| My Friend Jack; Friday October 14th 12:00 pm | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 14 2011, 09:37 PM (473 Views) | |
| Outfoxd | Oct 14 2011, 09:37 PM Post #1 |
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((Murphy Richards continued from Arai Wah)) He didn't find Michigan Avenue. He didn't find Congress, or State, or fuckin' anything. All there was was the one street, some buildings, and a general feeling that somebody was playing a mean trick on him. There was no one around, except those folks back on the street. Wandering wasn't finding anybody new. It did find him the bar. Or what was left of a bar. Looked like someone had done a roll-up with a BAR and a bad attitude. Now normally, Murphy, as a Negro, would have avoided a smashed up bar to avoid being guilty by association. But this wasn't normal. Something was seriously wrong here, and the shakes were getting worse. He needed something, anything to quiet his nerves. So he pushed past the broken door (more like pushed off, the thing fell off of its remaining hinge as soon as he touched it, as if eager to get out of his way). The motif of no one being around continued once he was inside. Well, none one was around except for the alcohol. It was a full pantry, which was even more confusing. It looked like someone had tried to rob the bar, but hadn't taken a damn thing. He shrugged, walked around the counter, started scanning the bottles. He finally found a full fifth of whiskey, and he pulled it down. He grabbed a glass from under the bar and poured himself a slug. "Nigger, you are in some kind of trouble." He muttered to himself. Raising the glass to no one, he gave a toast. "To all of life's bullshit." He tipped the shot back, felt it burn in his chest as it went down. He poured another. Edited by Outfoxd, Oct 14 2011, 09:38 PM.
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| Caboose | Oct 15 2011, 05:27 PM Post #2 |
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That's ridiculous. That's not even funny.
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((Nathan Johnson continued from Arai Wah)) This wasn't San Francisco. Nathan was sure of it now. He'd thought about it - there was no way that his friends would be cruel enough to play this sort of joke on him, and this whole setup was too sophisticated for a group of teenagers anyway. He didn't know what it all meant, though. Couldn't think of any other explanations. It looked like a bar, in front of him, now. Looked like someone had started a bar fight that had steadily escalated out of control, or someone had just taken a bulldozer to the whole thing. Looked like a mess. The glass crunched underfoot as he entered, pushing open the door that hung loosely. It offered no resistance. There was a African American man in the bar, drinking, and Nathan figured he was just as good as company as anyone else. He'd panicked earlier, ran away from that group of people. Maybe it was time to figure out what was going on. "Hey," he said. |
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| Outfoxd | Oct 15 2011, 06:36 PM Post #3 |
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((Note, Murphy doesn't make the realization it's not 1947 till his next thread, so let's keep that on the down low)) Murphy was on his third shot by the time a young white guy walked into, gingerly stepping over the shattered glass. He downed it, poured himself another one and raised the glass in his direction. The buzz in his ears was starting to make him feel bulletproof, which is why he said what he did next "Good mornin' there, young cracker. How's the day treatin' you?" He didn't drink this shot, simply kept it in his hand. "Looking for someone to drink with, I'm your man. Least till I get out of here." Murphy looked him over. "You old enough, right?" He tipped back the shot, then eyed the kid again. "You know what, fuck it. I'm already stealing this anyway." Edited by Outfoxd, Oct 15 2011, 06:51 PM.
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| Caboose | Oct 15 2011, 06:47 PM Post #4 |
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That's ridiculous. That's not even funny.
