10/5 Instance: The Trouble with Greys

[Ferguson]

Current Timeline


<@Paul> There was only so much apple cider someone could drink before wishing it were the alcoholic version and Paul had hit that point as he made his way through the cluster of people at the refreshment tent set up along his yard. That was something his parents would definitely not approve of and he knew how to be on his best behavior.

<Selena> "Anyone know any party games," Selena asked, slightly bouncing in her seat. "Because we totally should play some games, before I get bored or something." Tilting her head, she twirled a pigtail around a finger. "I really don't wanna be bored."

<Clarice> Clarice was sat on a barrel, helping herself to a slice of pie and washing it down with some red bull, it was tricky to do both without a table and not get any on your new dress .... which you absolutely hadn't bought just for this occasion 'cos it was a sorta date with- "Paul! Even with all your running how do you like ... not get fat from all this pie?"

<Scott> Scott finished cleaning up the spare bits of rope from the three-legged race and went to go find himself something to drink. "He's got a hollow leg," Clarice, he said coming up behind her. "Is there rhubarb pie still left?"

<@Paul> "I'm kept on a strict watch when it comes to the pie. It was basically a week of rationing so I didn't eat all of mother's pie while she was cooking for this thing...but I absolutely snuck a good bit and yes there is, gooseberry too." Which was what he was having along with his drink. He took a seat next to Clarice, carefully balancing things.

<Jean> Jean was looking over the table herself, trying to decide if she wanted to break her diet for the cookies. Oh... there were muffins. Poppyseed muffins! She snatched one.

<Jessica> Jess was clearing up empty plates and plastic cups before the wind took them and only half listening to the others.

<Scott> Scott helped himself to a large slice - he'd been refereeing the games, so he deserved a nice large slice, and a cup of his mother's special cider.

<Clarice> "Your will is strong," Clarice chuckled, snatching a piece of gooseberry pie from her date's plate.

<Selena> "That sounds awesome, Paul," she said, a grin forming on her lips. "But I'm sure you won't mind being a sweety and passing me another slice, no?" She put on a thoughtful expression for a moment. "My last meal was... breakfast yesterday... so yay, I can totally afford another one!"

<Jean> The muffin was safe on her plate, tucked beside a napkin, so Jean went for the cider.

<Clarice> "I hope you stop eating and shrivel up and die," Clarice told Selena in her sweetest tone, luck for her there were all these adults at this party.

<Scott> "Ladies, it's been a fun day, please don't ruin it."

<Selena> "I'd wish the same for you, but I'm afraid I'd die of old age before I see you die of starvation," Selena replied, flashing an equally sweet smile.

<Clarice> "Die of some social infection more like," Clarice muttered, before turning to Paul, "Come on, let's go dance a bit!"

<Jessica> Jess rubbed her forehead with her fingertips as the bickering started and shook her head.

<Max> Max came stumbling along, paper plate in one hand, home made doughnut in the other, a chocolate sauce dripping from it. He licked his thumb and nodded to everyone, "I'm going to end up plump. Mrs Mable's fried goodies is frikken awesome." he thumbed over his shoulder.

<@Paul> Paul did go ahead and pass the pie in question. Oh girls, they just couldn't get along. "Dancing? Why not?" He stood up, offering her his hand.

<Selena> "Save one for me, Pauly," she called after them, waving her fingers, before turning back to entertain herself with the others.

<Jean> Jean noticed Jess's reaction and giggled.

<Clarice> Clarice took the hand and pulled herself up with a smile, smoothing down her dress, before leading him to the designated dance yard ... oh hell no was that horsebeast getting her claws on her man!

<Jessica> After cleaning up the last few things she could see, Jess went to get a drink then finally found somewhere to flop into a seat.

<@Paul> Paul glanced back to the others briefly, a look of confusion on his face as if they could answer why girls were like this any better than he could.

<Scott> Scott rolled his eyes. "Mrs. Marble thinks Paula Deen is God, that's why, Max."

