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[after the carnival, shauna feels -- a little mellowed out. she still has moments of that weird, lingering euphoria from the feast, the forest, the crown of antlered bone she wore, the tassels of hair hanging from her raiment. but she's clear-headed now, after the burning of the chapel, ash still under her fingernails as she lounges on her and jackie's bed, socked feet waving back and forth as she reads a magazine and makes her way through a bag of melissa's cheetoes.
she barely looks up when the door opens, sucking orange dust off her fingers and turning a page.] Ever heard of knocking? Jeez.
she barely looks up when the door opens, sucking orange dust off her fingers and turning a page.] Ever heard of knocking? Jeez.
[ jackie's time at the carnival (thus far) has been pretty tame in comparison. (there was a time or two where she may or may not have gotten off on one of the rides, but that's not on the same level as burning down a church, though she's heard about that.)
her eyebrows raise as she finds shauna on their bed, snacking on cheetos and reading a magazine, and it's not necessarily weird to find her like that, but it is, because she'd just been looking for shauna everywhere else she can think of. ]
Sorry. [ she sounds a little less than convincing, shedding her jacket and heading to the closet to hang it. ] I thought you might still be outside, I was looking for you.
her eyebrows raise as she finds shauna on their bed, snacking on cheetos and reading a magazine, and it's not necessarily weird to find her like that, but it is, because she'd just been looking for shauna everywhere else she can think of. ]
Sorry. [ she sounds a little less than convincing, shedding her jacket and heading to the closet to hang it. ] I thought you might still be outside, I was looking for you.
You were? [shauna looks up for the first time, because it's jackie, and because there's still a part of her that's soft and earnest and anxious about getting her approval -- keeping it, hoarding it, snarling at anyone else who gets too close. so she softens, mumbling around the cheesy finger in her mouth.] How come?
Not -- cause of the church thing, right? [it's said with a little bit of sheepish embarrassment, like shauna's been caught shoplifting lipgloss, instead of committing arson.] I dunno, maybe I'm PMSing or something. It's fine, nobody got hurt.
Not -- cause of the church thing, right? [it's said with a little bit of sheepish embarrassment, like shauna's been caught shoplifting lipgloss, instead of committing arson.] I dunno, maybe I'm PMSing or something. It's fine, nobody got hurt.
I wanted to talk, I guess.
[ she's about to continue, but then shauna brings up the church thing, and it takes her a second to realize what she's talking about - she hasn't been back since the weird-ass easter service, but she'd seen people trying to contain a fire. ] Wait, the church - you were in a fire? Jesus, Shauna, are you okay?
[ because her first though is how she could be hurt, not how very weirdly chill she is with having just escaped a fire or the possibility that she could have helped start it. ]
[ she's about to continue, but then shauna brings up the church thing, and it takes her a second to realize what she's talking about - she hasn't been back since the weird-ass easter service, but she'd seen people trying to contain a fire. ] Wait, the church - you were in a fire? Jesus, Shauna, are you okay?
[ because her first though is how she could be hurt, not how very weirdly chill she is with having just escaped a fire or the possibility that she could have helped start it. ]
[shauna rolls onto her back, groaning, like jackie’s nagging her about stealing her scruchie, or being a bitch to jeff in front of everyone, one arm flung across her eyes, mouth parted in a huffy laugh.] It’s noooot that big a deal. It was symbolic or something. Whatever. Nobody got hurt.
[lifting her arm, she examines jackie upside-down, frowning a little at the twitchiness in her posture, the way she crosses her arms and scrunches her nose and telegraphs anxious unsurety in every movement. shauna’s an expert at jackie-ese, by now, familiar with her nuances and quirks and subtleties.]
Talk about what? [still-upside-down, hair tangled, fingers ash-smudged.]
[lifting her arm, she examines jackie upside-down, frowning a little at the twitchiness in her posture, the way she crosses her arms and scrunches her nose and telegraphs anxious unsurety in every movement. shauna’s an expert at jackie-ese, by now, familiar with her nuances and quirks and subtleties.]
Talk about what? [still-upside-down, hair tangled, fingers ash-smudged.]
[ well, she's not hurt, at least, but jackie's not sure what the hell is wrong with her. ]
Whoa, wait, you started it? [ coming a little closer, she can see the ash and smell the smoke, which pretty much answers that question. jackie rubs at her eyes as she takes a second to try to track her thoughts. ]
I mean - whatever, that wasn't what I wanted to talk about. Melissa told me something.
Whoa, wait, you started it? [ coming a little closer, she can see the ash and smell the smoke, which pretty much answers that question. jackie rubs at her eyes as she takes a second to try to track her thoughts. ]
I mean - whatever, that wasn't what I wanted to talk about. Melissa told me something.
