D A Y 0 2

[founds]

CHAPTER 1

NOV 1ST | 58℉☂

▸ In a sad turn of events during last night's activities, local teenager Bela Gage was found dead at Gainsbourg Resort as festivities were wrapping up. Local authorities have opened up an investigation regarding the circumstances around her death.

▸ Several houses were egged in height of last night's events. Locals are offering a small reward to anyone with information that may lead to identification of the culprits.

▸ Now for the weather, expect light showers from late morning to mid afternoon. Blackwell is expecting the storm to keep rolling through overnight, so drive safe!

▸ That's the News In today. Now back to your regularly scheduled tunes. This one goes out to the Gages, may you find peace in these difficult times.

THE RISING IS NOT IN EFFECT

Comments

[brabble]

[ the silence that grew has turned almost unbearable. sophie rubs her fingers over her eyes under her glasses and wipes away any traces of tears because this is darla's moment, not hers. and she has to be strong for them just like they were there for her. ]

You know, you don't-- [ her voice cracks like a little boy's through puberty and for a second, she's left without it. you don't what? what sophie. think fast. ] You've always been there for me. It's my turn to be here for you, you know? [ she leans against the counter too, not touching her but letting her hand hang there just in case darla needs a metaphorical and physical place to lean against ]

I know I can't make it better, but-- I'm here.

[weiners]

I'm fine, Sophie. [ a lie. just because it hadn't truly hit her yet, that bela was really gone, didn't mean that she was dealing with this better than anyone else. it almost made it worse for her. that any minute realization would hit and her temporary strong facade would crumble. if you could call it strong. ] You don't need to be worrying about being here for me.

[ though you could talk to adam about being there, instead. it would make things easier on her if he stopped being so absent. it was bad enough when bela was here, but now the absence was worse. alone in her empty house. she turns from sophie to pour coffee into the mugs. ]

[brabble]

[ well, that's a lie she can see through miles away, but she isn't going to say anything, just offer a sympathetic look. she isn't going to offer any other words of comfort because she has ran out of them, but she wishes darla didn't shut her out. she knows, however, that she's in no position to expect any compliance from her when she is going through the loss of her child

she watches silently when she pours the coffee and rubs her eyes under her glasses. the silence is neither awkward nor uncomfortable, but she wishes darla could talk about it or at least not repress it; and she would call and tell adam to be here if she knew of her thoughts ]

[weiners]

Adam must have left early. [ a thought as she glances at the time for the first time since she woke up. she frowned. was she really tired enough to sleep through him getting out of bed? it had been late when they finally made it there. he must have not slept at all.

darla takes her cup and goes to sit at the dining room table, tapping fingers against the ceramic mug. dog comes running across the kitchen floor to eat his breakfast. who knows where he was earlier. ] Did you see him on your way in?

[brabble]

[ oh, so that is what the long face for. sophie has an incredible affection for adam, but she is not blind to his flaws. as a father, there was hardly anything she could point out, especially when he was always around for her, but she knew that darla and him weren't exactly a perfect couple.

she can only hope that bela's death doesn't dissolve them. ]

Didn't notice. [ plus he doesn't bark when she's around so ]

[weiners]

Ah. [ a frown. her eyes wander to the door frame of another room before she settles them onto sophie. ] Maybe you can take Dog on a walk before you leave. He'd love you for it.

[ she had yet to warm up to him, and going outside wasn't something she wanted to do just yet. at all. ] I'm not kicking you out yet though, dear. The company is nice. [ even if she doesn't seem too appreciative. ] I thought I'd just have an empty house these next few days, so I am... glad [ as one can be under the circumstances ] to have you here.

[brabble]

[ she warms her hands on the cup and keeps her attention on it. the nod she gives to darla is absent-minded and her attitude don't harm her; it's not hard to understand why a woman like herself would shield herself and shut others off. she doesn't know what she would be expecting of darla after this, but she had to come visit. how could she not? still, she wishes there was something else she could do, but that's how darla is - and always was. ]

Sure.

[ sophie looks up and offers a weak smile, nodding at her words ] Is there anything else I can do? [ almost begging tone. she just wants to help Somehow ]

[weiners]

Soph, if I think of something you can do for me I'll make sure you give you a call. [ it's not as if she's rolling in unfinished tasks. she was honest when she said sophie's company was nice, even if it was the buttcrack of dawn. ] My head isn't all here right now, you have to stop expecting much of anythin' from me.

[ she just got the news last night slash this morning. there hasn't been a lot of processing time. ] It's a miracle I even managed to get dressed when you came.

[brabble]

[ she knows she shouldn't and is aware that darla does not mean to, but her words hurt a little, mostly because she wants to do something, anything, and it seems like she won't be able to. she sucks it up, though, because darla is hurting and she doesn't want to add to that and instead just nods ]

Okay. [ what else is she supposed to say? she sets the mug down after only getting a couple of sips and sets it down, dusting her hands off on her jeans ] I'll take him for a walk.

[ if that's what she can do, then she will ]