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peckenpaugh2020-05-11 08:16 pm
peckishmods) wrote in peckenpaugh2020-05-11 08:16 pm
Entry tags:
At Pompel & Swint's this evening...
6PM. There’s something strange about Pompel & Swint’s today. The atmosphere in the shop is often tense, but today there’s something different. Since their shifts started an hour ago both Laszlo Pataki and Armani Addams have felt a bit wrong — a little sick to their stomachs, maybe? But not even quite that physical. Whatever it is, this strange sense of unease weaves through that first hour, making the evening seem to drag on without end.
They’re both in the back when they find out why. There’s a pop. And a crash, shattering glass. Before anyone in the little shop can act, the acrid smell of burning chemicals fills the air. A puff of lime green smoke from the back of the room where neither Armani nor Laszlo were standing.
“Customers and kids out!” Mr. Swint barks from the front of the store. A second later he’s throwing open the storage room door, a bubble-head charm around his face. “Both of you—out! It’s not sa—”
Of course, his order goes mostly forgotten when his feet slip out from under him. Mr. Swint goes down hard, his surprised yelp stifled by the force of hitting the ground. Mr. Pompel rushes in after, but doesn’t quite reach before Mr. Swint is pulled away by his feet. He disappears between two tall shelves that teeter precariously as though they’ve been struck. A belch of orange flame shoots up that far wall, the green smoke billowing in great clouds, but Mr. Pompel, undaunted, rushes after. “Dick! Are you alright?”
Thinking quick, Armani applies bubble-head charms to themself and Laszlo to protect against inhaling of chemical fumes, while Laszlo attempts to fight the flame with magic. Nothing they try stops the blaze, which hops from one shelf to the next in search of more fuel, almost intelligent in its movement, until the whole storage room is burning, forcing both Laszlo and Armani out into the main room whether they were headed that way or not.
“What’s happening? There’s smoke?” Zippy Zebrowski is barging into the store, wand drawn, and already making his way toward the two students and the smoking storage room door. Just behind him, Doc Potts, Desdemona [and several student workers from nearby]*. Almost without notice, two bugs fly in as well.
Mr. Pompel climbs coughing from the back room. “It’s got Dick. It’s—you need to r—”
Something whips out from the storage room, catching Mr. Pompel around the neck. A vine. Down he goes, gone just as quick as Swint. But the students of Peckenpaugh know how to deal with vines.
Two student workers, Aristotle Ahn and Trudy McGilliguddy, push to the back of the shop, wands drawn. Zippy shouts in protest, but they don’t listen. The bright orange flame climbs out of the storage room to meet them, but it hisses — almost screams — when it’s met with the students’ combined freezing charms.
Water may not work, but ice certainly does. The adults and several other student workers join them in pushing the flames back until a handful of them are back in the burning storage room. Two cicadas zip between the group of firefighters, dropping to the ground and springing up suddenly to full human form.
“Keep it up!” Pocket shouts as she runs right into the flames.
Pouch knocks his shoulder against Eddy Waxweiler as he joins them in fighting the fire, summoning a spray of frost from the palm of his hand. “You and me—We make a pretty good team, huh?”
The blaze flares up one more time, a last ditch effort to push back against the onslaught. It can’t quite stand against ice from so many different sources, but it does its damage all the same. Glasses shatter, shelves collapse, and wooden beams begin to crack.
“We need to get out of here! Kids, y’need to go!” shouts Doc with a grunt, already dropping his wand to try and force the students out. “Where are Pompel and Swint?”
“I’ve got them!” Pocket replies. And she does, pulling the both of them, covered in moss, right from the flames. It’s quite a sight: the strange, tiny, teenage girl dragging two full grown men with ease. “Go!”
Escape is, unfortunately, not so simple. From the smoldering remains of alchemical fires, more vines whip up around the lot of them. [CHARACTER F] flings a charm that freezes a vine shooting for Pocket, and the plant falls heavily, shattering when it hits the floor.
“Nice,” Pouch compliments, turning to usher everyone back. “Gonna need yinz to get, though.”