<Max> "I can feel the clots gather in my arteries. I could do with a stick of butter right about now." Max replied to Scott.

<Jean> "Who's Paula Deen? I don't think I've ever met her..." Jean found a seat and picked at her muffin, balancing her drink on her knees.

<Selena> "Hai, Maxie! Didn't see you there!" Selena waved at the boy. "Didn't recognize you without the funny pizza hat." She licked a bit of pie off her fork.

<Clarice> "You know, you dance awfully well for a straight boy," Clarice smirked at Paul.

<Scott> "Mom likes watching her - she's some southern woman with a cooking show."

<@Paul> "My mother taught me." Paul answered, trying not to answer as quickly as his voice was struggling to get that excuse out.

<Jean> Jean made an 'oh' face of discovery. Well, the old man was being nice to her. She tried a smile at him. "My aunt just watches soaps."

<Clarice> Clarice giggled, putting her arms around Paul's shoulders as the music slowed down, "Wow, maybe she should teach at that dancing thing Jess is doing, hmm?"

<Jessica> "Ugh I don't know how anyone can watch soaps."

<@Paul> "Um, yeah, maybe she should. I'll mention that to her." Paul gave Clarice a bit of a shakey smile as they danced.

<Selena> "I don't know either," Selena commented, looking at Jessica and shrugging. "I'm like... why watch some show about boring people doing pointless things? You just get, like, stupid from watching stuff like that. So instead I rather think about more interesting thing." She grinned and did another bounce. "Like myself!"

<Clarice> The girl gave him a playful frown, "What's up Paul? You seem a bit nervous?" She leaned in a little closer to him, "How come?"

<Jean> "I think it's to pretend she's married to those guys instead of my uncle," she snorted.

<Max> "Hey, when you live in a boring place like this for a long time, I'm pretty sure anyone would want to watch the dramas going on in any soapie." Max defended the soaps.

<Jessica> Jess laughed, "Awww that's sad."

<Jean> Jean tilted her head at Selena. Her brains really were in her pigtails, weren't they?

<Selena> "Or spend more time with interesting people," she suggested, grinning at Max. "Again, like myself!"

<Max> Max grinned stupidly from ear to ear at Selena. He still had a chance! Maybe!

<Jessica> Interesting? Maybe like a lab experiment.... Jess just gave her a smile and nodded.

<Scott> Scott pursed his lips and went to sit by Jessica.

<Jessica> Jess smiled at Scott, "Hey... you looked like you were enjoying yourself with all those games today."

<@Paul> "I'm not nervous." He chided her, laughing and shaking his head. "Why would I be now?" He was forcing himself back into his normal role now, maybe dancing just a little bit worse.

<Max> "Umm, Selena, I was wondering... seeing that we were interrupted when we were about to.... uhh, look for mushrooms the other day, I was wondering if maybe some time in the near future we could actually... find some mushrooms?" Oh please please please let her have enough sense to figure that out, Max thought.

<Selena> "Oh yes, thanks for helping out," Selena chimed in, leaning forward in her chair as she gave Scott a wry smile. "That must have been really tiring, no? Well, I mean for other people it would have. You looked pretty cool, though." She turned her head and blinked when Max spoke to her, looking as if she saw him for the first time.

<Jean> Mmmm, poppyseed muffin. Jean did a little chair dance as she enjoyed the treat. There was something about poppyseeds she was trying to remember... it was bothering her now.

<Clarice> "I dunno, childhood best friend hitting on you maybe?" Clarice took the plunge, "Maybe if you were a bit ... freaked out ... didn't see her in that way?"

<Selena> "Mushrooms?" Selena seemed genuinely confused. "I have no idea what you're talking about. We never were looking for any... oh."

<Scott> "I was. It was a ton of fun. Games are a lot of fun, and the kids seemed to really enjoy them."

<Jessica> Jess frowned a little at Selena's leaning and unconsciously shifted closer to Scott.

<Max> "Yeees, ohhh..." Max nodded.

