[726 ANDERSON LANE]

[Slugger's homework became suddenly more interesting when an unexplained voice pierced his thoughts. Whatever algebra problem he'd been stuck on at the time became a string of words that ran together across the page, un-seperated by spaces as he'd attempted to copy the gist of what was being said inside his own head. When the voice went silent, he straightened to squint at the scribbled mess.

What just happened? Had the voice been real? Had anyone else heard it? 'Zemekis', 'Annie': why were those names familiar and who were they? And his friends - Pokey, Ai, Charles, Johan - they were still here. How could they have been taken away? What did Annie mean? However, the words that stick out above the rest as being most disconcerting are 'tampered memories'. 

Having given up any further attempts to finish his homework, Slugger carefully sets down his pencil and begins folding up the page. He can't just throw it away, someone might find it. He's got to hide it. The first place that comes to mind is beneath his mattress where his Halloween candy is stored for safekeeping. But what he finds already hidden under the mattress is something even more surprising. A notebook - thick and worn and slightly crumpled, as if it had been used over a course of years - is wedged between the mattress and the bed frame. Removing it, he finds page after page of words inside written by his own hand, but the moment he starts to focus on a page his vision blurs with the onset of a painful headache. 

The notebook slips from his hand and as it lands, cards flutter out and lay scattered over the floor of his bedroom. Kneeling down to gather them into a small stack, Slugger finds that each card has a strange picture printed on it. The card on top portrays a figure placing its hand through a brick wall as if reaching through thin air. Slugger, after staring at the card in confusion, slips it and the rest of the cards into his pocket. His attention turns next to his own hand... and then to the nearest wall.

Moments later, a single thud rattles the floor. Inspection may find Slugger lying on the floor, half his body severed cleanly by a wall (or so it would appear). Depending on which side of the wall you're approaching from, he can be found with both hands clutching his head in pain.]


[ANYWHERE AROUND THE BLOCK; the homes of Pokey, Ai, Charles, Johan and family]

[Slugger has gone for a walk not only to make sure that his friends haven't been abducted but to further test his new-found (or re-found) ability. When he thinks no one is watching he'll try stepping through a variety of structures, such as walls made of brick or stone or cinder block and other tall things like fences and trees.

Each time he does it, he feels as if there is something more to recall. And each time he suffers the same consequence -- a crippling migraine that causes his knees to buckle and an invasion of thoughts about how wonderful Mayfield is.]

Action; 726 Anderson Lane
[What had once been Edward's office in his "top-secret" underground lair was now just some abandoned relic. However, it still had its uses. Seated at the desk, Slugger absently pushes around some lettered slats on a Scrabble board. He isn't thinking much when the letters 'O - N - E' are haphazardly arranged on the board, but when he realizes the next letter beneath his finger is 'G', he pauses. His thumb and forefinger join in a circle formation and a tiny 'clink' echoes through the office as the slat rebounds off a far wall.]

Phone
[For the first few days after he'd returned from the Mayfield on the other side of the funhouse, Slugger hadn't felt much like thinking about his stay there, much less like talking about it. But now, he's ready to start getting down to business. Mayfield is a place he hates and yet it's a place that has given him so much, including a home. But what it gave, it had the power to take away. He isn't sure why he continues to search for answers or why he still feels the unshakable sense of responsibility for collecting whatever scraps of information the town might offer, but perhaps a certain man in green who is no longer here would agree that the search must go on until the answer is found.]

Edward Nigma is gone. Droned. This time for real.

[Though Edward had possibly been the closest person he's lost thus far, his words are devoid of emotion as though simply stating a fact. Almost as quickly as the announcement leaves his mouth, the call shifts to a new topic.]

Did anyone find something useful in the Other Mayfield? I'd like to see.

