Jacks Atwood

people are having fun but not enough fun

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Twelve

The lights are on, but no one’s home. Noah’s house is still smoking, and the mysteries are piling up. Oh, and there’s that government thing to worry about.  Might need a criminal justice system like now. 

So press play, and go.

[luna-martinez]

This day fucking sucked. Her head hurt, her eyes felt like they shouldn’t be in her head, she felt sick, her back hurt. She was dehydrated as fuck, and not really sure why she hadn’t tried to do anything about that when she got into Sprout’s house. But at least Sprout was alive and she didn’t hate her. She wouldn’t have known what to do with either of those things.

Luna was supposed to be going home to sleep and shower so she could come back to hang out with Sprout but she found herself heading over the other side of town. Her mind was spinning with all the events from the last 16 hours. She wouldn’t be able to fall asleep if she wanted to.

She’d been to the house fire already to search for Sprout’s phone, but she hadn’t found anything. Not outside, anyway. Either someone already took it or it was inside, and the scorched empty husk of a home was still smoking. It scared her to think about Sprout in there. That she might not have gotten out. She wanted to shake her for being so stupid, all for her sister’s approval. Fuck she hated Poppy for making Sprout feel like she had to earn that.

She’d made her way to Jacks’ warehouse. Kind of without thinking, if she was honest, but she was glad this is where she’d ended up. Luna knocked on the side door. “Jacks? Blair? It’s Luna!” she called.

@jacksatwood

[jacksatwood]

Jacks didn't believe in self pity. Self pity was something rich people did to make themselves feel better. But with Blair dispatched with his mission, she was left with the quiet, and far less to do than she'd had to think about in the last week. She hated silence. She was terrible at it. That's why she resented Blair playing a sport with away games.

So she'd been organizing supplies. All kinds of supplies. Gardening. Party. School. And she rarely even went to school. But if Dante planned to make good on his requisition threats, she needed to figure out what she needed to disappear and how.

Which was why the knocking at her door kind of scared the shit out of her. Luckily, Luna's nerves quickly alleviated the tension.

Jacks yanked the wide door to the side to let the frosh in. "Lunar Eclipse. What can I do you for? Or are you here to observe the fall of Western civilization?" She was Western civilization here, obviously.

[blairjha]

Right. Lou. Blair long ago decided not to carry an opinion on Lourdes Villa Sisniega. He usually made himself scarce while they were talking. Not his business and need to know only, so he didn’t know or care enough about Lou beyond her name to guess what she was thinking. “Sorry.” He wasn’t judging. He couldn’t chuck stones at glass houses after running circles around Olivia, Shreya, and Sasha. But Jacks didn’t run like Blair. She was front and center. When Jacks wanted attention, she got it. “What if she doesn’t stay his girlfriend? Would you…” He didn’t know where he was going there, but Jacks might. People got together and broke up all the time. No trees would stop that.

“Idiots who learn.” Blair shrugged. “Nobody died. It could’ve been way worse.” People still did stuff even if buildings could burn down or crumble in an earthquake. Shit happens. “All we need to do is find a blackout suppression system. Or a new venue.”

“To me, maybe.” Blair’s bargaining chips were sitting right in front of him and he had barely a reputation to speak of. If he wasn’t a goalie, nobody would know his name. Which was great, because nobody was asking him to pitch in with their DarkoverLandfall speedrun. “Want me to find out?” That had to put some pep in her step.

[jacksatwood]

"Oh fuck yeah." Jacks said, nearly before Blair could finish his question. "Fuck self respect when I could fuck Lou instead."

She paused, leveling Blair with a look. "Do as I say, not as I do. And none of yours are Lou. No offense." She'd argue it if she needed to.

She shivered. "Of course nobody died. That would've been... stupid." The safety elements of her events usually took care of themselves, but she had managed to keep abreast of various concert crushings and other... upsetting things adjacent to her interest. "Fuck. A lot of people are that stupid, aren't they? But how do we suppress a blackout? Getting a fucking generator?"

