|
It's late in the evening, later than most people would (or should) be out - but that's never stopped Andy before, so why should it now?
Which is why they find themselves in an old, run-down, and hella abandoned theatre standing on the stage and looking around at the empty chairs and broken lights and tattered curtains. After a moment, they let out a few humming notes - just to see how it would sound.
It, perhaps, comes out as more haunting than they intended - but that doesn't matter. Because they are alone.
Right?
Suuuure.
At the very least, they're alone onstage.
But that's only because Calamity's already made it up into the flyspace above, unsafe catwalks be damned. In the silence after those few notes, their quickly stifled gasp is probably audible.
This place still has pretty damn good acoustics.
It's amazing how swiftly Andy moves - one second they are on the stage, listening to silence slowly descend.... then the next they are gone, hiding behind a length of ripped curtain, tucked into a dark corner as they glance around to see where that sound had come from.
Silence, for a few seconds. The creak of some metal grating, and then,
"Up here -"
Up where? Even with the moonlight filtering in through the half collapsed ceiling, it's pretty damn dark above the stage. And then there's a click, and a familiar face is illuminated by firelight.
"...Andy? Right?" Calamity is talking as quietly as they can, while still letting their voice carry to the Changeling.
From within the shadows of the curtain, two moonblue eyes blink as Andy slinks forward. Cautiously, they peek out to get a better look at them. Their head tilts to the side.
".... Calamity?"
"Hey." A flash of white as they grin, and then disappear as the flame does.
Pat pat pat along the one side of the ceiling - they're no longer trying to be quite so sneaky, as they make their way over to the ladder near the fly rail, and then jump to the stage when they're still a few feet above it, landing with a soft thud.
They have a dark green bandana pulled up over their nose and mouth, and their hair and ratty sweatshirt both have a fine layer of the same dust that's smeared all over their jeans.
"Haven't seen you around." They untie the bandana and shake some of the dust off before retying it, letting it hang around their neck.
By the time Calamity reaches the stage, Andy is fully out from behind the curtain and doing a Crouching Goblin type of pose with a smile on their face.
"same. shoulda thought it was you," they stick out their tongue, "who else'd it be? how ya been?"
"Eeeehh, you know." A shrug and a small grimace, and flop down to lounge on the stage, pulling out a battered pack of cigarettes as they do.
"Nothin' special. You want one?" They hold the pack out to Andy.
"naw, m'good," Andy in turn whips out an already opened pack of twizzlers, the peelable cherry kind, and slinks on over to plop down a couple feet away from Calamity, "come 'cross anythin' cool or interestin' lately?"
"new abandoned places? creepy scenarios? bats in the belfry?"
"Hmmm..." They light up as they think, with the same battered zippo they had last time, careful to blow the smoke away from Andy.
"There's a uh...an old glass factory? Got in there for the first time a few weeks ago. Been pretty busy with my uh...running errands, an' shit. You?"
That's not evasive, or anything.
To be fair, Andy doesn't believe that is the full truth. But also to be fair, Andy has their own secrets to hide.
"same honestly," They shrug with one shoulder, "i checked out an old power plant, and that was cool. oh! i did drop by the Hale building you mentioned? didn't go inside, but it looks so cool close up.... not like anything else in the city."
"Right? Fuck, you gotta tell me if you go inside, ever. Or take me along." They flash a smile and take a thoughtful drag of their cigarette.
"How much of this place have you explored?"
"duh," blep "mostly the back area," they gesture behind them, "i came in through the back door. you?" they glance up into the rafters where calamity had been, "how stable is it up there?"
"Long 's you stay over the stage it's fine. Catwalks are a little rusted, but..." They shrug. "They're prob'ly all rated for a hell of a lot more'n I weigh, anyway."
"i mean.... same," they are very tiny for an 18/19 year old. a twizzler is taken out and a piece peeled off, the end going into andy's mouth. they, of course, keep talking, "how long've you been here? i got here like. a few minutes ago maybe?" a shrug.
"Little while. Enough time figure out how to get up there, 'n back down a different way." They exhale a cloud of smoke up toward the ceiling. "There's still some scenery up there - all the backdrops and shit."
"yeah?" they lean their head back to glance up at the catwalks, "they've got a coupla old props in the back, too. nothin' big, i guess they was just forgotten."
"Yeah. There's a few rolled up, but..." they lean backward to point to a drop above their heads, barely visible in the gloom. "Couldn't tell what's on it, even when I was up there. Like...plants or some shit, it looked like."
they glance over with a lil grin, "wanna try an' unfurl 'em?"
"...." They eye Andy. "Not gonna lie, pretty sure we're not gonna be strong enough to keep shit from crashing into the stage."
they pout, but.... "i mean.... i guess you're not wrong...." they are a noodle and they know it.
There's a sound from out in the seating area, someone opening the door at the other end and slipping inside to get away from everything. As you do.
Calamity freezes at the sound, before they pull their bandanna over their nose and mouth again and take a few steps sideways, sinking into the shadows in the wings.
