Author Topic: The 5th Day  (Read 47829 times)

Offline Hanako Tachibana

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The 5th Day
« on: July 06, 2012, 04:56:25 PM »
You wake up.  Somehow.  You are where you last were.  Serako, you're lying on the ground in Green Hill park, where you were searching for the Luck Locusts.  Angelo, you're lying on the ground next to the chair you were sitting in, waiting for death.  Besides the both of you are newspapers, as always.  But these newspapers don't seem quote normal.  The font is messy and wet, as if they were printed in a rush.  Most of the articles are gone, leaving only the headline, the weather section, and the horoscope.

Looking around, the world is not all right.  Probably the first thing you notice is the missing sky.  It simply isn't there.  Where their should be sky there is only... city?  It's like all of Silver Spring was wrapped up in a ball.  The world bends up and away from you, as if you were on the inside of a sphere.  Floating the middle is some sort of sun-like object, which appears to be the source of light.  At least it isn't that hot...

Well then, off you go.  Live as best you can in this broken world...
Girls do their best now and are preparing. Please wait warmly until it is ready.

Offline DonQuixote

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2012, 05:25:10 PM »
Well.  Dying certainly isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I stand up and brush myself off.  Fortunately, I vacuum regularly, so my suit isn't too dirty now.  I should change before I sweat or something.  Don't want to have to find the drycleaner of the damned.

As I shrug off my jacket, I notice the newspaper on the floor.  Well, at least I can rely on being well-informed of new additions to the afterlife.  I pick it up and start reading.

...well, that's different.  I light up a cigarette.  I hadn't had my evening smoke before dying in the chair, after all.  And I don't think that the landlord will be able to complain about me smoking if the world itself is broken.  Though she does tend to focus on minutiae.

Hold on.  My horoscope is listed as having to find "Ophiuchus."  Most horoscopes aren't listed at all, but Aries, Cancer, Scorpio, and Ophiuchus are.  Wait a minute...

I grab the previous issue of the newspaper and scan it quickly.  Just as I thought--the three people mentioned are myself, someone named Serako, and the enigmatic "Headphone Actor."  Scorpio, Cancer, and Aries.  Serako was listed as dying at the same time as me, while the newspaper states that police would attempt to apprehend "Headphone Actor" at the same time.

That doesn't solve the mystery of Ophiuchus, though.  Let's see if that's mentioned in any of the previous papers.

I only need to go back one further to find Ophiuchus.  Alissa Cristianson (Ophiuchus) was killed by a fox spirit on the night of Sunday, July 1st.  How the hell does she fit into any of this?

Well, it looks like Serako, "Headphone Actor," and I are supposed to find and protect this Alissa person.  I don't know if the afterlife has WiFi, so I'll crack open my copy of the White Pages to look for contact information for Serako Treble and Alissa Cristianson--while trying to remember whether I know of the Mediarama apartments or Broken Damn Road.

Damn good thing I read that article about how laptops can reduce sperm count a few months ago, or I might have thrown out this copy of the White Pages like all the others.  It makes a good insulator, though.
“Hast thou not felt in forest gloom, as gloaming falls on dark-some dells, when comes a whisper, hum and hiss; savage growling sounds a-near, dazzling flashes around thee flicker, whirring waxes and fills thine ears: has thou not felt then grisly horrors that grip thee and hold thee?”

Offline FelyxZephyr

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2012, 11:36:17 PM »
After falling... asleep?  Dying?  Being transported to this not-world?

Regardless of what happened before now, she is staring at a distinctly not blue sky.  She rubs her face and considers popping a balloon over her body just to get the sweat off of her.  Though in the end, her better judgement wins out.  She checks her bike to make sure that everything is okay, then reads the new newspaper.

"くそっ"

She gets her stuff together...  Where was that place?
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Offline FelyxZephyr

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2012, 11:37:04 PM »
Rolled 3d6 : 1, 5, 6, total 12
Area know DC10
Rolled 3d6 : 3, 3, 2, total 8
Area know DC10
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Offline Hanako Tachibana

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2012, 11:42:14 PM »
The time is 12:00 PM.

(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)

The temperature drops to 70F, and it starts to rain lightly.
Girls do their best now and are preparing. Please wait warmly until it is ready.

Offline FelyxZephyr

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2012, 12:56:58 AM »
Serako recalls the location of the street and opens her phone. 

Maybe I should speed dial that place...

She calls the occult shop and gets ready to bike.  Unfortunately, as it starts to rain, she realizes that she is missing a few arms necessary to bicycle, talk on the phone, and hold up an umbrella, so she delays her ride until finished with the phone call. 

shouldn't be more than a minute...
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Offline Hanako Tachibana

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #6 on: July 07, 2012, 12:58:44 AM »
The phone rings and rings and then

"Hello, you have reached Kurokawa Occultism.  I'm sorry that we aren't able to answer the phone right now, but if you leave a message and your number, we'll call back as soon as possible."
Girls do their best now and are preparing. Please wait warmly until it is ready.

Offline FelyxZephyr

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #7 on: July 07, 2012, 01:04:29 AM »
"Headphones, I'm headed to those apartments now.  If you haven't gotten word yet, which is possible since you don't subscribe to the to the newspaper of horror, there may be a way to reverse this issue with the world.  Meet me at the Mediarama apartments on Broken Damn road, the street where [x-landmark] is located.  I'm not sure where the apartments are, so I may run a bit late.  Bring your bat, we have to defend someone who is there."