"That's my little honeypot." She patted Blair's cheek affectionately. "Don't do anything that makes you uncomfortable, of course, but I know you can hold your own." There were many reasons she and Cricket weren't compatible, boi-ness aside. Probably better to have a distraction for him that didn't involve the smudged eyeliner brigade. "Maybe we should slow down. I don't know. What else is there to do in this godforsaken place? Watch fungus grow?"

[blairjha]

“Mine?” Blair’s night was as boring as it was embarrassing. Messing up with the door was bad enough, but getting dunked on by Sasha’s feral pink friend in front of Sasha was even worse. He was still deciding what was more humiliating, pointing mutely for Sasha and Nora to follow the crowd like they were both born yesterday, or that bleaching his hair was ‘a choice’. Then he had to watch Ingrid Rojas jump Sasha like they stole her wallet. When the lights went out, it was the icing on the cake. “Sucked.”

This wasn’t zen. Not at all.

“What about yours?” Jacks was the life and soul of the party. If something went south, Blair could find himself talking to a Skeksis version of his best friend without the Crystal of Truth. What was a total power outage doing to Jacks? He needed to check on his king. This called for a bravado that failed to impress Tali Germaphobe, but it might get Jacks to at least crack a smile. “Should we gear up for the next party?”

[jacksatwood]

Jacks' best friend remained once again and always a master of understatement. She'd need to wheedle his emotions out eventually, but she'd have to start by modeling good behavior. "Well aside from having my thunder stolen by our non existent utility company, Lou is officially and obviously a girlfriend. She and Tal were she and Tal-ing all night. Right in front of my salad. Perhaps the blackout was a mercy." She paused. "Fuck that no it wasn't." She really deserved some sense of triumph. She'd put up so many streamers.

She shook her head at his second question. "I'm all for getting back on the horse but we need to do it intelligently. I want to know what caused that blackout, and I want to make sure it never happens again. Once is a fluke. Twice makes us idiots." Not look like idiots. Would be idiots.

"I just need to figure out who to ask who will actually give me answers." She groaned, realization dawning. "Fuck. It might be Lou. Unless you think James Bond would admit what went wrong?"

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Twelve

The lights are on, but no one’s home. Noah’s house is still smoking, and the mysteries are piling up. Oh, and there’s that government thing to worry about.  Might need a criminal justice system like now. 

So press play, and go.

[blairjha]

The sun was shining. The sky stank of smoke. The birds were singing.

It was a new day, and Blair Jha was moping.

Moping, not pouting. Pouting and sulking were for kids. Blair was not a kid. He was only himself, awkward and dour and prone to instigating silences. The longer he kept silent, Blair always reasoned, the less likely he was going to say something stupid.

Unless it was in Jacks’s hearing, who was probably the only person who’d understand what Blair meant without a word passed between them. Today would be ideal for that, he suspected, for once wanting to chew on something aloud as well as listen to whatever Jacks had to say. The party left a lot to talk about, especially with its hostess.

“Hi,” said Blair, straightening up from his examination of the nearest group of plants as Jacks appeared in the doorway. The East Ham farmhouse they were using for growing a new stash struck bittersweet feelings in Blair, even if the process was starting to look…successful. This perked him up a bit. “Wanna help me check on stuff?”

@jacksatwood

[jacksatwood]

Blair was only allowed to mope when Jacks was moping. But Jacks was moping so it was fine. Parties failed. That was a matter of odds. But usually there was something she could learn from. More mixers, faster music, not inviting certain people. But this wasn't her fault. Or Blair's fault. Or anyone she was in any position to yell at.

No one was telling her anything. The whole town had lost power, but what did that actually mean? Was this about her? About nothing? Was she an egomaniac? Probably.

She'd checked the mushrooms early that morning, standing around awkwardly between the tables, trying to center herself in the wet dark. She heard Blair come in, moving around above, but she forced herself to take her time, composing herself more than she normally would, trying to find a brave face. Failing.

