Chapter 10: Greenill Section ID Day?

[nanocerancowboy]

[ACTION - A (BACKDATED TO MARCH 17, Anywhere in Mayfield, Morning to Evening, OPEN TO ALL)]

[See that six-foot android covered head to toe in some sort of armor, going about his business?]

[He's not wearing green. At all.]

[Try to pinch him. Go on, try it.]

[ACTION - B (BACKDATED TO MARCH 17, John Doe Park, Afternoon, OPEN TO ALL)]

[That same android now seems to have a couple of drones following him, even hanging on to him, desperately trying to pinch him—on the hard, armored parts of his body. Suffice to say, they're not having much luck—and the android looks a little annoyed as he tries to brush some of the drones off of him.]

What in th' hell are ya'll on about?

[ACTION - C (BACKDATED TO MARCH 17, Olney's Tavern, Evening, OPEN TO ALL)]

[Gat's noticed the sizable amount of patrons heading toward the tavern, both droned and undroned alike. Curious, he's come to the tavern himself, though judging from the way he carries himself and rubs the back of his helmeted head as he scans the tavern in a manner not unlike the Terminator, he's a little perplexed.]

Comments

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat relaxes, though he rubs the back of his head with a annoyed-sounding groan.]

What's gotten into folks today ... ?

[keep_smiling]

Hmm? Don't tell me you don't know of Saint Patrick's Day, either. I feel like I'm the only one in town who does. Or not, since it sounds like you've gotten pinched already.

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat shakes his head.]

Naw, there ain't a day like that where I'm from. You're right about gettin' pinched, though. Feels like everyone's been tryin' to get a piece of me.

[He really feels sorry for the people without armored body parts. It ain't easy being greenless today.]

[keep_smiling]

Doesn't even look like a pinch would work on you, though. So I guess that's good! You know, I even made a call telling people about Saint Patrick's Day, and completely left out the pinching part. Whoops. [He laughs cheerfully.]

[nanocerancowboy]

Some folks can be mighty persistent about it. 'Specially th' drones. Believe you me, I've had some of 'em cling to me all th' way down a street tryin' to get a pinch on me somewhere.

[A beat passes, and Gat tilts his head inquisitively, considering what Elmer said about the phone call.]

What's th' whole significance of all this pinchin' anyhow?

[keep_smiling]

Hmm... You know, I have no idea. An American tradition, I think.

Ack, sorry! The census distracted me!

[nanocerancowboy]

Huh. So it's somethin' of a local tradition tacked on.

[Now Gat's scratching the back of his head.]

Kind of a strange way to celebrate a holiday like this.

no worries! I was gone this weekend anyway.

[keep_smiling]

When in Rome, right? Plus, holidays are great for making people smile, so I really like them.

[nanocerancowboy]

I reckon so—glad th' town didn't do anything to wreck this one.

[Then again, all this pinching has been annoying enough as it is!]

[keep_smiling]

Eh? "Wreck this one"? Did they wreck the last one?

[nanocerancowboy]

I ain't sure, but this town's got a thing for wreckin' holidays by doin' horrible things to us.

[keep_smiling]

That's no fun at all. Holidays should be a good time. What sort of horrible things could they even do?

[nanocerancowboy]

Well, I've been here since th' month of August. Where d'you want me to start?

[keep_smiling]

Well, what was the first holiday they did this too after you got here?

[nanocerancowboy]

First one, I believe, was Halloween. I don't think th' incidents back in September an' August were related to anything specific.

[keep_smiling]

Halloween? How could they go and ruin Halloween? That's my favorite one.

[nanocerancowboy]

Halloween was ... one of th' less awful ones.

I reckon it's a measure of how bad this town gets when even th' most mild of incidents involves a potential mass murder.

[keep_smiling]

Mass murder? [Elmer looks around at the currently serene town, blinking.] That would explain some things, why some people are unhappy... But a lot of people seem okay. And I don't mean those fakers, the drones. Maybe those people just got here recently, like I did?

[nanocerancowboy]

I'd chalk that up to willpower. Not lettin' th' town break 'em, findin' reasons to carry on in spite of all th' harm it does.

[Gat rubs the back of his neck in consideration of the one big thing that separates Mayfield from probably most of the places from which its "citizens" are kidnapped.]

It does help that death ain't permanent 'round these parts, though.

[keep_smiling]

That's great! One thing that will get them through this is to stay positive and smile.

I've heard that. Still, even if death isn't permanent, it still hurts. [Said like a man who knows all too well.]

[nanocerancowboy]

That it does, no doubt about it.

[Gat picks up on the ease—at least a sense of familiarity—with the way Elmer says it.]

I take you th' town took you while you were dyin' back home?

[keep_smiling]

Oh no, quite the opposite. Don't tell anyone, but I'm an immortal. Well, I was, but it seems Mayfield has made me fully human again. But, I've died plenty of time, or gotten very close to it. [He says this all nonchalantly, as if it doesn't bother him much at all.]

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat scratches the back of his head.]

You can't die, an' yet you've done plenty of dyin'? Not here, I reckon.

[He sounds too new for that, at least ...]

[keep_smiling]

No, not here, though I hear you resurrect here too, after some time. Back home, if I died or got hurt, I was back to normal within seconds.

Freaky Friday tags are winding down, I can get back to this!

[nanocerancowboy]

Huh. So it ain't so much bein' invulnerable as it is nothin' folks do to you will stick. You'll regenerate from it all?