Welcome to Hemlock Falls

[Molly Dufrene]

Molly eats quietly, allowing Craft to do the actual talking, but listening quite intently.

The mansion or mine might be worth checking out at some point.

She continues eating, but takes a glance around the diner, mentally noting anything that seems odd or off, although Molly feels that it's unlikely anything here would qualify as such.

 

[Craft]

Craft nods taking in what Rosie said, he immediately wants to ask about the radio tower, but figures he should work towards that point.

"The Firs you say? That the local watering hole? I could definitely see the benefit to having a few drinks and a night in a bed, rather than on the ground. The trout farm is interesting too, haven't been to one of those in... years. I'm guessing you have decent fishing in the area?"

Craft takes a drink of coffee, "It sounds like the mine and mansion might be a little... worse for wear... But how is a radio tower historical? I mean, it's gotta have a story right?"

 

[Atrus]

"Well, it's not really the radio tower itself, that's actually been rebuilt recently. But the building at the base is where our community radio broadcasts from," said one the teens, looking up from her plate of pie. "It was put up sometime before the Great War, mostly used for emergencies and the fire lookout, then sometimes in the... sixties I think? Seventies? It was turned into a local radio."

Rosie nodded in assent. "It's mostly a playlist now, with local news and announcements at the start and the end of the day. But it's our thing and we're kinda proud of it. Reaches over to Kenrick's Crossing and a few other places too."

Derek was looking wild eyed at the girl. "Jimny crickets, Skipper, when'd you learn all that?"
Skipper smiled quite smugly. "I read, Derek, and I listen to people, unlike you. Clod."

 

[The Dullahan]

Sam, better known as Rourke, had dived into his eggs and bacon almost as soon as Rosie put them down in front of him. He ate fast, force of habit from his time in the service, but he gave his thanks to Rosie before touching a bite. Then he was reaching for a slice of pie. He loved pie. He listened intently to the conversation, filing that information away for later, giving Rosie and Craft his full attention as he continued to pile whatever he could into his mouth. The radio tower sounded like a good place to start. When Rourke actually took a break from stuffing his face, he followed up with someting Rosie had said earlier about getting people to come here, "I take it you don't get many visitors? Shame, really beautiful out here."

 

[Atrus]

Rosie nodded, smiling at the compliment as if it was directed at herself rather than the whole town. "We ain't really on the Trail proper, you see, and not exactly a big place for tourism. So we get the stragglers, those looking for supplies, or those who get lost... like you lot."

 

[The Dullahan]

Rourke nodded, "We the first you've seen in a while?" He nodded once at the teenagers excitement, before taking a sip of his coffee.

 

[Craft]

With Sam speaking up, Craft takes a break from the conversation to consider what they were just told about the radio tower. The radio transmission the Council of Venice had discovered was sent out in the early hours of the morning. The radio tower would be the likely source of the transmission. It might be an idea to spend the night out that way... perhaps find out who was responsible for the transmission. The teen who spoke up, Skipper, might be a good source of information too - She listens to people.

Rourke's turn of the conversation to other hikers that might have gotten lost and wandered into town suddenly caught Craft's attention. If lost hikers had a habit of turning up in Hemlock Falls, that would be good to know as well.

 

[Atrus]

Rosie nodded at Rourke. "That you are. If you exclude the truckers, of course."

 

[The Dullahan]

Rourke nodded once to Rosie's answer, "Truckers? I bet thats a good bit of business." He looked down at his empty plate and frowned slightly, then back up at Rosie, "Could I get another slice of pie? And whatever my friend didn't cover on the bill, I'll pay."

 

[Diana Senis]

Diana eagerly started eating her food quickly after getting it though she would be listening to the conversation wondering more about the radio tower. "Hmm the main building there is from the great war? Ees quite a relic zen yes? It attract many to go see it?.. of the few that come into town that is."

 

[Atrus]

Rosie laughed at the mention of the bill, waving a hand distractedly. "With what your friend left, you should be covered for all that and tomorrow morning too. Are you all that rich to toss Benjamins around like that, or just him? Did he, what, finance your expedition?" She said the last bit grinning and marking down on her accent.

