Intro

[loistheintrepid]

[Action A | 5719 Cunningham Lane]

No. No, no, no, no, no. Not again. Please God, not again.

She's had this dream before. Waking up in the hell hole of a place that was Mayfield again, trapped in the Pleasantville way of life, unable to snap herself out of the nightmare.

Please, God, let her be dreaming.

Except that the man she woke up next to isn't Hal, and the house she rushes out of isn't the one she lived in before, and the street she's standing in the middle of isn't Kramden Road.

Not again. No, no, no, not again.

[Action B | Kramden Road]

She's still barefoot in her ridiculous nightgown, not having bothered to change before she tore her way towards her old street. Maybe her old friends are still there. Maybe Hal...

But if she's switched around, maybe everybody else is, too. Which is why she's just going around pounding her fists on every door on the street like a crazy person in hopes that a familiar face answers.

[Action C | Around Town]

By the end of the day, she's a mess. Still barefoot, still nightgown-clad. Wandering her way around the Mayfield streets hoping for someone to make sense of why she's back.

It wasn't fair. She'd escaped this place. Spent a full year pretending it was just a bad dream. And now here she was again, wondering if that year of freedom had even been real.

She finds a bench, curls her knees to her chest, and buries her face in her arms.

Fucking Mayfield.

Comments

Action C

[surf_n_makai]

[Kono notices Lois on the bench, face buried in her arms, dejected and alone. Considering she did something similar on a park bench a few days ago because she was stuck back in Mayfield, she walks over to her. They didn't meet the first time either of them were there, but this woman obviously needs somebody right now.]

Hey, are you ok? Did you just arrive here?

[loistheintrepid]

[Lois's jolted a bit in surprise when she heard someone address her. Sitting up, she hurriedly wiped at her cheeks and shook her head.]

M'fine. I-

Yeah. Kind of. Thought I'd escaped this place a year ago, but here I am again. [She twisted her lips into a wry smile, rubbing her forehead.]

Uh... I'm Lois. Lois Lane. [And she presented her hand.]

[surf_n_makai]

Kono Kalakaua. [She offers her own hand, and the two women shake hands.]

I just got back here too. It's like a nightmare. I'd convinced myself that I was never really here at all, you know?

C

[snacklist]

[Clearly what Lois needs to see is a huge walking suit of armour, right? Al has been sticking to the evenings to go out still, trying not to let anyone he knew see what had come in the mail, but inevitably he always ran into someone.]

Um... are you okay?

[loistheintrepid]

[Her head snapped up at the voice, and she had to double-take at the vision in front of her.]

Uh... I'm... I'm fine, Talking Suit of Armor. Thanks.

[snacklist]

[He seems to shrink a bit at that address, before holding his hands up and laughing nervously.]

My name is Alphonse, the armour is just... um, a hobby.

B - 1488 Kramden

[party_hard]

[At the sound of the knocking, the door opens, revealing a pink pony! Probably not what you were looking for, Lois.]

Oh, hi, there!

[loistheintrepid]

What... the-

[She stepped back, staring at the creature in stunned shock a moment.]

[party_hard]

[Aw, the poor human is shy! That's okay, Pinkie's not!]

My name's Pinkie Pie! What's yours?

C.

[swordwaitress]

[ A woman sits down next to her, looking worried. ]

What's wrong? Did something happen?

[loistheintrepid]

[She lifts her head to blink up at the woman, swallowing heavily.]

I'm back here. That's what happened.

[swordwaitress]

[ So this person has been here before and now been brought back? That can't be very nice.

She puts a hand on Lois', giving it a light squeeze. ]

It'll be okay. You've gotten out once, so getting out twice isn't impossible. And whatever happens you won't be alone, okay? [ How can she let her be alone when she looks so depressed about being here. ]

B. (1491)

[helpmeguideit]

[ Charles spends his mornings outside, his chair settled in the grass of his front yard. He looked up from his notebook and sees a woman he speaks up when he sees her approaching his home. ]

Are you looking for someone?

[loistheintrepid]

[She's panicked as she looks up at the house. It's nothing like it used to be. Well, it is, it's just... more... Mayfield. She blinks a few times when he addresses her, finally tearing her eyes away from her old home.]

I... Yeah. Yeah, I used to live here. Is... Is Hal Jordan still here?

[helpmeguideit]

I don't know anyone by that name, I'm sorry. [ Nods towards his home. ] You lived in that home?

[Action A | 5719 Cunningham Lane]

[pnshandnslv]

[Barricade didn't give a second thought to the woman... for the simple fact he was used to the figure being a mere drone. He simply growled in agitation when he felt the sheets move.

Well... now that he was awake...]

[loistheintrepid]

[Her first thought after the initial panic of waking up in this God forsaken place was that maybe - just maybe she could be reunited with the man she used to call her husband here in Mayfield. One of the few people who'd kept her sane.

She edged towards the bed, trying to get a good look at the man. Not too great of an angle from here, so she edged closer. Please, God, don't let him be droned.]

Hal?

[She taps him a bit.]

Hal, wake up...

[pnshandnslv]

[He was ready to ignore the daily routine of being told to wake up... but then came something different. Never before had the drone call him "Hal"... he stirred.]

... Mnn?

C

[thecoolexec]

HELL-o Long Legs! Nice to see you tod--uh...
[Tony trails off. He generally prefers his women RESPONSIVE, not... despondent. Not that he wouldn't be willing to make an exception, but this feels like maybe not the time.

Tomorrow, surely.]

[loistheintrepid]

[That voice. It was... vaguely familiar. She lifted her head with a frown and stared up at...]

Tony Stark?

[She frowned, shifting her legs down and to the ground and watching him a moment.]

They got you, too?

[thecoolexec]

I... Hi there. Got me how?

C

[returntospring]

[Now that it was safe to leave the house, Sakura had done just that! And in her wanderings, spotted a very visibly distressed woman.

Being the sweet girl that she is, she approached her.]

Um, miss... are you okay?

[loistheintrepid]

M'fine. [she mumbles, not moving from her spot on the bench. Grumble grumble. Bad mood.]

1490 Kramden

[ooeeooahah]

Yes?

[ Ilsa looks a bit worse for wear than the last time Lois was in town. Then she registers who is on her doorstep. ] Oh, gods - Lois?

[ Ilsa pulls her into the house to the kitchen. ]

[loistheintrepid]

[Lois's eyes widen in relief when she sets eyes on the other woman. Suddenly, she's in the kitchen, throwing her arms around the other woman and sighing.]

Ilsa! Oh, thank God. I thought everybody from before was gone!