and yes let's refrain from asking about the previous night; fyi she was disappointed that she didn't come around later but at least she texted her today so she supposes it evens out. she's glad she texted at least ]

[toddy]

[ noah will deflate anyone's ego. just be blessed you got to tap summa dat. ]

Sometimes. Technically this place is direct competition, so not often enough. [ also an excuse to break the rules and cause trouble. she smiles at her briefly before the door opens, pulling herself out into the hallway ] I worked here one summer when I was a kid, that's how I learned all it's secrets.

[tralineate]

[ she'll be blessed when she taps some of dat sailor. sailors are hot. ]

Inside job, uh? [ smiling, nicola follows close by and spares a glance at her. maybe she should have gone home to dress up, but it's all the way back in elkins. she'll have to deal. oh well. ]

Did you look for ghosts when you worked here too?

[toddy]

Jesus, you're making me out into some fuckin' ghostbuster. [ holds hand up like hold it back, sister. it's not like that ] Trust me, my life isn't that glamorous.

[tralineate]

[ she laughs and raises her shoulders with a cheeky grin. it's kind of fun to tease her about it though. ]

You run a secret gay bar. That's top glamour in this place.

[toddy]

[ holds a finger up to nikky's lips. ]

Hey, fight club rules. [ we do not talk about the gay bar. bops her nose and heads down the hall. ]

[tralineate]

[ shuts up. there was nobody else around. is it the ghosts? she smiles and nods obediently, following her down the hall ]

Sooo, where we going?