mayfield_rpg | 2 Things To Fight For.

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2 Things To Fight For.

[1 - Hastings Boulevard - Morning before school/work.]

[Fang's taking to running laps up and down the street bright and early every morning as she can't stand being cooped up in that house. She's never done well staying in one place too long and Mayfield is going to be no exception to this. She didn't like Cocoon for a plethora of reasons but one of the main ones was the artificial environment it had. Mayfield isn't quite as bad as Cocoon but it's bad enough that it's still making her feel like a tiger trapped in a cage. Thusly, this is one of her coping methods. It's not as great as the weapons practice she's started up doing in the house and in the backyard but there's only so much of that anyone can stand.]

[2 - Mayfield High School - During the school day in the halls.]

[So apparently, she's a, uh... Teacher? What the hell. Not like this place made much sense anyway and at least it's a subject she can... Mostly handle. Though what precisely she'd supposed to do with these kids is still a little trying in a place like this... Either way, she's been making it through the classes without looking like a complete buffoon which counted for something. Now though it's between classes and she doesn't have anything this coming period but she does the period after. What the hell is she supposed to do with herself until then?]

[3 - After school - Leaving school grounds/Way home from work - Starting at school and walking streets of Mayfield back to Hastings - Reasonable that she may get lost and not realize she's lost.]

[The day was over. Kids were wondering about here and there, some lingering around the school grounds and others running away as quickly as possible. Fang couldn't blame either set. She'd stick around for a little bit in case anyone had questions before heading out herself. While she learned quick, she was still getting a feel for the town and all it's possible short cuts and cross streets. The alphabet was similar enough that she was able to read it, or maybe she just magically learned how to read is since being teleported here. Who knew but either way, many streets would be crossed before figuring her way back 'home'.]

[4 - Phone Open to all - Evening.]

[She's pretty sure she all ready knows the answer to this but... She's just gotta try.]
No one's 'appened t'see a fair skinned, cheery girl with pigtails an' red 'air runnin' about, yea?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

'Fraid so. Seems like they do somethin' to us once a month. From what I've seen, they like timin' it with holidays just so they can ruin it for folks.

'ow long ago was the alst time they did sumthin'? [It's pretty clear she's trying to gauge just how far away the next horror occurance will probably be and not so obviously, she's trying to figure out what she can do to prepare for it/against it.]

Jus' last month, back on Valentine's Day, I reckon. 'Least I ain't heard anybody claimin' that them flowers that changed folks' behavior was their doin'.

Vel-in-tine's? [Yup, she sounds like she's probably never heard that word/thing in her life.] When was that? An' flowa's changin' people's behavior?

It's a holiday involvin' romance. Apparently th' culture this here town's based on celebrates it jus' like they do where I'm from, though back 'round those parts it's a two-part holiday. Guys go 'round givin' chocolate gifts to girls on Valentine's an' then one month later, girls do th' same thing for guys on a day called White Day. They don't seem to have anything like that here.

Anyhow, back on th' mornin' of th' 12th last month, a vase of flowers showed up in everyone's homes. An' by th' next day, th' flowers were causin' folks to act ... different. Hard to describe, 'cause th' effects seemed random to me. Folks were fallin' in love at first sight, flirtin' with each other, an' th' like.

It lasted for a few days before th' flowers jus' up an' wilted on their own.

So the moral 'ere is t'beware of anythin' delivered t'ya door? [At least, that sure as hell was what it was sounding like.]

Heh, if'n only it were that simple ... th' folks in charge like bein' unpredictable with th' things they'll pull on us. 'Least when it comes to what they'll do rather than when.

What else 'ave they pulled? An' stuff always 'appens round the same time of the month?

Not always. Holidays ain't always at th' same time of th' month, after all.

Let's see here ... I'll start from November. There's a holiday folks from this culture celebrate about givin' thanks. Apparently th' year before last th' Milkman sent folks roast turkeys that were rigged like his milk. Poisoned, full of razor blades, or in some cases they'd come to life an' attack anyone nearby.

[Somehow Gat doesn't sound too weirded out by ambulatory cooked fowl.]

So last year, someone else who's part of th' town leadership sent everyone roast turkeys instead, swearin' up an' down th' birds ain't rigged like th' Milkman's. He asked folks to give thanks over th' phone. Apparently th' responses he got weren't enough for him, 'cause when we all woke up th' next day, th' town had been turned into a bombed-out wasteland.

[She doesn't entirely follow all of the information he gives as some of the terms she's just not familiar with, but he explains enough that she can piece together more or less what happened and feel she has a pretty good grasp on the explanations.]

So if ya don't play by their rules, they make sure things get real messy, yea?

I reckon so, but they don't act much nicer even when we do. There ain't a whole lotta incentive for us to play along.

Anythin' that can be done t'make 'em play nice ya think? [She had a few ideas but those would best serve her in silence for the time being she had a feeling.]

I ain't too sure there. Brute force ain't likely to work—if'n this tlwn is some kinda VR Space, we ain't gonna be able to hurt 'em at all an' they can punish us every time we try. Jus' like they did in January.

[Brute force won't work. Great. Brute force is what Fang's best at, though, she's not stupid, so maybe she can use the combination of the two to her advantage somehow.]

What 'appened back in January? [She didn't think he'd gone over that point yet.]

Somethin' ... rather strange. Gonna have to bear with me on this'n, it's gonna be a long story.

