Main RP story 2: Over the Air

myvalentina

myvalentina

A half forgotten song
Author of Story: @myvalentina


Main Character: Akira Akiyama


Starting Point: Shizumori Radio Tower


Weather: Drizzle


Start Time: Morning, 8am 


Changes: Ada Owaku moved to Shizumori about three months ago to work at the small local radio station. While many people couldn't point her out on the street her voice was instantly recognizable because she DJ'ed the afternoon news show. 
 
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The harsh glow of police lights broke through the morning haze. About half a dozen Shizumori cops stood under the tall Radio tower, holding black umbrellas as they analyzed the crime scene. A black tarp had been haphazardly set up around what looked like a body surrounded by crime scene investigators. Yellow crime tape kept the growing crowd at bay. People going off to work or going to shop in Shizumori square stopped with increasing interest.


"Tenzou Sakurai, woke up to a grim sight early this morning. The Shizomori Radio grounds keeper went to work like he always did, trimming and cutting grass only to find the broken remains of Ada Owaku. Many knew her better as Shizomori's own News Princess, giving the small coastal town updates every weekday afternoon." The T.V. news anchor was wet from the rain, slightly shivering as he took a pause. For anyone watching the morning news on tv, B-roll of an interview with Mr. Sakurai played next.


The grounds keeper said, "I didn't talk to her much, I just do my job, but even I saw she'd been acting funny lately."


"Funny how?" The offscreen voice of the reporter asked.


"Just different. Like she was lookin' past you. Like she had something terrible on her mind. Maybe whatever was bothering her must've caught up to her. What a tragedy, she seemed nice enough. Could've benefitted from losing a couple of pounds..." The b-roll abruptly cut back to the reporter.


"The director of the station confirmed that while Miss Owaku had indeed been acting out of sorts, she had kept up with her job without incident. The authorities are still investigating the situation, but say there is little evidence of foul play." The reporter turned to look at the tall tower behind him as the camera panned up the large structure.


"From the preliminary accounts it looks like she might have scaled the side of the tower, lost her footing and fallen to her death. While tragic it will become a strong reminder to locals to be careful of restricted areas and heights. For HSLN, back to you in the studio." 


A young police officer Akira Ayakama was standing close to the the yellow warning tape.
 
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"What a tragedy... I did love waking up to her voice in the morning..."   a salt and pepper haired detective with a gray trench coat approached the crime scene.  He looked like a man that has experienced quite a lot of tragedies in his beat... an old dog of the law.  Next to the aging detective was a young man with a coat freshly pulled from the coat store... recently promoted to detective, Akira stood by his older partner and watched the old man kneel down to observe the body.  This was Akira's first case with the infamous wolf of the SCPD, Sakkai Sugishita.  The old man scratched his 5-o-clock shadow and reached his coat for a box of cigarettes.  He placed a stick between his lips and raised up the box to Akira.  "No thanks sir..."  Akira said as the old man withdrew the box.  He lit the tip and let the smoke waft up to the makeshift tent.  


A policeman went up to Akira and handed him a file.  "Sir, this is from CSU... no sign of foul play... It really looks like an authentic accident..."  The policeman sid as the young detective took the file.


The old detective looked at the girl's corpse... "She sounded so beautiful in the radio... kinda sobering seeing her face to face like this...:  The old man gruned as he stood up.  "Come on Akira, lets go get some soba..."


Akira nodded and followed the old man.
 
As soon as the reporter signed off he passed the microphone to his crew and shook off the rain like a dog. "I hate having to do morning reports, especially in backwater towns like this. What the fuck did I do to get this fucking story." Yoji Ota complained, trying and failing to light a cigarette.


"We're heading back to the station, Yoji." The cameraman said as they finished loading up the van. 


"We got all the footage they need. I'm just going to find a damn light and I'll get back to the station later." He said, walking back towards the police line. Maybe he'd have some luck with the police officers. It had been hours since they'd arrived and just now it looked like they were ready to take the corpse to the morgue. Yoji slowed his walk as he watched them load the young woman into a body bag and up into the vehicle. Yoji swallowed thickly. It really was a shitty story all the way around. 


