(1942-04-25) Twice as Much for a Nickel
Twice as Much for a Nickel
Summary: With a blustery Spring wind comes a strange, strange thing…
Date: 1942-04-25
Related: None.
Players:
clifton..ethel..elizabeth..lucietta..

Main and Pine, Higsi
Tue Apr 25, 1942


The further one goes north up Main Street, the less residential it becomes and more commercial. Each side of the street is lined with a long row of various types of businesses, a bakery, small bookstore, hardware store and a few offices as well. A few cars or trucks are parked diagonally in front of various places. It is quite common to see townsfolk walking around from place to place or a few of them standing outside a business chatting.

Weather:
It is spring. The weather is warm and overcast.

GM = Nickajack


Mid afternoon and while there's no storm in the air, the wind has picked up enough that it's keep the spring heat down. Light jacket weather. But at least the rain has stopped! The small shops are all neat and orderly, spring cleaning has happened! Some fallen leaves that somehow survived the winter are twirling around, dancing down the road.

Clifton was out in town, having stopped by the feed shop and grinning a bit. His hands are in the pockets of his leather jacket, a slight bounce to his step. Yep…that had gone really well! He couldn't wait to get back home and tell the others. His bag is over his shoulder as usual, for now though his pace casual as he just enjoys the improvement in weather.

Looking up at the sky, Ethel has just given up on managing her poor curls. She them wrestled into a bun but more than a few have escaped leaving her looking all the more frazzled. She's re-familiarizing herself with town, a sort of aimless wandering that serves to tell the ladies in town that she's back and hopefully drum up some mending work. Spotting Clifton she smiles and offers a wave once she's a little closer.

<FS3> Lillie rolls Empath: Good Success.

Well, Miss O'Clery shall take this sort of wind over the lunacy that erupted a couple of weeks ago. It's almost refreshing, how the breeze blows away the tepid spring air and sends the fallen leaves skittering around. The Empath's green eyes watch the pieces as they tumble along the sidewalk, her lips curling into an easy smile as she hugs 'something' to her chest. Clad in a pretty sage green dress with a button-up long-coat fluttering at the bend of her knees, the Empath is content enough. She pauses in front of the Rose Salon, glancing skyward to look for rain. She is a little ways away from both Walkers, as they shall undoubtedly meet first… give her time~

Clifton catches sight of Ethel when she gives the wave, grin spreading as he returns the wave and walks over to her "Hey! Just got back from the feed shop. Good news…I got the photo book job AND some work helping when he has extra shipments come in!" It would help out at the homestead a lot and he was glad that he could contribute. For the moment he doesn't notice Lillie, a bit one track minded in his excitement.

"That's great news." Ethel says cheerfully. She reaches up idly to tuck the pins deeper into her bun and takes in the street. "Fun how you can live in a place your whole life and find it smaller when you come home after a few years." She tells him, clasping her hands lightly in front of her as she ambles along. "Must seem pretty small to a New Yorker."

Hearing voices, Lillie breaks out of her reverie, and glances sideward toward the sources. Keen eyes spy the very recognizable Clifton and… a girl with her hair set into a bun with some very stubborn curls breaking free! Huh.. who might that be? It's Clifton's excitement that reaches her in vibrant little flickers, and the Empath turns on a heel to make her approach. That which she holds, some sort of small figurine that fits in the palm of her hand, is slid into her coat pocket. Upon drawing closer she calls out kindly, "Hallo Clif!" To the New York-born Walker, and then to Ethel, her eyes kind and tone lilting. "'lo Miss."

Clifton nods, chuckling a bit "Yeah…it's pretty small. It has it's own charm though. Can't deny that." With Lillie's arrival, the Walker turns his gaze to her and offers a nod with that wide grin "Hey Lillie!" He then looks between the two women, "Ethel this is Lillie. Lillie…Ethel."

<FS3> Lillie rolls Alertness: Failure.
<FS3> Ethel rolls Alertness: Success.
<FS3> Clifton rolls Alertness: Success.

The wind shifts slightly, nothing to indicate anything is wrong or any real change in weather, besides the direction of the wind. Those little leaf whirlwind tunnels seems to be growing in strength… and getting closer.