Alright, so near th' middle of th' month, somethin' caused us all to jump forward a few days in time. Happened 'round midnight—last thing I remember before th' jump was a really loud noise like machinery wearin' itself down.

When I came to, there was alarms goin' off at th' Mayfield Dairy that could be heard all over town. Of course, th' Dairy's impossible to get into, an' no matter how hard folks tried bustin' in, it would't give. Stopped on its own after a while.

Now, a week later there was a phone call between some of th' folks runnin' this town. Apparently th' Dairy houses several machines critical to keepin' th' town workin' like it does, an' they ain't been able to generate enough power to keep up with th' load. Or so they said.

Anyhow ... A group of folks raided th' Dairy while it was s'posed to be opened. They wound up destroyin' th' machine, after which th' Mayor chewed us all out. Said that machine was responsible for revivin' folks that die, if'n you've heard about how death ain't th' end round these parts. Decided to let us all suffer th' consequences, though it wasn't jus' keepin' folks from comin' back.

It got a helluva lot worse.

[With the desire to bare with him expressed a low 'Mm' was given over the receiver. Listening to the story it seemed like... A lot of excuses, a full load of bunk really, was what it sounded like the 'higher ups' had been giving everyone. Though at the same time, Fang couldn't be surprised. That's what those in power did.]

Go on. [It was the only encouraging thing she could think to say at the moment, letting the guy know she had heard and was listening but the questions would wait, perhaps she hadn't processed enough to ask them and some of them she wondered if perhaps would be answered if he just continued with this story a bit further.]

[And Gat continues!]

First thing that happened after th' machine was taken out, folks in town started "regainin'" injuries. If you were ever injured in town, at all, them injuries would come back all of a sudden. Lotta folks got it bad. Some died, others got medical help before it was too late—but even then, I'd hear of injuries comin' back.

An' it still got worse. Some woman I ain't heard of before got involved. Ain't sure what she was doin'—but folks were gettin' kidnapped an taken to a factory that appeared on th' edge of town, gettin' repurposed as a hospital.

[His tone of voice belies how unsettled he is by all that he's recounting.]

What they were doin' there was beyond any kinda medical experimentation I'd ever seen. Folks were comin' back with bizarre alterations to mind an' body. My coworker—they amputated her hands an' replaced 'em with assault rifles. An' her body had a mind of its own—kept tryin' to kill anyone she saw, no matter how much she wanted otherwise.

I didn't find out 'bout this until one of th' other folks livin' in this house told me ... 'cause Dakki didn't come home 'till it was all over. Someone killed her back then. A mercy killin'.

[Gat pauses enough for Fang to react, or comment, if she wants.]

[Fang made a note to herself that staying away from that hospital as much as it could be helped was probably ideal. Fang would remain silent, letting it sink in. She knew about mercy killings, perhaps a bit too well for someone her age... Or at least understood the concept and had the drive to follow through with them if she had to. Strangers would be easier than some of the other situations she'd been involved in most likely. Though, if there was any truth to how this town worked, it was unlikely anyone would stay a stranger for too long.]

These things still goin' on at the 'ospital?

Naw, far as I've seen, that hospital-factory's been shut down. Thankfully. Took 'em a week or two, but apparently what that woman was doin' was botherin' even th' other folks in charge, which is sayin' somethin' considerin' what all they're willin' to do to us.

One of 'em asked us to provide a distraction while he dealt with her an' fixed that broken machine. Things went relatively back to normal after all that.

—Well, "normal" as they get 'round here.

Ya coworker still got guns for 'ands or'd those get removed when she came back? [Fang would fall silent for a moment, giving him time to answer one question before she asked the next.]

An' what 'appened t'the woman that was runnin' things? [Another pause would be given before the third question.]

Didja get anythin' outta workin' with 'em?

Naw, once she came back, Dakki didn't have a trace of them experiments on her. From what I'd seen, once they got that place shut down, all th' changes that woman made to people wore off or disappeared outright.

[And question number two!]

I ain't sure. I ain't heard any word on what's been done with her, or if anyone's ever seen her 'round town. Maybe some of th' people who've been 'round these parts for a few years would know.

When they announced they'd finally caught her, I recall they were callin' her "Doc Johnson," but it ain't a name I'd heard before.

[And the last question ...]

Y'mean th' Postman sendin' things from home? I didn't, but I saw other folks gettin' packages, so I reckon so.

[The first response she'll remain silent for, simply processing the information. This town was starting to sound more and more horrible with each second ticking by.]

Mm. [ There's some thoughts and opinions here but she needs more time to mull them over first. Plus? Who knows what the drones in the house might do if she says those things out loud.]

Sendin' things from 'ome? [It quite clearly sounds like she wants elaboration on this.]

[Gat pauses ... no one's told her about that yet?]

Yeah. Y'know how you arrived here without a thing from home? An' if you ain't human normally, th' town turned you into one? Over time, th' Postman sends out packages containin' things both tangible an' conceptual, usually for makin' it through one of th' town's nastier periods. Most folks jus' call 'em "regains."

Mm. [Is the confirmation she'll give to his line of questions before falling silent to listen again.]

Do ya get t'pick what ya get?

Naw. I ain't sure if it's random or if th' Postman's pickin' what we get back, but we don't get a choice.

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*reposts again* I REALLY need a grammar check plugin XD

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Ack, sorry! Census distracted me.

No worries! I still need to do that. >.>;

Not sure if Dakki ICly got her regain yet, was double checking first!

That's always useful~

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reposts again I REALLY need a grammar check plugin XD