Hey guys, remember THESE?!
So in tradition of what I've been doing, this is a continuation of a story that began a year and a half ago. Some of you may remember it as the OtakuFic, with the first compilation being called The Cupcake Caper. Well, guess what, it's time for part two, whose name is being kept a secret (read: I haven't quite come up with the perfect title yet).
Starring the Doctor Who New Years Weekend Marathon Bridgade, it's time to journey into a place a lot of us fear. Here we go with part one.
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Depending on how one constituted a night or a morning, it could be said that it was late Friday night or early Saturday morning. But however you wanted to call it, the warm golden light that radiated off the neon sign for the Writers Bloc Café had just flickered out when the sky was still dark.
It was currently considered January 2nd, but patrons of Otaku City were still recovering from the partying that was New Years Eve – with the distinct exception of the group that sat in the front of the café, surrounding the TV set. They were a simple crew of six, kept awake by sheer excitement…and the rather large amounts of caffeine they had been consistently ingesting over the past few hours.
"So he makes Pompeii happen?" the young AnimeArchAngel, better referred to as Arch or Trip, asked, pointing at the TV as BBC America decided to switch to a commercial break.
"Uh, yeah, that's what I'm getting out of it," Wayward Warrior said as he slouched back in his spot. "Whatever, so long as he doesn't get Donna melted..."
"She's the companion, she won't be," Japan86, referenced as either straight-up Japan or Laura, pointed out with a knowing sigh. "...Toki, you should be answering these questions, not me.”
TimeChaser was currently on his feet and peering over Katana's shoulder, the latter of whom was sprawled out on the couch surrounded with various art supplies, a sketchbook perched on her knees. "Why do you abuse my creation so..." he moaned.
"Pffft, it's fun."
"I think it's worth it just for your expression, Toki," Nehszriah said from her perch at the opposite end, her own sketchbook held tightly in her hands. He looked over at her and stuck his tongue out, to which she grinned and chuckled.
Katana suddenly looked up, her eyebrows quirked. "Hey, I just realized the obvious lack of a yellow light on my paper here."
Nehszriah and TC both looked out the window, the delay in their awareness catching up to the current moment. "Oh hey, it is," Nehs stated plainly.
"Eh, probably just burned out," TC said with a slight hand wave before he collapsed sideways into an armchair. "Man, what time is it...?"
"Hey, it's not even one, buck up," Kat spat back at him. "Why don't you just go and get something from the fridge? We've still got supplies left that Becky told us we could eat and drink and be merry with."
"Oh, THAT'S what was I doing!" TimeChaser swung out of the chair and dashed through the dimly-lit café, darting around the counter and disappearing into the depths of the kitchen.
"Get me a Coke!" Kat called after him, passing her sketchbook down to Nehs, who took it and, at the same time, shouted, "And me a Mountain Dew!"
"...Hey, I just realized that the light is out," Wayward murmured, stooping up and crawling to the window, pressing his nose against the glass as he looked up at the now-dark sign. "And I remember...those bulbs were changed like a month ago, I had to help James do it."
Trip perked up, joining Wayward at the window. "Bulbs don't go out that quick, do they?"
"No, and it was the first time we'd replaced them too, they've been going for a while...But...Hey, hey, I'm not going blind, am I?"
"I dunno, are you?"
"Okay, I mean -" Wayward grabbed Trip’s head and forced her to look up and down the street. "Do you notice that nobody else has light?”
“It’s almost one in the morning,” Japan pointed out, sinking into the chair whose arm she had been sitting on. “Nobody’s lights are going to be – wait, nobody’s pretty broad, isn’t it?”
“Quite broad, I’d say.” Wayward stood up, digging his hands in his pockets. “Huh…” He then looked back at the TV before doing a double-take. “Uh – uh – guys, please – please tell me I’m not hallucinating.”
“…It’s…”
“It’s…Twilight?” Nehszriah managed to squeak. Suddenly struck with attention, they stared at the screen, eyes wide in terror at the washed-out and moody image from the movie about sparklepires that was being shown to them.
“Kat – Kat quick – say something from the RiffTrax - !” Japan uttered, grinding her teeth as she found herself unable to look away.
“Uh – uh – wait for the – line – ‘But what do I know? I’m just your typically, abnormally confident, world-weary sixteen-year-old female protagonist. Tee-hee!’” She was the first to choke in a breath of relief; the others soon following, before Wayward dove for the wall and yanked out the power cord.
“So um, anyone want to explain why we were watching that and not seeing Donna being awesome?” he mused, hanging over the top of the TV, cord dangling in his hand. TC chose this time to emerge from the depths of the kitchen, juggling two cans of soda in one hand and a plate piled high with various baked goods in the other. The group turned to stare at him.
“…Stare Kaihen?” he muttered, eyebrows raised. “Something going – Oh man, I missed something, didn’t I?!”
“Indeed, Toki-nii,” Nehs said, hopping off the couch to retrieve her Mountain Dew from him. She cracked open the can and downed a swig before speaking again. “Lights are out up and down the street and –”
“- And then the TV started showing moody Mary Sue what’s-her-face and NOT Donna!” Wayward called out, shaking his fist. At the looks he received from the girls, he quickly threw in, “And, you know, the Doctor as they went to go blow up Pompeii.”
