apocalypsehowcomm | Event - Appalachia: Into the Pines

Entry tags:

Event - Appalachia: Into the Pines

Appalachia: Into the Pines

Footage plays on the television as a new story comes on, showing a series of sweeping vistas, intercut with clips of wolves that have clearly been filmed at some local wildlife sanctuary. "As far as anyone knows it, the last wolf to ever freely roam the Allegheny Mountains was slain in West Virginia in 1897. Daniel Stoffer Hamrick saw to the beast's passing, and the woods in our part of the world have gone quieter ever since. Appalachia does not forget its history, though. It buries it beneath coal and flyash, debts and white powder and pills. And the blood of people taken before their time, by the mines, by the mountain, by things we don't have names for, just hurt. But Appalachia does not forget.

"This is Cindy Parsons with Channel 5, Wolf News." Footage cuts to a newscaster standing outside a gated apartment complex with FYRE's logo emblazoned on it. "As we know, our beloved Wolf Pen is home to one of the biggest FYRE worker housing complexes in Wyoming County. It is a monument to the history of our town, and this week, we'll be on the lookout for visitors from all over the country, coming to see the grand re-opening of the historic Bluestone Mine as a museum."

Footage cuts to a nondescript businessman, identified by the news footage as Carl Watts, CEO of FYRE. He's smiling blandly as he stands at a podium and gestures to the entrance of the mining tunnel behind him. "The Wolf Pen community has been a partner to us for decades now, and we knew it was finally time to give something back to all y’all. We'll have our soft opening on Monday with a full Rumble Down Under party in the old mines scheduled for June 15th. We'll have a live bluegrass concert and anticipate a huge influx of tourists to the area to help out our neighbors itching for a few more pocketbooks to tend to." A wink.

The footage returns to Cindy. "FYRE has stated that this new museum will provide an educational tool and tourist attraction for those wanting to learn about West Virginia, Wolf Pen, and the hard-working men and women who have made this beautiful part of our nation their home. Time will tell. Time is always telling when it comes to the promises of people who have used our land and our bodies to line their pocketbooks. They fill our blood and our lungs with black tar and-"

Cindy cuts out and is replaced by in-studio anchors. "Thank you, Cindy!" a blonde woman says, smile just a little strained. "I think we're all looking forward to seeing the big opening by FYRE on Sunday and that rocking good party next month. It should be a gneiss one! Now to Tim with the weather. Tim?"

➥ Links

OOC Questions - LINK
NPC/Mod Response Prompts - LINK
General Setting Prompts - LINK 1 & LINK 2

↬ Main Navigation

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

COUNTRY ROADS (CLOSED TO BEAU)

So how about that train ride, huh?

[Misty asks as she unzips her suitcase on the bed she's claimed, pawing through it until she finds her phone charger. At this point, she knows nothing about Beau other than her name and the fact that they're rooming together, but that's not going to stop her from talking up a blue streak.]

I mean, beautiful scenery... at first. Hahaha! I don't scare easily, but, um... I saw a few things that spooked even me. But hey, now that we're here, I'm going to check around town a bit; do you want to come with?

[Beau also knows about as much about Misty as Misty does about her, but she seems... you know, nice enough. She never really knows how to act around anyone too overly peppy, but hey, she could probably use it right now. She's got an oversized backpack instead of a suitcase, which she unceremoniously drops on the floor and proceeds to do nothing else with it.]

Yeah, figures that something would go wrong immediately, right? So many of us moving at once, bound to attract some weird stuff.

[Oh, right, she should get something before she goes out, and actually starts rifling through her bag until she produces a digital camera.]

Uhh, yeah, sure. You got any leads or anything?

Not really, I mean, we just got here--

[She leans over, trying to take a curious peek into Beau's bag.]

But I'd like to get the lay of the land. How are you with hiking, or the woods? This place seems like it's surrounded by forest.

[Hey, who knows what she was doing or found out. Worth it to ask. Beau doesn't bother hiding the contents of her bag; it's clothes, a notebook or two, some pens and pencils. Really nothing fancy or particularly interesting, because all of that stays on her person. She's dressed at least more like a normal person from this day and age in a tank top and some loose-fitting pants, but she does seem to have an interesting pair of goggles at her hip, if Misty is so inclined to look for fun stuff.]

Walking's fine. Forest is too. But if we're gonna go wandering into nothing I'd like to at least have an idea of what we're looking for. Do you have blueprints or anything that gives us city limits, weird shit happening somewhere, something?