<@Paul> Wait, someone was hitting on him? Who was hitting on him? "Hey, I'm perfectly fine with getting hit on!"

<Clarice> "Oh good," Clarice purred, "and what about what comes after?"

<Selena> She looked between Max and Scott, a slight frown marring her undoubtedly otherwise flawless face. Why did boys have absolutely no sense of timing? She really should ask them to pick numbers. "You certainly don't mean us with that, do you," Selena asked Scott, smiling sweetly again. "Because I'm no kid anymore."

<Jessica> Jess' eyes narrowed at Selena briefly. Slut. "You were really good with the children," she gave Scott a smile, "I'm sure their parents are grateful to you for tiring them all out too."

<@Paul> Wait, after? What was supposed to come after now, he wasn't even sure who Clarice was talking about! "What should I be worried about?"

<Max> Max slinked back a little. Cold...shoulder... so cold.

<Scott> Scott looked up at her blankly, keeping his thoughts to himself...whoa. He grinned. Ah, once again, he was a prize to be fought over. "I like kids," he said.

<Clarice> ... Now or never, girl! "Maybe ... this?" She leaned up and pressed her lips against his.

<Jean> Jean wasn't paying any attention to the drama. Poppies... were, like, opium, weren't they? Oh my God... would she not pass her drug test now? She spit the muffin out onto her plate.

<Jessica> "Me too, why do you think I work in a school?" she laughed a little. "There's something so rewarding about watching them having a good time and knowing you helped with that."

<Scott> "Agreed."

<Selena> "Oh, I totally like kids, too," Selene exclaimed. "Well, except when they get their stick little fingers on my clothes, of course. Or if they constantly ask me to play with them. Or when I hear them play when all I want to do is listen to my music. Because that's so rude. But otherwise I can't get enough of them."

<Jessica> Jess raised an eyebrow at Selena, "So really you like them when they're not behaving like children and more like statues?"

<@Paul> What....what? What was happening? Oh god, what was supposed to happen? Paul kissed her back, a panicked voice in his head telling him that was what was expected but it was just so....uuuurgh.

<Selena> "Yes!" Selena bounced and grinned excitedly. "Oh m god, you totally understand me!"

<@Paul> This was so weird and not in a good way! Paul just wanted to flail, possibly hide.

<Jessica> Jess internally facepalmed at that and reached to gently pat Selena's hand. "Oh I'm sure I just got lucky there...."

<Max> Max ended up plopping down on a seat, and sighed. He's going to end up going to university with no 'worldly knowledge' . Oh god, if he goes to university... he'll probably end up at the local community college.

<Clarice> Clarice smiled happily to herself as Paul kissed back, breaking the kiss then frowning at the look on his face, Oh crap! "... Umm ...."

<Scott> "I hope you're on birth control, Selena," Scott muttered under his breath, staring at her incredulously.

<Jean> ....something with poison in it, I think. With poison in it, but attractive to the eye, and soothing to the smell. But she'd already failed the test, hadn't she? That was why she was here, after all. Jean took a giant gulp of her cider and gagged. Too late, too late to wash it all away! The plate fell from her lap. ....weird and not in a good way! "Stop!" Oh crap!

<@Paul> He laughed nervously, then frowned as he heard someone shout stop. "What's going on over there?"

<Selena> "Huh?" Selena wore a perplexed expression as she blankly stared at Scott. "Of course I do..." She quickly cut off, putting on her most charming smile again. "I mean, why would I need that?"

<Max> Max snapped out of his daze and looked up at the Stop.

<Scott> He just shook his head. "Forget I said anything."

<Jean> Sleeeeep. Now they'll sleeeeep! Jean threw the cup, the cider arcing through the air and striking Selena, drenching her. "It's not real! I don't want to sleep!"

<Clarice> "Huh?" Clarice turned too, just in time to see Selena having a drink thrown at her and cheered.

