((Forrest Quin continued from Room 808: Low On The High End))
So, here she was, sitting on the roof of a hotel smoking and drinking. Hell of a time she was having. The place was abandoned though and she had snuck off with a phone and her contraband. Interstate super thief Forrest Quin had struck again. Ok, thief was overselling it, she hadn't stolen anything. What she had actually done was some light smuggling but honestly who was going to care? She had the freedom to do what she wanted and she had the means to enact her escape. She was going to be going to college to study music production. When you were at college you were treated like a fully functioning adult, you had to look after yourself.
How good was she at that? Forrest looked at her current situation: the weed, the alcohol and the painkillers she'd taken when she'd returned to the hotel and you had a solid argument that she wasn't good at it. At all. In any measurable way. But that was alright, she wasn't great at it, but you didn't start off being good at things. You needed to practice and learn, and that was what she intended to do, once they were home. Until she was going to enjoy the fade.
For some reason, her mind had been stuck on the time she'd had with Beryl in the hotel room. It had just been them talking about parties and stuff. Nothing important really but the moment had stuck with her. She didn't know why but there was a feeling of wanting to go back. Ironically after the fact she'd figured out some more things she had wanted to say. Forrest had never spent much time around Beryl and that was starting to feel like a missed opportunity. Her drink found her lips again and she took a sip.
An attempt to google translate whatever Beryl said to her had completely failed because it turned out Forrest's phonetical spelling of what the words were was not accurate. Not a shock but still disappointing and there hadn't been a good time to bring it up again. She couldn't work out why it bothered her so much, but it did bother her, for reasons unknown and had that played a party in her situation, maybe. Who knew. It wasn't important at the end of the day because she was on the roof. How she got to the point she was at didn't really matter. All that mattered was enjoying herself and she was doing a good enough job of that.
She pulled her phone out and started scrolling.
Roof 101: Blank
Tagging Julien
Roof 101: Blank
V8
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
Fifteen stories. Most people regarded height as but a number until they stood before something in person to fully take in its towering nature. There was usually a sense of awe there, even if it stayed contained strictly within the mind... and of fear should they ever stand on the precipice.
[ Julien Leblanc continued from Room 707: No Man's Land ]
Forrest would hear the door being pushed open as Julien stepped out onto the roof, though he didn't seem to notice her at first.
Personally? He had found it before, staring over a hundred-foot drop down into the water. Being afraid of something that invoked that primal sense of a helpless slide into the waiting arms of death was only natural. That had been the first time, and after willing himself to do it he'd leapt out into the air and emerged unharmed, though with a bitterly cold shock to the system.
Julien found... something best not talked about in polite company in the fall now. He wondered what would be said of that, if another knew.
And speaking of polite company, it seemed he had some now. Perhaps not quite the word most might use, but Forrest seemed pleasant, and that was enough for him. So he took a seat down next to her.
"You're here for a little peace too, I take it?" It wasn't exactly hard to notice the drink.
[ Julien Leblanc continued from Room 707: No Man's Land ]
Forrest would hear the door being pushed open as Julien stepped out onto the roof, though he didn't seem to notice her at first.
Personally? He had found it before, staring over a hundred-foot drop down into the water. Being afraid of something that invoked that primal sense of a helpless slide into the waiting arms of death was only natural. That had been the first time, and after willing himself to do it he'd leapt out into the air and emerged unharmed, though with a bitterly cold shock to the system.
Julien found... something best not talked about in polite company in the fall now. He wondered what would be said of that, if another knew.
And speaking of polite company, it seemed he had some now. Perhaps not quite the word most might use, but Forrest seemed pleasant, and that was enough for him. So he took a seat down next to her.
"You're here for a little peace too, I take it?" It wasn't exactly hard to notice the drink.
"Yeah."
What did it matter anyway? She was up on the roof to enjoy herself and meditate on her life. She still remembered what the elephant had said. She was she. Try for the better. Her start on that hadn't exactly gone great. If it had gone well she wouldn't have been sitting on a roof, drinking, and smoking by herself. But there was no point dwelling on past failures.
"Yeah. Just some peace."
She had met him before, kinda. It had been at her party if she remembered right. He had been in the driveway. It was hard for her to remember all the events of the night, there had been so much going on. But she was sure he had been there along with Claude when she had first gone outside. That was the only real memory she had of interacting with Julien, she was sure there were more. There had to have been more, but that was the only one she actively remembered and even then it was in that party haze.
Another sip was taken from the bottle and then she held it up along with what she was smoking.
"You interested in sharing in it?"
