event: the beginning of the end

[mayfield_mods]

[The Mayor's Office. You've been here before- some of you have even made it inside. But this time, you've got help.

The Postman is waiting outside the office. When your group arrives, he gives you a curt nod. His usual easy smirk is gone- and is that fear in his eyes?

Nevertheless, he tugs on the handle once, as if testing it.] I don't know why I expected it to not be locked. Well, here goes...

[He closes his eyes, his hand still on the knob, and waits a few moments. When he tugs again, the door opens in front of him. He waits a few moments further, as if listening for an alarm, then smiles slightly.] Still got it.

[The office is, by all accounts, an ordinary office, and nothing appears to have changed since the last time a group broke in here. There are papers scattered about on the desks, and the receptionist area is empty. Only one thing in particular stands out: there's a heavy scent in the air, like wet copper and rotting meat. It's coming from further down the hall.]

[ooc: this one is open to everybody! Follow the scent in order to advance the plot.]

Comments

TEAM VICTORY FALL IN

[werejew]

[Annie hops up onto the receptionist's desk, nose wrinkled in disgust.]

Oh, dude, it smells like somebody's fucking period in here. Nasty as shit. [She glances at the rest of her group.] Who the fuck died?

[truffulacide]

[well, the smell's unpleasant for sure, but that doesn't mean it's...weird, right? much less sinister, and definitely not ominous. sometimes people forget to clean. big whoop, right? the Mayor's a busy man. of all people, he certainly has that justification going for him.

right? right. Once-ler feels himself nod fervently, stepping in behind Annie.]

Maybe someone forgot to take out the garbage. Sorta looks like they've been skimping on cleaning 'round here.

[he looks around, walking to the side of the desk.]

...So? Where'd they all head off to?

RANDOM IDIOT dropping in

[tsukihime]

[Even with her memories altered, even though she went right along with it without thinking to strongly on it, Arcueid couldn't help but follow the smell.

It was...a familiar sort of smell. Something she's drawn to, something she simply cannot leave alone.

As such, Arcueid suddenly finds herself in said office, looking about as if confused.]

Ew...why did I come here?

[adropofjupiter]

...I don't know, ze. Why did you come here?

[Asks Marisa as she peers in from the doorway.]

[strike_you_out]

[Enter Lil' Slugger, bat in hand at his side. The scent of spilled blood is all too familiar and he expects to see corpses littered over the office floor. When he sees no such thing (yet), Slugger looks to the Postman. He doesn't say anything, just eyes the man watchfully as he ventures farther into the room.]

[bread_goes_bip]

[After the Portal Incident, Death isn't about to let any of her family go off on their own.]

Nothing rash.

One grumpy old lady

[atent_dead]

[Granny's had about enough of this nonsense. So in she strides, broom in hand. She's watching her surroundings carefully. It... looks more like scowling, really.]

With not-as-grumpy backup

[ooeeooahah]

[ Ilsa is more obvious about the watchfulness, and not seemingly armed except for the dagger sheathed on her upper arm. ]

At least one dead body, by the scent.

[doudemoe]

[So far, this is going better than the last time he entered the Mayor's office. For one, he's calm as hell this time, instead of an uncomposed mess of emotions. His friends are still caught in Mayfield's programming (or if they aren't, he doesn't want to take the risk of exposing himself). So he's once again going in alone.

Relatively speaking, anyway. There are of course other people in town investigating.]

[answerer_sword]

Ari...sato.

[Something tells her this scene should be familiar, but any attempts to think further on this feeling of deja vu gives her a headache.]

Are you investigating too?

[ceasetoexist]

[This is the first time Pokey's ever been in the Mayor's office, unlike a few of the other people here. To a degree he guesses he should be a bit overwhelmed about that. To have finally gotten into the "base" of one of the tormenters he's had for the last two years. If this had been Pokey at an earlier time, he would have taken a moment to gloat.