The shops
[Later that week Slugger visits the dress shop downtown to check out rental tuxedos for prom. Much of the time is spent wandering around with a disinterested expression on his face until something catches his eye or until someone chooses a tux for him and forces him into it. When he's finally in a suit and standing before the mirrors, he's fumbling with his bow tie. Despite his best attempt at tying it, it unravels instantly and he breathes a frustrated sigh. Someone remind him why prom is even a thing.]

At home
[Later that evening, Slugger peers out from behind a corner into the living room. Finding it empty, he treads quietly into the room with a rolled up mat which he then unfurls in the middle of the floor. Painted accross the mat are numbered footsteps with arrows between them in the pattern of a basic waltz. Awkwardly, he stands beside the mat and places one foot onto the first footstep.]


Driveway of 726 Anderson Lane
[A big black hearse pulls into the driveway and parks beside Edward's Riddlermobile. The driver-side door opens and Slugger steps out onto the driveway with a wide grin on his face. Since when does he know how to drive? Evidently, this isn't his first time behind the wheel. He's got his ride, now time to get ready for prom.]

Outside 1451 Mitchell Road
[The hearse is now parked at the end of Ai's driveway. Dressed in his pinstripe tux, Slugger gives the car horn a honk before stepping out.]

Around Mayfield
[With some time to kill before prom, Slugger is driving around town in his stolen hearse. Need a ride to prom? Does he know you or your date? He might be pulling up to offer you a ride. There's plenty of room in back where the coffin should be. Or is it prom after-hours and you need a ride home? He can do that, too. Otherwise he's happy to destroy your mailbox and send your trash bins flying.]

[At five past midnight, Slugger finds a letter waiting for him with a list of names. Reading through it, he then sighs a breath of relief. Unlike previous years in which receiving a list of names meant warfare, this time it meant fun.

Rereading the names, a nefarious grin spreads slowly over his face.

1246 Williams Road (locked to Firo)
It's 3:15 AM, just hours after the letters have been sent out, and Slugger has located the home of his first victim. Silent as a shadow, he slides through the hallway and peers into Firo's bedroom...

3474 Erwin Road (locked to Shadow)
It's a beautiful morning as Slugger makes his rounds delivering the daily newspaper. But for a certain resident of 3474 Erwin Road, he has a very "special" delivery. In the driveway of the home, he bashes a stink-bomb on the ground with his bat and --holding his breath-- rushes to teleport into the house where he will hide the bomb. Good luck finding it, Shadow!

1671 Nelson Street (locked to Olivier)
Having checked two names off his list, Slugger arrives at 1671 Nelson Street where he manifests within as if from thin air. In one hand he holds a container of spicy hot mustard which he intends to pour into Olivier's shampoo bottle. Smirking, he sneaks into the bathroom to implement his plan.

1335 Benny Road (locked to Gumi)
Evening has come and Slugger has located the home of his next victim. For this one he's decided to channel a bit of Halloween horror. Slipping a hockey mask over his face, Slugger waits quietly in Gumi's darkened bedroom, ready to rev up the chainsaw in his hands the moment the lights are switched on...

502 Ricardo Street (locked to Pokey)
It had been a shock to find Pokey's name on the list when he'd first read it. A year and a half ago, he would have sneaked into Pokey's home and scared the living shit out of him. But now, with the way things had changed and developed between them, he sneaks into Pokey's home and merely slips something beneath the sofa cushion. Beside it, he sits with a bag of chips waiting for Pokey to enter the room.

Around Mayfield
Between pranks Slugger may be seen throughout the day traversing the streets of Mayfield on his skates, a warped baseball bat at his side. If your character has Slugger as a prank and you haven't contacted me yet, please do so!]

A) [Action | 1451 Mitchell Road and 726 Anderson Lane]

[A car pulls up this morning with an older man wearing a fedora behind the wheel.

He's here to pick up kids for school. He's mainly here for Ai and Slugger, but he doesn't seem anything wrong with picking up their siblings as well.

Nothing creepy about this, at all.]


B) [Action | Mayfield Elementary School]

[A new teacher is here! What happened to your last teacher? Well some of you probably already know the drill. Still...]