[Someone who doesn't try to keep their stuff secret even when Misty starts poking her nose in where it doesn't belong? Perfection. She likes this one already.

Pulling back, she gives Beau a bright smile.]

Well, no, but that's the kind of stuff you find while you're exploring, right? I'm suggesting we go looking for trouble. I'm sure it won't be too hard to find!

[This girl seems... really excited about this whole thing. On one hand, it's a bit endearing, being reminiscent of an old friend that just disappeared from here. On the other hand, it's enough to be a bit wary. But Beau isn't going to be the fully responsible one in any situation, so she just shrugs.]

Well, when you put it like that, yeah, 'mm sure we can stir up something. Let's go find something that looks like fun.

Oh, good, I was hoping you'd say that. It'd suck to be stuck with a boring roommate.

[And with that, she turns for the door, sneaking a quick glance over her shoulder once she's out in the hall to make sure that Beau is following.]

Let's see, we could poke around the outskirts of town... or we could just gather info in town. You know, eavesdropping, checking out the nightlife, maybe grabbing drinks...

I mean, I'm always up for drinks. People do talk with a little alcohol in 'em.

[But also, she's good with getting drunk and starting barfights. Regardless, they walk and talk as they move out of the hotel.]

Barkeep's are good for knowing stuff, too. Unless we ask someone around here. The people who work at this place are probably good for touristy stuff.

[Hmmmmm.]

Okay, how does this sound as a plan: one of us asks casual questions, and the other one sits nearby on their phone--

[She pulls out her cell, wiggling it.]

-- and pretends not to be paying attention, but secretly takes notes. Two heads are better than one, and it can be hard to concentrate on questioning and remembering every important thing that comes up.

[She raises her eyebrows, slightly surprised that Misty has a plan at all here. But hey, that's a good one.]

Yeah, that could uhh, could work. I'm usually the uh, the notes person.

[Not that she's very good at typing. It'll be riddled with typos, but hey, she can fix that later.]

Good with you?

Oh, sure!

[Would Misty be better at taking notes? Yes. Is she good at talking to people without talking them off? Absolutely not. But does she want the chance to question people directly, despite all that? Hell yeah.

We're going to be such a great team, Beau; this is going to be so much fun.

[She'd be more apprehensive about this if Misty didn't just sound like Jester at this point. Like, is someone being overly friendly about committing crimes offputting to a normal person? Probably. Is it even remotely a surprise to her? Nah. So alright, let's do this thing.]

Uhhh, sure. Glad you're... excited?

[That doesn't mean Beau knows how to talk to people about it, though. She's just going along for the bullshit ride she will inevitably end up on.]

You're not?

[Misty is perfectly willing to be overly excited for the both of them, but ADI should really have an overabundance of people who are really into this stuff, shouldn't it?]

[She just shrugs.]

I dunno. Seems kind of normal to me. I'm more excited about the future trouble.

[Aka, the knock-heads type.]

Oh, as in - trouble trouble? Physical danger?

[She studies Beau as they walk, tilting her head to the side a little as she considers.]

I don't see any reason we can't go looking for that, too.

[Misty has the look of a PTA mom, not a bruiser, but she certainly doesn't sound apprehensive.]

[Alright, that gets an eyebrow-raise.]

You don't look like the type to be able to handle that. Unless you have some spells up your sleeve. Or a knife.

[Even then, Beau's only concern is someone starting a fight they- or she- can't finish. But as long as Misty knows how to pick her fights, or at least signal Beau she's about to beat ass, she should be fine.]

I know I don't.

[She says, with a conspiratorial smile.]

It's my secret weapon. If you do the actual fighting, I can provide... certain kinds of backup, with the right tools. And I'm not squeamish.

[Certain kinds is... a statement. But you know what? This works fine.]

Alright. I'll take your word for it. Just don't get too nuts.

[It will probably get too nuts, and it will probably be Beau's fault.]

Just tell me if it gets too much I guess.

[A little smile flits across Misty's face. It's not quite smug, but it definitely has shades of both I know something you don't know and Oh honey, you haven't seen nothing yet.]

Totally. And if my methods get to be too nuts for you, you can tell me, too.

[This is the conversation of two completely unhinged people trying to pretend they are so much more normal than they are. When combat happens it will be a delightful surprise for both of them.]

I've ripped limbs off. It's hard to surprise me.

[But hey, off they go to start some shit apparently.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Event - Appalachia: Into the Pines

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

aaaa I missed this notif

you are so fine bro i went to freakin'. space, apparently

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

wanna bring this to a wrap?