comic
Previously turnt3chGodh34d
Roleplay Discussion
Three days. It had been three days since the initial terror and confusion that had consumed the residents of the Palm Beach Apartment Complex. Three apartments total, each filled with mostly residents, some tourists, but mostly people who were completely aware that the sun wasn't supposed to vanish in an instant. People that understood ash and snow weren't supposed to fall from the sky in the middle of a Florida summer. They still had light sources, fortunately. For now, at least, but there was already talk of turning off the apartment generators to conserve power, but that loss of power meant a loss of heat. They'd quickly freeze to death as every second they spent in this dark world, the colder it got.
Yet as people struggled with this sudden, horrific reality thrust upon them, there were some completely unaware of what was happening, even three days in. One of these people was Tokko Jung-Min, a Korean author who had been hiding away in his room long before the shift in realities. It wasn't until today that he was forced to learn the truth- when a sudden knock came at his door.
Jung-Min blinked for a moment, staring down at the thick stack of papers before him. A book he'd been writing for a while, and as far as he was concerned, he'd finished it yesterday, but instead of trying to get it published immediately as he'd usually done, he simply stared at it, occasionally flipping through the pages, cringing at a few spelling errors that he'd then correct. Already he barely ate or slept, and the lack of sunlight streaming into his room was not unusual, the windows themselves covered by thick blankets. He'd been too absorbed in his new book labelled 'Sorrow's Laughter: Book One' to even notice the freezing temperatures leaking into the room through those blankets. The building's heating system helped with that anyway.
He blinked as the knock sounded again, and slowly, he started to regain his senses. Slowly, he turned his gaze to look through the doorway of his room and out into the living room, where the front entrance sat, closed and locked as it almost always was. Even then, it took him several more moments (and knocks) to erase his stupor, realizing that someone was trying to get his attention. Normally he'd ignore it, but with as heavy and urgent as the knocks sounded, he was certain it might be the police, or security, and he'd be much better off answering it than not. "Uh- coming!" He croaked out to the door, his voice cracking. He rarely used it that suddenly shouting after weeks of silence was jarring to him and probably the listener. As he pushed his rolling chair back and stood up, he felt his muscles ache from the position he'd been maintaining for so long.
Jung-Min had a lanky, malnourished form, with greasy black hair that often covered his glasses, which shielded his eyes. His skin was pale and sunken, especially around the eyes. He clearly didn't get much sunlight, and clearly didn't take care of himself.
Truth be told, he saw no reason to. He wasn't fit for the things his parents had wanted of him. Even had a falling out with his dad, who'd disowned him, claiming he was a disgrace to the family name. His mother, his brother, his sister, none stood up for him. So he'd left them and never looked back to pursue his dreams in writing, which... wasn't going so well. Even in pursuing the thing he loved he was still a failure. Jung-Min saw no pleasure in pursuing social relationships, or even getting a decently paying job. He worked part-time as a cashier in the apartment's own little mall, which took up the first two floors of the third apartment building, the one which he lived in. He'd taken the past two weeks off upon request, and his boss didn't really seem to care. He'd heard rumors of being replaced, and while that should stir something in him to try harder, it simply... didn't. Oh well if he lost his job. Oh well if he lost his apartment because he was no longer able to pay for it. Oh well this, oh well that. At this point in his life, he'd pretty much given up entirely. Sure he still poured his heart and soul out into his writing, but nobody had ever appreciated it. So if he wasn't recognized for the one talent he had, was there even a point?
These were the sort of internal arguments Jung-Min faced on a daily basis as he lumbered his way over to the front door, stumbling slightly as he regained balance in his legs, having not used them in days. Unhealthy, yeah, but he didn't much care.
Fumbling with the various locks, Jung-Min opened the door, squinting and backing away the moment the light from the hall shone in, casting a yellow glow over him. Undoubtedly, he stunk even more than his home, both of which smelled old, moldy, and generally unappealing. This was notable as the man at the doorway wrinkled his nose in disgust. He was wearing the usual security get-up Jung-Min had been expecting. Black dress clothes over white casual, an ID on his chest, an earpiece hanging over his shoulder, and a taser strapped to his waist. His skin was dark, and he had no hair on his head, but his face was a different story, hidden beneath a thick black beard, his large amber eyes piercing into Jung-Min's own. "Sorry to bother you, sir." He greeted. "We're going door-to-door, checking up on everyone to make sure there's been nothing... er- bad happening yet."
The author blinked tiredly, before scratching his arm, and awkwardly replied with; "Uh... bad... yet...?"
"As you know, with current... 'events', extra steps have had to be taken to ensure everyone's safety. Have you seen anything in the dark? Heard any strange noises coming from outside?"
