event: don't you forget about me

[mayfield_mods]

[For those of you venturing into Mayfield's library today, you can find the head librarian hard at work at the front desk or shelving books. Most people who try to approach her will simply get a stern look and a reminder to keep their voices down.

If you happen to have something of hers though, you may get quite a different reaction...]

[OOC: This post is locked to characters who have a memento. Please do not reply if you don't have one. For those who do, you can go ahead and respond in any order; however, day 7's memento will be chronologically the last one she'll see.]

Comments

[thunderace]

Really? Can you tell me where?

[mayfield_mods]

It was...a pageant? Yes, that's right. [Her voice goes light and dreamy.] Everyone knew who would win, of course, but Mr. Grey just wanted to do something fun in town.

[thunderace]

[A pageant? Doesn't seem like anything odd. But this is Mayfield, so there has to be something more to it than this.] Can you tell me more about this pageant?

[mayfield_mods]

Oh, it wasn't anything special. [Her voice suddenly changes to that of teenage girl.] Gosh, it was really embarrassing actually, Mr. Grey wrote one of his dumb articles about it and everything, even after I told him not to.

[thunderace]

[Wha... well that was different. A look of surprise crosses Fate's face, but she doesn't let up. She quickly replaces it with a smile. She can roll with this...] I'd really like to hear about it, though! Or if you're too busy... do you have a copy of the article anywhere?

[mayfield_mods]

[She shrugs and starts rummaging around the bookshelves.]

Maybe? I don't know where I put it. I would've just thrown it away, but oh gosh, Mr. Grey just gets so sad when no one reads his newspaper...even if none of what he writes is really true.

Why are you so curious, anyway? If you want the Miss Mayfield 19XX title, you can have it.

[thunderace]

[She shrugs.] Simple curiosity, that's all. It'd be nice to know the story that goes along with such a pretty item, don't you think?

[mayfield_mods]

It's a dumb story. Mr. Grey and Mr. Olney and everyone else keep treating me like a kid, even though I can take care of myself, you know? Honestly, I'm almost 56! So they set up this whole dumb pageant and made me sign up, even though I said I didn't want to do it.

...I guess it was kind of cool though, everyone getting together like that for me. Most of us lost family and friends before coming to Mayfield, so spending time with everyone is always nice, even if it was super embarrassing.

[thunderace]

[Fate is silent while she talks, mentally taking notes on everything, even seemingly insignificant notes, she says. The blonde frowns, though, at that last bit.]

... You lost family members? I'm sorry to hear that. [She certainly sounds it. She, like most of the others in town, was often unnerved by the drones, but that didn't mean she was completely devoid of sympathy for them.] Forgive me if I'm prying too much, but... what happened before you came to Mayfield?

[mayfield_mods]

...I don't like to talk about it. It doesn't matter anyway. Even Mayfield can't bring back people who died for real. But we can make new friends and family while we're here - that's what's so great about this town, right? Everyone gets a second chance.

[thunderace]

[... A part of her wants to drop it, there. Again, she doesn't like being cruel to the drones, but...

No. This isn't a drone. It's someone she needs to help. She's supposed to be jogging her memory, right? Well then she'll have to go against her feelings of not wanting to pry when someone is clearly telling her to back off.]

Can you really say that, Annie? Can you honestly say that Mayfield is great, when it replaces friends and family you cared for like that?

[mayfield_mods]

[Her hands grip the shelf tightly, knuckles turning white.]

It is great. No one could ever replace my brother, but I would have never gotten to know Mr. Grey, and Mr. Olney, and Samantha, and even old Mr. MacCready and his son - they're all so important to me, and Mayfield's what brought us together. Dr. Zemekis might not be around much, but he's - [a shudder runs through her body] - he's a wonderful man, I'm so grateful to him....

[thunderace]

[Fate's voice remains calm, as soothing as she can make it, as she continues to speak.]

That's not how you really feel, is it? You don't have to lie to me, Annie. I'm not going to do anything to you... all I want to do is help you.

[mayfield_mods]

He was supposed to save us. He was supposed to save us.

[thunderace]

... I'm sorry. I can't imagine the pain you must have gone through, all this time...

But I want to help you. Others do, too. Mr. Grey... it sounds like he put himself at great risk to give us things like these. [She holds up the tiara.] All because he knows we can help you. Save you. And I promise you, Annie, I'll do whatever I can to achieve that goal.

[mayfield_mods]

[Her posture abruptly shifts back into the slight hunch of an old lady. She turns to Fate with a polite smile, her voice no longer youthful.]

Here's the article you were looking for, dear. [She shoves a tattered piece of paper into Fate's hands.] Good luck on your homework!

[thunderace]

[Damn.... just when she thought she was getting through to her...

But there were more important things to worry about now. She carefully folds the paper and puts it in her pocket, offering the librarian one last somewhat forced smile. Wait, read it at home, where it's a bit safer, so she can show Nanoha too...] Thank you. I'll see you again soon, okay?