He saw the puff of smoke from an older man, a detective by the looks of it, so he decided to approach them cigarette in hand. "Y'all wouldn't have a light now would you." He said, being careful to stay on the other side of the crime tape.
 
myvalentina said:
As soon as the reporter signed off he passed the microphone to his crew and shook off the rain like a dog. "I hate having to do morning reports, especially in backwater towns like this. What the fuck did I do to get this fucking story." Yoji Ota complained, trying and failing to light a cigarette.


"We're heading back to the station, Yoji." The cameraman said as they finished loading up the van. 


"We got all the footage they need. I'm just going to find a damn light and I'll get back to the station later." He said, walking back towards the police line. Maybe he'd have some luck with the police officers. It had been hours since they'd arrived and just now it looked like they were ready to take the corpse to the morgue. Yoji slowed his walk as he watched them load the young woman into a body bag and up into the vehicle. Yoji swallowed thickly. It really was a shitty story all the way around. 


He saw the puff of smoke from an older man, a detective by the looks of it, so he decided to approach them cigarette in hand. "Y'all wouldn't have a light now would you." He said, being careful to stay on the other side of the crime tape.
Click to expand...

"Oh good morning..."  The Detective Sugishita took out his zippo and flicked it open.  A sticker of a scantily-clad pin up girl was stuck on the lighter's surface.  "Here ya go boss..."  Sugishita lit the tip and closed the lighter.  Akira smiled at the man.  "Oh... hey you're that reporter for the local news!  Nice to see you in the flesh!"  Akira said.  Sugishita scoffed.  "Forgive the kid, he's a new detective... got a lucky break on a case and got promoted. Pretty smart guy though, don't let his bumbling act fool ya..."  Sugishita told Ota.  "You're Yoji Ota, aintcha?"


Akira looked at the corpse once more.  He felt a little squeamish now that he's paused and looked at the body.  He tried to hold back bile rising from his throat.  "Excuse me detective..."  Akira walked far away to relieve himself of the dead body's viscinity.  


Sugishita scoffed and blew smoke  "Greenhorn,"
 
Yoji bowed dramatically as he puffed on the cigarette. "The one and only I wish I could be meeting y'all on a better occasion, like for a ceremony or a new statue or something." He said honestly. As much as he was upset to have been put on such a nothing story -a little strange but an accident no less - he didn't see the need to be insensitive. At least not to the locals faces.


A crime scene investigator was climbing the up the side of the radio tower. They had been able to tell from the body that she had fallen, so there was no real need to climb the tower. It was all on the shoulders of the plucky investigator to do it anyway, even against the advice of the police officers standing around. 


"The ladder is too slick. He's gonna slip and we'll have two corpses to deal with." An officer snidely remarked. But there was indeed something up there, almost missed because of how high it was. The thing was a small box roughly the size of a head, made of some kind of metal and with a leather strap that could be adjusted. It was hanging from the strap, close enough to the a tower beam that it could have gone unseen. 


The investigator felt a strange sensation ripple through him as he got closer. He realized there was a low hum emanating from the box. He hesitated reaching for it, hand not even coming into contact with it when down below all the police radios burst with static noise. It was incredibly loud, but beneath the static, if you strained to listen, it sounded like a song. The words were too unintelligible to hear, but it sounded like Ada's voice joined by a haunting melody. 


The ladder that the investigator was on loosened without warning and the metal flew back from the tower sending the investigator to his death. The static immediately stopped at the sound of cracking bones on soft grass.


@IamNotLoki
 
myvalentina said:
Yoji bowed dramatically as he puffed on the cigarette. "The one and only I wish I could be meeting y'all on a better occasion, like for a ceremony or a new statue or something." He said honestly. As much as he was upset to have been put on such a nothing story -a little strange but an accident no less - he didn't see the need to be insensitive. At least not to the locals faces.


A crime scene investigator was climbing the up the side of the radio tower. They had been able to tell from the body that she had fallen, so there was no real need to climb the tower. It was all on the shoulders of the plucky investigator to do it anyway, even against the advice of the police officers standing around. 