Frowning, Ethel sniffs at the wind as it shifts and looks to Clif in a silent question as she looks toward the mountain before offering Lillie a hand. "Ethel Walker, how do you do?" She asks, looking over the other woman's clothes.

The Empath blinks once, twice. Ethel? If it's one thing Lillie has learned in her time with the Walkers, it's not to make a massive deal out of things that — inwardly — bring her joy. Her smile is sweet but something comes into her eyes: relief and excitement. It absolutely brightens her expression, and she gives both an ebullient smile. "Ethel? Well, it's a pleasure to meet you." She offers in her gentle way, words sweeping with a graceful accent. Ethel's hand is taken in her own and she shakes it, gingerly. She remember Clyde's brief recollection of his sister and one look at those escaping curls… yes. Pleasure colors the Empath's cheekbones, and she is too caught up in this moment to pay much mind to anything that could be brewing.

Though, Ethel's frown and testing of the air isn't missed… again, she's seen this before. The Irishwoman's brow knits. "Everything alright?"

Clifton is listening to Lillie before something catches his attention. His gaze would turn in the direction of the shifting winds, his brow furrowing before he looks to Ethel. Yep, she felt it too. Damnit. A quick nod is given to Lillie "Maybe we can continue this conversation inside somewhere?" His first thought was going back to the tornadoes. Why did trouble always follow the Walkers?

For the two that are paying attention: underneath the wind is a soft sound, like an uneven rattle as some thing skitters down the road, it's quite a ways away, but seems to be headed in their direction.

Ethel nods to Clifton. "Your treat?" She wonders and looks at Lillie as if she's perplexed by her friendliness. "Just adjusting to the weather, went west for a while." She tells her vaguely and shifts her focus to catch the both of them. "Sounds lovely." She agrees and makes a shooing gesture as her attention snaps sharply down the road. With her back to Lillie briefly, Ethel bares her teeth at the rattling noise before turning to push lightly and herd the other two into the nearest available door: the bookstore.

Okay, she missed something.. this is where it pays to know werewolves. Okay, Lillie has no bleedin' clue what these mountain folk actually are, but she's seen those fine senses at work time and time again. She's completely unaware of the undertones to what feels like an early Spring bluster of wind. If either of these two start rubbing at their ears as if discomforted, she's going to scream and /run/. Maybe. She looks from Ethel to Clifton warily, her joy at seeing the two of them tempered by wariness. Indoors it is, and she nods her head quickly.

Damnit all, why do things always have to go on their ear? Her lips move warily as she utters a couple of words in Gaelic to herself, brow furrowed. Her sense quivers, beginning it's awkward harried dance in the wake of her growing unease.

Clifton stays where he is as Ethel moves forward with Lillie, looking over to them but speaking to Ethel "Get her inside. I'm coming right after." If something was indeed coming their way, and it sounded like it was, there was no way in hell he was going to let Lillie in the middle of it. There was also no way in hell he was going to let Clyde's sister get in the middle of it right after she got back into town. Clyde would kill him! Granted…he realized there was less likelihood of him convincing Ethel to just wait it out inside. Especially if she was anything like her brother…damnit. Whatever the two women decided to do, Clif looked back towards the direction of whatever was coming…one step backing him towards the bookstore, but keeping himself positioned for now.

<FS3> Ethel rolls Alertness: Success.
<FS3> Clifton rolls Alertness: Success.
<FS3> Lillie rolls Alertness: Success.

The sound is indeed coming closer. It's not loud, per say, but the unusual-ness, the complete foreignness lends itself to the sound of the blustering leaves. There's still people on the street, no one else seems to have noticed anything odd. A smallish item can be seen moving along down the street, seemingly at the winds whim. Again, moving towards them.

Ethel looks back at Clif and rolls her eyes as she grabs him by the collar. "Don't be an idiot." She growls at the man. The three of them seem to be on edge. Ethel is steering Lillie into one of the stores and towing Clifton along behind her. "If you stay out, I stay out-so you're better off coming in with us." She orders, her chin coming up stubbornly.

