11/7 Issue: Not Haunted

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Slarti
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11/7 Issue: Not Haunted

Post by Slarti »

Timelined a couple of days after To Me, My X-Men

Jean: Jean lounged on Jamie's bed, playing on her phone, with both Figaros curled up into matching, purring fluffballs on her stomach.

Beth: Beth had done some shopping... okay lots. Now with the proper supplies and attire, she followed the GPS to the building she was going to help fix and constantly reminded herself to drive on the wrong side of the road. On a scale of one to dead... how likely am I to get knifed in this area? Beth peered around the neighbourhood as she drove and prodded Jean's brain.

Jean: Jean looked up at the cracked ceiling with a grin, letting her phone fall to nature's holder. You'll be fiiiiine. You have teke! She was going to need to get up soon, but feline paralysis.

Beth: So not the point. I don't feel like breaking street furniture today. My hair looks amazing. She found a parking spot and pulled into it, Wait til you see!

Jean: Uuuuugh. That means I gotta get up. Jean did her best possessed levitation up from the bed, wishing somebody was here to witness it. Unfortunately, Jamie was working. The cats did not appreciate her artistry and hopped down, so she floated upright and down the stairs to meet Beth on the front steps.

Beth: Well I could let myself in but I doubt Jamie would appreciate the bill for a new front door... she picked up her tool bag and climbed out of her car, carrying the bag over her shoulder to the front door and looking every bit the sexy 40s mechanic but with purple hair. Because purple was awesome.

Jean: Nope! He would not. I'm coming, keep your panties on, bitch! Jean's feet touched the floor and she unlocked the door from the inside and stepped out. Ack, sunlight! Her head tipped sideways at the outfit. Hot handyman! "Well okay then."

Beth: "In England we call them 'knickers.'" Beth told her with a grin. "How do I look?"

Jean: "Like Rosie the Riveter with awesome purple hair!" Jean giggled. "Very nice."

Beth: "That is the look I was going for," she nodded, "So can Rosie come in or does she have to do all her fixing stuff from outside? Because that would get tricky."

Jean: "You mean you can't teke a sink in from out there?" Jean held open the door and took a look up and down the block for any random weirdos.

Beth: "Maybe but I can't account for casualties along the way," she stepped inside, looking around as she walked along the hall, "But if you don't mind holes in random places and water all over the floor....."

Jean: "Yeaaaah, I'm sure he wouldn't go for that either." Jean locked the door behind her and moved ahead into the office. "If ya wanna put your shit down I can give you a tour. Want tea? I can nuke the water upstairs."

Beth: ".... I'm not having tea with microwaved water." She set her tool bag down for now, "But I'll take a tour."

Jean: "Why not? Hot water is hot water." She wrinkled her nose at Beth, then reached over and tugged on the strap of her overalls.

Beth: "Because the water should be poured through the leaves not have the leaves dumped on top of it and it needs to be as close to a hundred degrees as you can get it... that's centigrade not Fahrenheit. Savages."

Jean: Jean gave Beth the blankest of blank looks. "'kay, whatevs. There's water in the mini fridge down here. Want one? Just... in plastic bottles, y'know. Cold, in Fahrenheit and centigrade."

Beth: Beth laughed and gave Jean a shrug, "I'm okay for now. Just show me around so I can see what you want fixing and judge you on how far you've fallen."

Jean: She smirked and set her hand on her hip. "How far I've fallen. You're cute."

Jean: Jean raised her other hand and channeled Vanna White. "What you see here is the business office for X-Factor Investigations. One of these days, I'm totally gonna talk him into letting me help redecorate."

Beth: "No pink," Beth supplied helpfully. "Not detectivey."

Jean: Jean made an offended squeaking noise. "I would never!"

Beth: "Probably should avoid anything fluffy too... also not detectivey. Watch some old-timey films were guys call girls 'doll' and they wear fedoras."

