Apples and Lime

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

RE: Apples and Lime

Alter · Senior Member

Frank hits the Dog and it goes down soon still bleeding from the bullet holes that Vivi put into it there is a good chance that it was moving forward on will alone and now it's torn body can no longer carry it forward.

the beast twitches a little on the ground and then blood oozes out of it. Anyone with any form of wilderness knowledge will see the creature sports various level of Frost Bite.

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

Viveca's a stubborn pain in the ass, but not so stubborn she'll argue with an actual good idea. She takes a couple steps back and lets Frank take the lead, watching as he kills the dog. She studies the corpse and frowns.

"Ugh. What the hell happened to this thing?" Viveca asks rather rhetorically. "It's not that cold out for it to end up as cold damaged as this." Her dream - well, nightmare - rises unbidden to her mind and she shivers, rubbing her arm as if she's suddenly chilled. She hates the cold.

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

"Poor doggy." Frank says sadly, touching it gently. "Frostbite - down here? Did ... you ever have a dog here? Or did a dog die near here of exposure? I think ... we're seeing things that are taking shapes of our fears. Thats how a Ravenmocker works. Hope this isn't the work of a Ravenmocker or we're not gonna last long." He glanced up and gave her one of his rare crooked grins. it didnt' last very long, either. "Sorry. Superstitious."

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

Viveca's lips narrow, frowning thoughtfully. The frown deepens when Frank mentions fears and she glares at him for a second - but the brief smile throws her off and blunts the force of her reaction. She takes a deep breath.

"No dog." She pauses, then continues reluctantly, "my mother died of hypothermia trying to rescue some idiot snowmobiler who went out on the ice too early."

Viveca sighs, rubbing her forehead and looking at the dog, her tone returning to normal as she says, "If Dad and Cindi ever got a dog it's news to me. This sucker's big, I doubt it would've gotten through the window downstairs - if it did, I think it would've been pretty scraped up. What the hell is..." She looks at Frank and stops speaking, shaking her head.

Walking carefully around the carcass of the dog, Viveca peers down the stairs to the basement. She hasn't reloaded the gun - not having been given any bullets for it - and now she tucks it away in the back waistband of her jeans, listening for any sign of more intruders in the basement - if there's none she starts down the stairs.

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

"Sorry to hear about your mom." It was almost mechanical. Cold. But not because he didn't care or feel anything. Just bleak to the point of being unable to express ...anything.

He took a deep breath and then shook it off. "Well, maybe my theory is screwed then. If neither one of us had or is afraid of dogs... just doesn't make sense." He sighed. "So maybe i'm still alive, after all." He didn't sound particularly pleased by that.

"Run in green meadows with slow rabbits, little brother." Frank said softly to the dog thing before standing and wiping off his hands on his pants.

"We're going to need bigger ordinance if we're going to go on the offensive." Frank observed. "Thats not exactly a peashooter and it barely slowed it down, even as apparently injured as it was."

Alter · Senior Member

The Basement appears empty, there isn't any growling or any thing for a moment and then there is a slight crashing sound followed by a long silence, the light at the bottom of the stairs flickers for a moment but remains on.

The gun cabinet is down there, but heavens knows what else.

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

Frank follows cautiously. He's not sure why she's going first as she's out of bullets, but its her house in his mind so... He does glance up where they left Morris though - he doenst' like leaving him alone.

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

"I'm not afraid of dogs, and I'm not afraid of the cold," Viveca says as she heads cautiously down the stairs, her lips tightening into a thin line, "but I do hate it with a passion not normally reserved for inanimate forces."

Viveca's going first on much the same logic for why Frank's letting her - it is her place, or closer to hers than his. She's not going to send a 'guest' head first into danger, even a possible fugitive and generally uninformative type as he is turning out to be, especially if she's really got no way to back him up. The only way she has right now is the empty gun. In order to load it she has to go, guess where, down to the gun cabinet.

She pauses on the lower steps at the sound of the crashing, eyes darting around what she can see of the basement - tools, a broken lamp that Shane's going to get around to fixing one of these years, a wobbly chair exiled for the same sort of care, boxes of assorted detrius - makeshift weapons that won't last more than one hit, but something more than an empty gun.

If it stays quiet she steps off the bottom of the stairs, heading towards the gun cabinet.

