ArchivedLogs:Fire Where

Fire Where
Dramatis Personae Dusk, Isra, Jack, Jax, Shane, Pumpkinlord
In Absentia	2015-10-30 "...S'way early for him t'be sleepin'." (part of fluseason tp)
Location <NYC> {Lighthaus} - Harbor Commons - Lower East Side
Bright and sunny-light, this house lives up to its name. With a plethora of enormous windows flooding the place with light and an open layout, the ground floor feels more spacious than it is. The small entryway has a closet space for shoes and coats, and doors at either side leading to the neighboring apartments. Past this it opens straight into the living room, a wide expanse of space bordered on one side by a curved set of stairs leading up (with colourful glass tiling on the risers between each stair) and next to these, the half-wall into the kitchen. Cool pale tile underfoot and many dark cabinets with a small walk-in pantry, plentiful custom granite countertops, black and speckled faintly with rainbowy flecks, lots of hanging space overhead for cookware, a large double-oven. There's a strip of rather detailed mosaic-work in the kitchen backsplash, colourful glass tiling depicting strange fantastical herbs and small faeries and firelizards darting among them. In back of the kitchen, a door opens up to a small sunroom, wide and two-stories high with a balcony overlook from the second floor; two of the windows here have cushioned windowseats, and there's a wealth of herbs growing in hanging pots and small window-boxes. The back wall of the living room is nearly entirely dominated by windows, huge and allowing a view of the river beyond with bench windowseats lining the sills. There are plentiful paintings on the wall, surreal and fantasy-inspired, mostly in shades of blacks greys with bright bursts of colour that are mirrored in the decor -- monochrome upholstery on the couch and armchair but colourful throw-pillows, black and white huge corduroy beanbags (and one large red doggie-bed,) soft throw rugs also in mostly black and white with splashes of rainbow woven in. The hand-built furniture -- tall chairs by the kitchen/living room counter, dining table and chairs in the kitchen, low coffeetable in the living room -- has been hand-painted as well, black with bursts of colourful abstract designs. Along the living room's other wall, doors branch off to a full bathroom -- in white and deep blue with one wall of the shower done in colourful intricate mosaic too, an underwater scene full of strange mythical water-creatures; tiny water-sprites have been interspersed at random points in the rest of the wall tiles, as well. There's a small studio space beside the bathroom, large windows as well and a gratuitous amount of shelving and cabinets along the walls; this room has very /little/ colour in it, just white walls and black furnishing. For some people, the late hour here would probably mean bedtime. And for some people it probably /should/ have been bedtime long ago -- but none of Spencer's guardians for tonight are particularly sticklers for things like Rules For Children, which means that even far into the night Spence hasn't quite been put to bed. Of course, bedtime or no, there's only so late one hyperactive young boy can /stay/ awake -- which means that as Jax is busy in the kitchen stirring up a fresh pot of spiced cocoa (he's changed out of his Dance Clothes into soft black yoga pants and a soft grey-and-rainbow sweatshirt over a plain black tank), Spencer is busy curled up sound asleep on a beanbag in the middle of the living room. The living room at the moment is kind of a mess of tools and pumpkin-viscera (though most of the seeds have been extracted and separated out, for washing and later roasting); Spencer's finished pumpkin has a large spider cut out of it and sits, at the moment, beside one traditional eye-nose-mouth grinning jack-o-lantern (that one was Daiki's). There are a number more gourds -- perhaps not yet done, given the headstart Spencer had on folks actually /at/ the dance -- scattered around the newspaper-covered floor and coffeetable. Jax has not actually started carving his yet, though it does have a pattern traced on it already -- a scarecrow (complete with the field of corn it watches over, and circling birds overhead.) "-- How many y'all want some'a this?" He's forgotten, as he turns to get cocoa-mugs from the cabinet. Spencer is not the only one who has succumbed to Nighttime. For all his usual nocturnal tendencies, Dusk is draped on an enormous poof right by the sleeping child, wings kind of spilling out onto the floor beside him. He'd probably want cocoa except instead -- zzz. Changed out of his costume and in workout pants and a bright red t-shirt, Jack's in the process of cleaning up some of the pumpkin-viscera. He came from the school with Jax and is spending the night so he's happy to help clean up a little. He's being careful so as not to wake Dusk or Spencer though. He glances over his shoulder when Jax asks his question