Jean: "I bought him one of those for his birthday." Jean tipped her imaginary hat. "But yes, I know what noir is," she said, poking out her tongue. "He's shown me all those old-timey films."

Beth: "Then go for that look... only in colour instead of black and white because technicolour is in now." Beth nodded sagely and stuck her hands in her pockets, pausing and rocking back on her heels as she looked around.

Jean: "Aha, so you admit color is in. Salmon then. It's understated." Jean giggled and watched Beth inspect the space. "Anyways, the non-working kitchen is over this way." Jean started for the room.

Beth: Beth turned her gaze on Jean slowly. Salmon? Really? She shook her head, "I don't know if I could work in a Toby Carvery..." she muttered as she followed Jean.

Jean: Jean had no fucking clue who that was. Decorator? Detective? Plumber? She shrugged. The high ceilings of the old building made their footsteps echo and she stopped in the kitchen. She really doubted it had always been a kitchen. "'kay, he says we can work on this one, but he's doing the one upstairs."

Beth: "Okay... so what is connected in here and is anything turned on? Did you ask about that?" She went to peer under the sink.

Jean: "Yup. I wouldn't..." Jean waved her away from the sink. "The water is like, black chunks." She looked around the gutted space. "He's picked up a lot of random skills over the last few years."

Jean: "Dupes, you know? He was gonna put in the lines for a dishwasher and replace all the water lines for the sink." She leaned on the old-fashioned enameled surface. "Then he can put in the appliances."

Beth: "I can do that," Beth gave her a smile, "Don't worry, I wasn't going to do anything yet - just seeing what I'm working with. How's the gas and elastic trickery in here?"

Jean: "Electric is fine. Told ya, random skills. Also, you call me a savage and you call electricity 'elastic trickery?'" Jean snorted. "He hasn't gotten the city permits to fuck around with the gas yet."

Beth: "Oh I can get those, no problem." She straightened up, "You got piping and whatever or shall I go back to my car?"

Jean: "He's got a bunch of construction crap up on the third floor." Jean did the Vanna gesture toward the door. "Let's continue the grand tour and we'll get there."

Beth: She laughed, "Okay, sexy lady." She patted Jean gently, "Stay in your housewife lane and file your nails." She gave her a grin.

Jean: Jean's brows shot up. "I'm decorative," she recovered. "Besides, this place is ooooold. You weren't at the Danvers school before it got fixed up. It was, like, a horror movie set. For realsies. This place? Probably haunted, too."

Beth: "I'm not scared of ghosts. Pretty sure my house is haunted," she shrugged, "Everyone says it is."

Jean: "Well good, then we can investigate the top floor. I don't think he's touched it." Jean grinned and grabbed Beth's hand, lifting them both into the air to float upstairs.

Beth: Beth embraced the lazy and let Jean drag her along with her teke. "Are you scared there's ghosts up there?"

Jean: "Okay so if your house is haunted, have you ever seen a ghost?" She set them down at the top of the stairs. Once again, the space was all high ceilings and bare wooden floors with some mismatched second-hand furniture. Jean watched Beth, waiting for the smart ass commentary.

Beth: Beth shook her head, "Not that I know of... but it's not like I go looking. If my house is haunted, it's not doing me any harm so whatever." She shrugged, looking around, "This is the finished part, right?"

Jean: She shrugged. "Not finished, but more so than the rest." Jean gave Beth a wicked smirk and a telepathic goose. "At least his bed's comfy... and sturdy."

Beth: ".... bleargh!" She didn't need that mental image!

Jean: Jean laughed, the noise awakening one of the fluffy not-throw-pillows on the bed. Figaro stretched, butt in the air, then yawned and sat with a questioning mrow. "Awww, did we disturb your nap?"

Beth: "Woah! Stealth kitty expert level." Beth smiled at the cat and waved, "Hi cat."

Jean: "Yeah," she laughed. "He's good at that." Jean went over and picked up the fluffy white cat, checking to see which one it was. They were way harder to figure out than Jamie. "A little too good..."

