05 - The Right Words Just Won't Come

[spitefulvitae]

[Action A - Around Town, early evening]

[Having been dissolved on her way out of the horrible carnival-town, Natalie had consequences to face. For the last week, she's been droned. A drone that somehow subconsiously knows that she can only come out and do her motherly duties in the evening, but that was easy enough to play off in idle conversation as "you know how my skin just burns right up in the sunshine, ha ha" and all the drones involved would smile and nod. She still seems, physically, dead and cold and unpleasant, but upstairs? Nothing but drone-fluff.

Until tonight. Tonight she may still have a grin plastered on her face and the wrong kind of tone to her voice, but her actions seem just about normal. She's checking the mail and cheerfully opening two little envelopes that were addressed to her. She's doing a bit of shopping at Bodine Clothes. She's strolling through the park. She's randomly snatching a drone off the sidewalk, ducking behind a bush, and draining it dry. Pretty usual things for her. But... well...]

You must tell me your recipe for apple pie!

[...it's a bit out of context.]

Isn't my darling husband such a dreamboat?

[Frankly, this drone seems to be going nuts. There's a good chance that if she sees you, she'll grab you, her posture shouting panic but her lips spouting nothing but pleasantries.]

What a lovely day in Mayfield it is!

[Phone, late evening]

...This has been a profoundly fucked up day. I... would like to possibly apologize to anyone that I might have... disturbed by my complete inability to make sense.

Is that supposed to happen? I'm not sure that whatever that was, it was supposed to happen... some wires must've gotten crossed...

I think I've been out of it for a bit. Have I missed anything...?

Comments

Aaaand Live, from Really Late Backtag Land!

[spitefulvitae]

I have to wonder what I'd be doing with all that sugar. Baking more cakes? [She snorts.]

I think I'll manage. I think I'll be alright.

...was your revival this unpleasant? [Might as well address the issue now.]

My hometown forever.

[cueball]

My revival did not include droning. But I did have a heavy ghost wound around the area [he points to the right side of his head] where the axe hit me. So even after returning I felt the same pain from the axe. You got lucky to escape safely.

[spitefulvitae]

A ghost wound...? [She's looking quite closely at his head. No, nothing there...] So the feeling was lingering? Is that it?

I was lucky to get out of there. I wasn't lucky enough to escape when a way out finally appeared. I fell into the fog and I think I dissolved.

[cueball]

Yes. As if the axe never left my head.

[He says with no particular emotion behind it. Like how someone generally announces the weather.]

I see. That place was a trap. One that Mayfield could not seem to keep intact. Death is common here generally. They do not intend on keeping us permanently dead.

[spitefulvitae]

And... how long did that last for? [It's not quite sympathy or concern that she's showing. It's more that she's trying to imagine how horrible that would be, and not liking her imaginings.]

A trap, but a trap that might have had useful information in it. Another woman and I found some newspaper clippings... though they're sort of silly.

[She shrugs.]

I've heard that death is common. I'll be better prepared for the next time, then, hmm?

[cueball]

A week. It waned over time, much like any wound would. The systems in revival have been flawed since January, after someone damaged the main area, but I did not expect it to be so badly damaged.

[He nods.]

Death is common, but only to those who look for it. This was my first death in Mayfield and I have been trapped here since May of last year.

[spitefulvitae]

I've heard about that. That's still surprisingly merciful, even if there's side effects.

[She mirrors his nod.]

No risk, no reward. If we're ever going to get out of here, there's going to be some facing death. Although I congratulate you on being able to dodge it so long? You seem like the kind of man that knows when to step away from a bad situation.

[cueball]

Knowing when to abandon something that is fruitless is simply something anyone with common sense should have. A place like Mayfield has no need for heroics or foolish risk taking without evaluation of possible rewards.

[He snerks a little.]

I congratulate you on the same then. Knowing to run away without helping me was a smart move.

[Even if it ended with his death, he doesn't remark her actions with spite or anger. He means what he means - her actions were wise.]

[spitefulvitae]

Does any place have a need for stupid heroics?

[She can be smirky, too. And then a little curious at his congratulations. What kind of cold blooded person was Scratch? One that she could respect, certainly.]

You took an axe to the anatomy. I couldn't have helped you.

[She shrugs in a casual fashion. Let him think she exhibited calm self-interest, and not blinding fucking terror. Better to be seen as cold-blooded too, than cowardly.]