Alter · Senior Member

A Box has been fallen off one of the shelves, some thing have fallen out of it, a picture of her and her two best friends from high school in a cheesy picture frame purchased at the Amusement Park. Oddly enough a toy she didn't think she brought with her from the orphanage a Purple Child's Radio with the name Viveca written in black magic Marker on the side.

They where passed them out one Christmas they had been donated by Sky Toys. The Staff at the Orphanage had written each child's name on them carefully.

The Gun Cabinet has Shane's Gun collection, the first time Vivi got to use one of them was when she was 12 and Shane took her on a Hunting trip with him. They are all properly maintained and the cabinet is properly locked.

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

"Weird." Frank dug out his own radio. "I have one of those. They react to the monsters like Geiger counters. Should have had mine on but i was afraid for the batteries."

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

Viveca looks at the knocked over box and goes to tidy up the contents, smiling at the photo.

"I'd use this as blackmail material against Morris - he does not look good in the Don Johnson look, but try telling him a the time - but I think I'm just as bad off." She shakes her head at the photo of herself with poofy, asymmetrical hair, Morris in a t-shirt and open jacket with no tie, and a girl Frank probably doesn't recognize looking like a poor imitation of Madonna's early years.

Viveca pauses when Frank shows his radio and she frowns in puzzlement, lifting hers, turning it over and on. The click is followed by the soft background hiss of noise - not the sound of a nearby monster but just normal operation of the radio. She blinks at it.

"Considering this thing probably hasn't been handled in... twenty years? God I feel old - anyways, I'm just surprised it still has working batteries. Cindi should have some spares in the kitchen, too, if we need them."

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

"My hair was all butched off short - i was in the service." He smiled briefly at morris's picture. Don Johnson was such a tool.

"I dont' think we're in the real world. Close to it but not quite. batteries that shouldn't work do. Monsters taht shouldn't be able to live, do. Like a shadow world or something - a dream and nightmare world."

Alter · Senior Member

Morris looks like he's trying to look serious and uninterested, Frank should note the trying he has a little smirk which is different from his expression at the Orphanage which was a large smile hiding a frown.

Frank also sees what looks like a diary page that slid under one of the shelves, the word The Order catch his eye.

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

Frank nudges Viveca and nods to the paper. He's not going to touch anything here if he can help it, she's territorial. He wonders which of the women Morris was interested in in that picture to make his expression so different from normal.

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

Somewhere along the way Frank's stopped fighting Viveca - and vice versa. Threats to mutual friends and general existence seem to be wonderful icebreakers. Still, she looks up at the older man and stares at him hard for a long moment when he talks about how he thinks this isn't just a weather condition but a whole other world. Her expression is hard and distrusting as any cop's he's dealt with - but after a long moment she nods reluctantly.

"So is this where Morris has been stuck since he disappeared?" Viveca finally breaks down and asks. Her frown deepens but seems less personal now, not directed at Frank but rather the situation as she thinks about it. "How long have you been here? And... No. If either of you knew a way out you'd be gone like... well, like mall hair and Twisted Sister." She shakes her head, then follows the direction of his gesture, reaching out to the paper he's indicating and picking it up and shaking it open, glad of the distraction.

"I need to reload the gun," she says distractedly as she smooths the paper, "but I'm gonna have to go back upstairs for the gun cabinet key Dad keeps in the house."

Alter · Senior Member

I can't keep my promise.
I've tried so hard jumped through so many hoops but no one wants to give custody of a little girl over to a single man regardless of lack of criminal record.

The women I've been dealing with looks at me like I'm sick.
I don't know how much longer I can go on like this.
My boss said he's going to bring me to an Order meeting.

He thinks joining the Order will help my chances to get custody, I never felt right about secrete societies. I have little knowledge of what they do, but I hope I can keep my promise and get my little girl.

I feel so alone without my partner without the women I loved so much, maybe her daughter feels the same and maybe when we're together we won't need to be lonely.

Like she was my own, my promise.

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

"So lets go. I can talk and walk and even chew gum."

He let her preceed him.

