Puzzle 016 - Forward-dated to 1/30

[hintcoinplz]

[Mayfield - Outside the Hospital - Morning]

[After being unceremoniously dumped outside of the Factory, Luke is left wandering outside Mayfield's Hospital in a state of confusion and bewilderment. Anyone passing by Luke will see him as a young boy, albeit a young boy with a newly acquired surgery scar on his head. But to Luke? Everything, including himself, has aged by ten years. The buildings are run-down and desolate, everyone looks much older,  and the town itself looks like it's on the verge of falling apart. And as for Luke, he wasn't a little boy anymore, but a grown man.

Thanks to Mayfield's surgery, Luke is back. Although now he's hallucinating a grim, future Mayfield.]

...I don't understand. Is this Mayfield? Why...what happened?

[He'll be walking around in a daze for a while as he makes his way back "home". And when he finally gets there...]

[Mayfield - Backyard of 726 Anderson - Afternoon]

[Graves.

Slugger had built them all graves.

Luke forces back a bitter laugh at the sight of it. So, they never really did come back after all? Ten years and here they still were, dead and buried. They never rebuilt the revival machine. No, instead they dragged him out of his grave and decided to revive him instead. Why? It didn't make any sense. What use did he have to them alive?

He sits in front of Edward's grave, looking lost and hurt. It wasn't fair. Why him, of all people?

After a quiet moment, Luke speaks up.]

"A nightmare for some. For others, as a savior I come. My hands, cold and bleak, it's the warm hearts they seek. What I am?"

...Rest in peace, Edward and Susan. I'm sorry I wasn't able to do anything in the end.

[And much later, Luke will make a phone call. A very, very unusual phone call.]

[Phone.]

Ten years. Ten years. Have you all really grown so satisfied with this miserable place that not one of you tried to escape? Find any clues? Try to seize this town from its controllers? Are you really that happy with them treating you like cattle? Oh, sorry not cattle. Lab rats. That's what we really are here.

Did none of you prats even try to find out clues about this place? No one tried to fix the revival machine? No, you didn't. You all sat around while this place fell apart. If that's the case, then you deserve whatever this place decides to do with you. I, on the other hand, fully intend to solve this puzzle even if it's the last thing I do.

[And with that, he slams down the phone.]

[Around Mayfield - Over the next few days.]

[And Luke sets off around Mayfield trying to gather information from anywhere he can possibly find, patrolling the streets of Mayfield each day in order to find clues. But as each day passes, Luke's mental state begins to rapidly decline. Each day he grows a little more jumpy, a little more hostile and bitter to people that greet him. Every sound, every movement catches his attention and causes him to look over his shoulder for some kind of threat that isn't there.

Something's wrong, something's wrong, something's wrong.]

[ooc: Luke may possibly attack your character if you pick the last option.]

Comments

Around Mayfield (probably a few days after the post was made?)

[thegirltwin]

[Nina has been too ill, and Johan too concerned for her safety, to do much. But she tries to do what she can, where she can. It helps -- or doesn't -- that her symptoms seem to come and go. They never disappear completely, always leaving her a little woozy and numb, but sometimes, she feels less ill than other times.

Today isn't such a bad day, which is why she decides to go out and help anyone she can, to the degree that she can.

When she sees a young boy wandering around the streets, a scar on his forehead and looking agitated and paranoid, she stops. Because he seems so on edge, her voice is soft.]

Are you looking for someone? Your family?

Around Mayfield (sounds good!)

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke jumps, as expected. His expression's mixed with fear and anxiety. When he speaks, something's very off about him.]

W-what? No, no, they're gone. Dead.

You can't help me, so just leave.

:D

[thegirltwin]

[The 'off'-ness makes Nina even less likely to just leave the poor kid alone.]

Who's dead?

If I can't help you, maybe I can take you to someone who can. There's got to be someone who can look after you, even here. I can't just leave you alone like this.

[hintcoinplz]

Edward and Susan, they're...

I can take care of myself just fine, all right?

[Puzzle Party Dead House]

[questionauthority]

[Edward's been home for a few hours now. In this place that's supposedly his home, anyway. And after a long shower to rid himself of the blood on his back, and a fresh change of clothes (the one black suit and bowler hat amidst a sea of unreasonably gaudy suits), he's feeling a little bit better. Still hasn't a goddamn clue about anything past his name, but at least his name is something to work with.

Perhaps another look at that cane outside would give him some sort of hint as to who he really is. But someone's already out in the yard, murmuring something beneath his breath. A riddle...? Rest in peace...?]

Death?

[He didn't mean to say it aloud, wasn't trying to disturb the boy in this moment of mourning for whoever was buried---Wait. He said Edward. Was he supposed to be dead? Well, obviously that had to be a mistake. You don't just die one day and come back to life the next day. That's not how life works. Right?]