"The ladder is too slick. He's gonna slip and we'll have two corpses to deal with." An officer snidely remarked. But there was indeed something up there, almost missed because of how high it was. The thing was a small box roughly the size of a head, made of some kind of metal and with a leather strap that could be adjusted. It was hanging from the strap, close enough to the a tower beam that it could have gone unseen. 


The investigator felt a strange sensation ripple through him as he got closer. He realized there was a low hum emanating from the box. He hesitated reaching for it, hand not even coming into contact with it when down below all the police radios burst with static noise. It was incredibly loud, but beneath the static, if you strained to listen, it sounded like a song. The words were too unintelligible to hear, but it sounded like Ada's voice joined by a haunting melody. 


The ladder that the investigator was on loosened without warning and the metal flew back from the tower sending the investigator to his death. The static immediately stopped at the sound of cracking bones on soft grass.


@IamNotLoki
Click to expand...

Akira's eyes opened wide in shock as an investigator's silhouette blurred in front of him and dropped a few feet across from his shoes.  Sugishita's mouth opened wide, dropping the cigarette on the floor.  Akira took a few steps back and held his breath.  "Give him room!  Medic!  Someone fell from the tower!"  Sugishita said as he ran towards his partner.  A drop of blood stained Akira's cheek as he turned to face the detective.  "You alright, kid?"  The old man panted to catch his breath.  Akira wiped his cheek with his sleeve and was terrified at the blood that streaked it.  He couldn't find the words to express his shock.


Sugishita watched as the nearby paramedics that were dispatched for Miss Ada's accident gather around the investigator.  He sighed.  "It's alright kid, this happens a lot in our line of work... Sometimes careless fools just get ahead of themselves,". The detective hoped that the officer only suffered minor injuries.


the lead paramedic walked up to Sugishita with a grim, serious face.  "No pulse,  the fall killed him instantly..."  The medic said soberly.


Sugishita rubbed his temple.  "Damn..."  He rubbed his temple and grit his teeth.  Akira looked up at the spot where he saw the officer fall.  "I heard some weird signals from the radio before the officer fell... I know it sounds weird but it sounded like... Singing..." Akira told his frustrated partner.  "Singing?"  Sugishita tilted his head.  


"Sensei, What do you think that black object is?"  Akira pointed at the black box strapped on the tower.


the older detective looked up and scratched his head.  "Frankly, I dunno... Must be some sort of radio equipment?  Go ask someone who works here..."  Sugishita suggested... Akira looked around to do just that.
 
The burst of sound from the police radios was seriously unnerving. It had happened so quickly that Yoji barely had time to register where it was coming from or what it was. And then like that, another accident and another death. It was weird enough to make Yoji consider calling his crew back, but he heard the older Detective mention carelessness, and he had to agree. It was all just coincidence, even though something was now niggling at the back of his mind. 


He walked over to the detached ladder. It was a miracle it hadn't hit anyone or anything. It was made of stainless steel, heavy enough to have made an impression in the dirt. Taking a look at the top most part of it he scratched his head at what he saw. It was as if someone had just cut the metal. It made no sense. Coincidence?


"Fuck." He cursed again, slicking rain water from his bald head. "Looks like there might be a story here." He sighed to himself.


The director of the Shizumori Radio station-- he was just called Shiitake because his haircut made him look like a mushroom-- had been standing watching the crime scene with a stern look the whole time. He'd been there to answer questions about Miss Owaku, but as soon as the ladder had collapsed he panicked rushing to his car. He needed to get to his lawyers before someone tried to sue them for negligence or something. He dropped his keys in the mud and was quickly trying to retrieve them hoping to leave before anyone remembered he was still there. 
 
myvalentina said:
The burst of sound from the police radios was seriously unnerving. It had happened so quickly that Yoji barely had time to register where it was coming from or what it was. And then like that, another accident and another death. It was weird enough to make Yoji consider calling his crew back, but he heard the older Detective mention carelessness, and he had to agree. It was all just coincidence, even though something was now niggling at the back of his mind. 