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Nathan raised an eyebrow. Looked like this guy was already buzzed. Or drunk. Buzzed was the right word, right? As for cracker... People still used that word? Well, he thought he'd heard it in a movie before - Ocean's Eleven or something. And this guy looked older than Nathan was, so maybe he was still using old-timey slang. He'd let the slur, if that's what it was meant as, slide. The guy seemed friendly enough for now. "Well, you know, you show up in a strange place." Nathan shifted his position slightly. "Don't know what to do." The guy seemed to be getting drunker by the minute. Nathan wondered whether he should just accept the offer - but this was a creepy place already, and he'd never had alcohol before. He wasn't going to start drinking now. It just seemed like a bad time to start. "The way this place looks, I don't think anyone would mind if you stole the whole stock," Nathan muttered, giving a long glance over the bar. "At least I don't think the owner's coming back anytime soon." |
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| Outfoxd | Oct 15 2011, 06:54 PM Post #5 |
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Murphy looked around at the bar, as if Nathan's comment set him thinking about whether or not the owner could come back. "I like the way you think, kid. Unfortunately I only got but two hands." He glanced around at the bar again, somewhat mournfully. "Place could really do with some music though, know what I'm saying? Least a piano-player. All so damn dreary." He downed shot five and steadied himself on the bar with his free hand. "Not gonna have a drink? Bet you could find something likes you around here." |
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| Caboose | Oct 15 2011, 07:03 PM Post #6 |
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That's ridiculous. That's not even funny.
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Nathan nodded. He'd probably offer the guy his backpack to store the booze, except then Nathan wouldn't have anywhere to put his stuff. But he could afford to think short term, right? He was going to get back to his friends, easy. It was just all one big mix-up. Yeah. He still wasn't going to give away his backpack. Least this guy had a good appreciation of music. He didn't approve of the whole drinking thing, but... company was company. "You play the piano?" Nathan asked. "I play the clarinet, but you know..." He made an empty gesture with his hands. No clarinet here. "Knew a guy that used to play the piano. Was on a trip with him when I ended up here." He eyed the bar, which the other guy seemed intent on using as a crutch. Seemed like the thing'd collapse if any more weight was put on it. "We'll see. Think there's anything unalcoholic back there?" |
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| AccidentalAcrophobia | Oct 15 2011, 09:11 PM Post #7 |
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I can't think of anything witty.
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Shit, that wall really did something to her. She really wished she could just forget it. God Have Mercy. Could have been some crazy anarchist poking fun. It still crawled under her skin. God Have Mercy. Now, Adrian was not religious. In her line of work, she had seen way too much shit to believe in a noble God. Maybe an asshole God, maybe. Adrian woke up in front of that wall though. One minute she was behind her desk, the next... well, standing in front of that wall, staring at those three words. God Have Mercy. Burned into her skull. Brought the memories back. Families torn apart, lives ruined, dead bodies, paperwork, the lingering memories that she managed to forget by burying herself in work. Sometimes those memories lapped into her dreams and turned them into nightmares. Most nights she would wake up shivering, sweating, breathing heavily. She was lucky though. No nightmares. Drinking herself to sleep was the way to go. She was at the wall. She was sober. It hit her in the face like a brick, and it made her dizzy. The first thought that came into her head was "I need to get the fuck out of here." She turned and left. Adrian did not ask where she was. Yeah, she was curious, but she let the sights and sounds do the talking. Besides, she couldn't find anyone else. Place looked deserted. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and walked on. Adrian wandered for what felt like hours. She found the bar. Sure stuck out like a sore thumb. Wait. Oh shit. A bar? Adrian grinned. Oh yeah. Place look like shit but she always went to shit bars. The windows were broken though, which made her a little weary. The bar looked like trouble. And Adrian definitely didn't want to start any trouble. So she went right up and kicked the door, hard. It creaked and hit the wall with a loud smash. Adrian didn't even flinch. She bounded for the bar, ignoring the glass and broken furniture. There were only a couple of stools, most of which looked ready to crumble. That was okay, she could stand. She didn't look at the black guy. Instead she looked over at the kid. Wait. Wasn't this kid a little young to be drinking? Whatever. Fuck it. Kids drank. It was a known fact. He was lucky she was off duty. Adrian looked back to the black guy. He must have been the tend. Had a ratty suit on, with some of the buttons missing. Must be down on his luck. Adrian could sympathize. She tapped the bar with her finger impatiently. "Gimmie a drink," She said. "Surprise me. Just no Shirley Temples. I don't tip assholes." |
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| Outfoxd | Oct 15 2011, 09:44 PM Post #8 |
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The kid was asking for anything nonalcoholic. So Murphy pulled a bottle of grenadine out from under the bar. "Sugary sweet. Dunno if I'd take it straight but hey, it's here." He slid the bottle to the end of the counter closest to the kid. In the meantime the meanest, manliest white woman Murphy had seen in awhile came walking in like she owned the place and demanded he give her a drink. Normally Murphy wouldn't be so...forward with a white woman, but he was confused. And slightly drunk. So he said what was first on his mind. "An' I don't serve stuck-up birds. Just saying." He started out from behind the bar, leaving his shot glass behind but hanging onto his buddy Jack. "Bar's all yours, ma'am. Help yourself." He turned and looked to Nathan. "Good luck kid." He threw a glance over his shoulder at the new woman. "You're gonna need it." He headed out of the destroyed door, Jack firmly in tow. ((Murphy Richards continued in Road to Nowhere)) Edited by Outfoxd, Oct 15 2011, 09:50 PM.