A burly man came out of the kitchen, clad in a grease-stained apron and wiping his hands on a rag. His bellowing voice made it clear that it was the same Mitch that talked with Rosie earlier. "Truckers make more money to the Firs than to us. Few hang around long enough to notice that there's other places in town, not when they have a bed, beer, and board right there. But that's OK. The new guy has his clientele and we have our own."
Rosie cast him a glance. "I wouldn't mind sharing some of that cli-en-tele too, you know. This place needs money to stay open too."
Mitch raised his hands in surrender. It was clearly a well-rehearsed argument between the two.

The matron cut some more pie for Rourke, then turned to answer Diana’s questions. “Well, I don’t know about a relic, but it’s old. It’s just one of those things that’s always been there since you were a kid, but you don’t figure it’s important, right?” She smiled. “Some people go up and see it, yes, but I think it’s more of an excuse for a day walk than anything.”

 

[Molly Dufrene]

Molly continues eating. The others seem to be asking the relevant questions anyway, and it was kinda calming to not have to worry about constant death and fighting, and instead enjoy pie.

 

[Diana Senis]

"Fair point.. still though... zen again I guess I do enjoy technology a bit too much.. especially ze older kinds." shruging slightly with a smile "As for Ze money I cant say I have as much as he did.." chuckles heartily "Dont suppose zere are any other sights around town?"

 

[Atrus]

Rosie shook her head. "That's about it. I'm sorry, you were probably looking for something more exciting, but we're just a small town."

 

[Craft]

"No, that's actually great." Craft offers Rosie a quick smile, "A radio tower that was in use during the great war, rebuilt or not, is at the very least interesting to me. I might have to take a walk out that way."

He takes a minute to look down at his plate, not clean of breakfast, "And I can pretty much promise so long as we're in town, you'll have our business here. That was the best breakfast I've had in ages. Might even be good enough to keep me in town an extra day or two."

"If I was looking to check out the radio tower, where abouts would I go?"

 

[The Dullahan]

Rourke let Craft take on the rest of the conversation and dug into his pie. When he was finished, he set his plate aside and said a very grateful thank you to Rosie. Since the bill was settled he grabbed his gear, "I'm going to go say thank you to the Sheriff for his help, and then I'll meet up you to trek to the radio tower? That sounds like a good thing to see while in town." He gave Rosie another thankful nod for the information.

 

[Atrus]

Rosie practically beamed at the compliment. "Thank you, sweetie, that's awful nice of you to say! We'll keep a spot for you and your friends then."

As Rourke made to leave, she turned to the counter. “Mitch, what’s the best way from here to the tower?”

The burly man reached them to the table and scribbled a crude map on a napkin. “So we’re here, right? You take the road to the east - just follow the sound of water - until you hit the Grouse, then keep going left. From there there’s two ways to go to the tower. First one’s a paved ground road, faster but also pretty steep. People mostly go up that one by car. The second is a path that starts around here...” He marks a spot on the map. “...near a parking lot. It’s longer but much easier on foot, and you can also see the Harpes Mansion on the way up.”

Mitch makes another two signs on the map. “If you don’t take the road to the tower but keep following the tarmac, eventually you’ll reach Mandy’s. And the Firs is here, where the road and the mountain path meet again. To go to the tower you’ll have to take a right at the fork, which is about here.”

((Mitch's map is a rougher version of the one attached. Rourke's adventure continues at the Police Station.))

 

[Molly Dufrene]

Molly has finished up her food, and gets up behind the others who were leaving as well. She takes a quick peak at the map, curious about the area, and commits it as best she can to memory.

"I guess if you two are going to go up to the radio tower, I'll tag along. If, umm, you don't mind."

 

[The Dullahan]

Rourke nodded thanks to Rosie and Mitch. He took out his phone and snapped a picture of them. Leaving the map for Craft. He nodded at Craft, "I'll meet you by the tree? Unless you want to come with or I can meet you at the tower." At hearing Molly, he nodded, "Don't mind." And then he asked Roise for a coffee to go, and he strugged back on his jacket, grabbed his packed, and headed out of the diner and towards the police station, once he got the to go coffee. If the others did not come with, he would meet up with them later.

 

[Atrus]

((Who's going to the radio tower? Do you wait for / collect Rourke, Klaus, and Lourdes before going?))