Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "The worms crawl out"

paxnarrator (paxnarrator) wrote in paxletalelogs,
@ 2017-06-21 08:45:00

Entry tags:

ares, chernobog, coyote, event post, freyr, hades, hel, hermes, loki, maui, pan, persephone, tyr, uke mochi, xochipilli

hot summer streets
Who: EVERYONE.
What: Pax Letale pool party.
Where: Pax pool.
When: Wednesday, June 20; in-game time, 7 p.m.
Notes: Hey guys -- you know the rules. Tag/label your posts, ask for permission coming into threads, etc etc. Any questions, toss 'em at the the modbox.

Despite the mildly warm weather, a pall seemed cast over the planned festivities. All throughout the day, clouds had swarmed the skies, covering the apartment complex in shadow. The passing of the sun did little to aid in this, though as it grew closer and closer to the established party time, the pool area was made ready for its assumed guests.

A sickly green light emanated from the pool itself, the glow growing stronger as the darkness encroached. Strung lights hung from the covered sitting areas, their colors punching through the darkness without shame. Music scattered itself, blaring softly from a nearby boombox that was controlled by an unseen hand; nearby, a table was laden with as expensive of foods as had become expected from these types of social situations: shrimp cakes, lobster sliders, three-queso dip with accompanying chips, and more. Perhaps to the guest's chagrin, there were no alcoholic beverages to be spoken of, but those who decided to BYOB would not find it difficult to do so. Otherwise, a flavorful fruit punch was on hand for thirsty attendees.

As the hour grew nearer, people started to collect outside of the pool, helping themselves to food, some sitting at the pool's edge with their feet dangling in the water. The music, which had been alternating between old summer time hits and the latest pop ballads, began to croon out a familiar tune, though only those listening closely might have heard any true malice in the lyrics.

Hot summer streets
And the pavements are burning
I sit around
Trying to smile but
The air is so heavy and dry...

...it's a cruel, cruel summer...

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

Re: Nish/Jocelyn - by the pool ~7:30

tohelandback
2017-06-22 02:44 pm UTC (link)

"Well, let me know if you need me to run interference." She grinned widely, and kicked the water to send a matching spray to Nishka's.

She sighed, and looked more serious. "After all, as we've learned from recent experience, I can do 'irrationally indignant' extremely well."

It wasn't quite an apology. But then, neither was Nishka's, so maybe it would be enough.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Nish/Jocelyn - by the pool ~7:30

nishka
2017-06-22 03:06 pm UTC (link)

Nish smiled and bumped her shoulder playfully against Jocelyn’s. “So can I,” she admitted, another almost-apology. Her smile turned into a smirk and she chuckled softly. “Remember that time you got pissed at me because I wouldn’t let you eat candy for dinner?” she asked, leaning her head on top of Jo’s and conjuring up the memory. “I was a terrible babysitter and you were gonna tell your parents that I was mean to you and I’d never be asked to watch you again. But you wolfed down the pizza I ordered anyway,” she finished with a chuckle.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Re: Nish/Jocelyn - by the pool ~7:30 tohelandback 2017-06-22 03:54 pm UTC (link)
	"No, I was going to tell your parents that you were mean to me. My dad wouldn't have believed me," Jocelyn responded with a laugh, returning the shoulder bump with just a bit more energy. Her stomach rumbled, and she laughed again. "Speaking of food..." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Nish/Jocelyn - by the pool ~7:30

nishka
2017-06-22 04:54 pm UTC (link)

Nish smirked and leaned back, pulling her legs out of the water and pushing herself up to stand before helping Jo do the same. “Come on, I could use some food too,” she said, leading her over to the heavily laden table. She grabbed a plate and took a few sliders from the pile, and a handful of veggies.

“I’ve never lived in an apartment that had parties like this,” she said, “but then I guess the expense comes out of our rent. Still...it’s weird, right? That building management seems to want us all to mingle like this? Luring us with food and making us socialise?” She took a bite out of a stick of green pepper and watched her with a raised eyebrow. “That, and there was all the shit that happened before you got here…”

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Nish/Jocelyn - by the pool ~7:30

tohelandback
2017-06-22 08:54 pm UTC (link)

Jocelyn filled her plate with a little bit of everything that caught her interested, then shifted away from the table so that others could approach and graze.

"There it is again! It seems like everyone I met when I was looking at apartments kept alluding to 'all the shit that happened' before I moved in...but not a single one of you has bothered to share the details." She laughed, brightly. "Is the first rule of living at Pax Letale that you don't talk about what happens at Pax Letale, or something?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Nish/Jocelyn - by the pool ~7:30

nishka
2017-06-22 09:02 pm UTC (link)

Nish nodded her head towards a free table, thankfully away from earshot of most of the others, and then they sat down. “Something like that,” she said, crossing her legs and sipping her punch again. She looked at Jo’s face and then sighed, “alright, but you have to understand...it’s even hard for me to believe it happened. It’ll sound outright crazy to you. We’ve got some Grade A X-Files shit in this building, Jo.”

