2018.07.31 Things Are Looking Up

Things Are Looking Up
An ordinary day for an ordinary man
IC Date	July 31, 2018
IC Time	Morning
Players	Richard
Location	Prospect

6:00 AM.

Richard's eyes open, and he rolls onto his side to look at the silent alarm clock on his bedside table. The digital readout appears to match his preferred time to awaken. His glasses rest next to his alarm clock, waiting to be claimed by their owner.

Richard slowly rises from his bed from one side, taking the moment to carefully restore the shape and coverage left by his sheets and comforter. Some people mule-kick the bedspread during the night, but he scarcely moves. The minor chore completed, he moves on to the next task.

U0VMRUNUIHV1aWQsIGNyZWF0ZWQsIHNlbmRlciBGUk9NIGZlZWRzIFdIRVJFIGNyZWF0ZWQgPj0gJzIwMTgtMDctMzEgMDI6MjY6NDcgVVRDJyBPUkRFUiBCWSAxIFNPUlQgREVTQzs=

The hygiene ritual is no different for others than it is for Richard. Flossing first, followed by a waterpik and then a sonic toothbrush. The shower will take no more than six minutes and thirteen seconds, including rinse and repeat. He will towel off, and hang it up. Since three days have not elapsed, he will not deposit it in the laundry to be washed later.

Richard does not make breakfast most mornings, at least in the traditional sense. There is a frying pan in a cabinet and eggs in the refrigerator, but he instead fetches a container that is marked for the current date. He opens it up and deposits the contents into a blender with a motor measured at 2 horsepower. This is followed by ice from the freezer, and the blending begins.

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

Richard looks down at his phone while sipping his meal replacement concoction. Much to his delight, it appears as though his order of a new Apple Lightning cable will be arriving later today.

UHJvYmFiaWxpc3RpYyBtb2RlbHMgd2l0aCBNYXJrb3YgY2hhaW5zIGFyZSBjb21wbGV0ZS4gSGlzdG9ncmFtcyBBLCBCLCBhbmQgQyBoYXZlIGJlZW4gZXhwb3J0ZWQuIFNXT1QgYW5hbHlzaXMgcmVqZWN0ZWQuIFNlbmRpbmcgcmVzcG9uc2UgZm9yIHV1aWQgPSAnRjk3QzVEMjk5NDFCRkIxQjJGREFCMDg3NDkwNkFCODIn

A combing of the hair is followed by the suiting up of the body. Richard watches himself in the mirror as he knots the tie around his neck. It is the second to last thing he does before packing up his briefcase with the essentials: leather-bound portfolio, calculator, mechanical pencil. Once it is strapped over one shoulder, he makes his way out of his apartment.

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

Richard locks the door behind him, tucking his keys into the pocket of his slacks. He makes his way down the hallway and to the elevator. In a few more moments he is outside of the apartment building. A red ball slowly rolls its way toward him, coming to rest an inch away from his shoes. He looks down at it before bending to pick it up. Two twin children approach, differing in gender. He offers them a perfunctory smile before tossing the ball back to them.

Q291bnRlcmludGVsbGlnZW5jZSByaXNrIG1vZGVsIGJhc2VkIG9uIGNvbmplY3R1cmUuIFByZWRpY3RpdmUgbWV0aG9kcyBhbmQgcmlzayBhbmFseXNpcyBxdWFudGlmaWVkIGFuZCBmb3JtYXR0ZWQuIEFkanVkaWNhdGlvbiBjb21wbGV0ZS4gU1dPVCBhbmFseXNpcyByZWplY3RlZC4gU2VuZGluZyByZXNwb25zZSBmb3IgdXVpZCA9ICdCOEE5RjcxNURCQjY0RkQ1QzU2RTc3ODNDNjgyMEE2MSc=

Richard starts to make his way down the street, the weather warm enough to threaten obscene levels of heat. But it is only a short walk before he will get to his first meeting with a client. An insurance company has hired him to help make their next audit ironclad. It will be hours of poring over documented standard operating procedures and comma-separated values in countless spreadsheets. It's enough to put a spring into the man's step, if he were inclined to do so.

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

Richard makes his way to the office building for his first client, opening the door and approaching the front desk. The security person knows him by face and by name, addressing him as 'Mister Cromwell' with a smile. Richard smiles reflexively, showing off his unimpressive teeth. He signs in, and waits for his contact to come down and retrieve him.

QWxnb3JpdGhtIHJlcHJvZHVjZWQuIEtlcmNraG9mZidzIHByaW5jaXBsZSBub3QgYXBwbGljYWJsZS4gQWxsIGNvbnN0cmFpbnRzIGFuZCBvcHRpbWFsaXR5IGNvbmRpdGlvbnMgYXJlIHNhdGlzZmllZC4gU1dPVCBhbmFseXNpcyByZWplY3RlZC4gU2VuZGluZyByZXNwb25zZSBmb3IgdXVpZCA9ICczNUQ2RDMzNDY3QUFFOUEyRTNEQ0NCNEI2QjAyNzg3OCc=

Richard shakes hands with the woman that has come down to greet him. "Have you gotten coffee yet?" she asks him, to which he shakes his head.

UmVzcG9uc2UgZnJvbSBGOTdDNUQyOTk0MUJGQjFCMkZEQUIwODc0OTA2QUI4MjogQWNrbm93bGVkZ2UgcmVjZWlwdC4gT3BlcmF0aW9uIGluIHBsYWNlLiBXaXRoIGFueSBsdWNrLCB3ZSdsbCB0YWtlIHRoZSBsZWFkZXIgYWxpdmUgYW5kIGdldCB0aGUgbG9jYXRpb24gb2YgaGlzIG1hc3Rlci4gVGhlc2UgcHN5Y2hvcGF0aHMgd29uJ3Qga25vdyB3aGF0IGhpdCB0aGVtLiA=

Richard follows the woman to the coffee pot, where the office intern has started to pour them both coffee. "How has your morning been thus far?" she asks affably. "You take it black, right?"

UmVzcG9uc2UgZnJvbSBCOEE5RjcxNURCQjY0RkQ1QzU2RTc3ODNDNjgyMEE2MTogUmVjZWl2ZWQuIFNlY3VyaXR5IGhhcyBiZWVuIG5vdGlmaWVkLiBBIGNvbmZlc3Npb24gaGFzIGJlZW4gZWxpY2l0ZWQgaW4gcmVjb3JkIHRpbWUuIFB1bmlzaG1lbnQgaXMgcGVuZGluZyBmdXJ0aGVyIG9yZGVycyBmcm9tIG91ciBBZG1pbmlzdHJhdG9yLiBZb3UgaGF2ZSBvdXIgYXBwcmVjaWF0aW9uLg==

"Just an ordinary day," replies Richard. "And I do. No cream or sugar."

UmVzcG9uc2UgZnJvbSAzNUQ2RDMzNDY3QUFFOUEyRTNEQ0NCNEI2QjAyNzg3ODogV2UgZ290IHlvdXIgbW9kZWwgYW5kLi4uIHlvdSBmb3VuZCB0aGUgc2VlZC4gV2UnbGwgaGF2ZSB0aGUgY2l0eSdzIHdhdGVyIHN1cHBseSBjbGVhbmVkLiBUaGFuayB5b3Ugc28gbXVjaCEh

As the coffee is poured, Richard raises a finger, "Actually, maybe cream and sugar today. Things are looking up."