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Post by mystery on May 10, 2018 22:34:55 GMT -8
The one who glanced seems a bit surprised for a moment, briefly turning to speak to the other at the table, and then looking back over to the window. The two of them notice your friendly gesture, though seem a little concerned. The first one walks over to the front door and opens it. "Excuse me dear stranger, but what are you doing out here after curfew? The outing times are pretty strict." The other one, still at the table says something back.
"Mel, aren't ya going to invite them in? Don't want Sengen's enforcers going after em, after all."
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Post by mystery on May 10, 2018 23:03:26 GMT -8
Mel steps aside to let Atria inside. Both of them seem mildly confused still.
"By the strike of nine, have they brought in another group recently?"
"I'd wish they focus more on improving things first..."
Mell looks back over to you. "I suppose I'll have to explain some things to you. first of all, welcome to the future. The one who sent us here won't be sending us back, so it's best to get comfortable around here. Second of all, during the night hours nobody's allowed outdoors. Not sure why, but it's their rules."
The other gets up from the table and walks over.
"We should probably introduce ourselves. The name's Ranjam. That's my partner Mellan. Who are you, by the way? Do you got any family that got sent with you?"
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Post by mystery on May 10, 2018 23:47:55 GMT -8
Ranjam sighs. "Well, Atria, you're in for a shocker. I'd advise you sit down before I tell you this." they pause, gesturing at a couch nearby. After a wait, they resume speaking. "The world on the surface, is destroyed. Everything you ever knew and loved, more than likely gone. Nothing but sand for miles."A moment of silence. Then Mellan chimes in. "Yeah... Apparently, there was a massive wave of meteors that took absolutely everything out a few years after the time we came from. There's been a slow trickle of refugees like us showing up here, probably from the same vacation lottery scam that we fell into."
"To believe I actually thought we were going on a trip to the southern archipelago... The zukorese guy that runs this place, Mr. Sengen, I don't even know how he did it. Never thought that time travel was even possible, you know?"
This couple seems nice enough at least.
Mellan asks a question.
"Hey, are you hungry? I made a bit extra for dinner. Seeing as you're pretty new and alone and all, it only seems fair to offer."
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Post by mystery on May 13, 2018 19:31:20 GMT -8
"No problem. Let me get you a plate."
Mellan walks back over to the dining area and turns a corner to the kitchen. a light clattering of dishes can be heard.
"let's get to the table," Ranjam leads you to the table and pulls out one of the four chairs for you to sit at. They then sit down at their own seat nearby and wait for their partner.
It isn't too long before Mellan has a plate of what looks like a risotto, along with a salad made of unknown sliced vegetables, drizzled with some kinda dressing.
"Here you go. I hope you enjoy it."
They set it down on the table in front of you. Mellan then sits down at their spot.
"It's a nice surprise having a guest over. Haven't had a dinner guest since they instated that curfew a couple weeks ago..." Ranjam muses to themself.
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Post by mystery on May 13, 2018 21:01:26 GMT -8
"Honestly, neither of us have a clue," Mellan answers.
The food seems to smell pretty good at least.
"I've been hearing rumors about one of the warehouses being used as an exclusive nightclub during the curfew, but I dunno. Seems kinda far-fetched." Ranjam picks up his glass and takes a sip of water.
Mellan utters a brief but weary chuckle. "Probably just wishful thinking. I'm betting it's something more pressing than that, like something to do with that gas leak they had to fix a while back, but who knows."
"Ugh, that gas leak was the worst! I heard that was half the reason folks didn't use this place as a meteor shelter way back when."
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Post by mystery on May 16, 2018 0:02:42 GMT -8
The odd risotto tastes creamy with a savory undertone, with a hint of an almost nutty aftertaste. Not too out of the ordinary.
"Yeah. Apparently a meteor hit where the gas storage area was and it's been on the fritz ever since. All the fixes have been cheap cover-ups since the place re-opened."
Faint noises can almost be heard from outside.
...Is that a police siren?
Meanwhile, somewhere a block away...
A temporic with uncanny resemblance to Hank Hill is running down the road, being chased by a group of dersites in police uniforms.
"Hey, get back here!" one of them yells at him.
"Not today!"
