InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "There have been...accidents."

Prudence Collins † THE MÒRRÌGAN (banrion) wrote in paxletalelogs,
@ 2010-10-30 13:36:00

Entry tags:

changing woman, morrigan

Who: Prudence & Kami
What: Cupcakes and awesome FX
Where: Pru's apartment, 209
When: 10/29/10
Warnings: Links to some gross pictures. Everything is fake, btw, but if someone doesn't like that kind of stuff, here's your warning.

Her apartment was still fairly not unpacked - maybe forty percent, what with the numerous cardboard boxes still lining the walls. Major pieces of furniture had been attended to first, those being a couch and coffee table, a projector for screening movies on one wall rather than a television (Pru liked the old-school feeling it had, almost like a drive in theater), and her desk in one corner with her elaborate desktop all set up, currently flashing a sleep screen of various green numbers and symbols not unsimilar to those found in the Matrix movies. Music, soft drowning symphonies that were similar to funeral dirges, was emanating from the speakers, helping to set an atmosphere. And this was just the living room - her victorian queen-sized bed had been assembled, along with matching dresser and nightstand, in the small bedroom.

Of course, the items shrank the room down to almost a matchbox, but Pru didn't mind. The items were hand-me-downs from her mother, items that had been passed down in the family and had, until recent, been stored away and were once being considered to be sold until the money from her father's untimely death had appeared. The items had history and Pru loved the idea that she could lay a hand on the headboard and know she was touching something real. Something solid that was full of stories.

Mostly, though, upon viewing Prudence's apartment, one could speculate that the items were a little on the macabre side. Darker colors, mostly reds, grays, and browns, were rampant but had a soothing effect. Of course, little decoration was up, but one could surmise that the remaining cardboard boxes would remedy that issue. Pru was digging into once such box, bubble wrap and styrofoam peanuts scattered on the floor, when she heard a knock at her door - thinking of those she'd spoken to on the forum, she wondered for a moment as to who it might be. Another thought, and a quick sniff of the air that revealed the scent of chocolate, answered that question and a smile painted itself on her face as she took a few steps slowly and gracefully in stockinged feet (her outfit one of her usual, hair in a loose braid down her shoulder) to the door, opening it to see who was on the other side.

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banrion
2010-11-08 05:16 pm UTC (link)

Pru made a small 'o' with her mouth, but Kami's quick handling of the topic and subsequent dropping of it gave her a big enough hint to leave well enough alone. She wasn't huge on musicals, aside from ones that fit into her sphere of interest (Sweeney Todd, the original though she had nothing against Tim Burton, Little Shop of Horrors, and not the movie version that edited out the last song, that sort of thing). The next page that Kami flipped to was a pair of shoes made up to look like they'd been created out of skin. Another random project, humorously so. Pru knew she had the shoes lying somewhere around in the apartment, probably packed away safely in one of her yet unopened boxes.

"Just film - I'd love to do a play, if the right one came along. I'm a little miffed that I missed out on Repo! The Genetic Opera while it was touring around; the movie really needs more exposure," she answered. "There have to be similar projects around here, I'm sure. Just a matter of looking for them." She adjusted on the couch, though not as smoothly as Kami had. Pru decided to switch the subject once more, to something that she was sure would put both of them at ease.

"So what will you be dressing up as for the Halloween party? You're going, right?"

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sugar_cycle
2010-11-09 03:14 am UTC (link)

That was the right path to take, clearly, and Kami's face lit up in another bright smile. "Oh, totally!" Pictures forgotten, she twisted to meet Pru's eyes and mischief was clear in the look. Reaching up, she tucked a dark lock of hair behind her ear while the other hand indicated the binder on her lap with a vague motion. "Nothing like this, though," she admitted. "I pretty much belong to the pretty dresses category of Halloween costumes. Any excuse to be a princess, you know?"