"Morris, as far as i can tell, has been here for a week or so - maybe more, maybe less. I've only been here a few hours. I walked from the pileup on the freeway - bus i was on was totaled, bus driver died. I tried to save him but i couldn't even get to where he was pinned under the transmission or whatever was pinning him down. All i had was a crappy first aid kit. He told me while i was trying to free him and he was fading ... to get his gym bag and ID, where it was. and to run. get out of there. I dont' even know where they were taking us and i didn't really care. He ... " he paused trying to organize his thoughts.

Frank finally shrugged. "I don't know. I couldn't help him except to try to comfort him while he died. But he gave what he had to me and told me to try for freedom. So i did. Never argue with someone so close to the world of spirits." The faint, crooked grin appeared briefly and he shrugged. "What did i have left to lose?"

"So what's that?"

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

Viveca straightens up and moves towards the stairs, agreeing that moving and talking is probably the best idea.

She almost discusses how long Morris has been missing when Frank keeps going and actually explains what's happened with him. She frowns - she seems to do that a lot, and there's a good bit of the authoritarian in this particular expression - but after giving him a long hard look she nods.

"I didn't hear that," she says in a firm voice that makes it a statement rather than a request for a repeat. Off duty and out of jurisdiction or not, She is a cop. Ignoring the escaped multiple murderer two feet from her is not a good thing - but she's got bigger concerns right now. "As far as I'm concerned I have no idea how you got here, I'm just glad that you've been here to help take care of Morris and that you're both alive. I'm also going to do my best to ensure that state of affairs continues indefinitely." She smirks slightly, adding, "the alive bit, not the 'stuck wherever the hell this is' one."

The question about the paper makes her look down and blink. She'd all but forgotten she had it, with that revelation of Frank's. Her expression sobers, gaining a slightly sad fondness.

"This is evidently some sort of journal entry of Dad's. I didn't really question it at the time, but in my teens I used to wonder how a single male managed to adopt a seven year old girl." Viveca fans the air a little with the paper and smiles crookedly. "Thank god for small towns and insular clubs where the members tend to scratch each others' backs?"

Alter · Senior Member

There doesn't seem to be anything going on on the first floor.

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

"Maybe." Frank frowned a little. "I ... wonder. Anyway... lets make sure this floor is clear, get your bullets, and then up to the top floor and attic - check it all and make sure we're alone, alright? Then check on Morris."

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

Viveca looks a little confused at the frown, offering one in exchange for Frank's, but she shrugs and nods. She's not stupid - she knows something's bothering Frank and she's a little concerned herself but she's got priorities. Morris and Frank are two of them.

"Yeah, I think that sounds like a good plan. I feel a bit antsy already."

Heading up the stairs, Viveca moves towards Shane and Cindi's room to get the key to the gun cabinet.

Alter · Senior Member

Shane and Cindi have the Master Bedroom which is on the second floor, the walls of the hallways are painted with abstract trees, it's almost like walking through the woods, there is another door which leads up to the Attic.

Past the two other rooms in the house is the Master Bedroom, the door is closed, on the walls leading to the master bedroom is a drawing of the lake however on the wall is something that Vivi has never seen.

there is a women in a long dress painted in by the lake she's dressed head to toe in red.

The Bedroom is empty, however there is a piece of paper on the bed side table. The walls of the bedroom are painted like the night sky stars painted in abstract stretching out into infinity each has a little rhinestone in the center and when the light is turned on it twinkles.

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

((frank is going to let Viv do the exploring - her house. heh. sorry to put this on her.))

Alter · Senior Member

Is Frank following her or just hanging out by the basement?

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

((staying near. just not crowding her or taking all the clues - her house, her clues.))

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

The murals are a sign of 'home' to Viveca. She remembers when each one went up, having helped on a few of them - Cindi might be the one who actually has painting talent, but as she was fond of telling the young girl, 'crooked trees have more character.' Viveca finds the trompe l'oeil woods comforting - mostly. Unexpected additions that weren't there when she laid down aren't.

"This... wasn't there when I went to bed," she says to Frank quietly, reaching to point out to the woman in the painting - she almost taps her nail on the wall, but something keeps her from quite having the gall. She fidgets, wiping her palms on her jeans, then gives Frank a tight, nervous smile before she ducks into the master bedroom.

Viveca looks around, looking at the bedside table in curiosity - the piece of paper seems out of place and she picks it up carefully, glancing at it before she opens the drawer and tries to find Shane's key to the gun cabinet.

