Montage of Mystery

So I haven't really been motivated to get out of bed today.

I had to tell myself to get up. It took a while because I was comfy texting lying there listening to music content with how the morning was going.

It's been somewhat rough these past few days. It's been apparent on the blog here - short entries, a lack of concentration, thoughts drifting elsewhere when I should be working on things...

...oh, wait. That's what I've been exhibiting in real life? Uh... riiiight. *sheepishly clears throat* Ignore all this, then. I'm just spouting nonsense that can't be explained and won't be explained for now. (Or can it and will it...?)





CURRENT MUSIC:
Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori - "Overture"
Halo 3: ODST Original Soundtrack

As it's been quiet here in the sheets, I wanted something to help me try to focus on writing today's entry. I figured I'd get something out of the ordinary that clashed with today's moods - and since those moods involve "sunny" and "Monday at work," I wanted something that both provided aural harmony and symbolic dissonance at the same time.

And then it hit me: ODST's "Overture" would be perfect for the job. It's certainly worked before for me on the blog, so why shouldn't I call upon its music one more time?

The opening rain obviously serves as a counter-point to the weather, and when you first think about it, so does the noir sound of the track. However, with extended listening, I found that it still matched today quite well - and not just because I've been acting all mysterious and super-special-happy lately.

Okay, maybe that, too. It has been perplexing my co-workers, and the fact that I've been asking suspicious questions and giving suspiciously specific not-answers to their inquiries. Aside from knowing that I've been in high spirits, they know nothing - and that's where the "Overture's" more uplifting section at 0:45 kicks in. Of course, since I've been dodging the interrogations, it's gotten them even more interesting in finding out the answer to this mystery.





Welcome, everyone. It's a short entry today on this Monday, but it's considerably more decent than the last few that have "graced" the Internet.





Due to the nature of the events that have been going on lately, I guess you can say that life has been... well, it's been excellent. Readers from my high school days may see that sentence and react with a bit of shock - I honestly don't recall a single moment where I've said those exact words. (I might have said that it's been a great day or something similar, but never have I used the word "excellent" to describe it.) It's been baffling, but at the same time, it's been almost painfully obvious.

Then again, I haven't really hung out with a lot of people lately (I blame work for that one), so not many have been exposed to this happiness. I even tried telling y'all back on Thursday, but the most amazing part is that nopony caught the message I was passing along. While I could take that as a sign that nobody reads my blog (not like I knew that already), I also took it as a sign that nobody's caught wind of the news.

So, what is this great announcement you're trying to figure out? What great life-changing event or what-have-you has graced my existence with theirs?

If you've read this blog intently over the past two weeks, you should know by now. (That, or you somehow forced it out of me and I told you.) But for the rest of y'all trying to be all nosy (even though I'm pretty much shoving it in your face already), you still haven't caught wind of it.

Now, you could go over all the entries I made during the past fourteen days... or you can use this entry to assist with your sleuthing "skills." Knowing that you don't want to re-read everything there, we're going to go ahead and experiment with this one.

I went ahead and did some reconnaissance for you, and I was able to take these photos for you to help aid in your investigation. Be warned, though... not all of it may be useful for your quest.





(Author's Note: Playing "Overture" might help set the mood. While the rest of the entry is just ridiculously silly, I'm making it feel as if this was a gritty noir piece. Just pretend that the primary narration is done by some 1950s detective solving a crime scene. Or comic!Dojima. I'm probably going to fail at it, but eh - it's all funny in the end. I hope.)

...I hate this intersection.

It all started on a cloudy day. Hell, the entirety of June and the start of July showed us southern Californians nothing but cloudy skies. It was driving the locals wild with anger, but that was usual for them. I've grown accustomed to it, and so nowadays I no longer pay any attention to it.

Universal Studios Hollywood Citywalk - always a fun place to visit... if you have the money to shop.

One day, I was taking a stroll down the citywalk when I ran into an old informant of mine. Lately, there had been a string of missing persons cases springing up, and it had seemed apparent that this was going to be the major crime spree of the summer. Now, normally I don't pay attention to my informants - I only hire them when they give me a hot tip for a case I'm working on.