"Hi, grumpy bear. How was the rest of your night?" She'd been there for most of it, but the rest could have also been a trash fire. Or not. That would be nice.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

So the brightest minds in New Ham are bickering about guinea pigs, the government can’t decide how long they should take to read things, and some people want to know where Noah is. Others want to know why the fuck they should care.

But hatchets can be buried, peaces made. Secrets forgotten, people disappeared. Nothing helps like a party.

It’d be a shame if something was to happen to it. 

So press play and go.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Murder on the dance floor, murder on the dance floor, murder in the dark on the dance floor I really hope there isn’t a murder on the dance floor. (continued from here and here)

Keep reading

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

So the brightest minds in New Ham are bickering about guinea pigs, the government can’t decide how long they should take to read things, and some people want to know where Noah is. Others want to know why the fuck they should care.

But hatchets can be buried, peaces made. Secrets forgotten, people disappeared. Nothing helps like a party.

It’d be a shame if something was to happen to it. 

So press play and go.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

The party begins, but the fun doesn’t last long. Tell me. Where were you when the lights went out in New Ham? (continued from here, continues here)

Keep reading

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

So the brightest minds in New Ham are bickering about guinea pigs, the government can’t decide how long they should take to read things, and some people want to know where Noah is. Others want to know why the fuck they should care.

But hatchets can be buried, peaces made. Secrets forgotten, people disappeared. Nothing helps like a party.

It’d be a shame if something was to happen to it. 

So press play and go.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Jacks’ skate party is about to begin, and really we’re all shivering with anticipation. (continued here and here)

Keep reading

poppy-morris:

“Hey,” Poppy said. “Thanks for meeting me.” Poppy didn’t know how much small talk she needed to try to muster up here, if she had to at all. She didn’t know Jacks as well as Lou did at all. And Poppy wasn’t generally a friendly and/or small talk kind of person. Wooing wasn’t a talent of hers.

“I don’t know if you’ve heard about Frankie’s shortage or not,” Poppy said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She was still annoyed about that. Drought was probably a better word, but Poppy didn’t bother amending. “I was hoping you could help me with that.” She didn’t know what Jacks would want in return, but Poppy was resourceful enough. She still had the money she’d busted out of her Dad’s safe, and she could always hand over her family’s possessions.

[jacksatwood]

Jacks didn't point out that Poppy was technically meeting with her. She didn't have much choice in the matter, did she?

"Ah. I have."  Jacks had been hearing a lot about Frankie's shortages. A lot of whining specifically, which was good for business but also profoundly annoying. "We are on our way to being short as well, but I think we probably have better inventory management." Jacks was always so puzzled by Frankie's breaking of the cardinal rule: Never get high on your own stash.

"I can't offer her little peach ring things." She wasn't Willy fucking Wonka. "But if you can take buds I can figure something out. You have a compensation in mind or is this just because I love Lou?" She told herself 'love' was a strong word, but deep down she wasn't sure it was.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

[jacksatwood]

viviannecarlisle​:

Viv wasn’t thrilled to have so many people who didn’t feel like her people, her circle, and her friends en route to the party, but that kind of thinking was best left behind.

“They should get in line.” Not really joking, Viv missing whatever else Jacks said.

“She doesn’t do anything by half.” Like you, Viv didn’t say. Neither party would appreciate the juxtaposition, she wagered. “Or by accident. What was your favorite part of the text?” Viv’s was the messy counterargument as a whole. It was Cricket and Lou all over again. In the end, there was no way to know the objective truth. The only ones who would knew were in it. The rest was practically—or literally—hearsay.

She did hope the fallout of Fern and Tony would not be quite as explosive.

“From what I’ve seen, you’ve always prepared for anything.” A good way to be. Viv was a fan of it. “I don’t know who else would bother you. Do you have a shit list?” 

