The Slaughter House

“I'm so sorry, Luz. I just wanted you to be into demons like you're into magic. I don't have many friends, and no one even pays that much attention to me. I thought maybe if I taught you, finally, someone would care about creatures like me.” - King from The Owl House

[endlessreruns]

"Yeah they float. Sometimes they want me to open the window when I'm on the second floor. Like in the Buffy movie, but they're not vampires. I'd have to ask if you can stay at the Commune. A house might be easier. Maybe one that's just ground level so they won't have the floating advantage. I'm out of jerky"

[texanbutcherdutton]

"They throw parties in them, don't think it be that hard for us to find one to do this at," Ian mused out loud. The only person he really knew at the Commune was Eva, leaning towards it being better if his family wasn't fully aware of what he was doing. "I can look around after today and let you know," he said before taking out the jerky bag completely. Setting it next to Jeremy along with a water, "You can have the rest," he said standing back up, "I think that counts as my break, if you need me just call out."

END

[endlessreruns]

"I don't know. Maybe. I don't know if I'd want them to" Jeremy gave a quick shrug. "Sometimes all at once. Sometimes it's just one or two of them They don't switch faces though. Once they're them they're them. I haven't figured out if they have a pattern."

[texanbutcherdutton]

"I can understand that," Ian said nodding. "My cousin DJ is a ranger, he has a couple notes on them I can bring them. I know they can float which feels like an unfair advantage," he mumbled. "I don't think they're gonna let me unboard the house for this, could we do this at the Commune or do we need to find a house?"

[endlessreruns]

"My dads aren't dead. They weren't last time I saw them at least. I think if they had Remi would have told me when he got here. They could be now, though. I wouldn't know. I don't know about my birth parents. I don't know anything about them. I've never met them" this wasn't the truth, but Jeremy hadn't known it was them when he did, having worked on the same film sets with them before. "They could be dead too. Oh it was a one time thing. We came together. Not Remi. They came after."

[texanbutcherdutton]

Ian had picked idly at the grass for a second, "I'd think the only person I'd be upset to find out died would by my grandma...and well my brother too. They're kind of stupid so if they died I wouldn't be surprised, still sad though," he admitted. "Do you think your dads would ever come here looking for you?" He thinks about that with Ike, they made him promise to stay home, the selfish part missing them but the logical side knowing it's better if they never show up. "So do the ghosts just switch between them? Or they do all show up at once?" he's not sure how easy a conversation might go if there's too many talking at once.

[endlessreruns]

Jeremy took the notepad and pen, writing down the requested information along with a not entirely brief description of his brother-cousin. "I see them all the time. Every night. They look the same but different sometimes. Did their children die? Is that why they don't like talking about it? That sucks if they died, kids do that sometimes. Yeah, maybe they'd want to answer if another person was around. Level the playing field or something like that."

[texanbutcherdutton]

Ian read it over making sure he could actually read it, it be bad if he checked later and couldn't find Jeremy for clarification. Glancing at him again he shook his head, "No still alive, they're playing with ducks right now. I don't have any dead family members," pausing he frowned. "Well I have a two dead uncles and two dead aunts, but I didn't really know them. My parents are in jail but they could have died while I was in here so it wouldn't really matter either way," he said giving a small shrug. "Do multiple of your friends show up or is it a one at a time kind of thing?"

[endlessreruns]

"You can tell me afterwards. We might not be there at the same time" Jeremy said simply, reaching to take a drink of water. "78." he repeated the number "not all of them then. They definitely left the skin on. Yeah. It was them. I don't have much experience with nutcrackers, but maybe? I could ask them next time if that's what happened. Like 'sorry I still can't let you in, but were you nutcrackered?'" maybe if he tried to hold an actual conversation with them they wouldn't overwhelm him and his head so much the way they sometimes did.

[texanbutcherdutton]

"That works, here if you can just write his name and work, that probably be easiest," Ian said handing over a notepad and pen. He was nodding, mouthing the word skin to himself in thought. Glancing down then back up at Jeremy, "I've never actually seen them, my cousin has the windows boarded up. I've heard them sometimes but...I guess I'm curious but he and his wife don't like talking about it. I think partly because of their children, but do you want to try asking them together?"

[endlessreruns]

"I don't think he'll get mad if he knows it's for me." that didn't seem like Remi to him at least. Maybe if he knew it was for him and not just someone randomly doing it for random reasons. "Did you want to know how they died? There was a lot of organs involved. Most of them I think. I'm not sure how many organs there are."

[texanbutcherdutton]

"Ok, did you want to be there for it, or should I just find you afterwards?" Ian asked. Tilting his head back, he squinted at the sunlight in thought, "78, the largest organ is your skin," he said, "I'm guessing it was the creatures or ghosts? I heard someone call them nutcrackers but that seems in poor taste now." That's how most people in town seemed to die at least.

[endlessreruns]

"I don't know anything about the Coast Guard so I don't know if that means anything" Jeremy said with a shrug. "Is doing it without getting caught a Coast Guard thing?" he added on the question, between chews. "Talk about who? My dead friends?"

[texanbutcherdutton]

"We're trained in providing emergency rescue care, which while usually redundant does mean checking if someone is alive or not," Ian explained. "Not usually but I also don't want to upset your brother, or get you in trouble." He was tapping his fingers against his knee before shrugging, "If you wanted to, I was curious about them since we were on the topic."