...is "death" the answer?

[Puzzle Party Dead House]

[hintcoinplz]

[Wow someone wasn't expecting an answer to that riddle. Luke immediately leaps to his feet, right as his eyes land on...Edward? And as to be expected, Luke starts scrambling backwards and looking terrified.]

S-stay back...!

[questionauthority]

[Oh, he really shouldn't have said a word at all. Edward raises both hands in a gesture of surrender, taking a careful step forward.]

Calm down! I'm sorry, I---I didn't mean to startle you.

[Phone]

[a_gentle_boy]

...Luke...? Luke, is that you?

[Phone]

[hintcoinplz]

[The harshness in Luke's voice dies down almost immediately, but he just can't quite recognize Lucas' voice. Maybe it has something to do with Lucas sounding much older then he should.]

W-who is this?

[a_gentle_boy]

[In contrast, Luke sounds exactly the same as he's always been. But the words he's using and the manner of his speech...]

It's me. Lucas.

...Luke, it's been three days since the last time I talked to you.

[Around Mayfield - The Next Day]

[questionauthority]

[Now this is a role reversal, isn't it? Instead of the small boy following the older gentleman around in the midst of an investigation, it's the older gentleman following the small boy's lead. He really doesn't think he'll be much use to him, but they're both trying to find answers. Luke regarding the mystery of this town, Edward regarding the mystery of his identity. They can help each other find the answers.

And with any luck, they can keep each other sane through this as well.]

[Around Mayfield - The Next Day]

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke's silent for the most part. For the past couple of days his head feels more and more like a war zone, but Edward's presence has had a calming effect on Luke. While he wasn't completely at ease, Luke was more of a functioning human being and less of a ragged madman.]

So, do you know the layout of this town at all?

[questionauthority]

[A shake of the head.]

Hardly.

[action, around town]

[protectshisclass]

[Negi has already armed himself--or at least, armed himself with his usual tools. He has his wooden staff and the ring Master gave him, but besides that he seems to just be a young boy rushing along. He's heard...quite a lot over the phones, really, enough to be concerned about what's going on.

So when he sees the young boy patrolling the streets, jumpy and suspicious, he readies himself before approaching.]

Hello?

[action, around town]

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke backs away as Negi approaches, giving him a suspicious look.]

Hello? What do you want?

[action, around town]

[protectshisclass]

Ah, nothing, really. I just wanted to see if you were okay.

[He's a regular bleeding heart, apparently.]

Phone > 726 Anderson

[strike_you_out]

[As Luke broadcasts vitriol over the phones, Slugger -- who has by this point gone mostly silent and numb -- snaps suddenly into focus. Nobody who talked like that about his friends and his family was getting away with it. His voice comes from behind.]

Hey!

Shut up.

Re: Phone > 726 Anderson

[hintcoinplz]

[At first he's caught off guard by the sudden volume in Slugger's voice. Luke's head snaps up immediately, a feral look in his eyes.

He grins, and it's not meant to be friendly.]

Oh? You've got something to say?

[strike_you_out]

I already told you. [Luke's grin is met with an even glare. Perhaps it was unfair to judge Luke so harshly considering his mind had been altered, but right now Slugger is nearing his own breaking point. He's supposed to be able to count on you, Luke.]

You're out of your mind.

[outside 1492 Kramden Road, because Ema's not moving very far right now]

[glowing_skye]

[Fresh air is good for you. Plus, it's not the stuffiness of inside.

Which is why Ema's curled up on her front porch with several blankets and a hot beverage in a thermos. She can't really bring herself to go exploring around town, but at least this way she's not totally in the dark.

Luke (and his jumpy behavior) catches her attention, and she waves.]

Luke!

[outside 1492 Kramden Road, because Ema's not moving very far right now]

[hintcoinplz]

Miss Ema...?

[Seeing her catches him off guard, but he'll walk over anyway.]

[glowing_skye]

[Ema doesn't get up from her bundle of blankets to greet him, but she does give him a small, slightly-relieved smile.]

I'm glad to see that you're in one piece. Things... things have really gotten bad these last few days.

[Action]

[break_a_melody]

[Giegue slips by and stands beside Luke as he's looking at the graves. His eyes narrow. So, they've died. The man seemed like he would have made an adequate puppet, but the woman would have been trouble for him. It was all for the best. And now, only the children were left, it seems.

... of course, this boy appeared to look a little older. Giegue looks up at him with the same, irritable face.]

[Action]

[hintcoinplz]

[Not so much older, but in Luke's mind everything around him has aged, and that includes Giegue.

Luke gives a tired, irritable glance at Giegue.]

You're still here, are you?

[break_a_melody]

[Giegue gives a nod. The boy is probably already aware of his intelligence by now. But that doesn't mean he has to lay down his entire hand just yet.]