(catch-all) the storm & the st. paddy's day festival

[officialnotice]

CATCH-ALL: 16TH & 17TH

march 16

THE THUNDER ROLLS

The day starts off atmospherically heavy. The clouds are low, and the temperature is unusually warm, settling in the mid to high 50s (teens in Celsius). Townies are wandering around town in lightweight jackets and hoodies making small talk about the unusual weather, but for the most part they're pleased with the warmth, even if the clouds off in the distance look rather ominous. As the day goes on, the clouds creep closer and the residents seem more inclined to get a roof over their heads and stay there. The midmorning news predicts heavy rainfall by the late afternoon, but the savvier townsfolk say it’s going to be worse than that.

They’re not wrong. The sun drops low, and the winds start to pick up, howling through the trees, bringing with them nickel-size chunks of hail and torrential rains. The darker the night gets, the worse the storm hits Wayward Pines; by the time the sun has set, the sky is obscured with opaque, swirling clouds, the winds snapping trees in half, rattling the power lines, causing electricity to flicker and sometimes go out. The hail pings against the cars not safely parked inside garages, leaving the more exposed with significant damage to paint and windows, and anyone brave (or stupid) enough to step outside is instantly soaked to the skin in cold rain.

The most chilling thing of all isn’t the rain. Anyone trying to wait the weather out on Main Street will hear three wrenching cries coming from the woods, almost like the exact moment a person shreds their vocal cords in a scream. The townies claim not to hear anything unusual. It’s just the wind, they say, and they may be right. The sound as it shrieks through the trees and between buildings is similar enough to cast doubt, and combined with the rain even the most experienced camper would likely get lost trying to find it.

march 17

THERE’S WHISKEY IN THE JAR, OH

Whatever damage was caused by the previous night’s storm has mostly been cleared from Main Street by the early morning of St Patrick's Day. The streets are still a little wet, with plenty of puddles for the more adventurous children (and adults) to splash around in. The air is still a little chilly, but nothing a sweatshirt can’t fix. Nothing’s fully set up until about nine in the morning, but when it is, the St. Patty’s Day celebration gets under way. It’s small, more of a farmers' market or small festival than anything major. There’s food stalls and tables for eating, as well as a few booths where townsfolk are plying their crafts and non-food wares, as well as live music. The festivities during the daylight hours are pretty tame, a PG-rated good time for all.

When the sun sets, the party gets a little more rowdy. Someone busts out the booze and someone else busts out the Mardi Gras beads, and the music gets louder. While many food stalls are still open, the rest have shut down as the street fills with revelers, many of them holding cups half-filled with beer or something a little stronger. This part of the party isn’t for kids, and if anyone underage is spotted they'll quickly get escorted back home by the police — so try not to get caught, yes?

MOD NOTES

This is a catch-all for any and all threads pertaining to the storm (March 16th) and the St. Patrick's Day festival (March 17th)! Details on both of these happenings can be found in the March Newsletter.

PLEASE INCLUDE IN SUBJECT LINE: Character Name, which Day(s) your top-level takes place in, and Open or Closed, to help keep things a bit more organized. (For example: "Joe Biden | 16th & 17th | Open!")

Should you choose to participate in both mini-events, you're welcome to make separate top-level posts for each day or to combine them both into one.

If you have any questions regarding this event, feel free to ask them here.

Comments

Malia Tate | 16th and 17th | Open

[singly]

16th

[ The town verbally grows in acceptance of the obvious ominous storm that's moving toward them, and Malia prefers that to the fake dispositions of most of its residents. There are more flavorful characters that go against the grain and she gravitates to them upon the happenstance that she learns they arrived there exactly as she did.

Out in the morning, she sticks to the shops to try to learn more. Yet, 'worse' isn't very specific, is it?

When the hail starts, she's just gone inside, but the appearance of the weather doesn't dissuade her. In fact, she intends to step out into it, wanting to gauge how bad it might be. Steps out, most of her body still inside as she holds the door open, one hand reaching out to be pelted by one of the larger pieces of hail. She cries out, grimacing and pulling back, stepping back and letting the door shut. Front of her body streaked from the rain. Oops. Staring outside with a furrowed brow. Finally, she turns to actually looks around.

Where is she? It smells...not so horrible. Warmth. Nice aromas, and something's baking somewhere, but the decor of the place is unlike anywhere she's seen before. ] What the hell is this place? [ A tea room, Malia. Have you no culture at all? Who else could be there? Are they mad if she let water pool in through the door as she tested the outside for safety? Or maybe uncertain that she's asking about the place she went into. ]

17th

[ She's drawn to the evening's festivities as much as the ones in the sunny hours of the day.