In his hand is a wrench of some kind.
What the hell did he do?
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Post by mystery on May 17, 2018 20:48:53 GMT -8
The wrench wielding man continues to run away from the cops, making his way towards the exit on the north end of town.
The noises get louder and louder.
"Who knows..." Ranjam idly munches on some salad.
At this point, the pursuit can be seen from the window.
The pursued dashes past, followed by at least 6 dersite police. "Slow down!!"
Mellan sighs, glancing at the scene. "That damn Skidor... what is that guy even doing out there?""I'm not even surprised at this point. He's been pretty unhinged since his partner went missing.""Enough to break curfew? Come on." |
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Post by mystery on May 17, 2018 22:04:33 GMT -8
Mellan looks out at the scene being caused outside. "Yeah. That's Skidor Bargas. Used to be a stay-at-home parent before he got sent here. Ran an online business selling propane and propane accessories while his man was away on business trips. Heard his kid grew up to be some kinda revolutionary girl or something back before the meteors fell." Skidor seems to be losing steam, but the exit door is just mere feet away... OD0DxLXH1-6 [ Result: 3/6 ] "Honestly, I don't know what he loves more, propane or his partner Ethan. I wouldn't be surprised if he could be the one to fix those gas leaks."
Skidor just barely makes it to the exit and slams the door in the faces of the cops, pushing them back momentarily.
"Ha, I know, right? It'd be pretty nice if it worked out like that. Of course, it would also be nice if this place wasn't so strict, but I don't think that'll be changing any time soon. "
At this point, Skidor and the police who weren't stunned for too long are locked in a door pushing battle.
"A tem can always dream..." Ranjam shrugs, looking off to nowhere in particular.
1-6 |
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Post by mystery on May 18, 2018 8:50:38 GMT -8
"Sometimes, yeah."The struggle continues. The cops slowly regain their bearings and slowly get a slight upper hand. How long can Skidor last? cieW7vgR1-6
[ Result: 3/6 ]
"I'd like to think it's something on the horizon. Who knows how long it'll take though. A hundred years? A thousand? Never did pay that much attention when taught about that kinda stuff way back when."
It doesn't seem to be taking long for the police to push back harder. They'll likely succeed once Skidor loses strength. He's still holding on ever so slightly however...
"Mr. Sengen seems to think the surface will one day be brought back to life. Sounds like a pipe dream personally, but you know... It's one of those sorta things that keep you going. Kinda gives a sense of purpose.""Yeah..."1-6·1-6·1-6
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Post by mystery on May 18, 2018 20:29:54 GMT -8
In that moment, a fateful push was given.
tbq7N7sa1-6
[ Result: 5/6 ] With every ounce of his strength, Skidor manages to push the door shut with a slam! This delays the police from opening the door right away. Skidor takes this moment of respite to catch his breath.
Considering the door doesn't have a way of locking from the outside (only from the inside), this moment isn't very long at all. He keeps his grip on the handle to lengthen the recovery time just a little longer.
Meanwhile, back at the house, it's become a bit quieter, the couple now back to eating their home-cooked meal, silently pondering their hopes for the future.
Mellan breaks the silence. "So, do you like the food? I added some extra cricket flour to the base."
1-6 |
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Post by mystery on May 18, 2018 21:15:11 GMT -8
Mellan smiles. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it."
Meanwhile, Skidor prepares for the run up the stairs. They go up for a while so he'll need to make sure he uses his energy wisely. He considers tossing his shoes to give the cops an obstacle to get past, but considering how hard it may be to find another pair of shoes, he'd rather not risk it. 3... He gets into position, hand on doorknob, one foot extended back at the door for a speed boost. 2... The knob is beginning to wiggle. 1... A stare straight ahead, ready to push off... GO! Skidor launches off from the door and begins dashing up the stairs! The police awkwardly burst into the hallway, practically tripping over each other.
A few from the back see him run off and walk away, back to the city.
They're not paid enough to handle this kinda cross-country bullshit.
"My guardian used to always tell me you could tell a lot about a cook by what they serve."
"Only the best~" Mellan winks at their partner.
Ranjam blushes a little, attempting to conceal it by drinking some water.
