Chapter 4: Who's Hiroshi
Part 1:
A few days had passed since Wüden Boi did battle with Has’Varan Rex and The Brotherhood of the Blood Moon; they had decided to return to Dingo’s “Fortress of Solitude”, The Hollow Log, to regroup and get some rest. Once Scufflemöss and the Vitki had defeated the weakened physical form of Anq’coraj, certain changes came into effect. Flurpis began leaking from his face holes more than before, so much that he had to keep a bucket handy and a blindfold just keep from ruining the upholstery in DC’s Space Camaro; and Scufflemöss’s psychosis had become more pronounced to the point that he was seeing a man in a chicken suit that wasn’t there.Something about beating the Old God Anq’coraj had a negative effect, if only on those two. “You know Hiroshi, if you use oxyclean on those stains you won’t have to scrub as hard.” Scufflemöss said outloud to thin air as if expecting a response. The rest of Wüden Boi had taken notice of the Forest Troll’s increasing instability, but let him be since he wasn’t violent. “Those pesky stains, you wouldn’t have them if you stayed out of the darn coop.” Scufflemöss shouted at the invisible chicken. “Who’s he talkin’ to?” DC asked Dingo who was stoking the campfire. “Hiroshi, it’s a giant chicken or something.” Dingo responded. “Should we do something about that?” DC asked. “Talking to invisible birds isn’t normal.” “He’s a Forest Troll, you’re a Space Cat, what’s even normal anymore” Dingo poked the logs in the fire with an iron rod. “Right... but I mean...” DC looked at the Troll sitting just yards away blabbering away. “There’s still some repairs to be made on the Space Camaro, so I’ll be back before sun down.” DC grabbed his tool bag and set out on the hike back to the Space Camaro. Meanwhile, Flurpis was acclimating to his life under a blindfold, it wasn’t much different considering as he was already blind, but slightly messier. He had also started wearing a strand of old Xmas lights around his neck; he had stumbled across them while at the High Watt and noticed that the clinking sound they made worked similarly to snapping his fingers, and let him ‘see’ the sound vibrations much easier when he walked around. Zopi was also using the downtime wisely and slept for two days. |
Part 2:
A couple more days passed at The Hollow Log, and Wüden Boi had settled into Dingo’s camp. Zopi made himself at home in a nearby tree where he could watch over their camp from above, he appointed himself as security detail for the group; but really he just liked the solitude that the tree top provided. Daddy Cat was able to repair the hover thrusters on the Space Camaro, then navigated the forest to bring his vehicle closer to camp for a more comfortable place to sleep. Flurpis promised to keep his feet off the backseat upholstery, so DC allowed him to crash with him in the Space Camaro. Dingo mostly kept to himself within the cave at The Hollow Log, but he would come out for group meals and to go on meditative walks. But Scufflemöss wasn’t adapting as easily, he would often wander off from camp mid-conversation babbling to an invisible giant chicken. DC was becoming increasingly more concerned; he and Flurpis followed the Troll out on one of his afternoon meanderings. Scufflemöss hobbled out to a clearing in the forest, and sat on the ground. “You know Hiroshi, flour is make of wheat. So technically Bun is vegetable.” He paused as if listening for a response. “Yeas, und you can put vegetable in bun, like Zucchini bread.” DC approached the Troll and tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, uh, Scufflemöss, are you okay man?” The Troll turned and replied, “Yeas, is great. We beat Anq’coraj, und now we can have rest. Oh, have you met Hiroshi?” “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, man, there’s no one there.” DC helped the Troll stand up and put a paw on his shoulder. “You’ve been talking to nothing for days.” “Uh... but, Hiroshi is right there... Oh...this happen before... Maybe I could use some sleep...” The Troll said. “Yeah, lets go back. Get you a Scuffle-snack or something.” Flurpis commented, but became distracted. DC lead Scufflemöss back to camp, but Flurpis lingered behind a bit tapping his strand of lights in the spot that Scufflemöss was sitting; the sound waves lit up the area and he was able to see his surroundings. Three people went down to the clearing, but Flurpis was counting four. |
Part 3:
“Yeah, I can see Hiroshi.” Dingo said plainly, “Saw him appear just after we left the High Watt. He didn’t seem to be malicious so I didn’t do anything about it.” “Then why can’t I see it?” DC questioned. “Thermal scans in my visor aren’t picking anything up.” “It’s cause he’s not there. Physically at least.” Dingo tried to explain. “He’s tethered to Scufflemöss by ethereal strands. We can’t do anything about it, Scufflemöss has to get rid of it himself.” “And you can see all of that?” DC asked. “Yeah, but not physically see, it’s a third sight kind of thing.” Dingo responded. “I saw it too.” Flurpis chimed in. “You... saw? How?” DC said in disbelief. “Well,” Flurpis fiddled with his necklace. “I’ve been messing with soundwaves. I can ‘see’ when I snap or clink these bulbs.” He rattled his necklace, “like right now I can see you’re frowning at me with your paw on your temple.” DC shifted his body nervously, like Flurpis had just announced he had X-Ray vision. “But I saw the Chicken Man. He’s right over there.” Flurpis pointed. Dingo nodded in agreement. “Ass-face is right, I guess he can ‘see’” “Hey! I resemble that statement!” Flurpis chuckled. “Yeah, you do.” DC snorted, “so what do we do about Hiroshi? We don’t need a ghost bird around here, the other bird is bad enough.” He flipped off Zopi in the tree who noticed and returned a middle finger right back at the Space cat. “Nothing.” Dingo shrugged. “Scufflemöss has to banish it himself.” |