At this point, Jung-Min was completely and utterly confused, now frowning incredulously at the security guard, who seemed to notice this, and narrowed his eyes somewhat when he got no reply. "You... do know what's happening, right?"
"...No...?"
This time it was the man's turn to struggle with his words, unsure of how to put what he wanted to say into a believable sense. "I... think it would be best if you looked outside, speak to some of the other residents too. I need to continue my round, but if you have any questions they can't answer, just call the security desk and ask for me, I'll be happy to help you if I can. The name's Frank Mason." He stuck out a hand, which Jung-Min only looked at in an awkward fashion, not shaking it. After a few moments of awkward silence, Frank returned his hand to his side, clearing his throat. "Uh... thanks for your time, sir. Take care, and be sure to report anything unusual." With that, he turned and walked away.
Jung-Min closed the door and locked it again, letting out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He hated interacted with people. He didn't know how to do it right, even. Regardless, his thoughts now fell on what Frank had said. Things in the dark making noises? That was the jist of it, so slowly, the author made his way through a pile of old food wrappers to the other end of the living room, where he now felt the cold emanating from behind the blanket that covered it. Shivering slightly, he pulled back the blanket, preparing to be blinded by the sun- but saw nothing. He blinked a few times, before pressing his face to the window and gazing out. He could see a few lights on from the other two apartment buildings, a street lamp or two illuminating the pool outside, but beyond that there were no lights. He got a feeling of unease as he stood there staring for a moment, noticing how frozen the pool seemed. How white the ground that was illuminated looked. Had he stayed in his room for so long that winter had come? Even then, rarely did it snow in Miami... what the hell was happening? Another ice age?
What put him off the most was the lack of lights anywhere but the apartments. It was like the rest of the world had disappeared.
Slowly, he replaced the blanket back to its original position, going back a pace. Okay... so clearly there was something weird going on, and now he was genuinely intrigued. He didn't look forward to it, but he'd be taking Frank up on his advice. Especially when he checked his phone to find there was no service, which meant the only way to find answers was either to ask people, or find a group of people and stand near to eavesdrop, which was a lot more appealing.
With an air of exhaustion, Jung-Min let out a sigh, collected some clean clothes from a drawer, and got himself ready for a shower, wondering what the other residents could possibly be thinking of these strange current...' events', as Frank put it.
Three days. It had been three days since the initial terror and confusion that had consumed the residents of the Palm Beach Apartment Complex. Three apartments total, each filled with mostly residents, some tourists, but mostly people who were completely aware that the sun wasn't supposed to vanish in an instant. People that understood ash and snow weren't supposed to fall from the sky in the middle of a Florida summer. They still had light sources, fortunately. For now, at least, but there was already talk of turning off the apartment generators to conserve power, but that loss of power meant a loss of heat. They'd quickly freeze to death as every second they spent in this dark world, the colder it got.
Yet as people struggled with this sudden, horrific reality thrust upon them, there were some completely unaware of what was happening, even three days in. One of these people was Tokko Jung-Min, a Korean author who had been hiding away in his room long before the shift in realities. It wasn't until today that he was forced to learn the truth- when a sudden knock came at his door.
Jung-Min blinked for a moment, staring down at the thick stack of papers before him. A book he'd been writing for a while, and as far as he was concerned, he'd finished it yesterday, but instead of trying to get it published immediately as he'd usually done, he simply stared at it, occasionally flipping through the pages, cringing at a few spelling errors that he'd then correct. Already he barely ate or slept, and the lack of sunlight streaming into his room was not unusual, the windows themselves covered by thick blankets. He'd been too absorbed in his new book labelled 'Sorrow's Laughter: Book One' to even notice the freezing temperatures leaking into the room through those blankets. The building's heating system helped with that anyway.
He blinked as the knock sounded again, and slowly, he started to regain his senses. Slowly, he turned his gaze to look through the doorway of his room and out into the living room, where the front entrance sat, closed and locked as it almost always was. Even then, it took him several more moments (and knocks) to erase his stupor, realizing that someone was trying to get his attention. Normally he'd ignore it, but with as heavy and urgent as the knocks sounded, he was certain it might be the police, or security, and he'd be much better off answering it than not. "Uh- coming!" He croaked out to the door, his voice cracking. He rarely used it that suddenly shouting after weeks of silence was jarring to him and probably the listener. As he pushed his rolling chair back and stood up, he felt his muscles ache from the position he'd been maintaining for so long.
Jung-Min had a lanky, malnourished form, with greasy black hair that often covered his glasses, which shielded his eyes. His skin was pale and sunken, especially around the eyes. He clearly didn't get much sunlight, and clearly didn't take care of himself.