A baiting question, but Viv was curious. Who did Jacks have a grievance with?

“Oh Lucy does plenty by accident. Intent is not the same as execution.” Jacks raised her voice in the direction of the DJ booth. “Ain’t that right Blair bear?” She’d been razzing him over the break up with little Sasha for the last… well, however long it had been. She had never fully approved of the situation as Blair’s partner had seemed well… a little delicate, for lack of a gentler term. Her and Blair’s life was rough and tumble, and in the end, Blair would never leave their shared lack of principles behind. That said, he hadn’t handled the actual dumping well. This was why Jacks kept things thoroughly casual. That ways she could break her own damn heart on her own damn time table. (Oh Louie Louie.)

She pulled Viv to her for a moment, taking advantage of the rare chance to engage with a girl who was as tall as she was. “You are so deliciously naive, Vivy. It makes the whole mystique all the better.” She gave Viv a small spin in her socks before continuing. “My favorite part of the text was how blatantly not true it felt. The Chuck and Blair wannabes always think they can shape reality with a snap of their fingers, but they forget that all the little elves that were making that shit happen have no reason to make it happen anymore. Like this.” She put her arm around Viv’s shoulders and opened them both up to the forest of white streamers hanging above the rink, the space transformed for her guests. “Tony can get people to cart a sound system into a church, yes. He can even convince them to bring the booze. But he couldn’t get anyone to do this. When money loses its value, it’s over for them. But us, Vivy? We offer a service. So does Little Miss Bright.” Jacks paused, smirking. “God, that name is perfect.” (Yes, the service was being a beautiful distraction. But it was a very valuable service.)

Jacks laughed to herself at even the vaguest notion of what Viv was implying. There was no way to prepare for the amount of scrambling a con woman needed. You just had to be very, very quick on your feet. Still, she played it off. “I have a do-not-let-in list, which is worse. Little Mx. Marston finally made his way onto it. At his own behest, between you and me.” Jacks took particular delight in sharing that little secret. She’d been so magnanimous in letting him even enter her establishment once she heard about what he’d done to Lou. But he had been an excellent client, and she hated to deny Blair anything in the end. “Of course there’s Alessi, Alessi, and Friends.” She thought to herself for a moment. “And, you know, stingy people.” Really, what was the point of the rich if you couldn’t fleece them?

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Nine

Everyone’s playing nice. Nicer than can perhaps be expected. They’re all back to their respective corners. Laws are drawn up, logistics planned. And the Alessis are holding a dinner party. 

Lots of meetings of the minds. Let’s just hope that the kids remember a mind is a terrible thing to waste. 

So press play, and go.

[poppy-morris]

Nine days into this mess, and Poppy finally had some hope. It was honestly kind of embarrassing that she hadn’t thought of this before Cricket had had to provide the answer for her. Or that she hadn’t thought to talk to Lou about it. Very big oversight on her part, truly. It probably said a lot about where her head was at right now, but she wasn’t going to venture into that territory. Not when she had so much to think about. 

Poppy found her way to the warehouse quickly. It was kind of fun having full freedom with her Dad’s car. Especially because if Poppy had anything to do with it, Lola would not. 

She parked the car and got out, taking in the building. It was taking some time to adjust to the creepy quiet that seemed to intensify wherever there weren’t other people around. But Poppy ignored that and made her way to the side door and let herself in. She’d text before she came. Jacks knew she was coming. “Jacks?” she called out.

@jacksatwood​

[jacksatwood]

Poppy hadn’t been clear on what she wanted. Jacks was never a fan of that. People who were vague on their intentions tended to ask her for money she didn’t technically have. But this had to be handled delicately. Lou’s people were her people, at least to a small extent. Even if she rarely saw Little Miss Morris much at all.

But Jacks had been feeling aimless lately. Solving problems with Blair was always fun, but nowadays there were less problems to solve. Or perhaps just less ones that she could help with. 

