InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I'm on to you"

Noah (sweven) wrote in genome_project,
@ 2012-10-27 01:00:00

Entry tags:

macy jones, noah riley, october 2012, presley st. peter

Who: Noah Riley, Presley St. Peter, and a ghostly Macy Jones
What: seeing dead people (well, hearing), probably gross sobbing
Where: Museum of the Moving Image, 35th Ave.
When: Saturday, early October, 3pm
Rating: mild for Noah's language.

It was a cool day. Noah stood outside the large geometric building that house thousands of feet of film from more than a century ago. His foot had healed from the accident, thankfully. The wind bit through his old, wash-softened, paint-spattered, long sleeved baseball shirt. He pulled the bill of his cap down to the top of his glasses and leaned against the cold white wall, a cigarette between his lips. He ignored the dirty looks he received from passers-by dragging their children behind them.

Laney was at home with the girls and Robin. They were likely sitting in the living room, girls on the floor with their mountains of multi-colored legos, Robin on the sofa next to his step-mom with a book about dinosaurs or some shit. Laney would have her fair hair pulled back in a loose, messy bun. She had on some old flannel shirt that fit her in just the right way, though it was several sizes too big. Noah closed his eyes, tipped his head back until it touched the wall, and asked himself what he was doing.

He was meeting a girl he didn't know - Presley was a girl's name, wasn't it? - who claimed to have spoken with Macy Jones, the long dead love of his life, the girl with the smile and a sweetness that could've rotted even the tooth fairy's pearly whites. There was a place inside him that never really let her go, that held her close and felt carefully at her edges every day, trying hard to remember the details of her face, the color of her eyes and the feel of her hands. But so much time had passed. The image in his head was no longer as clear as it had been so many years ago. And though he held his hurt and broken heart tenderly, he had moved on in his life. He was happily married. He had three children. He... couldn't go home. He had to find out if this was real.

Noah didn't know what it would change, but he had to find out.

(Post a new comment)

tootsie_pops
2012-10-27 05:28 am UTC (link)

There was othing to be nervous about, and therefore, Presley wasn't. This wasn't her first rodeo, and as totally unfriendly as this Noah person seemed over her conversation with him, he wasn't the worst she'd ever dealt with. Probably. And anyway, it wasn't as though she was full of beans. There was a ghost following along side her as she made her way to the proposed meeting place. A ghost who was totally helpful in pointing out the nondescript man in the baseball cap (he'd said he'd be wearing one, she supposed, but it wasn't exactly helpful). As if there weren't other guys who fit his desciption. Please.

Anyway, having Macy tag almg n her way theree instead of waiting until she got to where she was going turned out to be extra helpful. She walked up to the correct tall white guy in a baseball cap with a cigarette instead if the wrong one, and held out her hand cheerfully. "I'm Presley. You're waiting for me, I believe."

(Reply to this) (Thread)

sweven
2012-10-27 05:53 am UTC (link)

A slight teenage girl, her hair the same shade of red as the sleeves of Noah's shirt and a way-too-happy look on her face, walked up to the man with her hand outstretched. He looked down at her, at her hand, and took the cigarette out of his mouth. He exhaled a small puff of smoke. He didn't shake her hand.

"Yes, we've been over this," replied the older man in a dry tone, wholly unamused and not happy to have been - what he felt was - forced into this situation. The last thing he wanted to do on a day off was spend it talking to some zany, cheerful kid outside of a film museum about his murdered ex-girlfriend. Replacing the cigarette between his lips, he gazed steadily down at the girl and pushed himself off the wall. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this. "You're the one who talks to dead people. What do we do now?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

girlmidas
2012-10-27 05:59 am UTC (link)

Macy frowned. She knew it would be like this. She'd spent days upon months upon years watching Noah. He'd changed, but not quite as much as one would expect him to. He was still sassy and sarcastic, and really pretty rude. She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and shook her head. "Easy, Noah. Be nice." She knew he couldn't hear her. She'd learned that long ago. But it still needed to be said, and she didn't think Presley would be the one to do it.

"I'm sorry about him," she aimed at the girl now. "He means well, really. He just has this...defense mechanism. It's his biggest flaw, I think. He's nice when you get to know him." She bit her lip. He used to be nice anyways. But maybe losing a sister and a girlfriend on the same day made you bitter -- or rather, more bitter than you were previously. This, Macy didn't know the answer to. After all, if anyone had a right to be bitter, it was her. And she kept things pleasant pretty readily, thank you very much.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tootsie_pops
2012-10-29 04:03 pm UTC (link)

Actually, Pres was not afraid to tell Noah exactly how she felt about his attitude, but her lack of filter sort of allowed for that sort of thing, but Macy's permission was certainly helpful. She popped her hip and rested her hand on it when he didn't take it, "She says you should be nice. We're here for her, okay?" Spending her Sunday afternoon with a surly middle aged man was not her cup of tea either,

She turned to Macy and gave her an understanding smile, "Everyone is a skeptic. It's okay, I'm used to it." She shrugged a little, "What do you need him to know?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

sweven
2012-10-29 11:33 pm UTC (link)

This was downright eerie. Noah's eyes shifted from the girl to the space she seemed to be jabbering to and back. She hadn't answered his question, but really, he'd hardly noticed. He was listening. It was - actually really fucking bizarre to think that Macy - or her presence or whatever - might be a few feet away, looking at him or at Presley. And though he betrayed nothing, his face showing only how absolutely unimpressed he was, the hair on the man's arms started to stand. It only served to annoy him. Taking the cigarette between his fingers, Noah wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, chin tipped down, but he kept his eyes trained on the teenager and whatever it was that was next to her.