Truth be told, he saw no reason to. He wasn't fit for the things his parents had wanted of him. Even had a falling out with his dad, who'd disowned him, claiming he was a disgrace to the family name. His mother, his brother, his sister, none stood up for him. So he'd left them and never looked back to pursue his dreams in writing, which... wasn't going so well. Even in pursuing the thing he loved he was still a failure. Jung-Min saw no pleasure in pursuing social relationships, or even getting a decently paying job. He worked part-time as a cashier in the apartment's own little mall, which took up the first two floors of the third apartment building, the one which he lived in. He'd taken the past two weeks off upon request, and his boss didn't really seem to care. He'd heard rumors of being replaced, and while that should stir something in him to try harder, it simply... didn't. Oh well if he lost his job. Oh well if he lost his apartment because he was no longer able to pay for it. Oh well this, oh well that. At this point in his life, he'd pretty much given up entirely. Sure he still poured his heart and soul out into his writing, but nobody had ever appreciated it. So if he wasn't recognized for the one talent he had, was there even a point?
These were the sort of internal arguments Jung-Min faced on a daily basis as he lumbered his way over to the front door, stumbling slightly as he regained balance in his legs, having not used them in days. Unhealthy, yeah, but he didn't much care.
Fumbling with the various locks, Jung-Min opened the door, squinting and backing away the moment the light from the hall shone in, casting a yellow glow over him. Undoubtedly, he stunk even more than his home, both of which smelled old, moldy, and generally unappealing. This was notable as the man at the doorway wrinkled his nose in disgust. He was wearing the usual security get-up Jung-Min had been expecting. Black dress clothes over white casual, an ID on his chest, an earpiece hanging over his shoulder, and a taser strapped to his waist. His skin was dark, and he had no hair on his head, but his face was a different story, hidden beneath a thick black beard, his large amber eyes piercing into Jung-Min's own. "Sorry to bother you, sir." He greeted. "We're going door-to-door, checking up on everyone to make sure there's been nothing... er- bad happening yet."
The author blinked tiredly, before scratching his arm, and awkwardly replied with; "Uh... bad... yet...?"
"As you know, with current... 'events', extra steps have had to be taken to ensure everyone's safety. Have you seen anything in the dark? Heard any strange noises coming from outside?"
At this point, Jung-Min was completely and utterly confused, now frowning incredulously at the security guard, who seemed to notice this, and narrowed his eyes somewhat when he got no reply. "You... do know what's happening, right?"
"...No...?"
This time it was the man's turn to struggle with his words, unsure of how to put what he wanted to say into a believable sense. "I... think it would be best if you looked outside, speak to some of the other residents too. I need to continue my round, but if you have any questions they can't answer, just call the security desk and ask for me, I'll be happy to help you if I can. The name's Frank Mason." He stuck out a hand, which Jung-Min only looked at in an awkward fashion, not shaking it. After a few moments of awkward silence, Frank returned his hand to his side, clearing his throat. "Uh... thanks for your time, sir. Take care, and be sure to report anything unusual." With that, he turned and walked away.
Jung-Min closed the door and locked it again, letting out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He hated interacted with people. He didn't know how to do it right, even. Regardless, his thoughts now fell on what Frank had said. Things in the dark making noises? That was the jist of it, so slowly, the author made his way through a pile of old food wrappers to the other end of the living room, where he now felt the cold emanating from behind the blanket that covered it. Shivering slightly, he pulled back the blanket, preparing to be blinded by the sun- but saw nothing. He blinked a few times, before pressing his face to the window and gazing out. He could see a few lights on from the other two apartment buildings, a street lamp or two illuminating the pool outside, but beyond that there were no lights. He got a feeling of unease as he stood there staring for a moment, noticing how frozen the pool seemed. How white the ground that was illuminated looked. Had he stayed in his room for so long that winter had come? Even then, rarely did it snow in Miami... what the hell was happening? Another ice age?
What put him off the most was the lack of lights anywhere but the apartments. It was like the rest of the world had disappeared.
Slowly, he replaced the blanket back to its original position, going back a pace. Okay... so clearly there was something weird going on, and now he was genuinely intrigued. He didn't look forward to it, but he'd be taking Frank up on his advice. Especially when he checked his phone to find there was no service, which meant the only way to find answers was either to ask people, or find a group of people and stand near to eavesdrop, which was a lot more appealing.
With an air of exhaustion, Jung-Min let out a sigh, collected some clean clothes from a drawer, and got himself ready for a shower, wondering what the other residents could possibly be thinking of these strange current...' events', as Frank put it.