The Empath is no foolish bird who will insist that she meet danger head-on. You tell her to get her ass indoors and you bet she'll go, though not out of cowardice. She's nervous, yes; but Lillie has survived thus far by keeping a cool and logical head when she needs to. She watches Clifton worriedly, holding her tongue as Ethel gives him what-for. Yup, there's the family resemblance. She leaves the two to work this out and goes into whatever manner of shelter is chosen, but her eyes remain locked upon the leaves as they skitter down the street. Her hand reaches into the pocket where she stowed the figurine, resting between the whittled chunk of wood and Jesse's switchblade.

Clifton lets out a startled holler…yes we'll call it a holler.. .as his collar is grabbed and he finds himself being tugged off with the women. "You're every bit as stubborn as your brother you know that?" It wasn't said as an insult. However, she also wasn't Alpha so he wasn't as inclined to 'obey'. Then again, he wasn't Alpha either so he couldn't really expect her to.

As she tugs him, suddenly he'd tug back, trying to tug out of her grip but not running off. Just standing there and looking forward at… "What is that?" He motions his head towards the thing moving along the street. Clifton looks around at the people, "Nobody has any idea anything is going on. Ethel…I'm not just leaving them out here." He looks back to her "It could be something dangerous." Like the fox man. Like so much else in this town. The people wouldn't stand a chance…

It's a very blustery day. Nothing stormy, per say, just gusts of wind picking up leaves and twirling them around almost playfully in the afternoon sunlight.

The item that's got Clifton's attention and has the other two on edge is small and misshapen. It must be light as the wind is moving it. It's also… partially clear? Like glass? But glass couldn't be that lightweight! It stills momentarily, a flash of a dull color, like it's got paint or something on it can be made out.

Elizabeth comes in from the area away from the floating orb (?) of painted something. She tries to use one hand to fix her ringlets from flying in her face, while her other tries to hold down her skirts. A faint sigh might be heard over the bluster of the day as she comes into the area. Those blue eyes of hers blink a few times as she looks around the area. When she sees the people, she will start in their direction.

Sighing, Ethel casually shoves Lillie inside and pulls the door shut. Sorry Lillie! She gives the woman a nod and a thumbs up before going to stand just in front of Clif. "If Clyde is my brother, that makes me more in charge than you." She tells him, her bun has largely escaped it's pins now, thanks to the breeze. "Watch the girl?" She asks and steps out casually into the street to study the breeze. She's only a little distracted catching sight of Elizabeth and looking back to Clifton.

The cheerful glimmer has since fizzled out of Lillie's eyes as she allows her sense to reach outward toward anyone who could be closeby. People are yet unaware of what is going on; some even smile and jest amidst themselves as the breeze flutters hemlines of skirts and musses hair. Such tetchy spring weather, right? Right? Leaves dance and swirl in the sunshine and for all appearances, nothing seems amiss. Lillie is basing all of her anxiety on how these two are responding. The sunlight glinting off of something glass-like, predominantly catching Clifton's notice, causes the Empath's furrowed brow to intensify. She just barely caught sight of a familiar blonde-haired lass, trying to keep herself in order, before she is eased into a storefront by Ethel.

Heaving a sigh, Lillie looks at the folks who are gawking at her. "Feckin' stubborn."

<FS3> Ethel rolls Presence: Good Success.

Clifton just lofts a brow as she stands in front of him. He actually cocks a smirk "Yeah. Not how that works. You're his sister…that doesn't make you the Beta. Until I hear it from his mouth you stand on the same ground as me and I intend to hold it just the same as you." He may not have been here as long, but she had also been gone awhile herself. Higsi was his home, at least until he was given orders otherwise by either Alpha.

Then he sees Elizabeth coming over. Damnitall why do people always wait until something potentially dangerous is happening to run all their errands!? "Elizabeth! Hey!" Even though their last encounter had ended on far less than desirable terms, that doesn't seem to stop him from running up to her and offering a nod "What brings you out this way?" Play it casual…ish. His gaze goes back to whatever the hell is coming their way, eyes squinting to try and see if he can spot what it is yet while keeping his stance near Elizabeth. Just in case.

The wind picks up again, almost playfully and the item starts to skitter again. The noise isn't something that has been heard before, it's light sounding, not quite musical, but close. The bottle, because as it moves closer, anyone looking can see it's some kind of strange foreign bottle made from not glass, tumbles past the group and heads on down the road. Apparently it's got somewhere else to be today.