She shouldn’t have been surprised that Poppy let herself in, but she was still annoyed. She didn’t both to put down paper chain she was making. “Poppy. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

[jacksatwood]

lourdesvillasisniega​:

Phase: Day Ten

“Then I’ll keep on repeating it. You are the undisputed party king and a hell of a woman. We’re all lucky to be around you even for a second. If we have to be stuck, I’m so glad that you’re here.” She looked down, “I can’t imagine anyone throwing a better party than you.” She tried to laugh but her vocal chords were tight. She’d lost enough from this stupid event, she didn’t want to think about losing her king. It was too much. 

She cleared her throat trying to shake the sadness from her mind. Jacks was here. Things were different but they could still be fun. “I’m not sure.” Dante had certainly been in rare form at Tony’s event. She didn’t see him much outside of that. 

“Dante took a second chance on government after talking to me or so he claims.” She was privately very pleased about the whole thing. But if she went too deep she’d have to explain being rejected. And she wasn’t interested on reliving that. 

“You know the other one, my unfortunate affliction.” There was too much of a smile in her voice. She knew it. She knew that it was poor form to be too happy about it in the face of what it meant for Jacks. She couldn’t help herself. 

Jacks gave a slight jiggle of her head, the universal gesture for ‘stop stop but keep going.’ She nodded at Lou’s party assessment. “Neither can I, but they keep trying. It is entertaining. To a certain point.” One could only poke the bear so much. Jacks was generally good at seeing the line, because she liked not being dead. You could only troll a spoiled mafia prince for so long. Luckily you could exploit run-of-the-mill rich kids forever.

“Ah.” Jacks said knowingly. “The disgraced one. Er, self disgraced I suppose. He’s good at math, I’ll give him that.” There was a reason she’d never tried to run him for investment capital. “You know I used to pity people who thought student government mattered but then...” She gestured up to the ceiling and around herself. “Dante seemed the most policy heavy out of all of them so I can work with that.” As long as he stayed out of her business, but she had a feeling a little recreational drug trade was at least twenty lines down on his list of problems. “I have every confidence that you will continue to motivate his quest for self improvement.” Lou generally had that effect, even if she didn’t intend it. One always wanted to be worthy of her attention. It was a compulsion that Jacks doubted would change with or without the presence of...

“...Taliesin.” She’d finally lost officially. It had been years coming, a game of Monopoly where someone bought Park Place and bled you for rent the next fifty turns. “Good for you. Long time coming.” Her smile was genuine because Lou looked genuinely happy. It was better than losing to... well, she couldn’t think of anything right now but she would. “You don’t have to talk about it more unless you want to, but that is fun and his cluelessness amuses me so any stories you have to share I’ll take.” They both knew that Jacks wasn’t the dating type, but everyone liked a good romcom now and then. 

[jacksatwood]

lourdesvillasisniega​:

Phase: Day Ten

Lou could have kissed her. She wasn’t going to anymore, but she could have. Instead she brushed her thumb against Jacks’s cheek. “You don’t need me for that. You should know by now that you’re an absolute goddess of a person and we are all just lucky to know you.” 

She wasn’t sure she could relive all the humiliation. There was a world where things had gone to shit and she felt it everytime she had to think about what a horrible week it had been. “I’m being very mature about it and forgiving people rather than disowning them. I turned one into a council man and one into a boyfriend. If you can believe that.” 

What could Jacks say to that? She knew what she’d normally do, but all avenues were closed at the moment, weren’t they? She’d endeavored her whole life to be independent, to be the boss, the swindler, always twenty steps ahead. What would happen if she let those words leave her lips? I need you. Would she mean it? No. Not really. Needing people got in the way of success and success was everything. But having Lou in her life was part of that sunny picture, no matter the circumstance, sudden boundary setting or no. It hurt because it was sudden. Because she wanted her. But she didn’t need her. Not really. She smiled. “Obviously, but it bears repeating.” 