Gas prices are slowly falling... meaning I can afford a tank of gas!

She, however, seemed adamant. She said something about one of her close friends getting nabbed the day before, and right before I was going to leave her job behind, she offered me a briefcase with $40,000 in it. I'm not entirely sure that this money was acquired legally, but none of the bank notes I tested came up on any recent bank heists. So, figuring I could lend a hand to this whole "missing persons" ordeal, I took the job. I needed the money, as well, so it was a win-win.

Hollywood Citywalk's got the coolest-looking GameStop I've seen.

She directed me to a game store that had been dealing with illegally-obtained goods. Now, I knew the business, and I knew the owners - legitimate, honest Americans just trying to make a living. However, it was their clients that seemed to be dealing with the dirty laundry, and as such these clean workers kept getting their hands unintentionally soiled with dirt and crime.

King Taco's tacos al pastor.

Their latest illegal "acquisition" came from a guy who called himself "Lord of the Pines" - and from what they told me, he frequented a little Mexican eatery called "King Taco" or something like that. Figures - if the guy's got an ego the size of Las Vegas, then he'll call himself something grand and only go to equally-grand places as well.

Five Guys is the brunch of champions. And according to my friend's shirt there, the Los Angeles Kings.

But when I got to the address the game shop boys gave me, it turned out to be a burger place. The guys were reliable - they never let me down. However, I was wondering if the information they were given turned out to be a fake, because it had seemed like the burger joint had been there for ages. I went in, and I saw nobody but the workers and a lone man sitting in a corner table. What surprised me was that this man called out to me by name. He beckoned me over, told me to sit down, and introduced himself as "Stanley."

Would you believe it if I said I never had Panera Bread until Friday?

He offered me one of the many burgers sitting on the table. I declined and ordered myself a nice sandwich and some chips. Right before I asked Stanley how he knew who I was, he got up, paid his bill, and said to me: "Come back tomorrow night at eight o'clock. The Lord of the Pines will summon you to the kitchen, and you will find your friend's friend." He left behind a $100 tip - now, whether he was flaunting or indicating to me that he was so richly well-connected I couldn't hope to touch him... we'll never know. But hey - he paid for my sandwich, too, so I wasn't about to complain.

GOD I LOVE UMAMI BURGER

So I came back the next day at 8:30 PM. It was busy, but I was able to find myself a table and sit down. I waited about five minutes for a waitress to come around, and right when I was fed up with waiting, a female worker came over and placed a burger on my table. She left right when I was about to say that I didn't order anything, and then I gazed at the burger. An ordinary bacon cheeseburger - but there was a "U" seared on the bun. Then it hit me - "The Lord of the Pines" will summmon you to the kitchen." Maybe I misheard Stanley when he said "you" - or rather, "U."

Even at work I somehow manage to make the day more entertaining by throwing My Little Pony references somewhere.

I ate the burger. Satisfied that it wasn't poisoned (I was sure he didn't want me dead - at least not yet), I got up and acted as if I was making my way to the bathroom. When nobody was looking, I turned the other way. I bolted to the kitchen and went through the doors. I was surprised when none of the staff seemed to care that I was intruding - rather, the lead cook was looking at me and pointing to an office door with his spatula. Inside was an empty desk with an encrypted note.

Now why does this thing look so bloody familiar...?

When translated, the note said:

"Come where the water stands still at midnight, with you alone
You'll get your needed answers - if your past you can atone
The address is but a place where a life anew began
You know where it is - let hearts race as I reveal the plan"

Initally, I was baffled, but then I realized that this note was referring to an old case I had previously tried working on. Deducing that, it led me to a fountain I had visited once before when I was called up to investigate a murder.





And here I am now... still waiting. Who is this mystery "Lord of the Pines?" What does he want? Will I find my informant's friend?

I don't know, but... *lights a cigarette* ...I'll be waiting.