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Re: Nish/Jocelyn - an isolated table ~7:45 tohelandback 2017-06-23 06:32 pm UTC (link)
	Jocelyn raised an eyebrow as she nibbled on one of the sliders, then glanced around at the rest of the party. "Well...if it's so hush-hush, maybe this isn't the best place to discuss it?" she commented, calmly. She was torn between wanting to get answers and not wanting to ruin the evening. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Nish/Jocelyn - an isolated table ~7:45

nishka
2017-06-23 07:28 pm UTC (link)

Nish shook her head and swallowed the bite of sandwich she’d been chewing. “No, it’s not like that,” she said, glancing up and around, and then back at her. “Everyone knows, we were all here...it’s just...no one would believe us if we said anything.” She munched on another piece of pepper and then sat back.

“A few months ago...the building...changed,” she said carefully, wincing slightly when it didn’t quite explain it properly. “All the doors were locked; nobody could get out for a week. And...every floor was different. It was like…” she hesitated again, worrying the edge of the paper plate in her lap.

“One floor was a jungle, one was a desert, one was a...log cabin, others were made of stone with various statues and plants and even animals on them. It’s…crazy, but it happened. And we all know it happened, but...if you ask Stephan he’ll deny that anything weird was going on that week. Nobody outside even realized we were gone. It was like we were...in a black hole or something,” she said, with no other way to describe it. She popped the rest of her slider in her mouth, more to stop herself from saying anything more than out of actual hunger.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Nish/Jocelyn - an isolated table ~7:45

tohelandback
2017-06-23 08:11 pm UTC (link)

Jocelyn sat back in her chair and listened as Nishka described the recent events at Pax, her expression growing more and more skeptical as her friend continued talking. When she had finally finished, Jocelyn popped a grape in her mouth, and chewed thoughtfully.

Finally, after a long moment, she looked Nish in the eye and smiled. "Christ, Nish, you're right. That is pretty frickin' unbelievable." There were dozens of questions bouncing through her head right now, and very few of them helpful. She sighed and ate another grape. "Since this sort of wild tale isn't really your M.O., and I can't imagine it's the sort of thing there's any hard evidence of, I guess...well, I guess I'll have to believe you." She held up one finger. "Provisionally."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Nish/Jocelyn - an isolated table ~7:45

nishka
2017-06-23 08:26 pm UTC (link)

Nish smirked at her, chewing and swallowing the pepper in her mouth. “I can’t guarantee the others will talk about it if you bring it up, but…” she looked up, around them at the assembled tenants, “everyone here knows about it. We were all there. And Rafe…” she stopped herself before she went too far, but then decided that she might as well say it. “Near the end of that week...Rafe and I...we were attacked. By…something.” She frowned and shook her head, not having words for whatever it was. The beginnings of a headache started in her temples as she tried to conjure the broken memory; one of the many things she’s forgotten recently.

“I don’t remember much of it, just...peices. But someone...something...was chasing us down the stairwell. We had to barricade it in to get away from it.” She paused again, looking away, not exactly happy about having to explain the next bit. “I had to ask Rafe what happened because...it’s as if something tried to erase my memory of it, but only got about half of it. I get flashes of movement, of running down the stairs, shoving stones under the door, but...there’s huge gaps between those things. And that’s not the only thing I’ve apparently forgotten,” she added uncomfortably, her eyes lifting to glance at Rafe and then away again.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Nish/Jocelyn - an isolated table ~7:45

tohelandback
2017-06-26 04:20 am UTC (link)

Honestly, now that she was getting the answers that she had been looking for, Jocelyn found herself wishing that she had waited until a better time to ask. She drained her glass of punch, and tried to figure out what to say next.

Finally, she set her empty glass down on the table, and reached over to touch Nishka on the shoulder.

"I...Nishka, I want to talk more about this. Need to talk more about this - I have lots of questions. But... I think right now, I need to think about what you've told me..." Jocelyn looked over at the pool, the sickly green glow suddenly seeming more ominous than odd. She stood up, picking up her plate and glass. "I came down here to meet some new people, and I still want to do that. Why don't you come over after class on Monday, and I'll make dinner again?"

She waited a moment for Nish to respond, then turned to go back to the snack bar to replenish her plate.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Nish/Jocelyn - an isolated table ~7:45

nishka
2017-06-27 03:08 pm UTC (link)

Nish frowned just slightly at Jo’s reaction, thinking maybe she’d gone too far, said too much and now she’d seriously freaked her out. Her sudden and quick departure left her speechless, but she nodded and said ‘sure’ to the offer of dinner on Monday. Once Jo left her alone she finally shook herself out of it, muttering “bye, then,” under her breath and looking down at the food on her plate, which she was suddenly not hungry for.

She glanced around herself; everyone else was deep in conversation with other neighbours. The sun was starting to dip towards the horizon, and there was no way she was swimming in that pool. She waited until she saw Jo start to chat with someone else and then quietly drifted away, heading back up to her apartment to spend the rest of the night in her pajamas with her cat

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(Read comments) -