And then a second pair of footsteps, following close behind.
Andy freezes just as well, glances at the door, glances at Calamity - once assured the other is 'disappearing' as well, they dart back (just as quick, just as silent) into the dark corner shrouded by tattered curtain from before. Quiet as a winter's night.
Phaedra leads Finley down into the rows of seats, looking up at the ceiling. "Not a good place to rest, I suppose. Might be good to hang out, though?" Her voice is quiet as she steps into a moonbeam. She is a smol bab, a pale blonde porcelain doll of a young woman, dressed in a white dress with floral embroidery on the front. "To explore. It's been a weird night already, I just didn't want to be alone, for a bit."
"You shouldn't be wandering around alone anyway," Finley mutters, zher voice soft and with a notable lisp. The other kindred is taller, lanky, not that you can really tell that much with the oversized gray coat hanging off of them. Zhe comes off... creepy, and has a mask covering the lower half of zher face. It has cartoonish stars and moons on it. Zhe looks up at the ceiling, then stares quietly at Phaedra for a second or two. "It's nice here..."
Phaedra's voice is maybe too new to be familiar, but Finley's...
Calamity creeps closer to the edge of the stage, still in shadow. Testing each step to make sure the stage isn't going to announce their presence. But it's an old stage, and they aren't quite familiar with it yet, and there is a bit of a creak as they step away from their hiding spot.
Andy stiffens and holds in their breath as Calamity creeps forward. They lean forward themself, glancing quickly and worriedly between their friend and the two strangers. They look ready to do..... something, anything, just in case.
Not that they can be seen....
The creak makes Finley startle, and zhe quickly wheels around and moves between Phaedra and the stage, squinting off into the dark cautiously.
Phaedra glances at Finley and speaks in a soft whisper. "There's at least two people here. One might hurt us, one's just really scared. They're up by the stage. I don't think this is an ambush...I think we spooked them."
Light-Shy, they inch closer towards Calamity. Perhaps there might be a way for them to slip out unnoticed....
Calamity, at the same time, inches closer to the edge of the stage, until they can peek around the proscenium.
"...Finley?" They call out, as quietly as they can.
Finley glances back at Phaedra, then nods faintly. Zhe looks back to the stage and... tries to speak up louder, but zher voice comes out kind of squeaky and slurred. "S-sorry for scaring you. We... don't want any trouble..." Then Calamity calls out, and zhe blinks in surprise before calling out louder, more hopeful, "Calamity?"
"Holy shit - hey - you scared me." They step out from the shadow and pull their dark green bandanna down from their face. "...Heh. And Phaedra...hey..."
Freeze. Andy leans back into their hidey-spot, watching the interactions curiously - and, perhaps, still warily and a lil Spooked.
"Calamity! You wouldn't hurt us, would you? We're just here doing what you probably are. Who's your friend?"
Uncannily, she turns right toward the light-shyed Andy.
!?
"I - uh..." Calamity squints into the shadow, 'cause...where'd Andy even go? They sure do blend in...
"Nah, wouldn't hurt you." They flash a smile at Phaedra.
Zhe looks around at the shadows when Phaedra turns towards them. "We're friends with Calamity, too..?"
"You don't gotta be so scared, okay?" Phaedra speaks up a little louder now. "No one here is trying to hurt you. No one here wants to hurt you."
Andy takes the moment to.... try and maneuver somewhere else. To look less suspicious when they reappear literally. And maybe to mess with Calamity a bit. Perhaps into one of the empty chairs?
......... in which case Andy is gonna goblin pose on the back of the chair as they return, staring directly at Phaedra, "you could see me."
Calamity starts in surprise when Andy reappears, looking mildly terrified.
"Whhhatthefuck...?"
they also have a twizzler string sticking outta their mouth now.
Phaedra meets that stare. Moon blue eyes meet moon blue eyes, and then Phaedra smiles. "I knew where you were, because you were the scaredest. It was like a big flashy sign, when I went to look, because I knew someone was here, so I looked. You were hiding because you were scared?"
"...Um..." Finley blinks, looking from Andy to Calamity to Phaedra, then back to Calamity, brows knit with concern.
Phaedra is getting hella side-eyed by Andy, who doesn't quite say that they were scared, but doesn't say they weren't. "didn't expect strangers."
"Well...we're not strangers, we're friends to Calamity. And if you are too, we should maybe be friends. Right, Finley?" She nudges zhem lightly.
Calamity is still perched on the edge of the stage, frowning at Andy and glancing at the other two. But you can't just ask someone how they turn invisible, especially in front of other people. So they stay silent, but nod in agreement that they're all friends.
"Um, yes," zhe mutters, a little nervous a swell. But zher eyes seem earnest enough as they stare a bit too intently at Andy. "If... you want to be friends..."
they glance between the two, before finally leaning back from their goblinpose and plopping down into the seat - backwards of course, legs tucked under them and arms resting on the back of the chair. "..... i suppose, yeah. friends is good."