Jean: The other Figaro crawled out from beneath the bed and shook himself.

Beth: Oh there was another one. "Your cats are identical... isn't that a bit confusing for Jamie?" She crouched to say hi to the second kitty.

Jean: "Well, it was confusing for all of us. Probably most of all for the cats." Jean sat on the edge of the bed and cuddled Figaro. "I started with one cat."

Beth: "That's how most crazy cat lady stories start...." She held out her hand to the second cat so he could sniff her.

Jean: "Yeah, well, this one took a hard left turn. Figaro Prime there tried to eat Jamie's face aaaaand we ended up with Duparo here." Jean kissed him between his ears and the cat purred.

Beth: Beth looked between the two cats, "... whaaaaaaat?"

Jean: "Right?!" Jean giggled and held out her dupe kitty for inspection. "I didn't know he could do that. He didn't know he could do that either!"

Beth: "So that's a thing now? He can dupe other stuff? That's.... trippy." She reached to pet both kitties. "But yay free cat?"

Jean: "Okay, stuff? Yeah, he's done that before, but actual living things?" She crouched on the floor to join in the petting. "He's a sweetheart, and he loves Jamie. Original Figaro is still all jealous and pissy."

Beth: "Aww, he mad that he has to share you?" She cuddled the dupe cat in her lap, "Have you considered different colour collars? Or some kitty brain spelunking?"

Jean: "They don't like collars, and I've totally done the spelunking. That's how I tell them apart." Figaro Prime climbed up and she held him to her chest. "I've thought about helping him change his mind for some goddamn peace. Right now I have to lock him up when Jamie's home."

Jean: Jean's nose twitched. "It's also... I wonder if it's limited to, like, small animals..."

Beth: "Well I hope so or that's some extra crazy bullshit..." She frowned a little, "Maybe Figaro just needs some reassurance that you still love him lots... maybe get Jamie to feed him so he knows he's still the boss."

Jean: "Uh, yeah! What if he duped me?!" Jean had been thinking about it for so long that it just popped out. Shit.

Beth: "... that wouldn't be so bad... I mean... it'd be cool to be in two places at once.... can't he like.... un-dupe them?"

Jean: "I don't think so! Like, he absorbs his own dupes, which is still a trip to watch, but..." Jean winced. "Like... that'd just be nuts! Would it be murder to kill the dupe me? Or... like... suicide?"

Beth: "It's not murder when he absorbs the dupes... can't he make Figaro absorb his dupe? It'd be like him absorbing his own dupe... right?"

Jean: "Nooo, it only works on him. That's his whole power." Jean shook her head and buried her nose in Figaro's fur.

Beth: "But if it only works on him how is he duping other things?"

Jean: "I don't know! That's why his powers make my head hurt!"

Beth: "If he can dupe things that aren't him then logically he can undupe them too. Make him hold the kitties and smush them together... or try it with something less wriggly first."

Jean: Jean gasped and held Figaro closer. "Nooooo, no smooshing the babies!"

Beth: Beth shrugged, "I don't know how it works. I'm just throwing shit out there. They're his powers. He should know."

Jean: "Like you and I know everything about ours?" Jean snorted. "His are a different kind of trippy. Like, we were apart for four years, but with all his dupes, he could have lived like twenty or thirty years or more. It's why he's so different than he was in school."

Beth: "Okay so let's stop talking about this then because it's going to make my brain hurt and then I can't make the kitchen functional."

Jean: Jean couldn't really argue with that, since her head was starting to hurt too. "Yeah," she sighed, giving Figaro a kiss and standing back up. She went to the makeshift kitchen on this floor and went inside, leaning down to look back at Beth from the weird interior window.

Jean: "He wants to do this one himself, but check out this thing!"

Beth: "Ooooh that's neat. Saves on the electricity bills..." She grinned, setting dupe cat back on the floor and getting to her own feet.

