04 - Really Horrible Things

[imjustpicky]

Backdated to Saturday, November 12th

[Action - 7132 Brooks Lane, morning]

[Picky had been going out the door to enjoy a nice morning, but then he had found a severed drone head in a box on the doorstep. This was something so far out of his range of comprehension that he had dropped it, screamed at the top of his lungs, and then bolted back

Comments

[Phone - Filtered]

[godisachild]

[Oh goddammit Picky. Why have you already started getting heads in boxes? And since you're the only person to be calling about this, Pokey's going to assume it isn't just the town fucking around.]

You're at your house, right?

Stay there, runt. I'm coming over.

[imjustpicky]

[Pokey! Pokey's on the phone! He'll... do something, for sure!]

Yeah! I'm inside! It's.. it's still on the step, it's...

[He pauses. He swallows hard.]

...should I do anything?

[godisachild]

Okay. Good.

[He'll take it and get rid of it. Simple and practical. Done.]

Just...stay in the house at the moment.

[And, about fifteen, twenty minutes later, Pokey will have removed the box and be knocking on Picky's door.]

[imjustpicky]

I-I'm not going out there! There's a guy who chops off heads out there!

[This time, when Pokey shows up at the house, there's no opening the door and savoring the moment of reunion. Picky is instead grabbing his brother by the hand and pulling him inside, if he's not moving fast enough.]

It was really gross! It was awful and gross and there was blood and, and people on the phone were thinking it was cool! Aaah!

[He had apparently bottled up a few things during those fifteen-twenty minutes.]

[Phone]

[meltdowning]

The world's not a very pleasant place, sorry to say.

You should consider yourself--and the other brat--lucky that we don't stay dead in this place.

[imjustpicky]

Lucky!? It... that... I-I don't care that we come back, it's still REALLY AWFUL that someone'd... they'd... W-who would DO that?!

[meltdowning]

Hmpth. Maybe he made someone angry.

[imjustpicky]

That's not a good reason to cut off their head!

[phone]

[666doc]

Wicked.

[imjustpicky]

....w-what?

[666doc]

That whole head bit. Oh oh oh! Can I see it?

[imjustpicky]

You don't wanna see it! It's gross!

A-and, and I don't want you at my house!

Phone ☆

[withavividheart]

A head-.

[ Vivio's never heard of this. She doesn't know this kid either. But she's not going to ignore him. ]

My name is Vivio Takamachi. Want me to come over? I can see about... getting rid of the. The head.

[imjustpicky]

...a head.

[Something about this girl's calm voice and her offer to help are taking the edge off of his panic.]

N-no... it's... I've got someone coming.

...

I just called everyone in town.... [Oh man, that was dumb, wasn't it?]

[withavividheart]

Okay, good. I'll stay on the phone with you until they get there, okay?

[ A short pause. ] And don't worry, its okay. Calling everyone is okay.

[imjustpicky]

Okay. Yeah, okay.

[Picky clutched the receiver tight. It was nice to have a person to talk to that wasn't... scary, or crazy, or mean.]

But I'm supposed to be really careful here. Really, really. I shouldn't freak out on the phone. That'll...

Well, it's probably bad. I bet.

[phone]

[flameyedhunter]

Stay Calm, picky.... Where are you? [ Mou, it just had to be Pokey's brother, didn't it? ]

[imjustpicky]

[Wait, wait, who was that? Was that the Hirai Yukari girl that had said she knew Pokey?

There's some quiet, sputtery delay before he answers.]

...I'm home. I'm at home. I'm inside.

[flameyedhunter]

All right, is there an adult nearby you can trust? Try to find them, if so.

[imjustpicky]

....

[Did he trust Key-Fu? Did he?]

Y-yeah.

[He was an adult and could probably punch any crazy head-choppers in the face, so...]