and offers an unseen smile. "Oh um...I'll have one, please." Shane raises his hand promptly at the offer of cocoa. He did not make it out to the dance but is in here from work -- probably he /should/ still be working, the cafe and nightclub are definitely still open, but slightly droopy, slightly full of cough, he's shucked off work early to come home once he heard folks were back from the dance. He is, at the moment, flopped out on his belly on the floor, arms curled around a large and very brightly coloured cushion as he /contemplates/ a pumpkin. Veeery intently. The pumpkin is just blank, at the moment, uncarved, undesigned. His eyes focus on it steadily. "Me, totally. Thanks." His gill flutter briefly, inner eyelids sliding shut. "Thanks. Smells -- good. And I kind of forgot about dinner. Cocoa's dinner, right?" Isra's finished pumpkin has a lid shaped like a five-point star, but otherwise does not look particularly impressive without a light inside--covered only with a series of seemingly random round holes. She wears a black wrap tunic with flared and pointed sleeves, and a handkerchief hem skirt, both edged with metallic rainbow trim that perfectly matches her horns, claws, and the membranes of her immense wings. At the moment she also sports Jax's 'Vegan Zombie' apron--presently a brilliant purple ombre shot through with many-colored stars--and has started working on yet another one, thus far only hollowed out. "I would like some, if you please," she replies, looking up from her labor, then darts a sidelong glance at Shane--not exactly disapproving. "I suspect we could scrape together something more supper-like than cocoa alone, however." A much-scratched infant carrier sits near her feet, its passenger looking less like a baby and more like a Jim Henson goblin with pointy ears so long they cannot stand up under their own weight, bulging green eyes that look too large for their head, and a fine black fuzz all over. At the moment, they seem largely intent on a red donut-shaped Kong toy, both arms and wings wrapped around it and wide toothy mouth gnawing steadily away. Jax sets mugs down on the counter -- though their identical squared shapes and sizes make it seem like they came from a set, none of them match, brilliantly swirled and speckled and marbled with colours in all sorts of differing patterns. He ladles out cocoa for everyone -- everyone /awake/, anyway, bringing mugs over to set two down by Shane and Isra before returning to the kitchen for his and Jack's. "Thanks, sugar." He nods to the pumpkin innards Jack is cleaning up. "Always a messy business -- though," he acknowledges with a small chuckle, offering one glitter-flecked mug of cocoa to Jack, "I guess less messy than usual Friday nights. Shane, sweetie, I got plenty'a leftovers if you need t'eat. Can't work this hard an' not eat nothin' too." Dusk stirs, eyes cracking open again as the cocoa smell draws nearer. "... s'good." Just a low mumble, one knuckle fisted up to rub against his eyes. He covers his mouth with a wing, stifling a small cough. "... should put Spence in. Actual bed." He hasn't carved a pumpkin, himself. He took one, cut out its bottom, hollowed it out. Then zzz. Maybe batty pumpkin-art will come tomorrow. "I don't think it counts in drink form," Jack supplies helpfully, looking at Shane. "It might need to be in like...cake form," he adds. "You're welcome," he chimes in reply to Jax as he picks up some more pumpkin goo. Telekinesis is helpful in getting it up without it sticking anywhere. "This is the first time I've seen pumpkin carving outside the TV and movies," he admits. When the cocoa comes in, Jack offers an unseen grin. "Thank you." "Thank you." Shane's gills flutter again, and he uncurls a hand from his pillow to hook the cocoa mug closer. "I'm shit at pumpkin... designing. Just get pa to draw on the pictures for me. It's like a fucking. Cheat code. To make people think you're --" He pauses here, too, tipping his face downward to smother a cough of his own against his arm. "Good at it," he finishes. "What's wrong with beanbag-bed, he's small." "Thank you." Isra inclines her head toward Jax, the gleaming rainbow gradient of her horns catching the light as she sets her pumpkin aside for the moment in favor of cocoa. "I might prevail upon you for some actual art, as well." Her eyes scan the gathered Jack-o-lanterns appraisingly. "Where will we /put/ all of these, come tomorrow?" She sips at her drink, looks over at Spencer. "Probably would sleep /better/ in a bed, or at least in a bed/room/." Losing interest in their chewtoy, the goblin baby sniffs at the pumkin Isra deposited beside them. Stretches out one bony wing and hooks an index talon over the edge. Draaaags it closer so they can peer in, clicking softly all the while. "Small but gonna wake up with a horrible crick in his neck if he stay there all night, he done it before." Jax moves over near Isra, cupping his own cocoa as he settles down onto the