<Selena> Selena was starting to realize that this didn't seem to go anywhere - without a doubt because all the others around them kept distracting Scott. Then again, she really didn't see how any of them might even hope to compete with her in being interesting and charming. Before she could come to any conclusion, however, someone threw a drink at her.

<@Paul> "What the hell?" Paul frowned, walking, still with Clarice's hand in his, curious to see what on earth was going on.

<Selena> "What. The. Hell!?" She looked like a drenched poodle, eyes and mouth gaping wide.

<Scott> "Whoa!" He stood up, uncertain of what to do. "Are you okay?"

<Clarice> Clarice cackled, "I officially love whoever did that!"

<Jessica> Jess managed to escape the rain of drink, getting to her feet as well and looking over at Jean. "Jean? Are you alright?"

<Selena> "Are you crazy!" Selena jumped to her feet, brushing the spilled drink off her dress. "Did you guys see that? She tried to drown me!"

<Jean> The voices were deafening and Jean clamped her hands over her ears. "Shut the fuck up!"

<Johnathon> Johnathon, carrying a backpack that was bulging with spray cans, rolled past the little street party on his skateboard, closely followed by his Saint Bernard Spot, on his longboard. There

<Johnathon> seemed to be a ruckus, which made him change his course.

<@Paul> "You'd need a bit more cider to drown in than that, Selena." Paul couldn't help but laugh. This was just ridiculous...and a well timed distraction.

<Clarice> "Oooh, has she got a migraine? We should find some aspirin?" Clarice suggested, squeezing Paul's hand.

<Jean> Jean slid off the chair, curling into a ball on the ground. She'd already failed.... she was a freak and so she had to sleep... poppies...

<Jessica> "If it's a migraine we should take her inside where it's warm too..." Jess cautiously approached the redhead, "Jean....?" she crouched beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.

<Johnathon> Johnathon came to a stop near the freaked-out girl. "Is this performance art?," he asked, in a hopeful voice.

<Selena> "Maybe it's, like, a tumor," Selena suggested, watching from a distance.

<Scott> "I'm calling 911."

<Clarice> "Performance art?" Clarice frowned, "Umm ... isn't that like, where they dress up as clowns and talk like Dr. Suess?" She checked Jean for a red nose.

<Jean> At the touch, Jean jerked, her hand clamping down on Jessica's wrist. Her head snapped back and she locked eyes with the woman. "It's not real.... spiders and snakes and blood... but not this..."

<Johnathon> "Sometimes melons get smashed." He nodded sagely. "I once dressed Spot up as an unicorn and sent him into a toddler group. It was mostly cute, sadly."

<Scott> "Woaaah."

<Jessica> Jess blinked at her, "Jean... come inside with me, okay? It's cold out here, you shouldn't be on the ground...."

<Clarice> "Wait ... that sounds like performance art, right?" Clarice chewed a strand of hair, "Is this the entertainment?" It was kinda lame.

<Selena> Selena rolled her eyes and raised a finger to her temple, spinning it in a small circle.

<Clarice> Wait ... unicorn? "Do you have pictures? You could put them on I can haz hotdog and your puppy could become internet famous!"

<Jean> Jean seized, her back arching and the chair flying backward though she hadn't touched it.

<Johnathon> "Lolcats are establishment, man!"

<Scott> "Um, that's not good." Scott waited for the call to go through, then started explaining what was going on as soon as someone picked up.

<Jessica> Jess yelped but couldn't pull her wrist from Jean's hand. Instead, she moved to try and stop her from injuring herself as best as she could.

<Clarice> "Christ! Now she's throwing chairs! She'd best not break them, momma'll screw!" Clarice narrowed her eyes, "If she wants to be all crazy arty she ca do it with her own chairs!"

<Selena> "Uhm, anyone else think she's, you know, possessed or something," Selena asked, leaning forward on the tips of her toes. She bit her lower lip. "Oh my god, you think there are ghosts around?"

<Jean> Going limp, Jean blinked up at the strangers' faces before sliding into unconsciousness.