She relaxed back into the couch a bit, one leg again bending to tuck beneath her, and her attention never wavered. "It's really nice of them to make things up to us, I think," she continued. "Though... I'm still not sure how it happened and I still get the creeps a bit when I think about it all. I mean, who expects instant redecoration? But a party? With an open bar? Who are we to argue?" She paused and laughed. "And I'm going as an Indian princess which is probably really, really non-PC of me but the dress was too cute. I guess I could always play it off as Pocahontas since we're in the shadow of Disney. What about you? Please say you're going!"

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banrion
2010-11-09 05:17 pm UTC (link)

Kami's changed mood put a small smile of triumph on Pru's face - she was still working out the niceties of social interaction, but every now and again she got it right. Her head tilted a little as she listened to the other woman talk about the events prior that Pru had only heard a few rumors about: the building shape-shifting, supposedly an elaborate prank on the inhabitants? This was Pru's first apartment (outside of the dorms, if one counted that) so she was crossing her fingers that the manager or landlord or whoever was responsible would kick that particular habit, as exciting as it might seem.

"Of course I am - I'm so new, I haven't had time to look up what else is going on around here," she assured Kami. "I have a costume ready and everything, though it's more of a thrown together affair than anything I'd usually come up with. No princesses for me, unfortunately...I've never been that kind of girl." She added a smile, though the statement was more sad than anything else. Stop it with the underlying tension from your mother, Prudence, she mentally scolded herself.

"So...what exactly happened? I heard a few things, about the building changing, but I'd rather hear about it first hand."

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sugar_cycle
2010-11-11 05:36 am UTC (link)

"Well," Kami drawled, settling even further into a comfortable tangle on her side of the couch. "We don't know, really, and that's the truth. I'm not even sure when exactly it happened and I was awake. I was baking, in fact." She managed to lift one shoulder in a vague shrug and her smile was crooked and wry. "All I know is that my entire floor went all Clash of the Titans but other floors did other things. There was Tomb Raider and Beowulf and..."

She trailed off, dark eyes going a bit unfocused as she remembered the eighth floor and standing there with Jack. The warmth and safety had been unreal, all enveloping and natural. Surrounded by the almost familiar blankets and headdresses, she had a moment of unreality where it had been a different place, somewhere that she belonged. Jack, too. The voices whispered in fond remembrance and she almost reached for Jack to draw him close, laughter in her throat.

She had been lucky to escape.

Giving her head a little shake, Kami forced a laugh. "It lasted a week and then it went away like it had never been here," she finished. "Nothing stayed. One of the girls, Dorcas, I think, took pictures but nothing was on her camera a week later."

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banrion
2010-11-16 05:09 pm UTC (link)

Her mouth fell into a hard line as she listened to Kami's descriptions - the change certainly sounded interesting, and again she lamented not being present for it.

"Ren said he took some pictures," she replied. "Ren, the guy from the fourth floor? I met him in the elevator. He said pretty much the same thing as you." She had noted Kami's brief mental intermission, though decided to not pry. Pru had already done that into one area and she wasn't sure if this would be an appropriate thing to delve into.

"That's so weird, then. I can't imagine why the pictures wouldn't take, not unless they dropped some kind of...what are they called, these electric impulses they can send out. I think it's a military thing. But why they'd go to all that trouble to change the halls and then stop people from saving evidence... Makes no sense." She thought to herself for a moment and then laughed. "But I'm sure you're all more confused about it than I am. I don't suppose weird things like that happen around here often, yeah?" The last bit was a joke, meant to be taken lightly.

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sugar_cycle
2010-11-17 07:00 am UTC (link)

Kami gave a little shrug but her smile had returned at Prudence's wise decision to let things be. The movement helped rid her of the lingering memory and she settled back in her seat with a renewed sense of composure. While she could not forget what happened, she was damned if she was going to let it rule anything about her. Case in point, there was a question to answer.

"Hmm, depends on what you call weird," Kami said musingly. "The building kind of has a weird vibe all over. Not bad. Just weird." She cast her dark eyes towards the ceiling as if she could read something there. Then she giggled. "It's nice, though. You can't beat the location or the price with a stick." Dropping her chin again, she studied Prudence's face curiously. "Do you like it here so far?"