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| Caboose | Oct 15 2011, 10:02 PM Post #9 |
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That's ridiculous. That's not even funny.
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Guess he didn't play the piano. It looked like he didn't quite take a shine to the newcomer, either, who Nathan glanced at quickly. She seemed kind of irritated. Must have been something with the door-kicking. Before Nathan knew what was going on, the other guy had up and left the bar. "Good luck to you, too," he said, but he reckoned that the other guy was already out of earshot by then anyway. Darn. He'd never asked about where they were, or what was going on. Maybe if he saw him again, sometime. Hopefully not. Hopefully Nathan would be out of this place by then. Nathan took the bottle of grenadine, weighed it in his hands. Grenadine... He couldn't say he'd heard of it, to be honest. As bad as an idea as it seemed to be, he addressed his next remark to the seemingly irritated woman standing at the bar. She was the only one left now, after all. "You don't think he was lying about this being nonalcoholic, do you?" |
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| AccidentalAcrophobia | Oct 16 2011, 10:40 AM Post #10 |
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I can't think of anything witty.
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Well. Excuse her for being her. Whatever. If he was going to storm off, it saved her some money. She jumped the bar, shuffing through the bottles until she found a nice bottle. It had no label, but she really didn't care. Alcohol was alcohol. She turned to the boy, half-shocked. No alcohol? Was this kid serious? Adrian sneered, trying to pull the top off with her bare hands. "There ain't a tender in sight and you wanna drink milk?" She cursed, placing the bottle on the table. "I'd say just down it. Only way to learn anything is to throw yourself head-first." She couldn't be bothered to find something to pull the top off. Instead she picked the bottle up and smashed the head on the bar. Glass flew everywhere. Good enough for her. She would have risked drinking from that bottle but stopped herself. "Pass me a glass, willyah?" |
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| Caboose | Oct 16 2011, 11:27 AM Post #11 |
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That's ridiculous. That's not even funny.
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Geez. Looked like this woman had attitude. Thinking about it, though, that hairstyle she wore looked awfully familiar to him... Best not to ponder too long about it. "I'm not here to get drunk," Nathan shot back. What was it with these people and getting drunk? He was in a bar, but... it wasn't exactly the most conducive environment for drinking right now, he would have thought. "I'm here for information." He looked under the counter. All of the glasses looked really clean. Too clean, considering the state of everything else. He pushed a glass across to her anyway, holding onto the bottle of grenadine all the while. "So do you have any idea what's going on, or should I just leave?" |
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| AccidentalAcrophobia | Oct 19 2011, 04:35 PM Post #12 |
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I can't think of anything witty.
