Sept 2, 2023 4:33:32 GMT
Post by Tobias Murakami on Sept 2, 2023 4:33:32 GMT
The redhead’s grip tightened on the steering wheel, the leather of the grip groaning beneath the skin of his palm. While Tobias knew that he couldn’t reasonably avoid returning to the field forever, there was still a thrill of nerves that ran through him with each and every call. Even with the agency giving him “easy” cases, his heart would still leap into his throat every time they sent him out. Even an innocuous case could be his last.
Today’s ventures brought him to the outskirts of the Kiyashi Ward Mall– a sprawling open-air facility with numerous floors of shops, restaurants, and entertainment. Tobias banked right off of the street and into the parking lot, peering through the front windshield to the business he had been summoned to.
It was a squat, nondescript beige building, separate from the mall itself. Over its main entrance was a neon sign, unlit in the midday sun, that read “Hugh E. Ham’s”, over which the garish, grinning face of a cartoon pig stared vacuously over the parking lot. Tobias sighed, pulling down an adjoining parking lot aisle into a vacant spot, turning the keys in the ignition.
The business was an indoor playground and arcade, geared to elementary-aged children. That, on its own, was fine– but the prevalence of farm animal mascots, in both costumed character and animatronic forms– was less than ideal. But… he had a job to do– an “easy” job, per the person at Ouros who had assigned him with the job. And he’d be damned if he’d fail at an easy job.
Tobias emerged from the company car, locking the door behind him and pocketing the keys. He would pause for only a moment outside of the main entrance, popping an antacid into his mouth, before pushing through the entrance doors.
Sights, sounds, and smells immediately assaulted the detective’s senses, causing his expression to pucker into barely-contained disgust. The shrill, conflicting sounds of arcade machines, the scent of hot-dogs (their specialty) and other fair-themed food, and the shrieks of children both delighted and infuriated. Underneath it all, there was also a sickly smell, attempted to be drowned-out by bleach but still noticeably present.
“Welcome to Hugh E. Ham’s, sir,” a chipper attendant greeted, offering Tobias a smile fraught with orthodontic work, “How may I assist you?”
Tobias pulled a leather wallet from his waist, flashing his badge and ID to the overzealous teen, “I’m Detective Murakami– I was called here about a missing child?”
“Oh, yes sir– please proceed to the small playground, down the hall to the left-”
Tobias nodded his thanks, proceeding through a white picket gate into the play-area. He dodged hapless children and bustling parties, keeping to the edge of the room until he found the hallway indicated by the front-desk clerk. Video games were interspersed all throughout the establishment in neat little rows, sprawling out from a massive jungle-gym in its midst. Children climbed and scurried through the mazes of play-equipment, chattering excitedly amongst themselves. In the midst of the chaos, Tobias’s suit-and-tie looked incredibly out-of-place.
As he approached the small playground, he noticed a small gathering of people– a few employees of the establishment, a police officer, and a plain-clothes woman with an anxious expression.
“Good afternoon,” Tobias greeted as he approached, bowing to the group, “Detective Murakami, from the Ouros Agency.”
He flashed his badge again before pocketing it.
The police officer stepped towards Tobias, offering a brief, “It’s a pleasure, Detective. I’m Officer Fujioka.”
“Likewise, miss. What happened?”
“Ms. Mizutani brought her son, Tadashi, here for a friend’s birthday party,” the officer explained, “When it came time to go, however, she couldn’t find him. Upon reviewing the security feed, we realized that he was last seen entering the small play-structure, and never left-”
Tobias arched an eyebrow. The police, and a pro hero, had been summoned for a child that was hiding in a play-structure?
“I know,” Officer Fujioka said with a sigh, seeing Tobias’s expression, “But bear with me– a few employees, and even my fellow officer, have ventured into the structure in search of the child. But, after entering that tunnel-” the officer pointed towards a tunnel a few meters from the entrance, a lurid yellow, “-they haven’t been seen again. And they can’t seem to hear us.”
Tobias’s face fell in alarm. “Radio and phone communication?”
“Silent.”
Tobias breathed a heavy sigh– it had to be something quirk-related. Quirks always added a level of unpredictability to cases.
“Is the child– or any involved parties– quirked?”
“None reported– though the tapes did catch an unusual sight just prior to the child’s disappearance-”
The police officer tapped at their phone, unlocking it, before turning the screen towards Tobias. It was a wide-angle shot from above, pointed towards the entrance of the playground where the group now gathered. A peculiar individual who stood head-and-shoulders taller than most people dipping low towards the entrance of the play area before crawling inside. Their height alone was enough to scream “quirker”, but the fact that the tails of their coat seemed to writhe like tentacles was similarly incriminating.