It was all he could do to not roll his eyes at the girl's 'everyone's a skeptic' comment. Right, because it was bad to be skeptical - really quite rude to not fully believe some strange girl who said she communed with the dead and, by the way, his dead girlfriend was looking for him. Where were his manners?

Noah pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He offered the empty air an irritated smile.

"Really, Macy, let's get this show on the road."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

girlmidas
2012-11-01 01:50 am UTC (link)

Macy reached out to touch Presley, then pulled back. It was the hardest part about the afterlife-- other than wandering aimlessly for years upon years, obviously-- there was a strict no contact rule. Sure, she could make things fall over and lights flash, if she really wanted to. Sometimes she could make hair stand up on the back of people's neck, or give them the impression that something was tugging on their hair. But it wasn't her physically touching them. It was her presence, her aura, and some other bullshit that she really didn't understand fully.

Instead, she sighed. Noah had always been like this. Unimpressed and impatient. One would think he'd show a little more enthusiasm. She had, you know, sought him out to give him a message from the beyond. But no. He just stood there, smoking his cigarette like he did this every day.

"Well, now what I wanted to say doesn't quite seem so important." Macy used to do well under pressure. But this sort of made her feel stupid. "I guess, first I wanted to know if he was okay. From that car accident with that girl he saved. I'm very proud of him for that. Tell him that." She was looking at Noah as she spoke, except for the last bit. That part, she turned to Presley.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tootsie_pops
2012-11-02 05:17 pm UTC (link)

Presley gave Macy a sad look. She could tell the experience was making her a little deflated. That was too bad. Of all the ghosts Presley had made contact with,she liked Macy the best. She didn't have that confused thing going on, or the dreary why-me attitude. And she wasn't angry. She hated that. Like it was her fault they had died!? Sheesh.

"Okay." She agreed, and turned back to Noah, "She wants to know if you're okay after saving Molly Abel. She say's she's really proud of you."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

sweven
2012-11-02 05:56 pm UTC (link)

Honestly, Noah was glad. He wasn't enthusiastic, because, just no, but he was glad, a little heartbroken and confused, but mostly happy because he never dreamed that he would get to ...interact with the girl again. There had been so many things he meant to say to her - that he still wanted to, and this was his chance.

Except for the teenage intrusion. Sure, she was the instrument through which he and Macy could communicate and without her, there would be no chance, but Noah couldn't help but feel... weird about talking to her to talk to Macy. And so, he looked on impassively and smoked his cigarette.

Apparently, Macy's ghost was informing Presley of something, because the girl went silent and then stared forlornly into the air by her side like a crazy person. Noah rolled his eyes and began to just look around the street, because what else was he going to do?

Finally, when the girl turned back to him, he raised his eyebrows. He considered the question, rubbing his chin with the hand that held his cigarette.

"Thanks, I suppose. Though I didn't save her. She would've lived," he said to the empty space in front of him with a helpless shrug. He exhaled smoke through his nose. "Anyway, I'm fine. My foot hurts like a motherfucker at times, but I'm fine."

He glanced at Presley, then back to the air. And because he couldn't say what he wanted to say, he tossed his cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his boot heel.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

girlmidas
2012-11-07 07:21 pm UTC (link)

She nodded. His answer, albeit incredibly Noah-like in attitude, placated her for the time being. He was right, she supposed. Molly Abel would have lived. But he was courageous anyways, and did the right thing -- something she would have loved to see while she'd been alive, but something he never could quite pull off back then. It was disappointing at the time, but now? Well, at least he was growing; evolving as a person, and what not.

This was the hard part. There was so much more to say, but it was awkward with a go-between. And such a young one, at that. But it was the only way, and it could have been worse. So, she spoke her next question. It was quiet, but clear, even if it was left a little open ended. "Is he happy?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tootsie_pops 2012-11-10 05:54 am UTC (link)
	Ah. Here it was. The moment when she became the elephant in the room.mwell, there was nothing she could do about that. Nor could she help being 17. But it was what it was. Several years experience in being a go between didn't count for anything sometimes. "She wants to know if you're happy." It sure as hell didn't look like it, but she'd been surprised before. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

sweven
2012-11-11 04:45 am UTC (link)

Motherfucker. Well, if he hadn't believed it was Macy before, he did now, because the girl could not leave that question alone. It was one she'd thought she had to ask, and one whose answer she'd never liked when it came from Noah. The man was beginning to regret the fact that he'd just stomped out his cigarette. He pulled the pack from the front pocket of his shirt and lit a new one. He sucked on it thoughtfully, replacing the little box.