"I am Wanyudo... Whyuno. You may call me Mr. Wanyudo. I'll be your teacher for the rest of the year it seems. Ms. Wilson has taken a long vacation."

[He turns to the board, and writes Mr. Wanyudo.]

"I was not given a lesson plan, so this class will just be story time for the rest of the year.

First story I am going to tell you is an old one from my home. It's the story of...

( Nure-Onna )


C) [Action | Peepers Street]

[Wanyudo is ending the night but hanging out around his street.

He's stopping to say high to any neighbors he sees and generally walking back and forth, up and down the road.]

[It's one thing to be a powerful entity capable of teleporting at will to any given location and shifting through walls on a whim. It's quite another to be human (in the physical sense). There was no worse feeling than the unpreparedness of suddenly losing one's regains and the vulnerability that accompanied it.

Thinking it wise to prepare ahead of time by learning not to rely too heavily upon his paranormal abilities, Slugger is attempting to learn some new skills that could help him be (or at least feel) more proficient without his powers. This is why, today, he's decided to start practicing again with the gun he received from a man named America. Perhaps it would also serve a dual purpose in keeping his mind off the Major's declaration of war on his family and friends. A warm Saturday afternoon in spring will be spent as follows:

( A ) Around Mayfield (at home, the streets, or outside the shooting range)
At home, Slugger has uncovered his revolver from where he'd chosen to hide it. Removing it from its box, he briefly familiarizes himself with it before getting ready to leave. He lacks a sense of proper gun care and safety, evident in the way he shoves the barrel into a pocket before he leaves.

He suspects it might be somehow illegal to carry a gun out onto the street, especially for someone his age. This doesn't stop him from making his way to the outdoor shooting range on foot. Upon arriving just outside his destination, Slugger pauses to stare up at wooden sign: 'NO PETS. NO CHILDREN WITHOUT ADULT SUPERVISION'.

How to get around this.

( B ) Outdoor Shooting Range
After somehow getting in and obtaining some ammo, he's chosen a spot near the perimeter of the field to practice. Most likely, anyone on the street may spot him here. He's wearing a pair of protective goggles and headphones, not because he needs them; he just thinks he looks awesome in them.

At some point, he takes a break from firing at the targets to give in to a bit of curiosity. When he thinks no one is looking, he takes aim at his own foot. He just wants to know what it feels like to get shot. Ready... Aim... Fire.

( C ) Shooting Range (later)
Even monsters get fatigued after a while. And frustrated. He's been getting in some crappy shots for the past half hour and it's pissing him off. Finally, he sets down his gun. Then, picking up his bat, he crosses the field and smashes the target. Problem solved.]

FEBRUARY 13

White Daisies; School and Elsewhere; Locked to Pokey
[Leaving class, Slugger catches the scent of something sweet in the hallway. He turns to look for its source and spots Pokey instead. A weird, dazed look comes across his face accompanied by a stupid smile.]

Hi, Pokey.


Forget-Me-Nots; Around Mayfield; Locked to Haruko
[Later, while stepping outside to get the mail, Slugger spots a cluster of small, blue-purple flowers inside the mailbox. The sound of an approaching motor vehicle captures his attention...]


FEBRUARY 14

Hyacinth; School; Partial locked to Ai Enma
[The moment Slugger steps into the school, he's hit with a powerful aroma. After that, he can't take his eyes off of Enma Ai and follows her closely on their way to and from classes. Anyone who does so much as look at her will receive a penetrating stare.]


Carnation; School/Around Mayfield; Locked to Johan Liebert
[At the end of classes, Slugger is met with the overwhelming urge to return to Johan's classroom and accompany the man home from school.]


[OOC: Sorry for all the locked posts; this week is really busy for me and my time is limited to things that have been plotted with me. However, if anyone would like to try and speak to Ai in the third option, you're welcome to start a thread.]