Tobias frowned, looking towards the entrance of the same play-area. He pinched his nose and sighed. If every other person who’d ventured in had disappeared, logically he would, too– but it was the only way to find the others.
“Alright,” Tobias grunted, unbuttoning his suit coat, “Thank you, officer. I’ll do what I can.”
Pim Finnegan
Today’s ventures brought him to the outskirts of the Kiyashi Ward Mall– a sprawling open-air facility with numerous floors of shops, restaurants, and entertainment. Tobias banked right off of the street and into the parking lot, peering through the front windshield to the business he had been summoned to.
It was a squat, nondescript beige building, separate from the mall itself. Over its main entrance was a neon sign, unlit in the midday sun, that read “Hugh E. Ham’s”, over which the garish, grinning face of a cartoon pig stared vacuously over the parking lot. Tobias sighed, pulling down an adjoining parking lot aisle into a vacant spot, turning the keys in the ignition.
The business was an indoor playground and arcade, geared to elementary-aged children. That, on its own, was fine– but the prevalence of farm animal mascots, in both costumed character and animatronic forms– was less than ideal. But… he had a job to do– an “easy” job, per the person at Ouros who had assigned him with the job. And he’d be damned if he’d fail at an easy job.
Tobias emerged from the company car, locking the door behind him and pocketing the keys. He would pause for only a moment outside of the main entrance, popping an antacid into his mouth, before pushing through the entrance doors.
Sights, sounds, and smells immediately assaulted the detective’s senses, causing his expression to pucker into barely-contained disgust. The shrill, conflicting sounds of arcade machines, the scent of hot-dogs (their specialty) and other fair-themed food, and the shrieks of children both delighted and infuriated. Underneath it all, there was also a sickly smell, attempted to be drowned-out by bleach but still noticeably present.
“Welcome to Hugh E. Ham’s, sir,” a chipper attendant greeted, offering Tobias a smile fraught with orthodontic work, “How may I assist you?”
Tobias pulled a leather wallet from his waist, flashing his badge and ID to the overzealous teen, “I’m Detective Murakami– I was called here about a missing child?”
“Oh, yes sir– please proceed to the small playground, down the hall to the left-”
Tobias nodded his thanks, proceeding through a white picket gate into the play-area. He dodged hapless children and bustling parties, keeping to the edge of the room until he found the hallway indicated by the front-desk clerk. Video games were interspersed all throughout the establishment in neat little rows, sprawling out from a massive jungle-gym in its midst. Children climbed and scurried through the mazes of play-equipment, chattering excitedly amongst themselves. In the midst of the chaos, Tobias’s suit-and-tie looked incredibly out-of-place.
As he approached the small playground, he noticed a small gathering of people– a few employees of the establishment, a police officer, and a plain-clothes woman with an anxious expression.
“Good afternoon,” Tobias greeted as he approached, bowing to the group, “Detective Murakami, from the Ouros Agency.”
He flashed his badge again before pocketing it.
The police officer stepped towards Tobias, offering a brief, “It’s a pleasure, Detective. I’m Officer Fujioka.”
“Likewise, miss. What happened?”
“Ms. Mizutani brought her son, Tadashi, here for a friend’s birthday party,” the officer explained, “When it came time to go, however, she couldn’t find him. Upon reviewing the security feed, we realized that he was last seen entering the small play-structure, and never left-”
Tobias arched an eyebrow. The police, and a pro hero, had been summoned for a child that was hiding in a play-structure?
“I know,” Officer Fujioka said with a sigh, seeing Tobias’s expression, “But bear with me– a few employees, and even my fellow officer, have ventured into the structure in search of the child. But, after entering that tunnel-” the officer pointed towards a tunnel a few meters from the entrance, a lurid yellow, “-they haven’t been seen again. And they can’t seem to hear us.”
Tobias’s face fell in alarm. “Radio and phone communication?”
“Silent.”
Tobias breathed a heavy sigh– it had to be something quirk-related. Quirks always added a level of unpredictability to cases.
“Is the child– or any involved parties– quirked?”
“None reported– though the tapes did catch an unusual sight just prior to the child’s disappearance-”
The police officer tapped at their phone, unlocking it, before turning the screen towards Tobias. It was a wide-angle shot from above, pointed towards the entrance of the playground where the group now gathered. A peculiar individual who stood head-and-shoulders taller than most people dipping low towards the entrance of the play area before crawling inside. Their height alone was enough to scream “quirker”, but the fact that the tails of their coat seemed to writhe like tentacles was similarly incriminating.
Tobias frowned, looking towards the entrance of the same play-area. He pinched his nose and sighed. If every other person who’d ventured in had disappeared, logically he would, too– but it was the only way to find the others.
“Alright,” Tobias grunted, unbuttoning his suit coat, “Thank you, officer. I’ll do what I can.”
Pim Finnegan