But fuck that. At the moment Pokey isn't thinking about anything, anything at all, other than trying to find something in the office. Any bit of information or notice that could be some kind of help. That could explain anything. That could help.

He is searching thoroughly through everything he can find: the desk, any file cabinets he can find, anything. He's dead to the world and the people around him at the moment as he goes through every paper he can find. If he needs to, he'll eventually head down the hall, where the smell is coming from but at the moment...he can't do it.

It reminds him to much of the hallucination in the funhouse he had back in July. And he can't face that. So looking through every bit of paper in the Mayor's office and the receptionist area is how he's going right now. And for such a young boy he's incredibly thorough.]

[imjustpicky]

[Curiosity and concern for his brother are what have brought Picky into the Mayor's office. He saw Pokey go in, and he knew that it was probably a bad idea that he was in there, and they'd both get in trouble, and that'd be bad, but...

...but it was important. Something was wrong, and this kind of thing was important. Though if he tried to remember why, his head would hurt.

So at first, he's just waiting outside of the rooms that Pokey is searching through, wondering silently what he was checking for. Eventually, he starts picking up discarded papers and stacking them out of the way neatly. That's.... totally helping, right?]

[strike_you_out]

[Slugger is nearby working his way around the desk from the opposite direction doing the same thing Pokey is doing.]

It looks the same as last time. Almost.

[voiceofauthority]

[Jenny's got her gun already unholstered and ready. It's bit like she can't use the entire game to charge herself, but she likes to be extra prepared. The smell permeates her nose and she winces at the potency of it. That's fine though because she's sure things are going to get worse. What she wouldn't give to have Olivier or even Midnighter here right now, but she refuses to dwell on it. No, it's best not to. A quick sweep through of the papers gives her no new information so she continues inward, following the familiar sent of death.]

[logic_and_magic]

[Whether or not Crown has his memories back, he has a gun himself and the sword from his bedroom. Crown covers his nose though as he steps inside with Jenny, the stench somewhat overwhelming. ]

Nothing of use in the mayor's files I assume?

[sinistraljoker]

[Shoutaro stands at one of the corners in the reception area, covering his nose a bit from the smell. He's carefully examining the state of the room, before going to investigate that damn stench.]

And just went on in here...?

[chalicejoker]

[Hajime's poking around the room on his own, although he doesn't appear to be visibly bothered by the smell. He's heard Shoutaro ask that question, and he walks over, scanning the room as he does so.]

Likely nothing particularly pleasant.

[numberonemouseketeer]

[Wow, this room a mess. And that stench. Is it coming from down there? Either way]

This isn't good. [Riku glances at the corridor, wondering if he should try and find some suitable weapon before going ahead]

[heartisabattleground]

[Sora will agree on that Riku. Sora was carrying his keyblade, covering his mouth from the smell.]

Not good at all. What do you think we'll find though, Riku?

[atailoftwoworlds]

[All right, perfect time to explore the City Hall!

.....Twilight will probably kill him again but finding a way to save everyone and escape this town is far worth getting lectured by his well-meaning housemate.

Zidane is shocked when he finds the office in disaray. Did something.....happen here? The smell is pretty suspicious as well. Did something happen? Or has that stench always been there?

Either way, he follows the smell, hoping to find out...]

[mayfield_mods]

[And so he finds...]

[buildstherobots]

[Dist hasn't brought anyone in particular with him. In fact, glancing around, he can see that those who are here are fanning out rather effectively. He doesn't see much need to linger in the receptionist's area for very long; he pauses only momentarily, to discern the direction of the stench, before picking up the pace and heading in that direction. He can't stop now. This is bat country.]

[mayfield_mods]

[And so he finds...]

