welcome to mayfield: day 4

[mayfield_mods]

[This carnival seems to be getting less and less maintained by the day. Your nerves aren't the only thing fallen apart: what were previously holes in the sky have expanded to cracks. What parts of the sky that haven't fallen into that strange, warping nothingness are full of brown smog-like clouds.

The carnival itself has become filthy, with trash and grease spots littered everywhere. The walls of the tents, wooden stands, and houses seem to be slightly melted, for lack of a better term. The holes of corrupted nothingness aren't confined to the sky anymore: pockets of nothing litter the carnival, shifting tears in the fabric of reality that hurt your eyes to look at.

A faint buzzing noise fills the air, making it difficult to concentrate. If you listen long enough, it starts to sound like voices. For your own sake, it's probably best not to listen to what they have to say.

You're also not alone here anymore, for those of you operating under the assumption that you ever really were. If you've been missing the friendly drones of Mayfield, fear no more, because scattered throughout the carnival are a few drone families seeing the sights, riding the rides and playing the games. Curiously, unlike the drones back home, these ones don't seem to notice you at all, acting as if you're not even there.

Also curiously: their features are warped nearly beyond recognition. Some are missing limbs or facial features; others appear to have had those features scrambled by Picasso's paintbrush, with mouths on their scalps or teeth on their fingers. Still other drones appear to be fused together at the wrist, or waist, or face. None of them seem to be any more aware of their deformity than they are of you.

...and yet, somehow, you can't shake the feeling that when you're not looking at them, they're looking at you.

New here? That's alright; your missing friends have had plenty of time to get acquainted, and they'll be happy to show you around. Just watch your step, because some of these old rides need some maintenance...]

OOC: If your character damages or affects the carnival or town in a noticeable and normally permanent way, please comment here.

Comments

[theboywiththebook]

[WHY HI THERE LUCAS! Henry has awakened as well, only to come outside of the church, because man, it's starting to feel scary. He see's Lucas sitting on the steps looking rather sleepy. He's also noticing the very loud grumbles coming from the boy's stomach.

Now Henry has been pretty well nourished these passed few days. Why? Packing a ton of food helps. Rationing is even better. So he still has enough to share.

Bending down beside Lucas, he pulls out a small bag of chips, a chocolate bar and a drink box and extends them out to Lucas.]

Here, you need to eat.

[a_gentle_boy]

[What grumbles those are um gurgles of joy Lucas is practicing an ancient meditation technique. He glances up as he feels someone sitting down beside him.]

Oh, Henry...

N-No, it's really OK. You should save it for yourself - or for someone who's hurt or starving. ...Thank you, though.

[theboywiththebook]

[NOPE! Not buying it. He's dropping it in Lucas's lap.]

Well you're both. So I guess I did find someone who needs it. I'll be fine.

[a_gentle_boy]

I'm not.

[It's true. Partially. Physically, Lucas is fine. He's suffered and healed himself through worse injuries, and the only marks left from his run-ins with the inhabitants of this town are minor - callouses from running, scratches on his arms from touching the wire.

...He was hungry, though.]

I'm really alright, I promise. If I need anything, I'll be sure to ask. ...But I don't know how long we're going to be here still, so... this shouldn't be wasted.

[theboywiththebook]

And it won't be wasted. If you eat it that is. It's not going to do much good if it just sits in my bag. Besides you need be strong enough to keep doing your magic, right?

[a_gentle_boy]

Ah... psychic powers. It mostly comes from up here [Lucas touches the side of his head briefly] so it's alright if I go hungry.

What about you? You've been exploring a lot, too, right?

[theboywiththebook]

But Miss Blanchard taught us people need food to keep their brain awake.

[Sorry, he's not budging on this. Does he need to cram this food down your throat? Cause he will. He got him and Emma into a car crash that could have killed them to keep her from leaving Storybrooke.]

Yeah...I found some stuff out...but I'm not sure what it all means.

[a_gentle_boy]

[subtle topic change!!]

All I've really found out is that I don't think I like clowns very much. What have you seen, Henry?

[theboywiththebook]

[Still not falling for it.]

Eat and I'll tell you.

[It's an ultimatum...but he could be lying.]

[a_gentle_boy]

[Lucas assumes an unamused expression.]

Henry...

[theboywiththebook]

[Sorry, he cares about his friends.]

Lucas...

[He points to the food. He's looking a little desperate.]

...please.

[a_gentle_boy]

[...

Sigh... Lucas takes the bag of chips and opens it. ...He slowly takes a bite of a single chip.]

Alright... Thanks.

[theboywiththebook]

[Henry smiles. Score one for Henry.]

No problem.

[Now onto information. Henry pulls out an ad that he found in one of the houses. He lifts it to show Lucas.]

There's this.

[a_gentle_boy]

[Of course, there's really only one thing that jumps out. Lucas stares. He will also subtly slow down his chip-eating whenever Henry looks distracted enough.]

'State of the Art Suspended Animation and Enhanced Reality Programming'...

It looks like it's true, then.

[theboywiththebook]

[Henry curiously looks at him.]

You know something about this? You know what it means?

[Because to Henry, he's getting the feeling it's like something a comic book or a game would do.]

[a_gentle_boy]

Like what we've heard about it all being fake, right? An 'emulation'...

[theboywiththebook]

An emulation? So...what does that mean?

[a_gentle_boy]

I don't know, exactly.

But it's why we don't ever really die, I think. And why the town can rebuild itself so quickly and why we can be droned...

[theboywiththebook]

So...we're in a place that won't let us die and can fix itself and drone us...

[Henry thinks for a moment.]

It sounds like...like a computer.

[Because, as Henry thinks more and more about it. Yeah, it definitely sounds like a computer. A computer could restore things that are lost, like files, look at how Emma figured out how he found her.]

[a_gentle_boy]

[Lucas nods a little.]

Right. That's what I've heard, too. I don't know anything about computers, but... it would be like it was only happening inside our minds.

[theboywiththebook]

[Henry could explain about computers, but there's more to share.]

I also heard this conversation going on in the Tunnel of love with General Olivier, Jenny and some man.

[Henry passes his notebook with said conversation to Lucas.]

[a_gentle_boy]

[Lucas's face whitens the moment he begins to read.]

A-Ah... But -- who was speaking? Did you see them?

[theboywiththebook]

No...just voices. Lucas, does this mean, that the man trying to help us...helped start this?

[Because at the time Henry didn't have time to process this news with what had come after.]

[a_gentle_boy]

[Lucas looks trouble for a few moments.]

Memories. ...It must be memories, preserved in this place. But who...

[He shakes his head.]

At the beginning, Zemekis... I guess his first name is Johnathan. This was an escape. It was supposed to be a place to hide, I think, from the war. A war. Richard Grey lived here, along with all the others I told you about. It was only after he realized what Zemekis was doing - the droning - that he decided he needed to escape.

I think Zemekis did this all himself. It sounds like they were there by invitation. And they didn't suspect anything at first...

This carnival and this place... It must be in the past. Long in the past, back when Mayfield first started.

...Zemekis is Lucy Smith now. But why...?

[He trails off there, looking troubled. This wasn't... new information, per se, but it was definitely confirmation of everything that had been suspected in the past.]

[theboywiththebook]

[Henry listens, still very confused by all of this. He doesn't get it. Why would this Zemekis guy do this? He was evil, no doubt about it. But to keep them all stuck here like this and put them through constant torture?

But he kind of understands the past thing.]

So...we're inside an old memory of this place? But why is Zemekis, Lucy?