Bumping for Carlotta.
After reporting any pertinent gossip to Kenny, and informing him of what she is doing, Carlotta holes up and gets busy working on the article; fending calls off from Mr. Rogers by telling him that she is working furiously on the copy and already has several excellent pictures.
Headline: "Cannibalism Feeding on Cannibalism: An Asian Invasion from the East.
"I don't know about that headline of yours. It has potential but could use a little reworking. We have lots of Japanese readers, don't want to lose them by being too openended with our accussations. How do you feel about "Flesh-eaters from the East" or "Cannibal Massacre: Buffet of Human Flesh!" I like that last one. We might even be able to get some pictures of a buffet line with arms and legs being served up. The inhouse artist might do that."
"Cannibal Massacre: Buffet of Human Flesh!" I like that last one."[/i]
To wrap up then,...
Kenny learns his two spells. (Be aware that casting either will cost you immediate sanity.) Carlotta writes up an article, taking a week to do so. Another 500 dollars are placed onto your cards and each of you gains 700 experience points, enough to advance a level. Life in the area returns somewhat to normal, though the interstate remains closed to the east. There are no more reports of cannibals. Avery gets a million dollar book deal and secludes himself in Luxury in Vermont as he writes it. The girls you rescued all live, though the legless one is a mental vegetable, quite insane. The other two, both of whom had answered job ads for the buffett, return to their families in other states.
6.21.07
"So how would you two like to spend the fourth of July in Alaska?"
"Never been to Alaska, I'm looking forward to it." Kenny is exhausted and disoriented from the experience of translating Sing's book. He really does not know what he is saying to Rogers. If he were thinking clearly he would be terrified at confronting another horror while in the wild isolation of Alaska. But he has agreed already and now it is too late.
Carlotta sighs "Sure, why not Alaska. I've had enough of the heat..."
Carlotta is likewise exhausted after they sort out the business with Rogers she turns to Kenny. "How about a drink now? Lots of drinks?"
Carlotta sighs "Sure, why not Alaska. I've had enough of the heat..."
Carlotta is likewise exhausted after they sort out the business with Rogers she turns to Kenny. "How about a drink now? Lots of drinks?"
"Yeah, alcohol would be very good right now."
Carlotta quickly proceeds to the nearest bar, presumably with Kenny in tow.
Carlotta quickly proceeds to the nearest bar, presumably with Kenny in tow.
Does that mean Carlotta is buying?
Maybe its because they drank too much, but the truck seems to only want to play country songs on the way back to the hotel that night.
Meanwhile, another $500 is deposited in each reporters card and a new laptop (only one) is delivered in the mail from New York headquartes. A note attached to it says, "try not to lose this one."
Late the next morning Carlotta packs up her stuff and gets everything ready to go.
[I assume she's flying them to Alaska?[/ooc]
Unless you want to do a road trip across Canada, yes.
"Alaska, hunh? What are we looking for there?"
Kenny then thinks of Alaska's massive coastline remembers Port Truman and the tentacles at the pier that night. He tries to put it out of his mind with another drink.
Fortunately for Kenny, a little studying of maps soon reveals taht the town they are heading for is about fifty miles from any large bodies of water, in northern Alaska. Fortunately, its summer yet and it shouldn't be too cold. Maybe.
At the tiny airport, a man sits outside on a bench with his legs stretched out, waiting.
"I should be counting tumbleweeds, 'Bout the only thing they're missin' here." The man grumbles. The man rises and stretches, his large, almost 6' frame muscular, but just starting to show the beginnings of a pot belly from recent lack of exercise. He relaxes and huffs in frustration, resettling his camo army fatigue pants and matching t-shirt more comfortably on his frame.
"The things I do for a paycheck. Ah well, easy money so far." The man mumbles to himself as he carefully picks up a new overstuffed backpack. Judging by the gentle way he handles it, whatever inside is either fragile or valuable, at least to him. He shrugs the pack onto one broad shoulder, smooths his mustache for the umpteenth time, and heads inside the tiny airport to find a snack machine.