She hangs up and does her best impression of an actual Japanese woman, using her umbrella while biking.
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Offline DonQuixote

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2012, 04:34:10 PM »
I'll dial the number for Serako Treble, while checking to see if the afterlife has internet.  I'm not sure on where Broken Damn road is, so it's worth looking up...if possible.
“Hast thou not felt in forest gloom, as gloaming falls on dark-some dells, when comes a whisper, hum and hiss; savage growling sounds a-near, dazzling flashes around thee flicker, whirring waxes and fills thine ears: has thou not felt then grisly horrors that grip thee and hold thee?”

Offline Hanako Tachibana

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #9 on: July 08, 2012, 07:49:03 PM »
Alas, the you don't seem to have internet.  Well, that isn't quite true.  You can connect just fine.  You just can't access any sites.

You call Serako Treble, but get only manage to reach her answering machine.  Serako, what sort of message does your answering machine have on it?
Girls do their best now and are preparing. Please wait warmly until it is ready.

Offline FelyxZephyr

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #10 on: July 08, 2012, 07:52:44 PM »
Hello, you have reached Serako Treble.  Please leave a message after the beep.  If you are calling on Chi Inc. business, please contact me at 684 9212. 

*beep*
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Offline DonQuixote

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #11 on: July 08, 2012, 07:57:10 PM »
"Hello, Ms. Treble.  My name is Angelo Cyrano Cadenza and I am also not quite dead.  We were supposed to die today, incidentally.  I don't know if you receive the publication known as the Newspaper of Horror, but I do.  You are a Cancer, correct?  Well, according to this paper, we need to save Ophiuchus.  Someone named Alissa Christianson, I think.  I know this all sounds a little crazy, but...well...have you looked outside?  Incidentally, I think someone called 'Headphone Actor' is also in the same state, so we might be able to rely on her.  If you get this message, call me back at (818) 790-1708."

That done--and the internet continuing to frustrate me--I call the number she gave for business.  Just in case.
“Hast thou not felt in forest gloom, as gloaming falls on dark-some dells, when comes a whisper, hum and hiss; savage growling sounds a-near, dazzling flashes around thee flicker, whirring waxes and fills thine ears: has thou not felt then grisly horrors that grip thee and hold thee?”

Offline FelyxZephyr

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #12 on: July 08, 2012, 11:10:49 PM »
Serako feels her phone ring.  She wouldn't normally answer, except that...  by the emptiness of the streets, it looks like anyone that is still around is someone she wants to talk to.

"Hello?"
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Offline DonQuixote

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #13 on: July 08, 2012, 11:16:28 PM »
"Is this Serako Treble?  My name is Angelo Cyrano Cadenza.  I realize that this is going to sound strange, but have you been receiving a publication called the Newspaper of Horror?"
“Hast thou not felt in forest gloom, as gloaming falls on dark-some dells, when comes a whisper, hum and hiss; savage growling sounds a-near, dazzling flashes around thee flicker, whirring waxes and fills thine ears: has thou not felt then grisly horrors that grip thee and hold thee?”

Offline FelyxZephyr

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #14 on: July 08, 2012, 11:22:20 PM »
Serako props her umbrella between her shoulder and neck and brushes back her hair with one hand.

"Okay, so you're the Scorpio, right?"  she starts fanning herself. "I think that the Aries is on her way to the Ophiblahblah's house.  Try and get there as fast as you can.  I'm on my way now, but I might be held up, I don't know that part of town very well.  If you have anything to defend yourself with, try and bring it.  I don't know whether you are some sort of military guy, or maybe someone who knows how to use a gun, but I'm not.  Aries is somewhat capable though.  I don't know how much you know about what is going on, but you should just go to the apartment, I'm gonna run a little late, since I don't know my way around that area very well, but I'm on my way there now."  There is a break in Serako's speaking just long enough to constitute permission to talk
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Offline DonQuixote

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #15 on: July 08, 2012, 11:24:03 PM »
"So, I'm not any of that.  I'm a history grad student, and I'm still getting used to the city.  Can you tell me how to actually get to Broken Damn Street?"
“Hast thou not felt in forest gloom, as gloaming falls on dark-some dells, when comes a whisper, hum and hiss; savage growling sounds a-near, dazzling flashes around thee flicker, whirring waxes and fills thine ears: has thou not felt then grisly horrors that grip thee and hold thee?”

Offline FelyxZephyr

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #16 on: July 09, 2012, 12:04:18 AM »
"Oh, well...  Let's see...  Do you know where 'X-Landmark' is?  That's the road."
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Offline DonQuixote

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #17 on: July 09, 2012, 12:33:10 AM »
"Gotcha.  I'll start heading over.  I assume this is where Alissa Christianson is?  She's Ophiuchus, after all.  Also, do you know anything about this 'Headphone Actor' person?"

Since I'm on my cell phone, I'll head out of my apartment and start walking over while continuing to talk to Serako.
“Hast thou not felt in forest gloom, as gloaming falls on dark-some dells, when comes a whisper, hum and hiss; savage growling sounds a-near, dazzling flashes around thee flicker, whirring waxes and fills thine ears: has thou not felt then grisly horrors that grip thee and hold thee?”

Offline FelyxZephyr

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #18 on: July 09, 2012, 02:18:23 AM »
"Not a lot, she owns, I mean- works in an occult shop.  Listen, I'm riding my bike now, we can try and figure out what on earth is going on when you get there, but I'm biking right now, so I can't talk."  Serako hangs up and continues biking.
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Offline DonQuixote

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Re: The 5th Day
« Reply #19 on: July 10, 2012, 01:30:43 PM »
I'll head over to 'X-Landmark.'  While I'm walking, on a whim, I'll try the number I found for Alissa Christianson.
“Hast thou not felt in forest gloom, as gloaming falls on dark-some dells, when comes a whisper, hum and hiss; savage growling sounds a-near, dazzling flashes around thee flicker, whirring waxes and fills thine ears: has thou not felt then grisly horrors that grip thee and hold thee?”