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banrion
2010-11-18 05:07 pm UTC (link)

She could agree on that - the part about the building having an odd atmosphere. When she'd walked into the lobby for the first time, going to an apartment viewing, it was almost like...well, maybe she'd been there before? When she knew for a fact that she never had. Maybe that had had a little influence on her decision to move into the location, but Kami was right, beachfront property didn't come by this price often, if at all. There was usually a catch. She gave a nod to Kami's question.

"I do - it's only been a few days, but it's a great apartment, the few people I've met so far are perfectly nice, and work is never too far away. Eventually I want to head over to the 'haunted spot'," and she did air quotes to emphasize that little phrase, "by the beach and see what that's all about. I love things like that. Plus there's still the whole area to explore, so...no complaints here." She smiled as she talked.

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sugar_cycle
2010-11-18 07:50 pm UTC (link)

"I'm so glad." Kami's luminous smile only served to reinforce her words and she reached up absently to push a lock of dark hair behind her ear. Then she tipped her head to one side like a curious bird and the smile melted into something more cunning and coy. "Exploration, you said?" she repeated in a fair imitation of innocence. "Are you going to arrange a party or are you more a lone wolf adventurer ala Indiana Jones?"

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banrion
2010-11-20 10:16 am UTC (link)

One dark brow arched and a playful smile slid over her lips.

"Why, is that your subtle way of saying you're interested in going with? It is usually best to do findings in groups - backs up whatever one person says happened. I mean, I've got a digicam and a recorder, but most hauntings are usually only felt physically. Hot and cold spots, breezes, sometimes voices - very few things that technology can reliably capture." Pru realized that she'd gone off on something of a tangent and gave a small laugh.

"In any case, I'd love for you to be the Sallah to my Indiana, if you don't mind being a sidekick. If Sallah counts as a sidekick, I mean, hah," she amended, unsure. It was that or the kid, and Pru was fairly certain that Kami would dislike being compared to a little boy. Not that being compared to a hefty, Egyptian man was much better...

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sugar_cycle
2010-11-23 04:17 am UTC (link)

Kami laughed and Pru was reassured immediately that the other woman took no insult in her analogies. Nose wrinkling, Kami shook her head but her smile remained good-natured and amused. "I don't know about being a side-kick but I would definitely have to bow to your expertise," she answered cheerfully. "I've never really done anything like that. Unless you count ouija boards during some thirteen year old sleep-overs and I would swear to this day that Kelly was dragging that thing around to spell out Todd's name."

She waved her hand a bit as if to indicate the great unknown and winked. "Though I warn you that I've got one heck of a scream in me," she added.

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banrion
2010-11-24 05:31 pm UTC (link)

A smile creased Pru's face at Kami's laugh - with all of her awkwardness, she was glad she hadn't managed to distance her fellow apartment mate. Pru knew she wasn't that terrible with social graces, but sometimes people were offended by the simplest things.

"Ouija boards," she replied, giving a little shiver. "After I saw The Exorcist, I never wanted to touch one.

"But you know, if you've got a good scream in you, maybe you should try out for some horror films," she added, reaching forward to grab another cupcake from the plate. She took a bite and swallowed. "You said you're between projects right now, why not give it a shot? 'Tis the season," she added, playfully smirking. She felt completely at ease in this woman's company, and was eagerly taking another bite when a beeping noise started from the cellphone sitting on the coffee table. Pru's eyes went wide for a moment, then recognition calmed her.

"Uh, I'll be right back," she said, giving Kami a smile as she set the partially-eaten cupcake back on the coffee table and walked over to the bathroom. Leaving the door open a crack, she popped open the medicine cabinet that held all of her prescriptions and selected three, pulling out a few different colored pills. And what would she think of me if she saw all of this? Pru wondered glumly to herself. Just a reminder of her "condition", something she rarely wanted others to see. She ran the tap, taking a handful of water to down the pills and then put the back of her hand to her mouth for a moment until she felt put back together.