The group inches their way out of the room, a couple students hurrying to help Pocket pull Pompel and Swint while everyone else slings spells to clear a path. From the ruined storage room they inch their way to the still burning shop, then out the front door and onto the street where crowds of locals, students and Peckenpaugh staff have gathered.
[In addition to Laszlo & Armani, 5 students who have part time jobs may have witnessed these events. Comment below to claim.
CLAIMED BY: Armani, Aristotle, Audrey, Eddy, Kermit, Laszlo, Trudy (5/5 claimed)]
Somehow unnoticed, Pocket drags Misters Pompel and Swint over to Healer Greatheart, who immediately sets to checking on them, while an older witch Armani might recognize as former Head of Deeplurk, Healer Zipporah Crockett, fusses over the students to check them for injuries.
“Holy shit!” shouts a freshman, pointing at the shop, as the whole thing freezes suddenly, coated in a thin layer of ice. All at once, the last of the flames are put out. There’s a load of racket inside, like icicles falling and smashing, and from the remains of the Apothecary struts the magimagicicada Pouch.
“My store. My shop! I’ve lost everything,” Mr. Swint gasps and chokes, trying to sit up, reaching for the ruined storefront.
“You’ve still got your life, you old fart.” Mr. Pompel replies curtly. “We’ll figure out the rest together.”
Meanwhile, amidst the still growing chaos, Pouch approaches his sister, standing worriedly beside Healer Greatheart. He touches her shoulder, but she pointedly ignores him, which prompts a heavy and exasperated sigh. “Little Sister, he ain’t gonna be safe if he can’t remember. You gotta give that back to him, at least.”
Pocket dithers, shifting her weight back and forth, but finally relents. Sighing, she pushes forward, crouches down beside Healer Greatheart, who only then seems to see her — really see her for what she is. “‘Scuse me,” Pocket says, then lights her fingers on Mr. Swint’s forehead.
A second passes in silence, but Mr. Swint opens his eyes wide. “Tinkerbell?” he says, a little baffled. Then, “No. He’s back.”
“That’s why you gotta keep safe, Richie Swint,” Pocket tells him, patting the side of his face before standing. She takes a step back, and bumps into her older brother. She turns to look at him. They seem to speak without saying anything at all, and then, just as more adults start to notice them there, the two disappear — Pouch like melting ice, Pocket into the ground.
From there it seems to progress like a normal fire scene. Chief Tan and her officers create a perimeter around the building, ushering onlookers back and then go in to search the premises with their wands drawn. Students are gathered up. Those who were inside the building are checked out and then taken to the police station to give statements. Those who were outside are sent back to campus immediately, escorted by several members of Peckenpaugh staff.
[In addition to Laszlo, Armani, and the 5 student workers. 5 more students may have witnessed this portion of events. Comment below to claim.
CLAIMED BY: Adrian, Viola, (2/5 claimed)]
They’re both in the back when they find out why. There’s a pop. And a crash, shattering glass. Before anyone in the little shop can act, the acrid smell of burning chemicals fills the air. A puff of lime green smoke from the back of the room where neither Armani nor Laszlo were standing.
“Customers and kids out!” Mr. Swint barks from the front of the store. A second later he’s throwing open the storage room door, a bubble-head charm around his face. “Both of you—out! It’s not sa—”
Of course, his order goes mostly forgotten when his feet slip out from under him. Mr. Swint goes down hard, his surprised yelp stifled by the force of hitting the ground. Mr. Pompel rushes in after, but doesn’t quite reach before Mr. Swint is pulled away by his feet. He disappears between two tall shelves that teeter precariously as though they’ve been struck. A belch of orange flame shoots up that far wall, the green smoke billowing in great clouds, but Mr. Pompel, undaunted, rushes after. “Dick! Are you alright?”
Thinking quick, Armani applies bubble-head charms to themself and Laszlo to protect against inhaling of chemical fumes, while Laszlo attempts to fight the flame with magic. Nothing they try stops the blaze, which hops from one shelf to the next in search of more fuel, almost intelligent in its movement, until the whole storage room is burning, forcing both Laszlo and Armani out into the main room whether they were headed that way or not.