floor. He wiggles his fingers hello to the Gremlin, smiling bright as the baby peers into the pumpkin. "I saw this picture on tumblr with a bat eatin' a pumpkin, it was basically the most precious thing ever. Egg /is/ pretty Halloweeny." He takes a cautious sip of his cocoa, but then sets it aside -- still Too Hot! -- and leans back on his palms. "An' goodness but it sounds like Spence ain't the only one what needs sleep, y'all --" He tries to keep the /fret/ out of his voice, but it is only marginally successful. "I was thinkin' they could go on front steps, y'know, let kids know -- which houses is givin' out candy. -- Did you want t'carve one," he adds to Jack. "I /could/ totally burn you a stencil if y'wanted somethin' more'n the regular face." "Monsterling's totally scarier than pumpkinface," Dusk opines, pushing himself slowly, groggily, to his feet. He stoops, scooping one wing beneath Spencer and lifting the boy gently. "Yeah. No. Yeah. Bed. Sounds good." Though he does pause to steal a small sip of Isra's cocoa. 'Good night,' he signs to everyone, after returning her mug. Then slips out, heading up the stairs with Spence. "Bye, Dusk," Jack offers as Dusk goes, sleeve lifting as he offers a wave. He watches the Gremlin dragging the pumpkin for a few moments before turning his attention back to the others. "I think I heard something on the news about color coded pumpkins too. Like if you paint a pumpkin a certain color and put it outside it tells people you're offering certain kinds of candy for like...kids with allergies and stuff," he says. The invisible teen looks to Shane when he coughs, shoulders dropping slightly as he hums in concern. The offer of a stencil has him blinking, sleeve lifting again when the invisible guy rubs the back of his neck. "Sure, I can give it a try. Looks like its fun." "Pa's candy is all vegan and gluten-free and nut-free anyway, that should cover the major bases, right?" Shane sniffles, squinting over at Dusk as he gets up but then turning his attention back to his pumpkin. "I don't know what to... maybe you can draw my skull?" he asks his dad, hopefully. "Like off my kut... oh!" His eyes have opened suddenly wider when he looks at the toothy Gremlin peering into the pumpking. "Oh oh oh! Can you draw me /Stitch/?" Isra quirks a slightly fangy smile at Jack. "Perhaps one of us should carve a bat, then. Have we got any bats yet? Or...something a bit more nerdy for Geekhaus." She looks up at Dusk, yielding her cocoa to him without complaint and wrapping a wing around him--gently, so as not to jostle Spencer. "Sleep well," she says, hand moving as well in sim-com. "Only /one/ stitch?" This with one eyebrow ridge uplifted at Shane. "I do not know if that will really show Jax's artistic abilities to good advantage. Egg sniffs at the neatly hollowed out pumpkin, stretching out their other wing to brace on it. Their face wrinkles in something that might pass for confusion, then they lean in closer--close enough that they tip in tail over horn-buds with a startled cluck. They struggle to right themselves with all six limbs flailing. When they finally manage to sit up again--wings freed to grip the outside of the pumpkin with their needley black claws--they look up, nonplussed. 'Fire,' they sign, and without lowering the scrawy arm lifted to express this, they peek back down into hollowed-out gourd they presently occupy. Their face scrunches up in exaggerated confusion. 'Where?' "No bats. D'you want bats?" A crowd of bats start to make their way out of the mouth of the finished jack-o-lantern, crawling out and then flitting away, up the stairs, out the (closed) windows. One perches on Jax's shoulder. "An' not /a/ stitch, /Stitch/. Oh my gosh have you not seen Lilo an' Stitch, it's pretty much the best." The small chompy blue alien appears, gnawing on a leg of the table. His eye widens, lighting up at Egg's questioning. "Oh! See? Even already /understands/ Halloween. But they don't come standard with fire, honey-honey, we gotta add the fire ourselves with candles. -- Good night, sugar." He picks up his cocoa, watching as Dusk carts Spencer away. "...S'way early for him t'be sleepin'," he frets at Isra. "I'm not sure. There were ones for no nuts, no gluten, no chocolate, non-candy treats," Jack shrugs. He's as confused as Isra when it comes to stitch. "How would you even carve that?" he asks. Egg's pumpkin tumble gets Jack jumping slightly, but when there's no signs of injurt he relaxes. He takes a long sip of his cocoa as all the bats appear, watching them with an unseen smile. Of course when he lowers his cup, he's got a little cocoa mustache...floating in mid air where his lip would be. The appearance of the alien gets Jack staring. "Oh! That's a Disney thing, right?" he asks, glancing around the room. "Not a stitch, /Stitch/. He's --" Shane grins quick when the alien appears. "...that. He's a --" He trails off, dropping his head back down onto the pillow. His eyes have