Not with a whimper, shall the burning flame go dark

[a_clockwork_melody]

♪ BGM: Withered Leaf (by CYTOKINE) (R)

[After the events of Annie's Voice and The Post Office, Aurica, Dakki, and Gat all went back home to tell Chen about what was said. It was only right to let her know what was going on. Steadying herself with a hand to the wall inside the City Hall, she breathes out, a gale of silent air leaving her lips, a hand clamped to her mouth and nose afterwards. Her severe and incurable fever that left her unable to interact with much of the town for the past month or so had subsided, but her fatigue still sought to hinder her.

There wasn't much said on her side of things. Her thoughts along with her body were in constant conflict by now. Supposedly they only had a few months left before it was all over. This wasn't even real, and they would just disappear and fade away. What was the point of trying to fight now? It was a blow that somehow left her speechless, realizing her life was a lie after all. It was an issue Gat, her father, brought up when she first came here. She flushed it straight from her mind so she could live happier here, and it was back in her face at the end of things.

But that was what she would have resigned herself to had she not met the people in this life that she did. She would have thought it pointless, resigned to her fate. That isn't how she is now, as much as she'd like to live that lie, and that's why she's here now, rather than at home resting. It was only right to be here, because of how oppressed the town is. Yes, oppressed. For all her quietness the way there and here, Aurica herself couldn't excuse Zemekis' behavior, her will burning the brightest it's ever been since her first days here. The fact that her earlier memories have all but bled into the reality that's supposed to be Mayfield only fueled her further on, the cruelty of being lied to being beyond her ability to forgive.

She doesn't yield to smell of death or oxidized metal, like the decay of old, pervading the building, the stench bothering her senses and dizzying her but not enough to make her falter yet. She doesn't even consider the voice burning the back of her head, a pinprick of objection crying out for her not to assist in this endeavor. Nor does it matter right now. It's a matter the people living "here" — whatever it really is behind Mayfield's veil — decided on, and so she will help to the best of her power, regardless of how well her Song Magic works anymore.]

[photonicfighter]

[It had been far easier to deny the strange "dreams" and cling to the false reality that Mayfield had presented, until Annie spoke and the family had spied on the goings on in the post office. Then it couldn't be denied that something was wrong. And even if it hurt to focus too hard on how things ought to be, and even if she had some misgivings about taking the entire household into the danger that no doubt lurked within the mayor's office... it had to be done. They had done too much together and come too far.

(Also, when thinking with her right mind, Dakki was thinking it was probably futile to try and leave Aurica behind somewhere. Especially with the spirit that she's showing now.)]

...something's dead. Something died.

[Yes, okay, maybe that's really obvious, but it made for conversation as they edged their way along.]

[mayfield_mods]

[The smell of death is heavy in the air of the Office. You follow the stench down the unlit hall, where a single door is ajar, light streaming through. That's not all that's streaming through, either: blood is pooled from under the door, in a wide red stream. The Postman hangs back, allowing you to go in first- ever the gentleman.

Step over the blood and into the room, and you'll find a body leaning back in a chair. Save for the tip of the pen jutting out of his eye and the silent scream of his mouth, he appears just as you remember him, in both your false memories and your true ones. One arm still clutches the pen- the other hangs limp at his side. Though distorted in death, the look in his surviving eye is unmistakeably one of fear, and you can make out a faint stream of moisture trickling down his face. The Mayor was crying just before he died.

There is a single paper on the desk in front of him. The writing on it is jerky and awkward, as if the writer's arm was shaking violently as it was being written. The text reads:]

Good evening, William. I've decided not to make this appearance in person, hence why your hand is writing this letter against your will. Don't be surprised- as we both know, you've always been under my control. It's about time I made it literal. And don't try to talk- I can hear you, but I assure you there's nothing you can say that I'm interested in hearing.

I'm sorry it had to come to this. I truly am. I entrusted this town to you while I slept, in the mistaken belief that you and Olney would perform your roles without error. Even after his betrayal, I assumed you would be smart enough to handle our residents without constant interruption. Instead, you have displayed nothing save for a near-constant record of failure and a talent for impotent bluster. Are you aware that the Smith household was broken into the other night? Again? Of course you aren't.