“What’s happening? There’s smoke?” Zippy Zebrowski is barging into the store, wand drawn, and already making his way toward the two students and the smoking storage room door. Just behind him, Doc Potts, Desdemona [and several student workers from nearby]*. Almost without notice, two bugs fly in as well.
Mr. Pompel climbs coughing from the back room. “It’s got Dick. It’s—you need to r—”
Something whips out from the storage room, catching Mr. Pompel around the neck. A vine. Down he goes, gone just as quick as Swint. But the students of Peckenpaugh know how to deal with vines.
Two student workers, Aristotle Ahn and Trudy McGilliguddy, push to the back of the shop, wands drawn. Zippy shouts in protest, but they don’t listen. The bright orange flame climbs out of the storage room to meet them, but it hisses — almost screams — when it’s met with the students’ combined freezing charms.
Water may not work, but ice certainly does. The adults and several other student workers join them in pushing the flames back until a handful of them are back in the burning storage room. Two cicadas zip between the group of firefighters, dropping to the ground and springing up suddenly to full human form.
“Keep it up!” Pocket shouts as she runs right into the flames.
Pouch knocks his shoulder against Eddy Waxweiler as he joins them in fighting the fire, summoning a spray of frost from the palm of his hand. “You and me—We make a pretty good team, huh?”
The blaze flares up one more time, a last ditch effort to push back against the onslaught. It can’t quite stand against ice from so many different sources, but it does its damage all the same. Glasses shatter, shelves collapse, and wooden beams begin to crack.
“We need to get out of here! Kids, y’need to go!” shouts Doc with a grunt, already dropping his wand to try and force the students out. “Where are Pompel and Swint?”
“I’ve got them!” Pocket replies. And she does, pulling the both of them, covered in moss, right from the flames. It’s quite a sight: the strange, tiny, teenage girl dragging two full grown men with ease. “Go!”
Escape is, unfortunately, not so simple. From the smoldering remains of alchemical fires, more vines whip up around the lot of them. [CHARACTER F] flings a charm that freezes a vine shooting for Pocket, and the plant falls heavily, shattering when it hits the floor.
“Nice,” Pouch compliments, turning to usher everyone back. “Gonna need yinz to get, though.”
The group inches their way out of the room, a couple students hurrying to help Pocket pull Pompel and Swint while everyone else slings spells to clear a path. From the ruined storage room they inch their way to the still burning shop, then out the front door and onto the street where crowds of locals, students and Peckenpaugh staff have gathered.
[In addition to Laszlo & Armani, 5 students who have part time jobs may have witnessed these events. Comment below to claim.
CLAIMED BY: Armani, Aristotle, Audrey, Eddy, Kermit, Laszlo, Trudy (5/5 claimed)]
Somehow unnoticed, Pocket drags Misters Pompel and Swint over to Healer Greatheart, who immediately sets to checking on them, while an older witch Armani might recognize as former Head of Deeplurk, Healer Zipporah Crockett, fusses over the students to check them for injuries.
“Holy shit!” shouts a freshman, pointing at the shop, as the whole thing freezes suddenly, coated in a thin layer of ice. All at once, the last of the flames are put out. There’s a load of racket inside, like icicles falling and smashing, and from the remains of the Apothecary struts the magimagicicada Pouch.
“My store. My shop! I’ve lost everything,” Mr. Swint gasps and chokes, trying to sit up, reaching for the ruined storefront.
“You’ve still got your life, you old fart.” Mr. Pompel replies curtly. “We’ll figure out the rest together.”
Meanwhile, amidst the still growing chaos, Pouch approaches his sister, standing worriedly beside Healer Greatheart. He touches her shoulder, but she pointedly ignores him, which prompts a heavy and exasperated sigh. “Little Sister, he ain’t gonna be safe if he can’t remember. You gotta give that back to him, at least.”
Pocket dithers, shifting her weight back and forth, but finally relents. Sighing, she pushes forward, crouches down beside Healer Greatheart, who only then seems to see her — really see her for what she is. “‘Scuse me,” Pocket says, then lights her fingers on Mr. Swint’s forehead.