He walked over to the detached ladder. It was a miracle it hadn't hit anyone or anything. It was made of stainless steel, heavy enough to have made an impression in the dirt. Taking a look at the top most part of it he scratched his head at what he saw. It was as if someone had just cut the metal. It made no sense. Coincidence?


"Fuck." He cursed again, slicking rain water from his bald head. "Looks like there might be a story here." He sighed to himself.


The director of the Shizumori Radio station-- he was just called Shiitake because his haircut made him look like a mushroom-- had been standing watching the crime scene with a stern look the whole time. He'd been there to answer questions about Miss Owaku, but as soon as the ladder had collapsed he panicked rushing to his car. He needed to get to his lawyers before someone tried to sue them for negligence or something. He dropped his keys in the mud and was quickly trying to retrieve them hoping to leave before anyone remembered he was still there. 
Click to expand...

Akira noticed the Director walking away quickly to his vehicle.  "Sir!  Hold on!  Director-san!"  Akira ran to the mushroom-headed man.  "Sir, sorry for being rude, I'm sure you want to go back home, and it's been a long day for all of us.  Do you mind answering a few more questions before you leave?"  Akira covered his head with his hand to stop some of the rain from dripping down his face.  "It'll only take a few minutes, please..."  He asked the man.  


"I saw a strange box attached to the tower over there..."  He thumbed at the tower.  "Mind if you help me identify what it is?  Don't worry, you are not a suspect sir, we just need an expert to help us identify that object..."  
 
Mr. Shiitake had opened the door to the car, keeping it between him and the detective. But he eased a bit when he realized the question didn't have anything to do with negligence. 


"Where?" He asked, straining to look at where the detective was pointing. It was high up enough that Shiitake was sure it was just a maintenance locker. His eyes went directly to the small object. 


"I..." He paused. "I don't know." 


It was hard to tell from the distance and he would have left it at that, but the radio in his car softly came to life. Instead of the burst of sound people had heard before it was gentler somehow. Mr. Shiitake looked into his car. It wasn't on, but the radio panel glowed a red color-- different from it's usual blue.


The static wafted out along with the melody, but the panel displayed some words where it usually showed the name of the artist and song.


I'm obsessed with it... The words brought back a memory from the other day. 


"Actually, I can't be for sure, but Ada had a small box with her at the station the last couple of days. I thought it was a purse or something, but she said she'd found it at the market. She said it had 'called' to her. If that's what that thing is she must have put it up there before--" The static broke through his radio once more, this time louder and with the melody gone. This time a sinister voice growled at them both. Mr. Shiitake stumbled away from his car. 


"I... I think I'll call a cab." He said, shutting the door to his car and practically running away. 


Yoji watched the interaction with interest taking out the pad he'd used to take notes and added, Shizumori Market, along with all the other sources he'd gathered for Miss Owaku's story that morning. 


@IamNotLoki
 
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myvalentina said:
Mr. Shiitake had opened the door to the car, keeping it between him and the detective. But he eased a bit when he realized the question didn't have anything to do with negligence. 


"Where?" He asked, straining to look at where the detective was pointing. It was high up enough that Shiitake was sure it was just a maintenance locker. His eyes went directly to the small object. 


"I..." He paused. "I don't know." 


It was hard to tell from the distance and he would have left it at that, but the radio in his car softly came to life. Instead of the burst of sound people had heard before it was gentler somehow. Mr. Shiitake looked into his car. It wasn't on, but the radio panel glowed a red color-- different from it's usual blue.


The static wafted out along with the melody, but the panel displayed some words where it usually showed the name of the artist and song.


I'm obsessed with it... The words brought back a memory from the other day. 


"Actually, I can't be for sure, but Ada had a small box with her at the station the last couple of days. I thought it was a purse or something, but she said she'd found it at the market. She said it had 'called' to her. If that's what that thing is she must have put it up there before--" The static broke through his radio once more, this time louder and with the melody gone. This time a sinister voice growled at them both. Mr. Shiitake stumbled away from his car. 


"I... I think I'll call a cab." He said, shutting the door to his car and practically running away. 