"I'm Phaedra. This is Finley. What's your name?" She blinks up at Andy still.
"andy. it's...." they glance at calamity, then back, "... nice to meet you."
there's even a bit of smile!
Finley's smile--if they are smiling--is hidden behind the mask, but zher hand lifts for a shy wave to Andy. "H-how do you two... know each other...?"
"Met on a roof." Calamity's still eyeing Andy. "Kinda same 's you, Fin." They offer zhem a smile.
Phaedra moves closer to the stage, her eyes still on Andy.
"Where...where'd you learn how to...do that, Andy?" A nervous glance at Phaedra, then Finley.
they keep their eyes on phaedra for a bit, before glancing back over at calamity. their head tilts to the side, "do what?"
"You were...up here, 'n then..." they gesture to where Andy sits now.
"I don't think...none of us is normal." She drops that comment like a rock into a pond and pulls herself up to perch at the edge of the stage and watch the ripples.
"Umm." Finley looks towards Phaedra to stare for a second, then looks back to Calamity, watching them worriedly to see how they take that.
"well.. I walked," is andy's first response, until phaedra says what she says and they tilt their head to watch calamity's reaction.
Calamity locks eyes with Finley, their eyes widening for a second in shock as they glance at Phaedra and back to zhem. Asking something like 'did you tell...?' without saying anything.
Finley's eyes widen with anxiety, and... more than a little guilt, before looking down at the floor instead of Calamity. Which is perhaps enough of an answer.
"Not that I'd want to be normal." She shrugs, glancing between Finley and Calamity quietly. "I've always seen things that other people couldn't. Things hidden in the dark, things that weren't right there."
".... i mean, i was there," they stick out their tongue, "just makin' myself... not-notice-able. not-see-able?"
"For you, is it a matter of people not seeing you, or you not being able to be seen?" She tilts her head to one side slightly.
It's probably good that Finley's looking down, but Phaedra can sure as hell see the look of utter betrayal cross Calamity's face before it screws up into something closer to anger.
"...What the fuck." It's heated, but quiet, and directed at Finley. They might have even forgotten they asked Andy a question.
Finley flinches, shoulders sagging. "I... I just... th-thought you'd... get along... That you'd understand each other--what you've been through--" Finley cuts off, hands starting to wring together. "I'm sorry..."
"yes," they briefly grin, then shrug, "mostly the.... second..." they glance over at the other two then, because oh look, sadness. but they do mostly look concerned. "um..."
Sadness, in fucking waves, even though Calamity's trying their damndest to pretend it's anger. Easily harvestable, if you wanna roll about it.
"...Whatever, Finley. I kept your fuckin' secrets." They cross their arms over their chest.
She moves up onto the stage, walking over toward Calamity quietly.
Zhe flinches again, hair falling over zher face. It's a good thing they're not Blushed, cause tears might have been a thing. "S-sorry..." zhe says again, in a tiny, barely heard voice.
andy also clambers onto the stage to be near calamity, not harvesting anything (at least yet? they've no need for Glamour right now) but reaching out a hand to just... place it on Calamity's shoulder. friend sook comfort? maybe?
Calamity flinches at the contact, but doesn't pull away.
Phaedra stops walking when she's right in front of Calamity, looking (probably up) at their face quietly. "I spent years of my life being used and abused because of what I was, because of what I could do and what I could see. And when Finley heard this, zhe wanted me to maybe meet someone who would understand what I'd been through. To make me feel less alone in this fucked-up world. But you clearly don't want to help with that, so it's okay, I didn't need you for a friend. I don't need to have anyone who fucking gets it. That's fucking fine. But don't hate zhem. Zhe was only ever trying to be kind, when I was hurting."
She spits the words out, throwing them in Calamity's face.
Finley freezes, not even bothering to force themself to look like zhe's breathing. But zher hands are trembling, clamped together, eyes wide with panic but unable to look up from the floor.
"What the fuck? That's...the fuck does any of that - they swore to keep the shit I can do a secret, they had no right -" Calamity stands their ground, tears welling in their eyes. "Could'a let me tell you myself - when I was ready, when I wanted to. 'S mine. Mine." Their voice cracks.
She reaches out, but stops before making contact. Then turns to quietly walk away, upstage.
While the three are distracted with each other, whenever they look back in Finley's direction--the Haunt is gone.
andy tucks in closer, attempting to pull calamity away from the confrontation - or at least to get somewhat inbetween them and the others. "we should just go. i think."
Calamity flinches away, anyway, from both Phaedra and Andy.
"Fuck this." Their voice is shaky, and they take another few steps backwards before they turn to run for the back door.
And Phaedra...she just finds a bunch of curtains and hides herself in them, and quietly starts to cry.
"..... oh," andy lowers their hands and watches calamity run away, face emptying of all emotion. they stand there a moment, before turning and.... sitting down, center-stage, pulling knees to face.
|