What did it matter anyway? She was up on the roof to enjoy herself and meditate on her life. She still remembered what the elephant had said. She was she. Try for the better. Her start on that hadn't exactly gone great. If it had gone well she wouldn't have been sitting on a roof, drinking, and smoking by herself. But there was no point dwelling on past failures.
"Yeah. Just some peace."
She had met him before, kinda. It had been at her party if she remembered right. He had been in the driveway. It was hard for her to remember all the events of the night, there had been so much going on. But she was sure he had been there along with Claude when she had first gone outside. That was the only real memory she had of interacting with Julien, she was sure there were more. There had to have been more, but that was the only one she actively remembered and even then it was in that party haze.
Another sip was taken from the bottle and then she held it up along with what she was smoking.
"You interested in sharing in it?"
"Mhm." Julien reached out and accepted the drink offered to him. "Thank you."
He took a sip from the bottle, gauging to see what it was like. Strong, which came as absolutely no surprise, but the kick of it just warmed him up inside. Helping himself to some more, he turned to look at Forrest after he'd done so.
"So, ah, anything in particular that drove you all the way up here?"
The cast on her arm had been a fixture there for a while now, going by how it was absolutely covered in writing and drawings of... varying quality, so he supposed it wouldn't be that. It wasn't lost on him that if he was told he couldn't mix alcohol and painkillers when he'd been injured, Forrest really shouldn't be doing it with her broken arm. But he kept that observation to himself; no doubt she was well aware of that already.
He took a sip from the bottle, gauging to see what it was like. Strong, which came as absolutely no surprise, but the kick of it just warmed him up inside. Helping himself to some more, he turned to look at Forrest after he'd done so.
"So, ah, anything in particular that drove you all the way up here?"
The cast on her arm had been a fixture there for a while now, going by how it was absolutely covered in writing and drawings of... varying quality, so he supposed it wouldn't be that. It wasn't lost on him that if he was told he couldn't mix alcohol and painkillers when he'd been injured, Forrest really shouldn't be doing it with her broken arm. But he kept that observation to himself; no doubt she was well aware of that already.
What had driven her to the roof? The really simple truth was that it was the same thing that underscored all her drinking. No matter how it was prettied up and made to look good. The elephant had made her understand that much and it was a part she remembered. But the additional detail that had led to her current decision was more recent and it was hers, despite her inability to fully take it. Her body gave a small shiver as Julien finished speaking and she played it off with a shrug.
"Just felt like having some time to myself y'know?" She said, facing Julien with a grin. She turned her gaze back out over the city. Her mind refocused as she did so and her expression slowly went back to neutral as she took a drag. The words still rolled around in her head, a mystery that she didn't understand. That was still frustrating. There was still something else bubbling away, but that was what the extracurricular activities were about.
"Think stuff through." She didn't elaborate. "What about you?"
"Just felt like having some time to myself y'know?" She said, facing Julien with a grin. She turned her gaze back out over the city. Her mind refocused as she did so and her expression slowly went back to neutral as she took a drag. The words still rolled around in her head, a mystery that she didn't understand. That was still frustrating. There was still something else bubbling away, but that was what the extracurricular activities were about.
"Think stuff through." She didn't elaborate. "What about you?"
"I came up here to get some air. Look out at the city from a little higher up too, and enjoy the view. You know."
Julien would have liked to do that as he said it, but his eyes drew him to the girl next to him whose grin seemed to fade a touch too quickly, and who responded to the question of what she sought respite from in that very particularly vague way that he found was code for 'something's bothering me but I don't want to say just what it is' more often than not. Perhaps it wasn't his place, and maybe he'd brush up against the wall and fail to get even a glimpse past it, but he might as well try. There was no magically solving the worries that plagued others, but anything was good.
"So... what's eating away at you, then?" Better forgiveness than permission, and so it went. He offered Forrest the bottle back. "I've wanted to ask you that for a while, believe it or not."
Julien would have liked to do that as he said it, but his eyes drew him to the girl next to him whose grin seemed to fade a touch too quickly, and who responded to the question of what she sought respite from in that very particularly vague way that he found was code for 'something's bothering me but I don't want to say just what it is' more often than not. Perhaps it wasn't his place, and maybe he'd brush up against the wall and fail to get even a glimpse past it, but he might as well try. There was no magically solving the worries that plagued others, but anything was good.
"So... what's eating away at you, then?" Better forgiveness than permission, and so it went. He offered Forrest the bottle back. "I've wanted to ask you that for a while, believe it or not."
"The flesh-eating bacteria mostly," Forrest said as she took another drink. "It's gonna make me a spooky skeleton one day."
She didn't want this conversation.
She took a drink, more to hide her twitching lips than anything else.
There was a long pause as Forrest looked out over the skyline, occasionally she blinked and her breathing rhythm would change.