[endlessreruns]

"you'd do that?" The question is a sincere one as Jeremy sticks the jerky in his mouth again to tear off a new piece with the molars on the left side. "It's fine." He shook his head at the apology, the torn off dried meat now pushed into the side of his cheek "People die"

[texanbutcherdutton]

"If you need my credentials, I was in the Coast Guard, so I can check his vitals easily enough," Ian said giving a nod, "Do you think your brother would be upset about it or do I need to try to do this without getting caught? It be more difficult but I think I can manage." Setting his bottle down he shrugged, "They do, do you want to talk about them or is that too personal?"

[endlessreruns]

"my brother's here, but he's not dead. I don't think he is at least." He was able to see him during the day, and he could see him inside places. Plus he never looked fucked up like the others did sometimes, so he was certain that meant Remi was still a living person. "the others are dead though. I watched it."

[texanbutcherdutton]

"Do you want me to check if he is or not?" Ian asked, anyone else and it would have been a joke, but Ian was genuine. Idly he wondered if Jeremy was similar to Zel, he'd gotten use to having to confirm things as real or not. Taking another sip of water he paused, "Am I allowed to be asking about this or should I apologize? I know death isn't usually what people want to be talking about. I was trying to make conversation and missed the mark on that."

[endlessreruns]

"Is he dead?" Jeremy asked, wondering if that was why his brother wasn't around. "I don't know if I'm supposed to ask that. A lot of people have dead family around here."

[texanbutcherdutton]

"You can just ask me stuff, I prefer getting to just be direct and to the point about things," Ian said not taking offence. "He's not dead, he's back home. Our cousin made him promise not to come after us if we went missing." Pausing to take a sip of water, "Are you one of the people with dead family?"

[endlessreruns]

"Are you not used to odd looks when you say things?" Jeremy asked, unable to relate. It hadn't been so bad lately, but growing up he'd had more than his fair share of weird looks and being hand waved and dismissed away by the others around him. Things that Jeremy had learned to accept as his 'friends' just being 'his friends' despite him being the only one it was consistently done to.

[texanbutcherdutton]

Ian tilted his head back and forth in thought before slowly nodding, "I am, usually my brother nudges me when I've been too blunt or honest," he said. He gave a small shrug, "And I was usually the one who had to cool him down when popped off, it's weird not having him around. I'm not use to being solo."

[ambercast]

"Damn, I didn't know there was such a thing as a cowboy lifeguard. I woulda matched you if I'd known," Jake said with a grin as he saw Ian in the cowboy hat. He glanced out toward the lake at the mention of the portal, and the buoys preventing people from going into it. Well, as much as they could. It was really the lifeguards' job to do that. "It was cool of you to volunteer, though. You try to be helpful everywhere you go, huh?"

[texanbutcherdutton]

"Blame my nieces," Ian grumbled even if he tipped his hat in Jake's direction out of habit. He followed Jake's gaze making sure that no one was getting close to the edge, for the most part people were giving it a wide berth, though he knew when more alcohol hit that may change. "My cousins deserved a chance to spend it with their people," he said giving a small shrug, "I'm usually the odd one out. Did your boyfriend agree to come or he not much for swimming?"

[endlessreruns]

"That's fine" Jeremy nodded when he asked if he could sit. He reached to take the piece of jerky and gave it a sniff before working on gnawing off a piece of the end. He shook his head "I don't know if I'm going to go swimming. You won't have to pull me out if I do. I know how to swim."

[texanbutcherdutton]

Ian pulled out another piece for himself to chew on nodding his head, "One less person, to be honest after the flood that happened I would have thought more people would have gotten swimming lessons. Though feel like I'd get odd looks if I voiced that to the general public."

[endlessreruns]

Jeremy looked up when he heard someone talking, there was no one else around in the immediate area, so he had to be talking to him. "I had some water earlier" he replied. Making sure he drank water and other things like sports drinks, especially during when the sun was out, had been something driven into him on the sets back when he was working in LA.

[texanbutcherdutton]

Ian nodded, he debated walking on but he was slightly tired from the larger crowds. "Is it alright if I sit?" He asked waiting a beat before sitting down with some distance between them. Reaching into his fanny pack he pulled out a piece of jerky, holding it out towards Jeremy first, "Have you been out on the lake today? I had to pull someone out earlier, they didn't know how to actually swim."

[texanbutcherdutton]

WHERE: Lake Party WHO: Jeremy (@endlessreruns)

Ian hadn't minded volunteering as a lifeguard, especially if it meant his family got to just enjoy their day. Hands shoved into his pocket he was heading towards the edge away from the crowd, making sure everything was alright. He wasn't that surprised to see Jeremy sitting alone, recognizing him from the handful of times he'd swung by the garage to have his truck looked at. "You managing to stay hydrated out here or should I be on alert for heatstroke with you?"

[texanbutcherdutton]

WHERE: Lake Party WHO: Jake (@ambercast)

Ian was mildly annoyed that DJ had slapped a cowboy hat on him, but considering his nieces had wanted them to match here he was with it still on. He didn't mind when he had actual work that warranted having one but he felt ridiculous with it and swim shorts. Nodding when he saw Jake, "You know when they said they were looking for lifeguards, I wasn't aware I'd also have to keep people from a portal. Which sounds as ridiculous to say as it is to be a part of," he said shaking his head.

[texanbutcherdutton]

Ian Lake Party 2024