Jean: "Right? This old building has.... character." She smirked and cuddled Figaro, noticing the dupe was following Beth now.

Beth: "It's quirky, I kind of like it." She nodded to the stairs, "Shall we poke around the other floors?"

Jean: "Yup! He's got pipes and stuff up there." She started for the stairs, on foot this time. "He told me it's like... an old apartment building? But shitty apartments, like the projects of the Victorian era or something... Anyway, the woodwork is awesome."

Beth: "Pretty decent for shitty apartments... but I suppose it depends how many people they stuffed into the building at once...."

Jean: "A lot, apparently. The walls have been opened up over the years. Originally they didn't have plumbing or electrical or anything. There's a fire escape on the back side." Jean went up the next set of stairs. The building got progressively worse as they went up.

Beth: "Well at least there is one... but that's probably a security risk in this neighbourhood..." Beth followed her, looking around as she did so. This building needed some serious TLC.

Jean: "Nah, the bottom is locked off unless you're coming down it." Jean shrugged. "There's water pipe over by that bathroom," she pointed, with Figaro wriggling to get down. She let him go and he trotted off to his room. "He's the only one who lives up here," she giggled.

Beth: "People climb up them all the time in the movies..." Beth pointed out, watching Figaro disappear into the bathroom. She wandered in the direction of Jean's pointing to inspect the supplies.

Jean: "In the movies, yeah." She shrugged. "Jamie's got security. Remember what I said about random skills? He really does know what he's doing."

Jean: Jean gave Beth an evil grin. "I've just been distracting him from his projects."

Beth: "You're a terrible influence. Don't you have a job?" She smirked over her shoulder at Jean as she checked out the supplies, "I've got stuff in my car I can use if I need it..."

Jean: "It's good to be the boss!" She laughed. "I still go to work. I'm just here today for this." She smirked at Duparo winding his way around Beth's feet. "He's got some other tools and hardware and stuff up here. Keeps it out of the way."

Jean: Jean stepped over some wood to a sawhorse piled with stuff.

Beth: "I will use my own tools - that's why I brought them. He has his stuff where he likes it, not going to mess with his system." Beth crouched to pet the kitty, "I think I made a friend."

Jean: "Jamie calls him the angel cat." She poked around anyway, realizing there weren't just tools in the tool boxes. He had one full of what looked like random household stuff, things that had to have been from the farm, and she even recognized odds and ends from his room at Xavier's.

Jean: Jean's breath caught in her throat when she saw a small, dusty velvet box.

Beth: "As opposed to the devil cat?" She guessed with a grin, "I think they're both sweeties."

Jean: No. No way. It couldn't- "Uh," she cleared her throat and tried to sound normal. "Me too, but then I've never been on the receiving end of Figaro's claws."

Beth: "Maybe clip them a bit before you try integrating your manfriends." She looked over at Jean, wondering about the tone, "You okay there?"

Jean: "I... no?" Jean stopped herself once from picking it up, but this time her fingers closed around it. Quick peek, and back in the box! It could be anything! Anything at all! She didn't get too far down the lane of considering options before she flipped the box open, squeaked, and slammed it shut. "Oh my God."

Beth: Beth blinked at the reaction and stood up, going over to her, "What's up?"

Jean: She aggressively chewed her lower lip, almost put it back, but couldn't, and finally just sighed and held the little box between both hands, hiding it in her palms. "It's, uh... my engagement ring." Jean really hoped Jamie was distracted right now.

Beth: "Why are we squeaking at it?" She cocked her head on one side.

Jean: "Because I figured he'd have thrown it into the harbor... or down a well... or, y'know, pawned it..." Jean swallowed and peeked at the box again. Her heart was pounding.

Beth: "...okay the last one was less stupid but why would he do that?"

Jean: "Proposal, um... didn't go well?" Understatement. She wrinkled her nose and blew out a long breath, flipping the lid open again and turning it around to show her the ring.

Beth: "So? Those suckers are expensive. And he clearly put a lot of thought into it..." Because it was aggressively pink.

