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?

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]

[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.]

[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.

[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?

[loistheintrepid]

[She gives the woman's hand a firm shake, attempting to offer a genuine smile.]

Nice to meet you, Kono. [She shifts to fold her legs Indian-style, dropping her hands into her lap.]

Yeah, I was hoping it was all some sort of... bad dream. When did you get back?

[surf_n_makai]

[Kono moves to take a seat next to Lois.]

A couple days ago. I was home for about a year, but apparently I only missed a couple of months here. Time doesn't make any sense in Mayfield. Kind of like everything else.

How long were you home?

[loistheintrepid]

[She shifts a bit to make room, fiddling with the hem of her nightgown.]

Wonder if a lot of us got sucked back here at once. I don't know how long it's been in Mayfield time, though. I was home about a year, same as you.

[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!

C.

[swordwaitress]

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

What's wrong? Did something happen?

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 cocks an eyebrow at him, her eyes scanning the suit carefully.]

A... hobby?

[Mayfield was weird.]

[loistheintrepid]

What... the-

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

[snacklist]

Right!

I'm really a boy in here, I just like to wear it because... it suits me!

[That was the worst explanation ever.]

[loistheintrepid]

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

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

[surf_n_makai]

I hope it was a good year, at least. For what it's worth.

I guess there could be a lot of us who got sucked back at the same time. Maybe something's about to go down?

[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?

[party_hard]

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

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

[loistheintrepid]

It was alright, [she muttered miserably, picking at her fingernails.]

When is something not going down here? God, I hate this place.

[loistheintrepid]

[Okay. That manages to bring a hint of a smile to her lips.]

Hey, to each his own, buddy. What'd you say your name was? Alphonso?

[loistheintrepid]

[Two steps back. Don't fall off the porch, Lois.]

Pinkie... Oh, God. Am I high?

[She rubs her temple, frowning.]

Uh... Lois. Lois Lane.

[party_hard]

High? No, you're not high--if you were, I think you'd have to be on a mountain or something, and I'm pretty sure Mayfield isn't on a mountain, although maybe it is since you can't get OUT to see the rest of the mountain! In that case, I guess you would be high!

It's really nice to meet you, Lois! What can I do for you?

[surf_n_makai]

Yeah, me too. Most people do, I think. Unless they come from a really hellish world or there's something wrong with them.

[snacklist]

Alphonse... pretty close! Um, and what's your name?

[Phew, success in lying about the armour.]