"Hi, I'm Kenny and this is Carlotta. I guess you are our new colleague. Have you ever been to Alaska? It will be the first time for me."
Carlotta stares for a minute at the man, before turning to look at Kenny. "Did Rogers say anything to you about a new guy?" She turns back to the man "Who are you?" As she says this she simply looks tired and a little confused.
flashback to earlier in the morning
"Hey Eastman! Are you up. There should be one or two new recruits waiting for you at the airport this morning. Trying to break in some new blood. We need some fresh talent. Poor Henry hasn't been heard from in days and then there's that Avery - jumps ship first opportunity he gets."
"Hi, I'm Kenny and this is Carlotta. I guess you are our new colleague. Have you ever been to Alaska? It will be the first time for me."
The burly man growls at the snack machine using unkind language, (Apparently, he did NOT want the twinkies,) before turning to the weary pair. He looks the pair up and down with a skeptical look on his face.
"Hi. Uh,... No. Farthest I've ever been north of the equator was 'Stan. That's uh, AFF-ganistan. If yer not used tah military lingo. It's a little warmer there than in Alaska." The man offers hesitantly.
Carlotta stares for a minute at the man, before turning to look at Kenny. "Did Rogers say anything to you about a new guy?" She turns back to the man "Who are you?" As she says this she simply looks tired and a little confused.
The man takes another look at Carlotta, up and down. Not leering or lecherous, just,... appraising. At Carlotta's question he straightens up just a little.
"Westbrook! Lieu,..." He snaps, then relaxes again before continuing. "John Westbrook. You can call me John, Or West. Just don't call me 'Johnny'." He says deadpan. He looks serious. But then again, there aren't exactly a lot of laugh lines on the man's face. He looks like he's always serious. He jabs a meaty thumb towards the pack slung over his shoulder.
"I'm yer' new photographer. According to Mr. Rogers." He adds straight-faced.
"You aw'right doll? Yah look dead tuckered. Both of yeh." He says looking at Carlotta.
"Nice to meet you, John. We are a bit beat from our last assignment in Arizona. Did you hear about the Chinese buffet that was serving up kidnapped women? We covered that. Before that we were in Port Truman, Virginia when the ship was sunk right in the pier with no survivors."
"Have you done much news work before?"
"Nice to meet you, John. We are a bit beat from our last assignment in Arizona. Did you hear about the Chinese buffet that was serving up kidnapped women? We covered that. Before that we were in Port Truman, Virginia when the ship was sunk right in the pier with no survivors."
"Have you done much news work before?"
John reaches up to idly scratch at the emerging stubble on his cheek with one finger. He looks,... pensive.
"Um. No. I haven't done any news-work before. I'm a decent photographer. Saw the add. Needed the job. I, uh, haven't, actually, read the 'Sunlight Scoop'. Yet." He admits, smoothing down his mustache nervously.
"Mr. Rogers told me that we investigate the more, uh, unusual stories. But he didn't say anything about chinese buffets or kidnapped women. I think I heard about the boat on the news though." He adds almost as an afterthought.
Carlotta watches John appraise her carefully, looking closely at his face for a reaction. She gives him a smirk "Thats okay, I never read the Scoop either. We don't cover the same stories as what gets on the bigger news sources usually. We handle the stranger stuff that other people might not be inclined to believe. And let me tell you, this job will certainly make a believer out of you."
"Yeah. Well, As the man said, 'If there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say!' " John replies amiably.
"Um. 'Ghostbusters'. Good flick." He adds as an afterthought. ;P
Carlotta begins grinning at his lack of sincere belief, her grin widening at his ghostbuster addition.
A small, very skinny girl of about 20 chews on her lip and twirls a lock of dark brown curly around her finger as she looks around the air port. She see's Carlotta and Kenny, looks around her some more. Then walks up to them, wrapping her large red sweater more tightly around her. "Are you the Sunlight Scoops reporters? I was told to meet them here-" She glances Carlotta and stops. Blinking quickly she continues. "Uhhhhh.... Yeah."