I forgave you, each and every time, because I had no other choice. But now I do.

Your service is no longer required, William. Your management of and residency in my town have both come to a sad but necessary end. I don't believe you've ever died here, have you? Don't worry. Unlike the others, your first time will also be your last.

I will give you three minutes to reflect and prepare yourself. When those three minutes end, you will plunge the pen you are currently writing with into your eye and brain. At the same time, I will terminate your life functions- permanently. In deference to your service to me, however incompetent it was, you will not suffer long.

This is the end, William.

Goodbye.

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke makes a horrified noise as he discovers the corpse. Even after all these years he's spent in Mayfield, seeing a death this gruesome never really stopped being unsettling.

Trying to keep his distance, he'll make a quick grab for the note on the desk.]

[mayfield_mods]

"This is as far as I go." The Postman sighs as he looks over at the Mayor's corpse. "I never cared for him, but I've known the guy a long time. This is... distressing."

He shakes his head, then looks at the center of the floor. "This is going to get interesting," he murmurs, then closes his eyes.

For a moment, nothing happens. Then, where solid wooden floor existed only a half-second ago, there is a staircase leading down, farther than the eye can see. The material comprising the stairs is a strange sort of silvery steel, looking more at home in a sci-fi movie than in a 1950's office building. The Postman himself leans against a wall, looking winded. "I can't go any further," he explains. "My presence down there would trigger every sort of alarm he's got. Besides that, opening that up took a lot out of me. Here's some free advice: if you find your friends, don't leave them behind, no matter what state they're in. I'm going to go find Annie and give her some help, so you're on your own. Good luck."

Following the stairs down is easier said than done. They stretch down for what seems like miles, an empty stretch down a thin chasm. After what seems like hours, you make it to the bottom, where a single door stands closed.

Open the door, and you'll find yourself in a chasm that puts the stairs to shame in terms of size- other than the floor and the side you just emerged from, there's not a wall to be seen, only empty space that stretches out further than you can see. It's dark down here, your only light source being the open door you just emerged from. Even that light, however, is enough to see what fills this massive chasm.

Bodies.

Human bodies fill the chasm numbering in the hundreds, possibly thousands. Their appearances fall under three types. The first don't even seem to be corpses at all: the bodies are that of naked, faceless, sexless mannequins of flesh and bone. Their skin colors range from every conceivable ethnicity, but beyond that they lack any individual features.

The second type of body lying before you could, for all you know, simply be slumbering drones. Their eyes are closed and their chests do not rise and fall, but they are unmarked. Some are men, some women, and some children, but they all look identical to the drones you've grown so intimately familiar with.

The third type of body seems to be more rare by far, outnumbered by the featureless mannequins and the immobile drones by a ratio of about 10 to 1. Here and there, however, you'll spot them- and there's no doubting that these bodies are corpses, as they all bear some kind of mortal wound. Some have been burned, others shot, others stabbed, but all are cold and dead. You may recognize these corpses as belonging to your fellow townspeople- or, if you've ever died in Mayfield, as your own. It doesn't take a genius to realize what this place is.

You've just found Mayfield's body dump.

Between you and the massive corpse pile lay a small group of bodies, singled out from the others. They are unmoving, eyes closed and not breathing. You don't recognize their faces- but somehow, you know. These are your friends, the ones who were erased. And now it's time to take them back.

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke's spent the past few days fighting to get his memories back, but the moment he comes across this place? He doesn't even have a proper horrified reaction for this mess. The moment he sees the piles of corpses, he doesn't even react at all.

Until he spots his own corpse, missing head and all. The memories of being cornered by a man who could turn his arm into a blade all come rushing back to him, and there's only one thing Luke can do in a situation like this.

He screams.]

[mayfield_mods]

It isn't until you touch the bodies that everything goes to hell.