Yoji watched the interaction with interest taking out the pad he'd used to take notes and added, Shizumori Market, along with all the other sources he'd gathered for Miss Owaku's story that morning. 


@IamNotLoki
Click to expand...

"Alright sir, take care..." Akira said as the man retreated away.  He turned his attention to the radio on the other side of Shiitake's abandoned car window.  Sugishita approached Akira and stood next to him.  "Long morning..."  Sugishita said to Akira.  "How about we call it a day kid?  We gotta finish up on paperwork on the officer that fell earlier..."  Sugishita scratched his chin.  "The case is pretty much closed... initial reports say Ada died of an accident just like the officer... these things happen, it's was raining and accidents happen more frequently,"  Sugishita explained.  Akira nodded.  "Yeah... I must be overthinking things, Sugishita-san..." Akira smiled and turned away from the car.  Sugishita laughed.  "We got it easy, the Tanaba and Ito are on that serial killer case... much more stressful,"  Sugishita laughed.  "Some crazy person's been killing suspected killers and rapists... some kind of twisted vigilante... you watched the news right?"  Sugishita smoked.  Akira nodded.  "Sounds scary... looks like our little town has a lot to handle these couple of weeks... lets wrap this case up..."  Akira said before they both entered their police car.
 
The Shizumori Radio tower sent out it's radio waves and could be heard all through the city proper. The transmission began to lose strength on the outskirts of the town, but could still be heard by the fisherman out at sea or by a couple of people in the tallest buildings of the neighboring town. The mountains to the south was it's main obstacle, once you drove past them the signal was completely blocked.


Every radio that could pick up the station had heard the burst of static that morning and the haunting song.


Dai, the old man who ran the Seafoam Motel, had heard it as he read the morning paper. Cab drivers making their rounds had heard it break through the radio even if they were tuned in to other channels or listening to I-pods. Cafe patrons stopped sipping their coffee and were mesmerized by the music. And little old ladies who were opening the small shops at the market smiled at the familiar melody. It was a song from the past, never recorded and only having been passed down orally over years of mother's singing it to fussy babies. Many who hadn't heard the news yet, were delighted at hearing Miss Owaku's singing debut. And a few other's had heard something entirely different among the mysterious broadcast, sweet voices telling them to do horrific things.


Once the detectives were inside the police car, a female voice cut through their radio. "We have a possible incident unfolding in Downtown Shizumori. We need available officers to report to the..." Static engulfed her words, it sounded like someone was calling--


Akira... Akira...


And suddenly doors locked loudly all around them trapping them inside the car, the red glow from before seemed to spill from within the car. It was targeting the young detective, and him only as Sugishita seemed to still be hearing the report from the police department.


@IamNotLoki
 
myvalentina said:
The Shizumori Radio tower sent out it's radio waves and could be heard all through the city proper. The transmission began to lose strength on the outskirts of the town, but could still be heard by the fisherman out at sea or by a couple of people in the tallest buildings of the neighboring town. The mountains to the south was it's main obstacle, once you drove past them the signal was completely blocked.


Every radio that could pick up the station had heard the burst of static that morning and the haunting song.


Dai, the old man who ran the Seafoam Motel, had heard it as he read the morning paper. Cab drivers making their rounds had heard it break through the radio even if they were tuned in to other channels or listening to I-pods. Cafe patrons stopped sipping their coffee and were mesmerized by the music. And little old ladies who were opening the small shops at the market smiled at the familiar melody. It was a song from the past, never recorded and only having been passed down orally over years of mother's singing it to fussy babies. Many who hadn't heard the news yet, were delighted at hearing Miss Owaku's singing debut. And a few other's had heard something entirely different among the mysterious broadcast, sweet voices telling them to do horrific things.


Once the detectives were inside the police car, a female voice cut through their radio. "We have a possible incident unfolding in Downtown Shizumori. We need available officers to report to the..." Static engulfed her words, it sounded like someone was calling--


Akira... Akira...


And suddenly doors locked loudly all around them trapping them inside the car, the red glow from before seemed to spill from within the car. It was targeting the young detective, and him only as Sugishita seemed to still be hearing the report from the police department.


