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Post by Mister Stewart on Dec 14, 2010 17:07:43 GMT -8
Time: Day 3, Morning
Weather: Cloudy
Warnings: Sub-par rhyming, stupidly elaborate locking mechanisms.
Characters: Harry Stewart/Michael Tillotson, Tamika, Atlas (CLOSED)
The rain had finally ceased. The clouds above were foreboding at best, it was true, but at least the weather felt less stifling...the air felt freer. Most importantly, along with the rain, the mysterious creatures that plagued the night seemed to have vanished for the time being as well, disappearing into the rainy darkness from whence they came.
It didn't mean they didn't still exist, though - that was what brought them here, wasn't it?
The iron gates loomed over the setting, forbidding as they shone with the still-dripping water from the rain. Harry Stewart's mansion wasn't hard to find in the least...or, rather, the road leading to it. It was the gate that discouraged the curious...the gate and the road that lie beyond, winding far up and around and out of sight.
A security camera mounted at the top of the gate hummed mechanically as it looked to and fro, scanning the area for potential intruders and potential visitors. It was, more often than not, the former rather than the latter...but there was an answer to that.
Today, they were expecting visitors...and the young man sitting on the other side of that camera stared at the monitor, drumming his fingers and stifling a yawn as he waited. His stormy eyes flicked towards the clock. Nine, on the dot.
Turning his gaze back toward the monitor again, he patiently awaited the start of the little appointment he had arranged.
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Post by Atlas on Dec 14, 2010 17:21:55 GMT -8
A Blue Subaru Baja approached the mansion gates. The license plate in front reading "MCKNGBRD". The driver was Atlas, fresh from the hospital. He managed to fine a way to convince the hospital staff to let him leave early. He'd be back though.
The truck pulled into one of the empty parking spaces. A few seconds later, the sound of the engine came to a halt. The driver's side door opening and Atlas emerged. He wore a freshly pressed suit and a tie. He straightened his tie after he stepped. It's always good to make a good first impression.
He noticed the security camera on the gate. "Natural. The richer you are, the more security you need. After all, even a small like this can have its burglaries." he thought as he walked toward the camera. He briefly took out his Carrot Cake, shielded by saran wrap in the inner pocket of his jacket. "Let see what this man knows. He may not tell us everything, but we can always come back again." he said. He put it away and stood under the gaze of the camera.
He checked his watch. "9:00" he said. He waited for two things: the voice of Mr. Stewart letting him in, and his partner, Tamika.
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Post by Tamika Weir on Dec 14, 2010 17:43:23 GMT -8
Soon after, a black Toyota Celica with the license plate "LUV MUSC" came rolling up to the gates. Behind the wheel was Tamika, who was a bit less unkempt than yesterday. Yet she still wore the same torn, wrinkled, and slightly damp jacket and hadn't bothered to wear anything particularly nice. Now having her first glimpse at what must be the edge of Harry Stewart's property, she was seriously regretting it.
"You know, Atlas, you could have mentioned that the guy was flipping loaded. Oh well, it's not like I actually had anything nice anyway." The petite driver parked the car next to the Baja and quickly hand combed her hair before stepping out.
Tamika glanced at the gate and then at Atticus. "So do we knock?" she asked in a joking manner.
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Post by Mister Stewart on Dec 14, 2010 18:54:37 GMT -8
It wasn't until the both of them were at the gate that the camera suddenly panned towards them - locking on them in turn. On the other end, the young man attending it regarded the figures with weary eyes, hand sliding over towards the intercom button.
"Mister Atticus Lasseter and Miss Tamika Weir." The unseen speaker had a clear, young, enunciated way of speaking, though a light rasp made him click off the intercom a moment to clear his throat. "I see that you are right on time. Please, if you're ready, come on inside."
With that, the gates swung open, allowing access to the winding road beyond. Was this man so wealthy that his driveway was a whole private road? Judging by the security system, it certainly seemed that way.
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Post by Atlas on Dec 14, 2010 19:07:17 GMT -8
Atlas turned to his companion. "You certainly got dressed up for the occasion." he thought. "Well I suppose I could give you boost and you tap the lense a bit." he replied.