<Johnathon> "That would be kind of cool..." He leaned in closer to check for ectoplasm. Spot also had gotten off his longboard and sniffed towards Jean.

<Clarice> "Except you and your see through skull, I doubt it. Oh, is she done?"

<Jessica> Jess gathered the other woman up as best as she could, shrugging her coat off and spreading it over her to keep her warm. "How long will they be?" she looked at Scott.

<Scott> "Ok, everyone back up, give her some room." Still on the phone, he pushed people out of the way and stuffed his coat under Jean's head. "They're on their way." He gave Jessica a reassuring smile.

<Selena> "Do you think they can do anything about my dress, too," Selena asked. "I'm afraid that stuff might leave stains."

<Clarice> "Would have thought you'd be used to being covered in something sticky."

<@Paul> "Girls, not the time." Paul reminded both of them, shaking his head. "Look there's Dr. Trask now." Paul pointed his finger seeing the man hurrying towards them.

<Johnathon> No ectoplasm anywhere, sad. He eyed Dr. Trask and shuffled his suspicious bag out of sight.

<Selena> "As if I would let any of that get on one of my best... I mean, what the hell are you even talking about." She did her best to look innocent and clueless when the Doctor arrive. The latter came natural to her.

<Jessica> Jess looked up at the Doctor, not really sure where to begin.

<Clarice> Clarice poked her tongue out at the other girl before turning to the doctor, "Is she gonna be okay? She was holding her head a lot."

<Trask> The doctor slowed as he made it to the group, crouching down beside Jean. "What happened here?"

<Jessica> "She started yelling about everything not being real... and then she had some kind of seizure and passed out..." Jess chewed her lip.

<Trask> Well, that was what he was fearing but they could easily take care of that. He knew that a few of the volunteers would all ready be making their way towards their ambulance for such an occasion as this. "I'll go with her. You should all probably be heading back inside. Did anything seem to set her off?"

<Scott> Scott opened his mouth to say something about the chair, but snapped it shut, thinking better of it. "Could it be residual damage from when she and I collided on a bike path a while back?"

<Selena> "We think it might be ghosts," Selena explained. "Or a brain tumor. But ghosts seem more likely, if you ask me. I mean, she's young like us. Young people don't get sick, no?"

<Jessica> Jess bit her tongue and squeezed her eyes shut, praying for strength at Selena's question. How could anyone be that retarded?

<Trask> "If only that were true, my dear." Trask answered Selena. "Anything is possible, Scott, but I'm sure we'll find the explanation. There's nothing to worry about."

<Clarice> "Correction, she thinks it might be ghosts," Clarice thumbed at Selene.

<Scott> "Should someone go with her, so when she wakes up she'll have a familiar face?"

<Scott> "I can get her parents."

<Clarice> "It's like ... probably a migraine, don't you get like those like ... aura things where everything goes weird with them?"

<Johnathon> "That would have been the mother of all migraines, dude."

<Trask> "Yes, please get her parents, she'll want them with her." He nodded to Scott. "We'll take good care of her." There was the flashing lights coming into the commune as the ambulance arrived, two people from observation who hadn't been out in the community driving towards them as EMTs.

<Selena> "That's because I'm the local expert on ghosts perhaps?" Selena put her hands on her hips. "Maybe you're just jealous because no dead people are whispering to you at night." She fell silent, looking around. "Not that anything like that happened to me. I mean, that's like, crazy."

<@Paul> Paul had to give Selena a look at that. The hell?

<Clarice> Clarice just stared at Selena, then turned to Trask, "You sure you don't wanna take her too?"

<Scott> "Okay, I'll just go do that." He stood and jogged off tot he other end of the block, where he was sure he'd seen them earlier. Weird, such a fuss over a bratty kid...but she looked absolutely terrified.

<Trask> That was a good question. It sounded like they were going to have to keep a better eye on Selena. "I'm sure she's just fine."

<Jessica> Jess moved out of the way once the EMTs arrived to take care of Jean, reclaiming her coat and picking Scott's up off the ground once Jean was safely on a trolly.