“Well then you have been busy. Do I know these illustrious gentlemen?” Jacks was generally apolitical, and she was allergic to large groups in full light. People tended to notice she was there and ask her for things she wasn’t in a position to give. She had suspicions about the boyfriend, and she didn’t want her to say it, but this was the part she was supposed to play to keep Lou in her life. So she could be supportive.

And troll the shit out of him later.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

[jacksatwood]

viviannecarlisle​:

Oh, HBO, Viv lamented to herself, gone too soon.

Jacks not having a filter was definitely a good conciliation prize, however. Viv’s stay in Connecticut (and it was just that, after all this time, a stay) hadn’t yet given way to the rough-around-the-glittery-edges vibe unique to New York City. In West Ham, Viv was in a prologue waiting for the action to begin, aggressively bowing an I Want medley on her violin. But with Jacks? There was just something about her that propelled Viv down the I-95, teasing excitement and glam and an unforgettable skyline. Jacks was all that and a cliffhanger—you were always left wanting more.

“There’s enough people here to bridge that gap, you know.” Viv’s annoyances were widespread and contradictory and a mood-killer, so she didn’t share them and only skated a smaller loop to keep herself in earshot. “Do you know what you’re going to do when they show up to the party?” Blair could play bouncer. He seemed tough.

Viv laughed. Glitter, glam, and a way with words. 

“You have Lucy’s number, don’t you?” She asked, adjusting her posture so she looked queenly on the pass, waving like Clarice Renaldi. “What hasn’t happened?”

“Yuuuuppppp.” Jacks elongated the word for additional agreement. “Gotta mind that gap, really.” She liked to provide the entertainment not be it.

She laughed at the thought of her prophecy coming true. “Probably kiss them on the mouth because what a change. Then push them outside and lock the doors to my castle. Not that I usually get off on withholding,” Viv knew this, but it still bore repeating. “But some people deserve it.”

“Of course I have Lucy’s number. I just don’t appreciate unsolicited opinions on napkins.” Like the idea that she had to have them. Drinks were always the priority. That and bubbles.

To that end, she went over to the machine to fuss. “Should I limit the question to what explosions should I be prepared for? I’ll be honest, I’m braced for Alessi impact, but that’s kind of electric, isn’t it?”

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Ten

It was only supposed to be a picnic. It was only supposed to be an interview. It was only supposed to be a supply trip. 

It was only supposed to be a dinner. 

But something has shifted. 

The stars have moved. 

So press play, and go.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

A simple question can change everything.

Keep reading

[jacksatwood]

lourdesvillasisniega​:

Phase: Day Ten

“I meant in terms of global impact not as a person,” Lou’s eyes widened slightly. Van Gogh wasn’t the worst of the 19th century painters when it came to personality, but he certainly had his faults. “And I am always here to build you up. You know that.” There might have been a double meaning in that, but there might not have been as well. 

She rested her head against Jacks’ shoulder. She was used to people smelling like weed but there was something almost like sunshine woven in when it came to Jacks. She’d much rather just lean on her forever, but words would have to be spoken. Unfortunately. She was most likely taken right now so there were certain things that were now off the table. Most likely. “It’s resolved,” she sighed, “It was just hell to get there. You know how much I hate being insulted and yet I got doubly insulted at that stupid event and my ego may never recover. But I’m fine. Really.” 

“I know that, Emmylou.” Jacks said gently. “With all my heart and soul.” She made a general policy of not contradicting pretty girls, especially when they were saying nice things about her, but Lou was more than a pretty girl. Even if sometimes it seemed that she feared that was all people thought of her.

Well that did sound like trouble. Jacks gave her a small squeeze then rubbed her back. “I would like details on that. Under lock and key, of course.” Aside from Blair, of course. But Blair was a man of discretion. “But only in the interest of knowing who I need to blackball. Tell me, Lou. Just imagine their crushed little faces.” She gave a small shrug. “I always do.” 