Around that time, an intercom buzzed in. It didn't sound like Mr. Stewart. Rather, it was a younger man, who spoke clearly and formally. "Hmm, must be his manservant. I guess being rich does have its perks." he thought.
The gate opened towards a driveway. However, Mr. Stewart's mansion was nowhere in sight. "I think we'll need the cars again, Tamika. We'll take my car. No sense wasting gas on two of them." he said to the red head as he walked to his car.
"So, you ready to meet this Mr. Stewart?" he asked.
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Post by Tamika Weir on Dec 14, 2010 19:27:15 GMT -8
"Well, besides the fact that I feel like someone who wore a yellow t-shirt to a funneral, sure." Tamika headed over to the Baja and climbed into the passenger side. She seemed quite relaxed, but all the while one question burned in her mind.
"How did he know my name?" Turning to Atlas she asked, "Did you happen to mention my name when you contacted Mr. Stewart? Or any sort of description?"
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Post by Atlas on Dec 14, 2010 19:42:15 GMT -8
He started the car and drove through the previously sealed gate. Surely the house can't be far...
Come to think of it, he found it bizarre as well. "That's odd. I only mentioned that I had a friend coming. I didn't give a name or a description." he said, sounding skeptical. "Do you think this guy have eyes all over Greenvale? It would probably make sense. The richer you get, the more paranoid you get. Still, it is kind of disturbing." he added.
Even after the first corner, the road still went on. "Did you manage to get home fine after last night? It was pretty hectic, what with everyone healing battle damage from the shadow militia. At least you didn't have to be hospitalized." he said to her.
"I also found out a bit more about the gun shop called Panda Bear. The guy has quite a few connections, so he probably will be able to hook us up. Unfortunately, it is only open at night, but I plan to stop in. Is there anything you'd like me to pick up for you while I'm there?"
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Post by Tamika Weir on Dec 15, 2010 13:52:35 GMT -8
"Yeah..." Tamika replied absent-mindedly while staring out the side window. In her mind she was flipping out, "Holycrapthewholetownisbugged!Ican'tbelieveit!Ireallyreallyneedtobemorecareful!Whydidn'tanybodytellme?!?!?!?" She was drawn back to reality when the driver asked her a question.
"Huh? Oh yeah, I got back to the hotel just fine. Were you discharged from the hospital this morning?"
When he mentioned getting guns she had to think for a bit. "A gun really would help against shadows. But I've never fired one in my life. Hmmm..." Tamika finally replied, "As I've said before, I've never used a gun before. But if you could get me a handgun or something simple then that would be good."
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Post by Atlas on Dec 15, 2010 14:09:50 GMT -8
Atlas turned to the redhead "Heh, I'm happy you got home safely. Actually, I had to ask if I could leave, since I had a prior commitment. They let me, since I could walk and move around all night. However..." he took out a bottle of pain pills "I should keep these along in case my arm acts up. Not necessarily pop them like candy, per see, but you never know."
He put the bottle back in his jacket pocket. "A handgun. Sounds good. Chances are, civilians like us won't be able to access much, but we'll make due. Don't worry, I can teach you. My brother's the real expert on guns, but I'm no slouch either" he replied.
The road seemed to go on forever. "Dear God, how long is this guy's driveway?" he wondered.
"This is quite an unreal situation. One minute, we're going about our daily lives and the next minute, we become targets for supernatural zombies. To be honest, I'm a bit nervous. What if they end up spreading to other parts of the United States. Heck, even the world. Well, in any case, we won't let it happen." he said to his companion.
After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached the mansion. It was every bit as extravagent as he thought it would be. "Well, I'm glad we decided to take the car. Shall we go?" Atlas asked, emerging. He wonder what the elusive Mr. Stewart had in store for him and Tamika.
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Post by Tamika Weir on Dec 15, 2010 14:39:58 GMT -8
Tamika chuckled at his comment about his pills. "Yeah, don't want you to turn into York, now do we?"
"I'd appreciate that. Thanks." Knowing how to use a gun would give her another advantage against the shadows. "And giant space dobermans from nowhere," she though bemused.