<Selena> "Yes!" She did a little jump, looking frightened. "Of course I'm fine. Do I look crazy or anything? I mean, have you ever seen a crazy person have such a fashion sense? They wear tin-foil hats and bread for shoes."

<Johnathon> "Hmmm..." He shot a sideways glance at Selena. Maybe he wasn't the only one facing weird phenomena. Those black spots he sometimes saw in the very edges of his vision and that grew in number started to concern him...

<Clarice> "... Bread for shoes?"

<Jessica> "It's probably safer not to ask...." Jess wrinkled her nose a little.

<Johnathon> "I would have thought newspapers. Bread is a bit impractical. Unless you want to make a statement about how Western civilisation is mistreating basic human foods..." Hus voice trailed off and he pulled out a small notebook with a big anarchy sign on it, starting to scribble into it.

<Clarice> "But if you waste food by doing it, then aren't you part of the problem?" Clarice pondered.

<Johnathon> "It's a conundrum, brilliant!"

<Clarice> "... See, this is why I never took art."

<Johnathon> "You fool!"

<Trask> The doctor couldn't help but smile. They were helping such interesting people here. He made way for the faux EMTs to hoist Jean onto the gurney, moving to follow them into the ambulance. "Take care, all of you. I'm sure Jean will catch you up on what has happened once she can."

<Jessica> "Ugh.... now I think I'm getting a migraine..." She pinched the bridge of her nose.

<Selena> "Maybe the ghost went into her now," Selena wondered out loud, frowning at Jessica.

<Johnathon> "Maybe it is a disease, and it jumped over to her?" He pointed at Jessica and pulled Spot away from her.

<Clarice> "... You're suck a weirdo," Clarice patted Johnathon's cheek fondly before turning to the others, "I hope she's gonna be okay."

<Jessica> Jess ran a hand through her hair and went to sit down again, folding Scott's coat in her lap after pulling her own back on again.

<@Paul> Paul watched as Jean's parents clambered up in the back of the ambulance and it started to pull away. "I'm sure she will be. Dr. Trask was probably right though, we should probably start packing things in."

<Selena> "I might have to give the dress to the cleaners and redo my hair, but I think otherwise I believe I'm going to be fine," Selena replied, nodding at Clarice. "I'm surprised you care, though. Not that it wouldn't be about time you did..."

<Scott> Scott jogged up. "Shut up, Selena, about your damn dress."

<Clarice> Clarice treated Selena to a deadpan look, "You are an idiotic, vapid, selfish bubble-head, you know that?"

<Johnathon> "That sees ghosts," he added with a nod. It paid to be particular about these things.

<Selena> "Still jealous I see!" Selena smiled smugly, which didn't last long when Scott reappeared. "How... did he really just tell me to shut up?" This couldn't be, right?

<Jessica> "Feel free to take that advice any time."

<Clarice> "Ugh, I am so done," she turned to Paul and gave him a shy smile, "Should we go finish our conversation?"

<@Paul> "Girls, please." Paul sighed. He didn't even have the energy to pretend to enjoy a girlfight...on the other hand, that sounded a lot safer than what Clarice just brought up. "Y-yeah, sure."

<Clarice> Well ... he hadn't said no, be he looked like his grandma had just flashed him .... fuuuck she hoped she hadn't ruined everything, "Come on," time to lead him away somewhere nice and secluded so they could work out what the fuck to do now.

<Scott> "I'm gonna start cleaning, I'm not in a party mood anymore." Scott took his coat from Jessica and put it on.

<Jessica> Jess nodded, getting to her feet, "I'll give you a hand..."

<Selena> "No one here has any idea what they're missing out on." Selena huffed and shook her head, sending her pigtails swinging about. "I'm so outta here." Looking around, she spotted the pizza boy standing close by. "Come on, my dress is alread ruined anyway. We might as well go find mushrooms." She simply dragged him away.

[steyn]

Afterwards, Max gets mushroomblocked once again.