 Action; Downtown Mayfield

[Under most circumstances, working in alliance with one of Mayfield's own would have been out of the question. Certainly Jack Smith was no friend, but perhaps he wasn't an enemy, either. Believing in his phone call may be stupid, but at this time Slugger has little to believe in anymore. If all he had to do was impart tremendous damage long enough to allow Smith to restore the revival system, Slugger would gladly oblige. Anything to bring back his best friend and his mother. 

On a street corner in downtown Mayfield stands a boy facing a world with no rules. His gaze is set to the west where a row of shops and businesses line the street leading up to the police station several blocks away. This is where he will begin, consequences be damned. If he discovered later that Jack Smith had lied, he would come for Jack Smith.

Soon, the boy begins to grow tall, wide and monstrous, until his body erupts into a dark mass, thick and muddy and still growing. Larger and larger it becomes, reaching the size of a house in short time. Black, nebulous arms reach for the nearest building, latching onto the walls before rolling over and slowly crushing the structure beneath its weight. Glass, metal, concrete --- all succumb to utter demolition. A large explosion may be heard, muted under the pressure surrounding it. Once the first building has been reduced to a flattened heap of smoldering rubbish, the darkness simply rolls onward without stop to the one immediately beside it.]

Action; Police Station

[Outside the police station, the earth rumbles as impending destruction comes its way. The nearest building has been slowly enveloped and crushed beneath the relentless mass of darkness. Ignoring traffic, it crosses the street like a tsunami in slow motion, pushing vehicles and debris with it as it crawls toward its intended target...] 

Action; 726 Anderson Lane

[All throughout the night, neighbors and passerby's will likely hear the continuous sounds of digging in the backyard of 726 Anderson Lane. By daybreak, the yard not immediately above the Legion headquarters has been transformed into a small graveyard. Standing vigilant with his shovel, Slugger has finally stopped to rest. Smears of dirt mar his calm, expressionless face. If one looks closely, one might note the subtle crease of resigned anger settled permanently upon his darkened brow.

In the cold and semi-frozen earth beneath his feet lie the bodies of his friends and family. Edward lies here, his question mark cane denoting his grave site, though there is no mystery as to who lies beneath. Beside it is the smaller grave of Luke whom Slugger decided would prefer to rest beside his mentor. Not far from these is the grave of Pokey, Slugger's dearest friend--finally, Pokey was not the one designated to carry the burden of being the last survivor. Susan's grave has been dug as well, situated beside the tree with the swing.

Slugger knows about the experiments Mrs. Johnson is performing on random residents inside the old factory, but he'd rather stay here and fill in the stupid daily crossword puzzle for Edward and Luke or lie on the ground beside his best friend's resting place, his head throbbing, or sit on Susan's swing, his head still throbbing. Just last week he'd confessed his love for the Hell Girl and now he was quickly losing everyone close to him like a terrible nightmare. For every happy moment in Mayfield, there is a price to pay.]

[Rather than read the assigned acts of Romiette and Juleo, or whatever it was called, Slugger is finding every imaginable reason to procrastinate. He discovers that knocking icicles off the roof and shoveling the driveway are good excuses for wasting time, though he finishes both a bit too quickly. After the last of the snow has been shoveled from the driveway, he turns to empty the mailbox and idly flips through its contents piece by piece.

There's nothing remarkable in the mail today, only a few envelopes, a post card, and a magazine. The magazine, at least, he could mutilate later for fun. On the back cover is an ad featuring the title "Young Love" in which a little girl is pictured kissing the cheek of a little boy. Slugger pauses. Young love? Dropping the snow shovel, he looks up, wide-eyed and silent as if stricken with a sudden realization.]


Phone

[Slugger gives the telephone a long and apprehensive stare before he dares to pick it up. Holding it to his ear, he opens his mouth to speak... then quickly hangs up. Several deep breaths later he tries again, this time with more success.]


Hi.


What do you do when--

[He briefly freezes up, near horrified at what he's about to admit.]


...when you think you love a girl?