Noah gazed steadily at the peppy teenage girl as he considered what he should say. His eyes swept to the space he assumed Macy was, and then back to Presley. For the first time, he gave something like a smile.

"Yes." He lifted an eyebrow. "Is she?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

girlmidas
2012-11-11 04:57 am UTC (link)

"Yes."

Now there was an answer Macy hadn't expected. She should have been happy to hear it, and on some level, she was. But mostly, it was a jab. An insult. And she didn't like the emotions that were clouding her now, because of it. "He's lying," she replied, trying to keep her tone even and calm, though she wasn't sure she was fooling anyone. "He was never happy. Tell him not to lie for my benefit. Tell him to tell me the truth."

What was this? She'd been so disconnected from human -- live human -- interaction that she'd forgotten what true emotions felt like. Of course, Macy hadn't always been terribly emotional in life, but she could recognize the feelings of jealousy. And suddenly, she was incredibly green with envy over living-Noah and his happy life with his new living-wife who made him happy. It wasn't fair. And while living-Macy had never been one to question the fairness of circumstances, choosing instead to accept things for what they were and learn from them, acquiescing was not one of dead-Macy's talents.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tootsie_pops
2012-11-11 05:28 am UTC (link)

Presley eyed Macy strangely and then looked Noah over a little, "Are you sure he's lying? I don't like to accuse people of things." She didn't know either of them well enough to really be able to tell, but she hated to go around pointing fingers.

"She think's you're lying, and doesn't want you to do it for her benefit." She said cautiously, not sure what that business was about.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

sweven
2012-11-11 05:42 am UTC (link)

A small silence fell as, Noah assumed, Macy reacted to his "surprise!" answer. But, instead of a smile from the girl, he saw her look at the space next to her uncertainly and then -

Lying? Noah's quirked brow didn't waver, until he frowned, the cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. He scratched his forehead irritatedly. The one time he gave the response Macy had been after for all those years, she accuses him of lying? - Actually, maybe that wasn't surprising.

The man sighed, the tension going from his shoulders.

"I'm not lying. I'm not ecstatic," Noah forced a wide, obviously fake smile, then allowed his usual annoyed expression to return. "And it's not as if I don't think of how happy I would be with Macy -" He gestured to the air. "You - every day. But I love my girls and Robin, and they make me happy."

For a moment, Noah forgot he was supposed to be surly and unkind to the girl go-between. He shrugged.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

girlmidas
2012-11-11 05:49 am UTC (link)

Well. She was wrong then. He wasn't lying. He was actually...happy. What she had wanted for so long while they'd been together, he had easily achieved by having a few children and growing old. Unfortunately, Macy hadn't had that luxury, and she was bitter about it, okay? It had always been her job-- her duty-- to fix Noah. And now? He was fixed without her. She hated to sound like a broken record, but it really just wasn't fair.

"I don't think I want to keep doing this today," she said quietly, turning to Presley. "My energy is spent. If it's not too much to ask, or too inconvenient, can we continue this at a later date?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tootsie_pops 2012-11-13 07:37 pm UTC (link)
	"Um..." Presley's eyes grew wide, as she glanced between Macy and Noah. This had never happened before. She never had to seek out the same person twice, because they said what they needed to say and then crossed over. They didn't ger exhausted and want to try agsin another day. "Um. I guess she is exhausted... Do you think we could meet again?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

sweven
2012-11-13 10:12 pm UTC (link)

Noah appeared briefly confused once Presley "translated" Macy's response. Then he let the emotion drain from his face and resumed his very practiced impression of a rock. He took a drag from his cigarette and scratched his head through the top of his baseball cap.

Exhausted. Right. So Macy sought him out in the -...afterlife (well, that fucked all his nihilistic beliefs, didn't it), she stirred up every feeling Noah had thought he'd laid to rest years ago and made him feel the cracks she'd left in his heart, then when she didn't like his answer or whatever it was (was she upset?), she decided to call it a day. Could spirits or whatever even experience exhaustion? The man looked down at Presley, obviously unhappy.

"If it pleases her, I'm happy no longer," he said flatly, then sighed again, exhaling a cloud of smoke. He'd never considered what an encounter such as this might be like, for all his pining after his dead girlfriend, but still it was all so strange. He'd forgotten - Macy was just a girl. She had been so young, and after she had gone, Noah had continued on in life. He was - for lack of a better word - mature(r). This skewed the dynamic. "It's fine. That's fine. Sure, kid."

Because who didn't like meeting random teenagers multiple times to talk about one's murdered girlfriend? Really now.

(Reply to this) (Parent)