[there’s a sort of mental block when shauna tries to puzzle out why jackie’s upset – a year in the wilderness stretching between them, the horrors of winter to winter made deeper, made complex, her death and shauna’s son’s standing like flagpoles, points of no return and beyond them: here there be monsters. jackie rubs at her face and stares at shauna like she can barely recognize her, and shauna frowns and looks right back with her too-sharp cheekbones and her too-wild eyes.]
No, I just helped. Tim set it, I was there as like…moral support. [the inflection is right, teenage exasperation, the two of them bickering in shauna’s attic room before a party, throwing wadded-up socks at each other and eventually dissolving into giggling. but the topic is not, is so far removed from wiskayok, from the real world. shauna hadn’t thought before about how jackie is closer to home now, jackie had only seen the beginning of the end, while shauna had delivered it into her waiting hands with bloody teeth and bloody hands.
so she sits up, cross-legged, like they’re playing MASH again on jackie’s bed. she doesn’t look the least bit surprised about the mention of melissa – the fear is the great horror of what had been done to jackie, not the truth of the second summer out there, and mel knows her place, knows to keep her mouth shut, so it’s the latter, not the former. if anything, shauna looks expectant, patiently waiting.] Yeah? What’d she say?
No, I just helped. Tim set it, I was there as like…moral support. [the inflection is right, teenage exasperation, the two of them bickering in shauna’s attic room before a party, throwing wadded-up socks at each other and eventually dissolving into giggling. but the topic is not, is so far removed from wiskayok, from the real world. shauna hadn’t thought before about how jackie is closer to home now, jackie had only seen the beginning of the end, while shauna had delivered it into her waiting hands with bloody teeth and bloody hands.
so she sits up, cross-legged, like they’re playing MASH again on jackie’s bed. she doesn’t look the least bit surprised about the mention of melissa – the fear is the great horror of what had been done to jackie, not the truth of the second summer out there, and mel knows her place, knows to keep her mouth shut, so it’s the latter, not the former. if anything, shauna looks expectant, patiently waiting.] Yeah? What’d she say?
hiya
i found one of those personal dvd players and a copy of the lost boys
u free tonight?
or u got some coked up orgy to attend?
ren
i found one of those personal dvd players and a copy of the lost boys
u free tonight?
or u got some coked up orgy to attend?
ren
hey!
let me just check my calendar... no, i'm obviously free
let me just check my calendar... no, i'm obviously free
glad u could slot me in
fancy my room or urs?
fancy my room or urs?
[ Just imagining having to introduce somebody new to Shauna gives her anxiety, so: ]
yours would be better
yours would be better
aye sure
i dont mind
nobodys been brave enough to share the room across
i figure i must snore or somethin
i dont mind
nobodys been brave enough to share the room across
i figure i must snore or somethin
do you really want a roommate? having your own place sounds kinda nice.
im a pack animal
i like being around people more than being by myself
i share a flat with my best mates back home
i like being around people more than being by myself
i share a flat with my best mates back home
i used to share a three room cabin with my entire soccer team plus the assistant coach and the regular coach's teenage sons.
[ She feels like that being a total fucking nightmare is self-explanatory. ]
anyway, i'll see you soon?
[ She feels like that being a total fucking nightmare is self-explanatory. ]
anyway, i'll see you soon?
it took up sooo much room in the backseat. so unnecessary.
and he hated being in there.
i'll get you the name.
i'll get you the name.
none of us do. at least he's happy now that we're here, right?
we'll get everything taken care of. no worries. :)
these rooms are pretty nice though, aren't they? not quite as big as the ones in that place we stayed in last month, but the room service is better.
we'll get everything taken care of. no worries. :)
these rooms are pretty nice though, aren't they? not quite as big as the ones in that place we stayed in last month, but the room service is better.
absolutely. i mean, we should just have a driver on standby anyway. makes it way easier and saves jackie's voice.
sooo worth it.
[ and sooo casually, ] did you see who's working here?
sooo worth it.
[ and sooo casually, ] did you see who's working here?
consider it done already, shauna. [ it's literally not, but she'll figure it out before their last day here. ]
no. well, maybe. there's a guy who might be her boyfriend i need to talk to.
and a couple others who seem interesting & could be good for the brand. i'll make time to check them out too.
is there anything else you want?
no. well, maybe. there's a guy who might be her boyfriend i need to talk to.
and a couple others who seem interesting & could be good for the brand. i'll make time to check them out too.
is there anything else you want?
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