“Kat, take this before I drop it,” TC said to break the conversation from a flustered Wayward, who had ducked behind the TV to avoid the glares of the Estrogen Brigade, theOtaku Division, Tennant Class.
“You drop it and I’m opening it up in your face,” she snorted, rolling off the couch and grabbing the can from him. She looked at the pull tab, tapping her foot, before glancing out the window. “Hey Arch…are there really no lights on?”
The youngest member of the group perked at being called on before nodding. “Yeah, there’s really nothing. I mean – the streetlights are on, but none of the lights attached to buildings are on.”
“Why the heck was the TV showing Twilight?” Japan wondered, swinging herself up and out of the chair, adding extra weight to her statement by poking the set. “I mean, we had it on BBC America, and they have some class, don’t they?”
“I don’t think it was BBC’s wrongdoing,” Nehs answered, soda can propped to her lips. “I think it’s more of an…Adam wrongdoing.”
“Oh de-lovely,” Katana groaned, popping open the can she held. “Yeah, I think I saw the little logo of the city in the corner, so somebody’s screwing with the television waves and overriding broadcasts.” She looked out the window and shook her fist. “Barrowman - !”
Trip looked at her, confused. “What does that –”
TC shook his head. “Just ignore her.”
“Hey, Wayward, are you still hiding back there?” Nehszriah asked, leaning back to try and see if she could get a view behind the TV. She couldn’t, but a voice responded.
“Yeah, I’m still here…and there’s still no Donna…”
“Well maybe – maybe there was a glitch,” Japan attempted to reason. “Plug it back in, turn on the TV, and see if it’s still there?”
“Do we wanna risk that?” Trip asked, sounding genuinely concerned and looking extremely worried. It was almost laughable, but the sights that she had just seen were enough to make grown men cry, making her emotions just.
TC sighed, setting his plate of sweets down on the armrest of the couch. “Well, what – okay, what exactly happened while I was in kitchenland?”
Japan shrugged. “We had it on BBC America, it was showing a commercial, then all of a sudden, it was showing Twilight. And it was…” She swayed her head back and forth in thought. “It was like….hypnotic. I know I couldn’t look away, even though I really wanted to, and –”
“- and Kat pulled out what she’s good at and fired off a RiffTrax line and we were safe,” Nehs finished, tapping her fingers on the Mountain Dew can. TimeChaser took a moment before breaking out in laughter, grinning broadly.
“The greatest part about that story is that I believe all of it,” he said, swiping a cookie from his plate and taking a bite. Still chewing, he asked, “Are we going to test the theory that it’s still on TV?”
“I think we should…least we know Kat can pull us back from it, right?” Japan answered. The nods she received confirmed her plan. “Alright Wayward, plug it in.”
“Plugging in, madam,” he replied. Once the successful chunk noise was heard, Japan turned on the TV, the whole group bracing for impact.
“It’s getting worse with old age,” Jacob said. An odd air filled the room as the trance state was beginning to set in. But, like clockwork, Kat fired off, “They make out a lot more,”, and they were saved, Wayward immediately pulling the power cord out of the wall.
“Okay, so that answers THAT question…” TC groaned, finishing off the cookie. “Now what?”
“You think there’s anyone we can talk to about this?” Trip asked, glancing out the window. Wayward popped up from behind the TV and shrugged.
“Well, somebody’s obviously pulling some strings at the broadcasting center, so that means there’s a person awake. Question is…why the heck are they doing this?”
“Ooooh! We’ve got a mystery on our hands!” Katana exclaimed, clapping her hands (the best one could with a soda in hand) in excitement. “C’mon gang, let’s go solve it!”
“…You’re kidding, right?” TC grumbled. “How are we supposed to do that? Walk over to the station?”
“Uh, durr-hey!” Kat replied before moving her goggles from her neck, where they had been resting for the past few, to the top of her head.
“Uh-oh, the goggles are in place,” Wayward said with a grin. “It is on, baby.”
“I dunno about you guys, but I personally want to watch a rather attractive Scottish man feigning a British accent saving the universe with his sassy female travellin’ buddy – moreso than sparklepires. Anybody else?”
“I’m so with you on that one,” Nehs answered. The group, now standing in agreement (except for a reluctant TimeChaser), sprang to their feet and set about pulling on winter jackets, hats, scarves, gloves, and boots.
“Hey, somebody get the key,” Japan said, and Trip was to it, snatching it from its long-forgotten perch on the front countertop near the blank cash registers. The six did one final sweep of the room before heading out the door, the bells jingling in their wake.
As the group waited for Trip to lock the door, Wayward stared mournfully at the TV through the front window. “Donna…I hardly knew thee…”
“If it makes you feel any better, Toki-nii’s got the boxsets,” Nehs offered. Wayward just shook his head.
“It’s nice but…ah. Sigh.”
“Anybody have any final, epic parting words before we set off?” Katana asked, adjusting the strap to the goggles to allow her hair down to cover her ears better.
“Yeah. I…just wanna go back there,” TC responded, staring with sadness at the warm sanctuary of the café.
“Oh, buck up eggplant boy.”
“…Wibble.”