Alter · Senior Member

I was always invsible to her.
Now here she is and she's my teacher, she's never been sweeter to me and more understanding.

She was my high school crush, when she was involved in that incident.
It's why I became a cop really, but she didn't see me.

I didn't think I would enjoy joining the Order, however the way she talks about God makes everything make sense.

After my initiation I think I'll join her in the Serpent and the Reed.

That crazy old broad though... she turns my stomach.

Something off about her. Can't place it.

The curtains of the bedroom are a deep red and the closet door is closed. Inside the Drawer is not only the key but a flashlight with a shirt clip as well, incase of a black out.

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

"Yeah, this isn't the 'real' world. Thats why there are monsters. And why no one else is around. Morris says there are nightmare visions made real all over town - an exploded spot where a dog was, I saw a mess in a doctor's office that was like ... amazingly graphically violent. And thats coming from me, you know how i killed."

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

Viveca makes a face at Frank's explanations of the way the universe works in this strange alternate world. "Yeah, I... understand. It seems a bit... twisted."

The journal entry is read in silence, but a small half-smile crosses her face. She remembers a 'crazy old broad' - maybe it was the same one? The real question to Viveca's puerile curiosity is who was Shane's old high school crush?

The key is picked up gladly, but the pocket-clip flashlight makes her smile in triumph and give it a small kiss. "I love you dad," she mutters under her breath, then goes out to join Frank in the hall again, waving the folded journal entry.

"Found another one of Dad's journal entries. It's kinda weird though - I didn't know he kept one in the first place."

Alter · Senior Member

In the Hallway oddly enough the women in red in the paining is now gone and the water has turned pink, there is a man now he's hard to make out everything is abstract, however he seems to be looking out over the lake. Didn't cindi draw this after a trip to Rose Water Park?

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

"Maybe - if our hates and nightmare visions can become material things here... so can thoughts." Frank shrugged. "I dunno. I'm making this **** up based on my grandfather's stories and old Twilight Zone episodes."

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

Viveca nearly does a spit-take at Frank's admission, bringing a hand up to stifle her laughter so she doesn't wake Morris with it. It might not be that funny objectively - but the tension relief of a laugh is almost physically necessary. She can feel it leaking out of her back, taking away the pain she was feeling between her shoulder blades.

She can feel the tension start to come back when she sees how the mural has changed, skin crawling and nausea turning her stomach.

"Twilight Zone indeed. Makes me think of the Night Gallery movie. Feel like next I'm going to see Roddy McDowell climb out of his grave and shamble towards the house."

Viveca shudders - but she finds herself studying the figure of the man in the painting anyways, trying to pick up any details it might offer.

Alter · Senior Member

There isn't a lot that can be gleemed from the picture. however the figure standing there seems some how less Ethereal then the women did, he doesn't seem to be making anything to be considered a hostile motion, however the the pink water is disconcerting.

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

Viveca frowns and turns to Frank, moving to the stairs as she speaks.

"Alright, creepy changes aside, let's get going. I want to get down to the basement and back up here to check on Morris asap."

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

"Wonder who's dreaming us. Morris? or you?" Frank ponders that. let me peek at morris while we're here. then we can go down."

If he's just peacefully snoozing, then after viveca frank goes.

Morris Strub · Deceiver

Morris is curled up a little though he seems to be squished up fists balled up by his chest, what ever dreams he's having in this strange world they are obviously he murmurs something odd in his sleep, "Red Saint, Yellow Saint, who's hidden the White Saint? If you knew then next they'd be coming for you."

Vivi knows it's just a normal school yard Rhyme that kids at Midwitch tend to hopscotch to, isn't it?

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

Frank doesn't know it and is slightly alarmed by the words, which seem quite ominous. "All's quiet, kemosabe. Sleep."

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

Viveca frowns but lays a hand lightly on Frank's shoulder.

"It's a kid's rhyme," she says very quietly, not wanting to disturb Morris's already restless slumber.

"I have to admit it sounds... kinda ominous right now." She offers a faint smile, trying to joke, "then again, I think a grocery list would sound creepy in this weird foggy world."

Tilting her head towards the stairs, she says, "c'mon. Armament's a-waitin'."

Alter · Senior Member

The stairs area goes down and nothing seems to have changed the Murals here are still the same, though the house is deadly quiet, no parents no nothing.