Elizabeth watches as Ethel pushes Lillie inside and sort of cocks her head in a confused puppy sort of manner. Maybe she didn't see that right. Surely, she didn't see that right. There is a smile for Ethel though and there would have been one for Lillie, but pushies happened. When Clifton says her name, confusion is writ all over her features. The blonde girl looks back behind her.

Is there another Elizabeth? Surely there is another Elizabeth. Her blonde curls toussel and start to become more of a mess in the wind as her skirts stir around her. Then she looks back towards Clifton. Nope. He means her. A tentative smile given. She utters the most intelligent thing ever. "Ummmm…" Yep. Intelligence, thy name is Elizabeth. "I was walking…" Her blue eyes move past him down the road. Not towards the bottle but towards the Higgins home. She meant to say home, but her eyes now follow the…

Is that a bottle? Surely that's not a bottle. Her golden brows knit together and she turns to watch it move down the road. It looks like a bottle. In fact, she looks about ready to follow said NotABottle.

Dibs! Ethel looks after the bottle and trots to pick it up. Litter is just the worst! She seems really confused if she does catch it. Looking at Elizabeth, she smiles as a gust of wind causes chaos for her skirt and curls. "Oh, hello!" She calls and looks past to the store she shoved Lillie in. Ethel is still weary, she doesn't know if whatever put her hackles up so to speak is passed.

She can still see what is going on out there through the windows of what, she now realizes, is a small bookstore. How the hell hadn't Lillie seen this before? Folks are wondering why she was just shoved into the foyer and the Empath can feel this, giving the few assembled a wary smile. Nothing to see here. She watches the posturing between Clifton and Ethel, and it strikes her as odd…. depending upon what her sense can discern of the typical undercurrent that she has felt — in different degrees between the Walkers — she wonders /why/. Is it cousin-rivalry? She didn't quite hear Clifton say 'Beta', given that she is now indoors… but their behavior is odd enough.

Lillie is by now close to the window, peering out as the shiny, strange bottle that is being nudged along easily by the breeze… that is /not/ glass. Lillie pushes open the door a bit and peers outside, watching the thing move.

"Ah….walking. That's good." Clifton's gaze follows hers towards her house. "Oh! Your house. Right!" Stepping to the side he nods in that direction "Well don't let me keep…you…" With the bottle tumbling past them now his eyes follow it and he sighs "Are you fucking kidding me? All that over a bottle!?" Then why had the winds felt so…off? Ugh. This town was definitely odd!

With Ethel chasing after it he walks over to follow her at a slower pace as she trots, assuming it wasn't terribly fast, looking at the bottle and blinking in complete confusion. "What the hell kind of bottle is that?" He'd let her go for it since she was already so dedicated to the process. He stops a moment mid step, looking back in the direction the bottle had come from. Trying to see what was up with that wind or if anything else was coming.

The bottle is so light weight, it's almost creepy. It's misshaped, like someone crushed it, but it didn't shatter! There's a large word printed on something that feels not like paper that's wrapped around it. The apparent label is that of a faded red, white and blue coloration. But it seems worn. Walkers can all tell worn. While Plastic is a known substance, they're never even heard of anything like this.

There's nothing to be seen up the road when Clifton looks, besides more wind and sunshiny day.

Elizabeth moves over with Clifton. Was she going home? There is a look at the … bottle. Her blue eyes study the very weird logo and the she looks up at the sky thoughtfully before looking back at the item and the Walkers. "Um… maybe we had a plane overhead and it's um… foreign?" From the non-existent Air Force in town? There is a frown as she lifts up a finger. If not stopped, she'll poke at it a bit. POKE. There is a pause. Does she die?

Well, that's a bummer. Ethel squints at the label and hefts the bottle. She seems entirely confused and looks at Elizabeth as she pokes it. "Must be." She agrees and turns to hand it off to Clifton. "Ever seen the like?" She asks, assuming maybe it's some big city kinda thing. She catches Lillie poking her head out and gestures to her to come out since it's safe-ish. She's still not beyond tackling everyone to the ground.