[jacksatwood]

lourdesvillasisniega​:

Phase: Day Ten

Lou was grateful for the kiss but not the immediate sliding of Jacks’ attention elsewhere. She understood it, but she didn’t like it. She’d come here to be adored and they were already talking about Blair. Oh well. “I don’t think people understand your genius until it’s out in the world. You are the Van Gogh of the warehouse scene.” 

Of all the things to be mentioned, she hadn’t expected Jacks to bring up the wake. An involuntary shiver went down Lou’s spin. That had been a truly awful night. She was still trying to erase it from her memory. Yet here it was. Rearing its head again. “You missed nothing important.” Lots of deeply hurtful moments, but nothing that mattered in the long run. 

And yet, it was hard for her to come up with a succinct explanation of the past ten days. “I’m probably the worst person to ask. I’m not the biggest contributing member to our new world order. While they’re off playing government, I’ve been sulking and making way too many smoothies.” She laughed dryly. “It’s less different from the old world that I thought it would be. No internet but plenty of small squibbles and shifting alliances. We’re our own soap.” 

“God I hope not. My hearing’s borked enough already.” Sound systems tests weren’t very kind to the senses. Especially when Jacks preferred to feel the bass in her skeleton. “But I appreciate the thought with all my heart and soul.”

Then Lou did that thing she’d done a lot in the last month. A deep sadness had overcome her, from the tips of her toes to the ends of her acrylics. But Lou Villa Sisniega did not harsh the mood. Instead, her voice got more musical, her manner more heavy with ennui. It was all very French New Wave, which was Jacks’ least favorite art movement. 

(Jacks also tended to call this set of behaviors Tal Syndrome but she kept that between her and the cocktails.)

“Ey.” She tacked the streamer and slid down the ladder. The rest could wait. “Putting a pin in the soap digest, but I will come back to it.” She looped her hands around Lou, her palms settling on the back of her neck. “Is it really nothing important or do you just not want to talk about it? Either’s fine I just need some guidance.”

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

[jacksatwood]

viviannecarlisle​:

“All good stories start that way, don’t they?” John Wick. Sweeney Todd. The Count of Monte Cristo. Viv was surprised Jacks had a vendetta against anyone, however. Jacks could sell a cage to a wild animal if she put her mind to it, so who would have any beef with her? A disgruntled customer? An envious competitor?

The answer wasn’t far behind Viv’s musings, though it too was unexpected.

“Now they sound like your archenemy. Good thing you’re here and they aren’t.” No wonder either side couldn’t agree. The rink couldn’t see the forest (a profit) for the trees (a teenager trying to have fun). She watched Jacks fuss with paints and glowsticks, relieved something good could come of this mess. A Jacks party was going to lift morale whether people wanted it or not. “That makes me your witness for posterity, then. Jacks Atwood’s sheer force of will can always beat its opposition.”

Jacks Atwood could get away with a lot when she put her mind to it, Viv noted.

She skated a quick figure eight while Jacks placed finishing touches on things, neglecting to mention her dad had owned that particular AMEX her entire life. Tacky didn’t suit her. “I think this vendetta will make for a great party. Let it be known.” 

Jacks shrugged. “At least the ones worth watching on HBO.” She tried to be easygoing. Really she did. There was generally no point in holding grudges. People tended to be be either too untouchable (Tony Alessi) or too insignificant (Taliesin Mauk) to justify it. But she did hate people who wouldn’t see the vision. Mostly because they made grifting very difficult. “I suppose I kind of wish they were here. Or at least that they come back in the middle of this thing and see what I’ve done with the place. Imagine that elegant solution. I get my revenge, and we get the fuck outta here.” She wrinkled her nose. “Unless they show up without an exit and are just here to annoy me in particular.”

Jacks bowed in noble acknowledgment. “The Queen has spoken. But what news from the world outside Blair and my Wonderland?” She needn’t mention that this Hatter was quickly running out of mushrooms. That was a matter for her and the March Hare.