STATUS: open
LOCATION: pleasance public library
Itâs a  long story, heâll tell you;  the one which ends with his nails decorated in pink and yellow flowers (poorly doodled, mind you). One that starts with a bet, and a coup of mischievous little children, and ends with him being ultimately defeated and betrayed.
Either way, heâd been so distracted looking at the effort thatâd been put into making his hands more delicate than they already were, Jackson hadnât actually been listening, except for picking up at vague words left up to the whims of his hyperactive mind, until something startling enough has him catching up on a  full sentence . Heâd been so ready to agree, the words nearly leap off his tongue, jumbled:
âYes, I agree, youâ wait! No, no, no⌠No!â
Whatâs nextâexploring an old barn in the dark and shouting âis there anybody there?â as if anything, answer or no answer, could possibly put your mind at ease? He never understood this horror trope, and he refuses to partake in it.
âOkayâokay!  I wasnât listening, but I am now and thatâs a terrible idea! Canât you do literally  anything  else?â Anything else that wouldnât force him to begrudgingly come along some creepy adventure in this godforsaken place.
"And that is how we're gonna sneak into Vinny's apartment when he's running the deli and see what he's hiding in his upstairs bedroom," she finished triumphantly and set her hands on her hips as though she were the Peter Pan flaunting her glorious plan. her grin was wide. Her eyes sharp. She bounced on her toes while Jackson gave her half an ear as she listed why she thought Vinny was secretly a government spy working to learn why Pleasance was so god-damn rainbow. Not that she was complaining. She loved every single person in town. Save for Levi and Catherine. The Strong siblings made her nervous. George Alby could sit on a cactus. The Mayor needed someone to put him in the naughty corner... and there were rumors about Bishan that she couldn't shake -- rumors that would make her job more difficult. Still, she loved (most) everyone in town.
"My sweet, gentle, darling sweetheart," she cajoled, wrapping her arm through his and giving him her best doe eyes, as though he'd go along with her grand plan if she could only tempt him enough. "Dinner is on me if you go along with it. Really - all you would have to do is distract Vinny while I sneak upstairs."
One of her dogs, the Saint Bernard named Parie, leaned against Jackson's leg, either to encourage or warn was unsure. The heavy dog woofed - a soft, gentle sound despite his stature and bearing, though the streams of dog drool made the ground in front of him wet. He nosed against Jackson's hand, looking for a treat.
"Don't you want to solve a mystery? Or see what someone in this town has going on? We all have secrets, sure, but Vinny never talks about himself. Ever. It's time to find out why."