Given the green light, Lillie steps out of the bookstore but does not pursue the bottle. She needs to get her sense under control some, which is done by taking a moment to breathe by her lonesome. She stands in front of the shop and looks up the road, in the direction from whence the bottle came. More sunlight, dancing leaves, people. Hmn.

Lillie then tilts her head and observes the going-ons with the bottle again, her arms folded tightly at her chest. She, too, is curious but she is keeping a distance for a time, her brow still knit with concern.

Lillie's tresses flit to and fro and dance in the breeze, her green eyes trained upon the three who investigate the thing. Liz's poking of it causes the corners of her lips to turn up, slightly.

Clifton furrows a brow…nothing else coming. Strange. He looks back to Ethel and Elizabeth now as they examine the bottle, letting Elizabeth get her pokes in and Ethel her looks in before it is handed off to him. Carefully taking it he blinks at the texture of it…and the design. Clif's hand grips around where the bottle already looks crushed, giving it a light squeeze to try and get a feel for the texture.

"Why does it just say 'Pepsi' though?" Instead of the full name. With a shrug Clifton opens the satchel on his side, putting the bottle into it and looking to Ethel "Clyde will be interested in seeing it. Maybe he'll know what it is…or be just as confused as we are." He looks back to Elizabeth then, hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry. False alarm I guess. Thought there might be trouble…" They may have had a bad go of it last time, but it didn't mean he didn't care.

It does indeed say Pepsi and not the full name of the soda pop. And the label is all wrong. How strange! And what kind of strange and unusual bottle is that anyway? When Elizabeth pokes it, it does nothing. There is no weird vibes coming off the bottle for Lillie to pick up on. The only complain the bottle gives is there's a soft, yet sharp crinkle noise as it's side gives a little when Clifton puts it into his bag.

Elizabeth is silent for a few moments but she waves when she sees Lillie beckoned over. "It's so weird." There is a momentary passing of emotions at Clyde's name but she smiles. "You'll let me know what he says?" This is directed towards Clifton. Then Elizabeth pushes on his bag. *CRINKLE* There is a gleeful look to her eyes. It's like she just discovered bubble wrap. There is another push. Somewhere, in another time, a dog is going crazy trying to find the water bottle. Elizabeth tries to tame her blonde curls in the wind, but it's a hopeless thing. "It is pretty strange. I mean.." She lowers her brows a bit more to that. So strange.

Ethel furrows her brow in a scowl. Odd things are generally bad things. Looping an arm about Elizabeth's shoulders she steers her to the sidewalk. "Oh say, Elizabeth. Now'm all settled in at home and all, when is a good time to visit and see about that dress you were wanting?" She asks walking them to Lillie. "You know Lillie? I just met her, but she seems keen, don't you think so? Sure could use a coffee after that weird breeze, puts a chill right in your bones don't it?" So many questions! Distract-a-thon is go!

No bad mojo for her sense to whisper about… were that the case, Lillie would be questioning her own sanity. She can hear that strange 'crinkle' that the bottle makes as it's put away in the satchel, and Lillie quirks a brow. This has to be one of the stranger interludes that she has experienced in Higsi… but she knows, too, that one mustn't get too comfortable yet. This has to be the most complicated simple town that she has ever found herself in.. a rather befitting oxymoron.

Her sense is finely-honed now, and as Lillie knows Liz directly it recognizes her and reaches forth greedily, leaving the Empath to feel a rush of sympathy for the lovely blonde.

"I need to be getting on over to Josie's house," Lillie says softly, finally approaching the group and meeting them midway. "A raincheque on the coffee, Ethel… I work at the diner. Come on over one morning and I'll treat you to a cup or two." She says kindly, but her eyes are still a bit troubled from that odd array of emotions that spawned from the bottle chase. So so weird.

"Be well," She bids in her singsong way, and is continuing along on her way to Pine street.

Clifton watches as Elizabeth pokes his bag to crinkle the bottle. Then pokes his bag again. With her question, he opens his mouth to say something, but then Ethel is leading her away. Distract-a-thon indeed! With Lillie making her departure as well, he uses it as a chance to start stepping away himself. "I'll see you at home, Ethel. Gonna' go tell Clyde about the job!" He offers a nod to the other two ladies "Lillie…Elizabeth." With that the Walker cousin would make his way off to go back to the mountain.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License