However. Not everyone thinks that Malia should be there. How old is she, she's asked? ] What does it matter to you? Do I look like I'm trying to drink anything? [ Is this worker (or another resident, unwilling or otherwise? OOPS) of the family fun time after-party moving to lay a hand on her shoulder? They are. Oh. She reaches to grab it. ] No. You can't tell me what to do. What are you, the sheriff? [ With that accompanied by a deluge of feeling like she's absolutely an adult which is so what any mature adult would think, her eyes flash electric blue for a second at them, nodding and dropping their hand away. ] Go do something useful. Like kick people out of the party who actually deserve to be. [ Are they still advancing on her? Hopefully not, because she's walking away to look around at the less annoying patrons of the party. She's eighteen: she can do what she wants! Plus, no drinking. She can't get drunk. What's the point? ]

17th

[vdova]

[ Natasha's about to leave the party, herself, when she notices movement out of the corner of her eye. She recognizes the girl — Malia, she thinks is her name — one of Steve's students, but she doesn't look like she wants to go peacefully. The cop trying to escort her out reaches for Malia again, but Natasha's there in almost an instant, a hand on the man's wrist in a grip that brooks no argument. She smiles sweetly, a little dangerously. ] She's with me. A student of my boyfriend's, I'll take care of her.

[ The cop hesitates, but whatever he sees in Natasha's expression isn't worth arguing with and he pulls away with a nod, disappearing back into the crowd. She waits for him to vanish, and then turns to Malia. ] Are you alright?

[ She definitely smells like Steve, along with smoke and fire and blood. ]

[singly]

[ There are too many people moving about for Malia to randomly focus on anyone specific, but she does hear those words. Closely spoken to her, and her head turns over to see who's there.

The woman looks somewhat familiar, but she doesn't know her name. She watches through a furrowing brow, eyes softening back to neutrality when the cop is gently encouraged into leaving her alone. It's only when speech is turned to her that she starts to take more in. There's a familiarity, but more importantly? Scents that could register the need for alarm. ] Are you? [ It tumbles out, but she catches onto it being a strange question immediately, speaking again right away. ] I am. Thanks. I'm just...walking around. Talking to people. Like everyone else around here wants to do.

[ Some drunk person lets out a holler nearby, slurs something about beads, and Malia gives them a hardened look of uncertainty. ] Well, maybe not everyone's sober enough to actually talk. [ A beat as she gives the woman an analyzing gaze. ] Why'd you step in like that?

[vdova]

Like I said. You're one of Steve's students, and you're not hurting anything by being here.

[ Natasha lifts a shoulder in a shrug, glancing at a drunk couple who stumble past, reeking of enough booze that even Natasha can smell it on them as they go. She frowns a little, but it's more at them than at Malia. ]

He didn't need to put his hands on you.

[singly]

[ Natasha's attitude is one she appreciates in any adult; less authoritative control and judgment, more seeing the situation as it is. Her smile broadens slightly. With the start of a nod that blends into a shrug of her own, and she answers in a tone edging toward indifference. ]

I think I could've taken him. I mean, probably. [ No, definitely, but maybe talking about her physical capacities in a purely honest form, with someone she just met, isn't the best idea. ] I try to work out, I mean. [ Liar. She's a horrible liar, glancing away as she says it, assuming the words were enough.

Then, back to Natasha. ] So you're...not gonna make me leave?

[vdova]

[ There's something about the way Malia says that, that has Natasha's gaze lingering on her just a hair too long, scrutinizing. She's lying, but Natasha's not going to press about why. If she's acting this cagey about it, pushing will only spook her, and that's not what Natasha wants, either. ]

No. Unless you want to leave and somehow find yourself unable to.

[ It's a joke. She smiles a little. ] You're not causing any trouble, after all.

[singly]

[ Talking about her abilities to others who she knows fall under the same blanket of the 'supernatural' is easy. It's what she, the pack, does at home. Talking to humans who aren't in the know, at all, she doesn't want to do that, not on purpose. As far as she knows, Natasha's a human.

Malia knows she isn't a great liar, and she doubts for a moment if it'll fly. It does, from a kindness or sincere belief. She gives Natasha a puzzled look through a growing smile and furrowed brow -- she's joking, right? Yeah, so the faint smile says.]

Yeah. Exactly. If they didn't want certain people here [ children or those who are close enough to fit the bill ], then they probably shouldn't have had the party where anybody could easily get to. [ Logic. A beat. ] You don't teach too, do you?