"Sorry about that," she said, hopefully cheerily, as she re-entered the room. She stopped halfway and glanced around at the boxes; not too much more, and not too long before the apartment would be finished.

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sugar_cycle
2010-11-25 06:19 am UTC (link)

If Kami had any questions about the alarm and sudden disappearance of her hostess, she kept them to herself and smiled at Pru the moment she returned. Then, seeing the other woman hesitate, she shifted on the couch. An expert wiggle and squirm put her up on her knees and Kami half-crawled to the opposite end of the couch, bracing her hands against the arm there and cocking her head to one side like a curious bird as she watched Pru survey the boxes. Suddenly, she pushed up and straightened into an easy kneel on the cushions beneath her. Her hands moved to indicate the boxes. "Do you need help with anything?" she asked. "I can do things other than screaming, dancing, and acting."

Her eyes scrunched up with her widening smile. "By the by, thank you for that idea. I never really thought about horror movies because, well, I don't want to get known for running around in my skivies and screaming and falling over logs. Why do girls look back in those movies? Are they all lobotomized?"

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banrion
2010-11-29 08:42 pm UTC (link)

Pru smiled widely and laughed quietly - Kami's offer was more than welcome.

"Um, yeah, I could use some help putting up some pictures. They've got sticky-tack on the back, so it's easy on, easy off." She moved over to a box that was sitting open near one wall - the pictures varied between family photos (the first few being three people, and then after what looked like some time had passed, just two), single shots of Prudence, her mother, and her father, plus various relatives, and then finally pictures of Prudence looking much happier and older in college. She started to pull out a few frames, showing the sticky-tack to Kami and demonstrating the proper way to hang them on the wall.

"Hah, honestly, I think it's in the rulebook. The horror rulebook? You gotta look back, even though you know it's stupid. I mean, everyone does it all the time - you look back, think back without meaning to." She placed a nice family photo of her and her parents when she was three, before the visions and everything started and they looked fairly normal. As the years went on in the photos, varying stages of haggardness seemed to hang around Pru's young face, along with plastic smiles worn by her parents. If there was ever anything denoting an oddness about the Collins family, it would be those photos.

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sugar_cycle
2010-11-30 10:39 pm UTC (link)

"I guess but acting isn't quite like real life, you know." Kami slipped from the couch and gave her entire body a quick, loosening stretch before she moved towards the box Prudence had begun with and crouched at its side. The first picture she lifted gave her pause and she studied the frozen image of a five year old Prudence and what had to be her father. She brushed a fingertip over the shy, little smile and wondered at what could have put it there. Then she gave her head a small shake and flowed back to her feet with the picture in hand.

"You were a cutie pie," she announced as she held the picture at a likely spot in the wall. "What made you get into special effects instead of acting, anyway?"

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banrion
2010-12-02 12:56 am UTC (link)

Kami did have her there - though Pru knew plenty of actors who took their craft from real life, using it to power their emotions and bring their characters to life on the silver screen. But that wasn't Prudence, no, she was more concerned with behind the scenes.

At the question, Prudence shrugged. "Well, for one thing, I have horrible stage fright. I might be talking to you now, but when I was that age," and she bobbed her head at the photo Kami was holding, "I could go days without saying a word. And...I just like doing things with my hands." That and her visions gave her such startling clarity on her projects that it seemed a shame to put such a gift to waste. If one could call it a gift. Of course, she could have easily applied it to acting as well, but as she said, she had a hard enough time of it just talking to people.

"What made you decide to go into acting?" Prudence put up a picture of her parents on their wedding day, and then started to try and decide what should go next to it - a photo of her laying on a couch with a Sleeping Beauty book covering her face or a Christmas photo of the entire family when she was ten. Prudence was never a fan of plaid, really, but the whole family was dressed to the nines identically. Embarrassingly so.

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