Eventually, she broke the silence.
"Have you though?"
She didn't want this conversation.
She took a drink, more to hide her twitching lips than anything else.
There was a long pause as Forrest looked out over the skyline, occasionally she blinked and her breathing rhythm would change.
Eventually, she broke the silence.
"Have you though?"
There it was.
"Yes. Started when you walked out from the party that nobody gave you enough credit for, all fake smiles and so fucking smashed that you almost made out with the floor. I'm sorry I didn't really see you then." Hindsight was perfect, but what nobody ever tacked on to that little saying was that it was also perfectly pointless. Still, it was the only thing he could offer for that time, and he gave it freely.
Julien leaned back, arms folded behind his head as he stared up into the sky. A plane was in view, far overhead.
Forrest had picked up and maintained a hell of a reputation for all the drink she could put away. He'd never had cause to think about it for a good long time though; party animals weren't exactly a rare sighting in their part of Tennessee. But with present events in mind, Julien did find that the only thing he could reasonably think of it all fit rather well.
"You don't want to think, do you?" Again, he did Forrest the courtesy of looking at her, whether she wanted to acknowledge it or not. It didn't matter. "So you do what you can to stay in the buzz, and you try to ride high enough in your own mind that it's... it's like whatever waits deep inside was never even there. But you always come back down, one way or another. So you do it again."
He knew that feeling alright.
"Now, perhaps I'm full of shit and should just shut the fuck up. You might tell me to even if I'm not," Julien said, and he really wouldn't hold it against her if she chose to, "but I don't believe I am."
"Yes. Started when you walked out from the party that nobody gave you enough credit for, all fake smiles and so fucking smashed that you almost made out with the floor. I'm sorry I didn't really see you then." Hindsight was perfect, but what nobody ever tacked on to that little saying was that it was also perfectly pointless. Still, it was the only thing he could offer for that time, and he gave it freely.
Julien leaned back, arms folded behind his head as he stared up into the sky. A plane was in view, far overhead.
Forrest had picked up and maintained a hell of a reputation for all the drink she could put away. He'd never had cause to think about it for a good long time though; party animals weren't exactly a rare sighting in their part of Tennessee. But with present events in mind, Julien did find that the only thing he could reasonably think of it all fit rather well.
"You don't want to think, do you?" Again, he did Forrest the courtesy of looking at her, whether she wanted to acknowledge it or not. It didn't matter. "So you do what you can to stay in the buzz, and you try to ride high enough in your own mind that it's... it's like whatever waits deep inside was never even there. But you always come back down, one way or another. So you do it again."
He knew that feeling alright.
"Now, perhaps I'm full of shit and should just shut the fuck up. You might tell me to even if I'm not," Julien said, and he really wouldn't hold it against her if she chose to, "but I don't believe I am."
Forrest looked at Julien as he spoke, her jaw twitching.
When he finished she looked away and drained the bottle.
When she spoke her voice was quiet.
"Leave me alone."
When he finished she looked away and drained the bottle.
When she spoke her voice was quiet.
"Leave me alone."
He wasn't happy about throwing it in her face like that. But sometimes people needed to hear such things. What they did about it, of course, was still up to them in the end.
"My peace doesn't come from the same place as yours," Julien said, looking at the suddenly empty bottle, "but chances are it'll be what ends me one day." As well, but he left that unsaid.
Sometimes he entertained the question of how he wanted it to be, solely within his own mind. There were two that had always stuck. A long drop, so that he could fly one last time and be done with it (never mind that the fall's end might not take him peacefully) or a silent rest in water's depths, so he might never be found (but they would deserve the closure finding him would give, and he knew it).
"It's strange to try and run away from life by clinging to what it can give you. But who doesn't do that, one way or another?"
"My peace doesn't come from the same place as yours," Julien said, looking at the suddenly empty bottle, "but chances are it'll be what ends me one day." As well, but he left that unsaid.
Sometimes he entertained the question of how he wanted it to be, solely within his own mind. There were two that had always stuck. A long drop, so that he could fly one last time and be done with it (never mind that the fall's end might not take him peacefully) or a silent rest in water's depths, so he might never be found (but they would deserve the closure finding him would give, and he knew it).
"It's strange to try and run away from life by clinging to what it can give you. But who doesn't do that, one way or another?"
Julien didn't leave her alone. He kept talking, probing for some reason. Forrest didn't know what to do with that.
Normally it was a very simple process. Someone asked her if she was alright, she would say yes and that was the end of that. But people never asked because why would they? She was the unshakeable drunken queen of the party. The girl that said funny and weird stuff out of nowhere for no reason. She drank, she smoked and she made music.