"You can probably tell how I managed to win Rannie over."
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Post by mystery on May 19, 2018 21:05:35 GMT -8
Skidor continues to jog up the stairs, trying to pace himself. It won't be long before he leaves their jurisdiction entirely.
The police trailing behind are losing their drive quickly, lagging further and further behind.
Skidor finally reaches the end of the stairs, light streaming from the outside.
It seems it's not actually night-time, as if it could be tracked underground anyways.
With one last move, Skidor picks up a piece of some partially dismantled thing and chucks it down the stairwell, tripping and toppling the cops down below.
It seems he's managed to buy himself enough time.
He uses the last of his energy to walk out the door, into the light.
Upon exiting, Skidor collapses on his hands and knees, too tired to gaze upon the miracle just mere feet away.
Meanwhile, the first half of the crowd of police can be seen tiredly walking past the window, on their way back across town.
"I think that was the most exciting thing that's happened all week."
"ugh, I prefer the boring."
Mellan looks out and smiles.
"Heh, Looks like ol' Skidmarks won that round..."
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Post by mystery on May 19, 2018 22:13:55 GMT -8
The police in town continue down the road, likely back to the station or something.
The other half, toppled over in a pile at the bottom of the stairs, is not finding it easy to recover.
"Probably just out walking around or something. He causes trouble sometimes, but it's never anything actually bad, mostly just not allowed under the strict rules."
Skidor sighs in relief.
He's free once again.
His partner however... likely not as lucky. He's gotta be out there somewhere.
Maybe next time he'll be able to get further into cracking this mystery, next time the curfew clears the streets.
For now though, is the time to recuperate from his run.
"It lasts all through the dark hours, from 7 pm to 4 am." Ranjam glances at the clock on the wall, which oddly enough only has the numbers 1 through 9 around it. "...It's about 8 right now. A little late as far as dinner goes, but still fine."
After days of wandering on the surface, it is possible that Atria may have gotten the impression that days on Korous are somewhat shorter than the ones back on earth.
"Itching to go out soon, I take it?"
Skidor sits down cross-legged on the ground. He wonders to himself just how exhausted he really is, considering the greenery he can see in this desert.
Probably just a hallucination.
...probably.
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Post by mystery on May 21, 2018 1:08:47 GMT -8
"Something important?" Ranjam blinks. "Are you sure it still applies in this day and age?"Mellan turns to look at their partner. "I think she'd know what she's doing."Ranjam shrugs. "Well, in the mean time, you're free to crash on the couch, considering the curfew and all."
Minutes pass by. All the usual methods of snapping out of it just aren't working. The green road remains. Is it real? Skidor can still hardly believe it. Plant life, in this post-apocalyptic desert? And in the color green? An even rarer sight at that. It's like finding a unicorn or something, but somehow, far better.
Probably since green grass is far more plausible than a single-horned esro.
After resting enough to walk again, he stands, and then makes his way to there. What is it he sees before him?
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Post by mystery on May 23, 2018 14:50:08 GMT -8
Skidor is overwhelmed.
Hope, confusion, doubt, longing, aspiration... He falls back to the ground, this time on grass.
It's real.
He can feel it.
Not knowing what to do or how to feel about this miracle, in the context of the scope of greater things, he cries.
If only Ethan were here with him up here.
Maybe, just maybe, they could make it out here. Out of that authoritarian hellhole down there, and just, be free.
No more crushing debt, no more running, no more government forces raining down upon them...
...but, what about the others who still live comfortably in Alcove? those who spend their days under the thumb of a tyrant who declares that night is day? While spending those lit nights dancing in nightclubs, of all things?
What of their people's future?
It's all overwhelming. Too much for just one tem to handle.
He doesn't want to have to lead the charge. especially not alone.
But, who will join him?
Maybe he'll work on it later, when he isn't exhausted.
For now, this spot seems like a nice spot to take a nap.
The meal slowly winds down as the group finishes their plates. Ranjam is on dishes duty tonight.
A rerun of Silver Sages is on TV tonight. Honestly, the vast majority of the programs on TV are reruns down here.
Silver Sages is considered a timeless classic regardless.
Mellan and Ranjam seem to be enjoying it.
What about Atria?
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