A second passes in silence, but Mr. Swint opens his eyes wide. “Tinkerbell?” he says, a little baffled. Then, “No. He’s back.”
“That’s why you gotta keep safe, Richie Swint,” Pocket tells him, patting the side of his face before standing. She takes a step back, and bumps into her older brother. She turns to look at him. They seem to speak without saying anything at all, and then, just as more adults start to notice them there, the two disappear — Pouch like melting ice, Pocket into the ground.
From there it seems to progress like a normal fire scene. Chief Tan and her officers create a perimeter around the building, ushering onlookers back and then go in to search the premises with their wands drawn. Students are gathered up. Those who were inside the building are checked out and then taken to the police station to give statements. Those who were outside are sent back to campus immediately, escorted by several members of Peckenpaugh staff.
[In addition to Laszlo, Armani, and the 5 student workers. 5 more students may have witnessed this portion of events. Comment below to claim.
CLAIMED BY: Adrian, Viola, (2/5 claimed)]
REACTIONS
REACTIONS: Eddy
He nearly loses his wand when Pouch bumps into his shoulder, ripped from the chaos temporarily, and wow, that would have been an incredibly unfortunate and embarrassing time to do so. Momentarily dumbstuck, what does manage to come out of his mouth is a "cool" that he immediately wishes had stayed put. He grimaces as his wand spits disapproval. "I mean–"
Thankfully there's a raging fire that needs attended to, and they're both spared any further social awkwardness on Eddy's part. But it still takes a few tries for him to overcome his wand spitting and jerking. Hey. Focus on not dying, and not the–
No one dies. Cool. Good. Really good. Eddy watches Swint with keen interest after his memory is apparently returned.
When he's told they have to make statements, his grimace returns.
STATEMENTS
If you do not reply, it's assumed your character just gave a very brief statement and was escorted back to campus.
All students make it home by 8:30PM.
STATEMENTS: Kermie
Finally: "I was in Pizza Pi(e)rates, right? Swabbin' the ol' poop deck, yanno?" Kermie pauses, waits for Chief Tan to laugh, then continues on regardless of reaction. "But then suddenly someone was like 'oh shit!' and someone else was like 'dude I know it smells like shit,' and the first person was all 'no that's the shit,' and they were pointing at this like gross smoke coming out of Pomps 'n' Swinny's. So I took my mop girlfriend and—" Kermit hops up on his feet and brandishes his mop, "—swept to the rescue, storming into the main room and super accidentally touching Doc Potts' butt, which—eh? eh?" He raises his eyebrows at Chief Tan. Does she know what he means? Yeaaaah, she knows what he means.
"Then Pompy comes in and he's like 'it's got Dick!' but I thought he said it's got a dick which then I like sorta lost focus for a second because Doc's all smoldering in front of me and I thought I was getting a little flustered but then I remembered the shop was on FIRE, so I—" Moop the Mop swings through the air, dangerously close to Chief Tan's face, "SWING my mop at the flames, the salty brine o' the high seas a-splishin' an' a-splashin' on them hot spots, but ain't a durn thing happened. So I whipped this out—" Moop jabs at Chief Tan again as Kermit yanks his wand out of his pocket, "and started slinging ice charms. All pew! Pew pew! And the fire's all 'ahhh!! I'm meeeeelting!'" He mimics the Evil Witch wilting under a bucket of water, he and Moop crumbling to the floor.
Kermit continues, splayed out on the floor. "Then Doc told us we had to go and I looked in his eyes and I couldn't move, but he pushed me along anyways, like a," deep, longing sigh, "true hero."
Chief Tan's best bet at getting this wrapped up by 8:30 is just dragging him outside and leaving him in the hall.
Re: STATEMENTS
this is also the place where i brag that i pressure washed my deck 😎 but please hold your applause because i will edit this comment later with the aforementioned statement response. thank u n goodnight.
STATEMENTS: Audrey
But by the end of things, she remembers herself, and remembers what the vines have done already, and she looks more serious. “You...need to be watching out.” She warns, “for purple flowers and fires. It’s dangerous. They...the bugs can’t do it all alone. Help them.”
