eight ♠ audio

[saturates_space]

And the ticking returns... despite my recent socializing amongst the masses. A malfunction, perhaps? One curiosity that leads to yet another curiosity as I am not in a position to know, having only been a resident here for a short while: has this City malfunctioned before?

Comments

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[whattingawhat]

It's never happened like this since I've been here but one day I attacked the clock. It didn't like that so for the next like three days the ticking was like this. Just for me and the guy who attacked with me.

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[saturates_space]

You speak of the clock as if it were a living, breathing, sentient thing.

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[whattingawhat]

I'm not sure whether the clock is or not but it's tied to, supported by, guarded by or mother-henned by something that is.

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[saturates_space]

Interesting. Perhaps it is that sentient something that is malfunctioning then.

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[whattingawhat]

So we need to find a clock doctor?

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[saturates_space]

More accurately, we need to find the one in tied to the clock, the one that controls it.

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[whattingawhat]

Okay. Got any ideas where to start 'cause I'm coming up blank. I'm pretty sure the deities don't have anything to do with the clock in particular.

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[saturates_space]

How did you become 'pretty sure' of this, Ms. Summers?

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[whattingawhat]

Just living here? They don't really seem to be in control of much. It's more a babysitting gig for them. Things get out of their control too, like the barrier and the ticking.

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[saturates_space]

Then there is something greater here than the Deities. Important information.

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[whattingawhat]

As far as I can tell. A year or so ago, there was this...thing. A bunch of us ended up on a train and they were draining blood. They needed a blood tribute to something. I don't know what and they weren't saying but it was bigger than them.

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[saturates_space]

Blood tributes are rarely for anything good. Was your own blood drained?

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[whattingawhat]

Yup. Great constitution. I drink a lot of OJ so there was lots to take.

[blonderazorshiv]

I don't know, but if it doesn't stop soon, I'm going to fucking shoot something.

[saturates_space]

Something being the clock, perhaps?

[blonderazorshiv]

Would uneven ticking be better or worse?

[saturates_space]

Good question. From my perspective, it would be worse. However, the ticking might not stop if measures, such as shooting the clock, are not taken.

How well protected is the area around the clock, do you know? Perhaps I should take a walk and investigate.

[blonderazorshiv]

No idea. I never had much of a reason to go looking.

[saturates_space]

Do you have a reason now or do you plan to shoot at things other than the source of our irritation?

[blonderazorshiv]

I plan to get a new pack of cigarettes before anything else.

[ And then later on he has a threesome scheduled... though no, he wouldn't be opposed to just shooting at random, either. ]

[saturates_space]

Well then, I'm certain that will help things along.

[blonderazorshiv]

Nicotine helps my aim.

[ No it doesn't. ]

[saturates_space]

A pity that your aim needs help. [Is that a bit of rare amusement in Jericho's tone? Yes. Yes, I think it is.] Although I'm certain we will all appreciate your doing whatever it takes to be more efficient with a weapon.

[blonderazorshiv]

You know how it is. A few years out of practice and a little nicotine goes a long way.

[ His aim is just as good as it once was, in all honestly. Some unfortunate shoppers learned that firsthand, didn't they? Well, he told them not to set off the fucking alarm. ]

[intheblanks]

You're assuming it's not doing this on purpose.

[saturates_space]

Another theory. Does the clock do this often enough to assume that it is purposefully ticking so loud? I haven't the slightest idea, hence my questioning it.

[intheblanks]

The city does something to make its residents uncomfortable on average twice a week.

[saturates_space]

This is common knowledge, yes. And I am to understand that you think nothing is wrong with the clock that seems to be so intrinsic to the functioning of this city.

[intheblanks]

There's nothing to suggest the clock is intrinsic to anything. And I'll worry about it being more irritating than usual once it outlasts 24 hours.

[saturates_space]

While I'll disagree with you assessment of the importance of the clock to this city, I can agree to the mention of the aloted twenty-four hours of normal curse time. That is a well-made point. You seem quite rational.

[intheblanks]

...I try.

What makes you diagree?

[saturates_space]

What makes you curious to know my opinion? You already believe what you believe and once a human believes... well in most cases their minds are closed, lock and key.

[intheblanks]

I'm curious to know your evidence. Your opinion might not change mine, a fact has a better chance.

[saturates_space]

We don't socialize, the clock gets louder. We do, it gets quieter. It is my experience that time always has something to do with everything. It's the moment that you ignore its importance, or even that it exists, that you lose. In some form, in some way, you lose... something, everything. This clock and its incessant ticking is no different to me and it seems quite obvious a fact in favor of my opinion. Anyone who ignores the importance of a clock that has such influence over us... well...

[There's a dark laugh here, one that melts into a low, inhuman rattling sound.]

[intheblanks]

[Interesting, but he's already differentiated himself from humanity, and Chase has enough interspecies clinic cases not to pause for more than a minute before replying.]

I wouldn't argue that it's a tool. It's the idea that they couldn't manipulate us without it I find questionable - there are accounts that the thing's been stopped before. Important, but not completely intrinsic to function.

[saturates_space]

Once again, I will disagree for reasons already stated. However, I do find it interesting that the clock has been stopped before. Were you witness to such a thing?

[signatures]

It stopped ticking, at one point.

[saturates_space]

It did? Well then, did anything happen within the City when the clock ceased to work?

[signatures]

Plenty of monsters about.

[saturates_space]

Monsters, what sort of monsters? [Because in Jericho's world there are all kinds of monsters here and there and everywhere.]

[signatures]

Well, there were the harpies. I wasn't here for the others - but with the barrier gone down, there were apparently other surprises as well.

[saturates_space]

Do you surmise that the clock and the barrier of protection around this place go hand in hand?