Not the corpses- the bodies of your forgotten friends. The moment your body makes contact with theirs, several things happen:

Firstly, your memories of them return. Instantly, in a mental crash that leaves your head aching. The rest of the block on your memories remains intact, but your memories of these people specifically have been restored.

Secondly, their eyes open. Those of you who were adrift in the Void will find yourselves experiencing a rush of chaos, sound and noise as form and reality come crashing back into being. One moment ago, you were nothing; now you are something again, staring up into the eyes of your rescuers.

Thirdly, a shadow appears behind you in the door-frame. It's a familiar face to most of you, but it's been changed. The skin of his body is red and raw, crawling and shifting like angry centipedes. Somewhere in the mass of roiling meat two black eyes gleam with malevolent glee. A set of white teeth, impossibly huge, stretch out in a psychotic grin.

The Milkman is very happy to see you.

[a_clockwork_melody]

[Perhaps she was impatient in her thinking they wouldn't wake; the man named Garviel would come alive again, yet. It took her a bit after this moment for her to realize she knew about him again somehow, from the time she met him at the Church of Salvation, to more recent times.

She didn't realize this immediately because her brain already started working into sudden overdrive to think of what to do. For now, she could do nothing but stare up toward the stairs behind them all, involuntarily moving herself backwards to the pile, the backs of her feet touching the Astartes.

In Aurica's earlier confusion, she looked back and forth between the door and the bodies, and it would be in passing she noticed a person standing there then. Or well, it used to be a person.

The rather inhuman being caught her attention, something that shouldn't realistically exist as it does now. Hopefully her scream of absolute terror would alert those around her of the impeding threat to everyone there.]

♪ BGM: Loki

[mayfield_mods]

The Milkman is advancing towards you, arms raised, when he explodes.
killthemkillthemkillthemkillthem
His flesh seems to bulge, and white foam trickles from the edge of what, at one point, might have been called his mouth. You see his eyes swelling, his skin swirling and shifting like sand, when his arms suddenly raise and burst like balloons, milk spraying out from them in a fierce shower. His mouth opens and milk vomits forth in a wave. He's weeping tears of milk, seeping it from every pore, until at last he can take no more and his skin tears itself open from the seams. You are soaked in milk, drowning in it for just a moment- and then it ends.
killthemkillthemkillthemkillthem
And you're fine. It was just milk, after all. Sure, your hair and clothes are soaked, but it's nothing so horrible as you thought it would be. Is that all...?
killthemkillthemkillthemkillthem
That's what you're thinking, right up until the first hand grabs your ankle. That's when you look down, and see the milk-soaked corpse looking up at you, its eyes open and as black as the Milkman's, its face twisted in murderous glee. It isn't alone- the entire pile of bodies is moving, mouths gaping in howls of fury, fingers working into claws. They're awake, and they are very angry.
KILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEM
The door back to the surface is about fifteen feet away. Can you make it before they're on you?

[doudemoe]

[...Crap. He pulls out his sword and stabs the hand grabbing him, and he barks out an order, loud enough that he hopes everyone hears.]

Fall back!

[With that, he starts moving out.]

[mayfield_mods]

When the last of you is beyond the door, it slams shut. The agonized screams and furious howls of the dead and unliving echo in your ears, but the door is shut. You did it. You've struck a definitive blow against Zemekis, against Mayfield itself- you've brought your friends back, and no one even had to get hurt.

...is what you're thinking when the door shudders like it was hit by a cannonball. The horde of dead bodies is crashing against the door, pushing on it, tearing it off its hinges. Staying to wait and see what happens is not advised.

You've got time to run up the stairs and get out of the Office before they break the door down- minutes, in fact. But they're still coming, and in a few minutes they'll come pouring out of the Mayor's Office like leaking water. Every corpse of a dead person, every drone casually murdered, every empty slate who never got a chance to live- they're descending on Mayfield with only one thought in mind:

Making you join them.