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"Information?" Adrian stares, pouring the drink into her glass with practiced ease. She doesn't even think to check, she stops just as the glass settles on the rim. "Questions ain't great for your health. Ask too many and you might find yourself in a heap of trouble." She laughs. "Guess that's the allure of it, to some." It was a valid question though, and Adrian took it into consideration. "I can't even tell you. I wish I had a map, or something, so I could have 'some' idea of where I am. You and Leisure Suit Sally were the first two people I've run into though, and I'm pretty sure he knows jack shit." She runs a hand across her forehead, closing her eyes. "On the job. They drill the habit of checking your surroundings into your brain. Used to think I was a pro at it. The minute I woke up here, I combed every last inch of this street, trying to find out where the hell I was.. This bar was the last place I stumbled into, as far as I know. Haven't found squat. It's been bothering me, and it's giving me a damn headache. What's worse is that it's making me uneasy, like something bad's going to jump out." Her face twists. Her tongue tastes of confusion and curiosity, bitter and numbing. She spins the glass in her hand, eyes glazing over. "But. What annoys me most is that I'm not nervous. Can you believe that? Taking solace in the calm before the storm?" Adrian stopped, looking down at her glass. She picks it up and puts it to her lips. She downs it in one go. She takes a breath, laughs, and turns to the boy. "I don't have the answer to your question kid. Believe me, I tried finding out. I can tell you this much though. We aren't in fucking New York. Not even close." She paused. "So what about you, kid? You find anything?" |
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| Caboose | Oct 19 2011, 04:50 PM Post #13 |
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That's ridiculous. That's not even funny.
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"New York?" The words were out of Nathan's mouth almost instantly. "I was in San Francisco, last time I checked." So either she was screwing with him, or there was something bigger going on here. He couldn't really rule out the former, he thought, since she had originally seemed a little irritable, but she seemed to have been pretty honest with the last few things she'd said. So he was forced to consider the latter seriously. "Haven't found much, or I wouldn't be asking around." He pondered slipping the grenadine into his backpack, but then figured if it broke and that other guy was honest and it was sweet stuff, he'd never get the stuff out of the fiber of his backpack. Not that he didn't have better things to worry about at the moment, though. "I wouldn't worry too much about not finding anything. There isn't... there isn't much around here. Just a big wall around everything. Looked in some of the windows. Even went into one of the buildings near this bar. Wasn't anything in there." "But you probably already know that." He hesitated. "To be honest, I'm not sure we're going to be able to leave this place." |
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| AccidentalAcrophobia | Oct 21 2011, 06:43 PM Post #14 |
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I can't think of anything witty.
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"West side?" Adrian looked confused. She scratched the back of her head. "Jesus. This is worse than I thought." This wasn't an open investigation, but Adrian couldn't just shut her inner detective off. There were questions she wanted answered, but they were also questions that she knew no one had the answers to. It was hurting her head, just thinking about it. She could have asked Nathan some questions, try her luck. Instead she finished the second glass, and put her hands to her head. "Kinda telling me what I've already found. I'm a detective, kid, and I haven't found squat." She rubbed her temple. "But thanks. Anything's better than nothing." She hesitated too. What he said made sense. Adrian thought to herself, pressing her finger against her temple. The whole town was fenced in by a wall. That wall was pretty damn high. She couldn't even imagine how the hell she's going to ever get over that thing. No way to climb it, and there were no doors or holes in it. Could she take a pickaxe and start wailing at it? Shit, no, where would she find a pickaxe? Whatever. Was there another way? Maybe a tunnel? She sure as hell couldn't fly out of this dump. "Can't exactly get a ladder and climb over that wall can we?" Adrian mused after a while. She blinked and shook her head. She smiled. "You got a name, kid?" |
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| Caboose | Oct 22 2011, 08:02 PM Post #15 |
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That's ridiculous. That's not even funny.
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"If there's a ladder," Nathan mumbled. She said she was a detective. She couldn't think of a way out. He was just a high school graduate. He should have been getting ready for college. It was summer. He should have been having fun with his friends, at least. Instead, he was here. High school graduate, no skills besides grades and musicality, whatever that counted for. Was he going to be able to think of a way out? It worried him. When he looked back up, she was smiling. That surprised him, a little. "I- uh, yeah. Nathan. Nathan Johnson. Nice to meet you..." He trailed off foolishly, hoping that she'd introduce herself in turn. |
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