And what did that make her really?
The truth was no one had ever asked why she did it. Not as far as she could remember. Her friends never seemed to question her. But what can you do? You can want to say something as much as you want but you don't just and can't just say it y'know? You want someone to ask you because that means they care, but then the question never comes.
Eventually, you just end up waiting, wondering why no one seems to notice.
Then you grow tired of waiting and settle on the seemingly obvious conclusion.
So you embrace that instead because you need something.
But she didn't say any of that of course, because as much as she wanted to, she couldn't.
Forrest realized there was heat rising in her face and her mouth felt fuzzy at the back. She knew she needed to say something but when she moved her mouth she felt the corners pulling down, so for a while, she said nothing. Instead, she looked out over the Washington skyline, smoked and blinked.
She nodded.
"Y-yeah." Another pause as she gathered herself. "Why do you care?"
Normally it was a very simple process. Someone asked her if she was alright, she would say yes and that was the end of that. But people never asked because why would they? She was the unshakeable drunken queen of the party. The girl that said funny and weird stuff out of nowhere for no reason. She drank, she smoked and she made music.
And what did that make her really?
The truth was no one had ever asked why she did it. Not as far as she could remember. Her friends never seemed to question her. But what can you do? You can want to say something as much as you want but you don't just and can't just say it y'know? You want someone to ask you because that means they care, but then the question never comes.
Eventually, you just end up waiting, wondering why no one seems to notice.
Then you grow tired of waiting and settle on the seemingly obvious conclusion.
So you embrace that instead because you need something.
But she didn't say any of that of course, because as much as she wanted to, she couldn't.
Forrest realized there was heat rising in her face and her mouth felt fuzzy at the back. She knew she needed to say something but when she moved her mouth she felt the corners pulling down, so for a while, she said nothing. Instead, she looked out over the Washington skyline, smoked and blinked.
She nodded.
"Y-yeah." Another pause as she gathered herself. "Why do you care?"
"Well, Forrest, someone should afford you the care you're owed," he said, watching the puff of smoke she let out float idly into nothing. "It shouldn't have had to be me but, well, here I am."
Julien wasn't going to come out and just say he considered it a failing of Mikki and the others supposedly close to her, but what other way could he really see it? They hadn't seen past the facade projected of the party animal to resolve what lied beneath, clearly. Granted, not everyone had practical experience with false faces like he did, but that didn't count for much. You were meant to stand up for friends when they needed it, whatever the cost.
"So if you think you want to let something out, you should do it. Whatever you say stays strictly between the two of us."
It was like going from one game to another; yes, you could make use of what you learned about someone, but only for yourself. Letting others in on those secrets did nothing but ensure any trust they had in you would never return. And that certainly wouldn't do.
Julien wasn't going to come out and just say he considered it a failing of Mikki and the others supposedly close to her, but what other way could he really see it? They hadn't seen past the facade projected of the party animal to resolve what lied beneath, clearly. Granted, not everyone had practical experience with false faces like he did, but that didn't count for much. You were meant to stand up for friends when they needed it, whatever the cost.
"So if you think you want to let something out, you should do it. Whatever you say stays strictly between the two of us."
It was like going from one game to another; yes, you could make use of what you learned about someone, but only for yourself. Letting others in on those secrets did nothing but ensure any trust they had in you would never return. And that certainly wouldn't do.
Nope, no. She didn't like this. He had a chance at the party, he'd seen her but he hadn't taken any notice. No one had. He'd just walked on inside. He hadn't even been trying to find her. He'd just walked out and she'd happened to be there.
She thought about it.
A sigh escaped her lips.
"Fuck off you prick."
That was what she wanted to say.
But she remembered the elephant. Heh, ironic.
Julien was right about one thing, she did deserve care.
But she didn't want it from him.
So what she actually said after sighing was.
"No thanks." Her voice was shaky as were her hands.
She retrieved her phone and tapped out a message, firing it off as soon as it was finished.
To Abey Babey: Hey, is your room free?
She stood up and finished off what she was smoking.
"Thanks for the concern though."
And with that, she was gone.
((Forrest Quin continued elsewhere...))
She thought about it.
A sigh escaped her lips.
"Fuck off you prick."
That was what she wanted to say.
But she remembered the elephant. Heh, ironic.
Julien was right about one thing, she did deserve care.
But she didn't want it from him.
So what she actually said after sighing was.
"No thanks." Her voice was shaky as were her hands.
She retrieved her phone and tapped out a message, firing it off as soon as it was finished.
To Abey Babey: Hey, is your room free?
She stood up and finished off what she was smoking.
"Thanks for the concern though."
And with that, she was gone.
((Forrest Quin continued elsewhere...))