She either sounds insane or like a suspect, probably, but. Whatever.
STATEMENTS: Eddy
His words come haltingly as he attempts to recount the story. (It starts out similarly, though far less flamboyantly, to Kermit's story, with himself apparently cast in the role of Guy Who Says 'Shit' A Lot.) He stumbles over a generally factual, if terse, summary of events.
"Fire and vines– happened before," he adds at the end, unintentionally cryptic, expelling an audible breath as he flexes his fingers anxiously. There's a whole 'nother story that he doesn't know where to start with. A few false starts, and he says, "Bugs know." As if that somehow explains anything.
STATEMENTS: Aris
He explains that he'd been stocking the shelves at Dispel & That (which, like, big snooze, you know?) when he'd started to notice the smell of smoke and hear people outside. He'd abandoned the canned goods to check it out and things had just... escalated from there. He walks them through entering the burning shop, recognizing the vines pulling at Mr. Pompel, and how he'd lucked out that Trudy was there to help him and that the ice had pushed back both the fire and the vines. He talks about Pocket pulling the potioneers through the burning building and how more vines kept emerging to try and grab them. He admits that for a minute there...it had been sorta scary and that he can't get that acrid smoke taste out of his mouth. But, haha, you guys probably deal with that sorta stuff all the time, huh?
If asked why he went in, he'll give the obvious answer: he'd wanted to help. If he's asked anything else, he'll answer as directly as he can, though his credibility is likely undermined by 'ums' and 'likes' and 'oh mans'. Who could take this kid seriously?
He concludes by asking them not to tell his grandparents about this. Can they do that??
WHEREVER SHE IS, CHANEL ADDAMS FREEZES...
That cicada shell necklace of her turns gold. Her vision swims and vague glimpses float by. A family photo above a hearth, cauldrons bubbling, a weeping woman sitting heavily while a sullen boy tries to comfort her. “You don’t have to do this, Caleb,” Chanel — no, Mister Swint — says to a living Caleb Qualls.
Chanel finds herself in the back room of Pompel & Swint when it was just Swint’s. She blinks. She’s back to where she was. “...What about Marilynn?...”
“Someone has to,” Caleb tells her, the certainty in his expression burnt into her mind.
A snap wakes her from the reverie before the pieces weave together. The golden cicada, free from the chain she’d strung it on, flies up into the air and disappears. Gone.
READ THIS LAST: IN THE AFTERMATH
OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
(READ THIS FIRST!!) OOC - CLAIM A SPOT
Re: (READ THIS FIRST!!) OOC - CLAIM A SPOT
Re: (READ THIS FIRST!!) OOC - CLAIM A SPOT
Re: (READ THIS FIRST!!) OOC - CLAIM A SPOT
Re: (READ THIS FIRST!!) OOC - CLAIM A SPOT
Re: (READ THIS FIRST!!) OOC - CLAIM A SPOT
Re: (READ THIS FIRST!!) OOC - CLAIM A SPOT
Re: (READ THIS FIRST!!) OOC - CLAIM A SPOT
Re: (READ THIS FIRST!!) OOC - CLAIM A SPOT
Re: (READ THIS FIRST!!) OOC - CLAIM A SPOT
Re: (READ THIS FIRST!!) OOC - CLAIM A SPOT
Re: (READ THIS FIRST!!) OOC - CLAIM A SPOT
Re: (READ THIS FIRST!!) OOC - CLAIM A SPOT
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
This’ll teach Chanel to beef an interview on purpose
also I’m going to be greedy but only a little can Audrey please have seen from inside the store as she works for Kyle and all ok thank you sorry
Let’s pretend me commenting here for some reason is like buying you Both drinks which I will someday hopefully do
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Because I'm plot greedy but also because UMMMM who else is gonna be all emotional about heroic Aris?
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Eddy deffo needs to WITNESS THIS, but I'm also gonna be greedy and shameless and take slot E for my idiot?
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Can I grab Character C for Aris, please?
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!
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