There isn't even any sound from the street this is tourist season and normally that means that the place is pretty noisy even if it's just people getting lost on their way to the more touristy parts of the town.

That Amusement Park also isn't that much of a hike from this part of town, then again with how small Silent Hill is no where is that much of a hike from anywhere else.

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

"He used to nightmare a lot." Frank said quietly. "I let him be the lone ranger when we were kids but i refused to speak in broken english unless i was mad at him and playing dumb." Quick, crooked grin. They never live long on his face, they submerge pretty fast back under the cold indifference that masks his real feelings. If he has any anymore.

He followed Viveca like a bodyguard. "Hope you have something with some more kick. Right now i'm hoping for a BFG9000, the way that dog shrugged off the bullets."

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

Viveca snorts slightly, lips twisting into a slight smile. "I remember his nightmares after the murders. Yeah, I have a good idea of how bad he can get." The smile widens to a smirk and she adds dryly, "he was quite sweet, y'know, for... 7 I think it was. I recall him saying something about how he'd watch out for me cause well he's the boy and boys do that right?"

As she talks Viveca walks down the stairs, heading to the basement - only stopping if there's something that stops her, be it another creature or anything else. She has the key tucked in the pocket of her jeans.

"Right now I think he's the one who needs to be taken care of more than I do."

Alter · Senior Member

The Cabinet contains Ammo of all shorts two hunting rifles, and a shot gun, there is one box o0f revolver bullets, 3 boxes of rifle ammo and a total of 0 shot gun shells. There are also some things to clean weapons with and a hunting knife.

There is also a video take, written in red marker on the front is Initiation.

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

Frank blinked at the tape. "Initiation? Why am i getting the creeps? This starting to feel more and more like rosemary's baby or something, or the Order or Devil's Advocate. You might want to take the knife for a backup - and knives are handy. I'd like to hit a sports store or walmart or something - get some basic throw away knives we dont' care if we lose."

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

Viveca turns the tape over in her hands a time or two, looking rather disturbed as well. She puts a bland face on at Frank's words, though - perhaps a natural skeptic, perhaps simply determined to play devil's advocate.

"Ok, this seems a bit strange, but compared to frostbitten monster-dogs, it's pretty tame for coming out of this basement," Viveca says.

She nods at Frank's suggestions, threading the knife sheath onto her belt and offering one of the rifles to him.

"You know how to use this. I think we should save the shotgun for Morris - he's okay with a gun but I'm better." She says it without boasting - evidently stating a fact.

"C'mon, let's go check on sleeping beauty again, I don't think he's getting much good rest as it is."

Alter · Senior Member

((I remind you guys to post your inventories this isn't just to give me something to do it keeps all your clues in one place.))

The Basement is empty other then these things and upstairs sounds pretty quiet as well.

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

((well then, let's do a running inventory?

* Obtained kevlar vest
* Obtained revolver
* Obtained revolver ammunition
* Obtained rifle x2
* Obtained rifle ammunition x3
* Obtained shotgun (empty)
* Obtained hunting knife

Viveca's currently got

Kevlar
revolver and ammo
Rifle and ammo x1
Shotgun
Hunting Knife

We'll say she's given Frank the extra rifle and the other two boxes of ammo.

I re-read the basement inventory post so I'm not sure how to spread the weaponry out with an empty shotgun - we'll burn that bridge when we get to Morris.))

Frank Blackarrow · Surgeon

"I'm better with bow and arrow. Or even a sling. but I'm damned good with taht so i'm okay with a rifle. I was a medic, though, not a sharpshooter."

Still - he *was* in a combat unit and was trained to use rifles and handguns and a few other nifty items.

((I'll have to get to inventory later - i know he lost his chain to something or other. and picked up some other crap from the fire department.))

Viveca Moody · Enforcer

"Then maybe we should give Morris the rifle," Vivi says with a smirk. "He's gone hunting with my Dad and I enough, he knows his way around a gun."

"Anyways," she says in a more sober tone. "Let's get back to him first. After you Mr. Blackarrow," she adds, gesturing to the stairs.

Alter · Senior Member

There is a thud coming from upstairs like something heavy hitting the floor, because of the eerie silence it's easy to hear echoing through out the house.