Jean: "Yeah..." She could still see him, in the muddy Kansas snow, down on one knee with her hand in his. Marry me? Jean swallowed as her heart twisted in her chest. On impulse, she took it out with shaking fingers and slipped it on. Of course it fit.

Beth: Beth watched her, "Having second thoughts?"

Jean: She sighed and looked at it on her hand. It was cute. He'd tried so hard. "I had five years of second thoughts." Jean's nose wrinkled and she looked up at Beth. "I was a biiiiitch. Whoops?"

Beth: "You needed to grow up some... it's okay. He's obviously forgiven you..." She took the box from Jean and held it out to her open so she could put the ring back, "Now let's put it back where you found it before he freaks out that you found it."

Jean: Jean laughed a little and slid it off. placing it carefully back into the velvet box. "Hopefully, I'll get a second chance." She took one more look and closed the box, putting it back with the other stuff. "And this time hopefully he won't be covered in pig shit," she giggled.

Beth: "That can only help," Beth nodded in agreement. "Just don't be all weird..."

Jean: "Oh, the weird is generally him... I do bitchy, he does weird." Jean nodded. "It's a thing."

Beth: "Jamie does not have a monopoly on weird..." she eyed dupecat, "Though he does have a large share of the market, I'll give him that...."

Jean: Jean giggled and felt stable enough to touch the link, just for a moment. He seemed fine. "We're all a little weird, yeah."

Beth: "Come on, show me how bad it is upstairs."

Jean: "Oh, it's bad. Have you been in the basements at the old school?" Jean shuddered and grabbed Beth's hand to head straight for the stairs.

Beth: "Yeah but I thought they were cool..." she closed her fingers around Jean's hand and let herself be dragged.

Jean: "Well then you're going to love this." At the back of the third floor the stairwell was curtained off with plastic and canvas dropcloths. Jean twitched them aside with her teke and picked them both up to drift to the top floor.

Beth: "You know I like a good project," Beth reminded her, "It gives me stuff to do. I like stuff."

Jean: "Do you like asbestos? Because pretty sure that's why he has it blocked off - until it can be tested for sure." Jean dropped them into what looked a lot like the set of Silent Hill. "Tada!"

Beth: "Hope it isn't asbestos. You have to get special crews in to remove that shit and it's not cheap.... pretty sure the school basement had asbestos in it but SHIELD took it out."

Jean: "Yup, I know." God knew if he had certifications in that, too. Hope not, because absorbing a dupe who huffed asbestos? Probably not great. "But tell me this shit doesn't look haunted?!"

Beth: "Looking haunted and being haunted are two different things, you know." She bumped Jean with her shoulder, "Heard any weird noises? Things going bump in the night? ... Besides the headboard."

Jean: "You've got a point there... although the ghosts would have to be pretty loud to compete," she nodded, turning her head to give her a smirk.

Beth: "Bleargh!" Beth gave her a proper shove for that, "Stop rubbing your sex life in my face."

Jean: "Well you brought that mental image entirely on yourself!" Jean squealed and caught her balance with her teke.

Beth: "You didn't have to make it worse! I was trying to head it off!" Beth flailed a little. "You just like torturing me."

Jean: "That's what friends are for!" Jean giggled and wandered to a window to look down. "Oooh, hoodrat!"

Beth: "A what now? Say that in English..." She followed Jean to the window and peered out of it.

Jean: "Um... chav?" Jean pointed to the skulky teenager snooping around the side lot... and her car.

Beth: "Ew... can we throw things at it until it goes away?"

Jean: She turned an evil grin on Beth. "We can totally make this building haunted."
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Re: 11/7 Issue: Not Haunted

Post by Esynthia »

What a rollercoaster! Black chunks, city permit permission, Figaro and Duparo, RING!!!, making the building haunted. Whew! I'm exhausted from all the adrenaline!

Seriously though, loved this one ^_^
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