Carlotta looks away from John when the girl speaks, looking her up and down. She smiles warmly at her and sticks out her hand "Thats us. I'm Carlotta and this is Kenny, and John. What's your name?"
Miss shakes Carlotta's hand. "I'm Miss. Is it cold out her or is it just me?" And again wraps her sweater around her more tightly.
"Hmmm, not terribly but your hands are freezing! Lets be on our way, we can talk more and get to know each other on the way." Carlotta proceeds towards the airplane or doing any necessary paperwork or whatever.
John just shrugs.
"I don't think it's cold. But after the desert, everything seems a bit cooler." He comments, then picks up his duffelbag and backpack and follows the others.
As Kenny and Carlotta start loading up the plane, they can't help but notice the old pickup truck. It's not where they parked it but seems to have been moved closer by someone. It sits lonely by the edge of the airfield, looking rather forlorn.
Soon Carlotta has the plane in the air. Arizona is soon behind them and the long flight to Alaska is underway.
Carlotta glances down at the truck as they leave and cannot help herself "Awww. Poor old truck."
She turns around in her seat to give a crooked grin to Miss and John. "I hope you both like flying okay."
John nods to Carlotta slowly.
"Ayuup. Ah'm just fine with flyin'. It's Parachuting Ah never liked. Never understood the mentality of jumpin' out of a perfectly good airplane!" He shrugs and wiggles, trying to make himself more comfortable in the tiny aircraft's seat. He gives a look out the window at the dwindling truck.
"Ah had a truck like that once. Looked like h@ll, but it ran through anything. Couldn't killed it if'n I had tried." He states, then makes sure his pack is safely under his feet, tips his baseball cap over his eyes, and tries to sleep.
;P
Carlotta grins at John. "Parachuting never sounded all that bad to me. Where are you from?"
Carlotta glances around the plane, resisting the temptation to put the little thing through its paces for the sake of the frail girl and sleeping John.
Some background gleaned from Mr. Rogers: In Alaska, in the small northern town of Tallpine, there are rumors of a great shaggy creature that is sometimes seen by the folks thereabouts. Roger's thinks it might be a Yeti, or possibly a Neptunian advance scout. Either way its worth checking out. He's sending in a large party and you get the feeling that the reason for this is that you are not the first to have the assignment. Rogers got a little hedgy in discussing what might have happened to any others. He would, of course, love pictures of any bigfoot like creature or even better, pictures of a spaceship hidden in the hills outside of town. He warns you to trust no one and to keep your cameras ready.
Carlotta grins at John. "Parachuting never sounded all that bad to me. Where are you from?"
Carlotta glances around the plane, resisting the temptation to put the little thing through its paces for the sake of the frail girl and sleeping John.
"Hm. Naw'lins." John answers from under his cap. "Er close enough anyhow." He adds cryptically.
"And I don' suppose that there's anything wrong with parachuting, exactly, if there's a need for it. I jes' never unnerstood the mentality of doin' it fer' fun. Seems to me that if you have a perfectly good airplane, it's a shame not to use it!" He adds slowly after a moments thought, his southern accent growing more pronounced as he drifts closer to sleep.
He shifts uncomfortably, grunts in annoyance, and wiggles again.
Finally he sits up with a small grunt of frustration, reaches behind him, and pulls out a large hunting knife that he must have had tucked into the back of his belt, under his shirt. He stows it in his backpack and settles into his seat once more with a small sigh of relief.
;P
Miss looks out of the window and smiles. "I've parachuted before. Not really my thing. I thought I was going to die. Although, maybe thats the point, Its like a suicide attempt. For wussys. "
John grunts, and you realize that it was a laugh. Or at least a snort, of humor.
"Thas' me, Jes' a big wussy,..." He drawls sleepily. You can almost hear the unspoken, 'NOT!' from the drowsy southerner.
Carlotta is obviously surprised when Miss speaks up. "Really, I didn't take you for the parachuting type." Carlotta smiles at her.