Atlas's words on the shadows worried Tamika. She hadn't thought about the shadows spreading before. Much less thought about them going global. "But he has a point. If this can happen in a small town by one man's actions who's to say the same can't happen on a larger scale." His optimism about their chances also worried her. "These things have been here for around fifty years. And he thinks a lawyer and a girl with a knife can stop them. We don't even know if any of this CAN be stopped!" Yet all she did was nod in response. "No need to sour the morning yet."
When they finally reached the mansion, Tamika had almost fallen asleep in her seat. "First question for Mr. Stewart: what drug were you on when you decided to give your house such a long drive?" The mansion itself impressed her, but also made her regret not dressing up even more. "Why is it the one good lead we have has to be a rich guy? Couldn't he just have been some crazy guy who lives in a hole? Ah, but the world has to hate me, now doesn't it?" Silently slipping out of the car, she headed toward the front door of the mansion.
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Post by Mister Stewart on Dec 15, 2010 14:58:19 GMT -8
As Atlas had noticed, the Mansion towered above them - imposing, impressive. Out front there were hedges strategically planted, still growing...clearly laid out to be mazes when full-grown. The back of the building was fenced off, a few cars (and a limousine) parked behind one of them in a sidelot that was presumably accessible from a separate driveway. The building itself was superbly built, the pillars that stood atop the staircase to the front door looming overhead. The front door itself was a double-door - dark wood, ornately carved with fine, scrolling detail.
Said doors were also quite unlocked, just waiting for the visitors to step inside....
Somewhere up above them, another security camera whirred as it moved to track their progress. This was certainly a man who liked his privacy...and by the looks of the hedge maze out front, it was also a man who liked to play some games.
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Post by Atlas on Dec 15, 2010 15:56:15 GMT -8
Atlas took a look around the area surrounding the mansion. The first thing that grabbed his attention was a group of plants planted in an odd fashion. "That arrangement. It looks like the beginnings to a hedge maze. Never saw the point of them though. You think you'd want the navigation around your house to be easy. Perhaps this guy must like to tease his visitors." he mused.
He walked towards the front door. It was as ornate as the rest of the house, and screamed "I have loads and loads of money."
"So Tamika, prepare yourself. I have a feeling this guy is going to be...interesting..." he said his companion as he knocked on the front door, waiting to be allowed entrance into Palazzo Stewart.
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Post by Mister Stewart on Dec 15, 2010 16:31:43 GMT -8
When knocked upon, the door swung open - seemingly unassisted. On the other side was a small entry room, suggesting the state the rest of the house would be in...immaculately clean, beautiful woodwork everywhere. All this aside, the room was rather empty...there was a mat for wiping one's feet, a little bin for wet umbrellas (strange in a town that had such disdain for the rain), and...bizarrely, a payphone hanging on the wall.
There was also another set of double doors directly across from the front door, presumably the way into a larger room or hallway. The house was...quiet, to say the least. Very still, no signs of life reaching the ears. Surely there must be servants in a house this large? Where were they?
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Post by Tamika Weir on Dec 15, 2010 16:42:11 GMT -8
Tamika walked into the small entry room, wiping her boots on the mat while doing so. She quickly surveyed the room and turned back to Atlas.
"You did say that you emailed ahead of time? And that they told you to be here at nine, right?" "So where is anyone?"
Turning back to the room she decided to try and open one of the double doors. "If they don't come to us, I guess we have to go to them."
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Post by Atlas on Dec 15, 2010 16:50:25 GMT -8
The doors seem to open automatically. Atlas felt less like he was walking into someone home and more like he was walking into an amusement park attraction. He wiped his feet on the carpet and looked around. "Spiffy place. I want the name of his interior decorator." he thought.
He turned to Tamika. "Well, of course. There was a person around to let us in. Perhaps they are making last minute preparations. That would explain the long driveway though." he replied. "Though it wouldn't excuse it." he mused.
He allowed his companion to open the double doors. "After you, Ms. Weir." he said politely. He straitened his tie and took a pill for his arm. "That should keep me for the meeting." he thought.
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