widened again when Egg takes a tumble into the pumpkin. "Oh shit." Amused, not alarmed. He digs in his pocket straightaway to pull out his phone, snap a few pictures. "Tell me that's not the spirit of Halloween right fucking there." He flops back onto his back, resting his head on his pillow and setting his phone on his chest. "You've got a --" His finger waves towards Jack's mouth. "S'a good... look on you." "Indeed I have not, but I gather now this Stitch comes from a film or a show that I ought to see? And yes, I think I should like bats--if you think you could manage a pattern that my somewhat remedial artistic skills can follow." Isra looks entirely unconcerned about drinking from the mug that Dusk has contaminated. "He has slept a great deal since he fell ill, and no amount of extra feeding seems to help." Her ears flatten against her skull and the tip of her tail twitches. Shaking it off, she glances at Jack, smiles. "Bit of a Cheshire Cat effect there. It is good cocoa, though." She drops one hand down to scratch the back of Gremlin's head, then sim-coms, "There will be fire, but not yet." The infant tilts their head back, huge eyes following Isra's hand and huge mouth parting. But then her hand has moved out of biting range and they subside. 'Want fire,' they sign. Then chomp down on the pumpkin rind petulantly. "It does make a pretty good Halloween-y kinda aesthetic." Jax is stifling a giggle as he looks at PumpkinGremlin. An image appearson the pumpkin, a bat, hanging upside down in the center of a cave-like cutout in the pumpkin. "That should be manageable, huh? The cuts is all pretty clean. -- What kinda thing would you want t'do, Jack?" The inside of Egg's pumpkin starts to glow -- softly, a muted flicker of firelight from a tiny wisp of heat-less flame that has blossomed at the base of the pumpkin. "Huh?" Jack seems confused by Shane and Isra, not realizing he's got the cocoa on his face. "What's a good look?" he smiles though, the expression easier to detect now. Sort of. It doesn't last though, Jack frowning in concern and reaching up to wipe his mouth clean as he processes Shane's wave. "So many people sick...man..." he trails off, glancing at Shane. The question from Jax has him considering a pumpkin for a long moment before giving a faint laugh. "How about some kind of ghostly...thing?" "Cocoa moustache," Shane explains with a small smile, hand dropping back down to his pillow once Jack wipes his mouth clean. "Sorry --" He stops for a moment, tipping his face down into his pillow to smother another cough. "Sorry." His gills flutter briefly along the side of his neck. "We called off Fight Club cuz too -- many..." He trails off here, though, eyes closing as his cheek presses down against the pillow. "Mmmghost." Mumbled sleepily. "S'nice." "Ghosts and bats and spiders and smiling faces..." Isra nods at the finished pumpkins, "we shall have all the classics, plus a Stitch. I like that." This last seems likely a reference to Jax's art suggestion, though it could just as easily refer to the illusory firelight. But now she frowns at Shane, one wing stretching out to caress the sharkpup's head. "You needn't apologize. You need only rest, and get well." Her eyes flick to Jax, however, her usually smooth face crinkling with faint lines of worry. "Perhaps we'd all best put the crafting up for the night and continue tomorrow?" The faint clicking from Egg smoothes out into something like a low purr when the light blossoms in the pumpkin. They fold their wings in and curl around the vision of the flame--eyes tight shut against its glow, but obviously happy to be near it all the same. Jax twitches slightly at the apology from Shane, the reminder from Jack of how many people are sick. "Honey-honey..." He bites down on his lip, leveling a distinctly worried gaze on Shane. "I think you should sleep, sweetie, this is -- very..." His brows furrow. "Right. Tomorrow. That'll be good. Ghost, right, I'll -- etch all your stencils so y'all can -- feel free to finish whenever you..." He scrubs a hand against his cheek. "I'll make breakfast an' everything. Jus' get some rest, yeah?" "Sleep sounds like a very good idea," Jack chimes in, unseen eyes on Shane. He's taking a quick swig of his drink to finish it off and letting out a breath. "And they're right, really don't have to apologize for anything," he says, glancing at the others and falling quiet. "Oh? Oh." Shane's eyes crack back open, focusing for a very long and intent moment on Egg. His gills flutter as he watches the monsterling embrace the illusory flame, and then lie still. His eyes close again. "Mmkay. Pumpkin carving /brunch/. You're on. Ghosts and bats and aliens, oh..." He doesn't get so far as 'my' before a yawn interrupts his words. Pushing slowly to his feet (and still hugging his colourful pillow to his chest), he nods towards the exit to his side of the house. "C'mon," he says to Jack with a crooked smile, "'ll make up a bed for you."