@IamNotLoki
Click to expand...

Akira glanced down at the radio the strange frequency seems to be calling his name.  "Hey Sugishita-san..."  He said looking at the radio.  The old man looked at the Akira and then at the radio.  "What's up kid?"  He asked. "Theres something really strange going on with our radio... it sounds like its calling my name..."  Akira tried to turn off the radio but was interfered by Sugishita. "Whoa kid!  I'm listening to the dispatcher!"  Sugishita said as he turned the radio back on,  Akira looked at Sugishita.  "You... you can hear the dispatcher right now?"  Akira asked.  "Shhh... pipe down pardner... their seems to be an incident Downtown.." The older man said as he leaned into the radio.  Akira's eyes opened wide.  What the heck is he talking about?  All I hear is static!  Akira heard clicks from the car doors signalling that they were locked.  Akira looked at Sugishita but he doesnt seem to be the one that locked the car doors.  "Oh boy, Sugishita... I think this car is haunted..."  Akira said as he tied to unlock the car door.  Sugishita looked at Akira.  "Eh?  What are you babbling about, kid?"
 
Like a black sheet of silk was being pulled over the car, window by window blacked out. The opaqueness slid over the windshield last, darkening the inside of the car so that the red glow of the radio console was the only light left. 


Akira don't be afraid.


The voice told him, whispering like it was trying to keep from being heard by Sugishita. Or by something else. 


I'm not afraid anymore


It said and hummed a little of the melody.


@IamNotLoki
 
myvalentina said:
Like a black sheet of silk was being pulled over the car, window by window blacked out. The opaqueness slid over the windshield last, darkening the inside of the car so that the red glow of the radio console was the only light left. 


Akira don't be afraid.


The voice told him, whispering like it was trying to keep from being heard by Sugishita. Or by something else. 


I'm not afraid anymore


It said and hummed a little of the melody.


@IamNotLoki
Click to expand...

Akira's face morphed into a relaxed smile.  "Sugishita-san... I think I'm hallucinating..."  Akira said calmly.


"Huh?  Okay Akira, I think you might be going nuts because of this case..."  Sugishita said as he turned on the ignition.  "How about I take you home, huh?  Seems like you need rest..."


Akira smirked.  "Yeah, I've been staying up a lot lately.  I've been so busy these recent weeks..."  He sighed.  He seems to be ignoring the voices from the radio.


"Okay," Sugishita began to move the car forward.
 
"Look you guys don't need me at the station. The story is practically edited to perfection cause I'm a one take guy, so just submit it as is. Add a freaking lower third and call it a day." Yoji said, as he looked out the window of his car. The traffic to get into the downtown area was ridiculous.


"Excuse me? Yes, it's my job but I'm asking y'all to do it!" He said, and then after a second he said, "Please!" Voice still high from his own frustration. He couldn't piss off his crew so he asked. "Actually is something happening in downtown Shizumori?" Someone loudly shouted into the receiver and we was pretty sure it was his producer.


"You're still there!" The phone chastised him.


"I promise to video any newsworthy events, bye!" He said, hanging up and focusing on driving, but the traffic was barely moving. Yoji just decided to pull into an allyway and start walking into town.


He walked towards the traffic and where a crowd was gathering. They were all watching two people on the roof of a building. "Shit..." He thought, jumpers. A woman was pulling onto a man as if trying to force them both over the edge of the building. 


It was hard to hear from the distance, she shouted. "She wants us to go with her!"


"Please, remain calm. You don't have to jump. Fire crews are coming with an inflatable..." The police were trying to intervene, but the woman and the man on the roof were in their own world. The man was physically holding the woman from falling off as she leaned over the side. The crowd shouted in worry.


The man was using all his strength to hold her and if he'd held on for a while longer he may have saved them both, but a harsh wind blew whipping around the crowd like a dust tornado. A large iron t.v. antenna shifted on the roof and collapsed sending the two people plummeting to the ground. Yoji watched horrifically as for a second time he saw someone fall to their death that day.


@IamNotLoki
 
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