~1st Round~ - Macallan 12, Neat

[taser_facial]

[Man, what a night it was. A couple of Sokora's good friends had come by the bar, having just secured possibly their biggest haul - not that he asked - and he decided that it would be worthwhile to keep the place open and the liquor flowing. Hell, it was a win/win situation, and while the night was exhausting, it was certainly profitable to

Comments

2: Letting the days go by

[ooeeooahah]

[ During her walk home from church, Ilsa notices the knife first... then the human. The expressions give her the clue that he may just have arrived. ]

[ She stops a couple of yards away from the man, asking cautiously, ] You woke up in a strange house, in a strange town?

Water's flowing underground~

[taser_facial]

[ It's a pretty long butcher's knife. Not so great for self-defense, but still. He eyes the woman standing before him with more than a bit of distrust, but nods slowly. Hand's near enough to the knife to use it if he has to, but far enough that he's not trying to look threatening. ]

That... more or less sums it up, yes. A town where nearly every resident looks identical, and most aren't helpful in the least. You seem more 'normal' than all those, though; are you in the same situation?

[ooeeooahah]

[ She nods, ] There's lots of us. I've been here since April. I have a pamphlet and a map of the town in my purse, is it all right if I get them out for you?

[ She does not make a move to open her purse until he's okay with it. ]

[taser_facial]

[ The man nods slowly in exchange. ] April... and what month is it now, then? Last I recall, it was the beginning of October.

[ The offer is met with another slow, wary nod. The woman at least seems friendly, and if she's in the same boat... ] Go right ahead.

[1: Phone, Unfiltered - 07:50]

[walking_nuke]

Good mounin' to you, too.

[Balin sounds pretty sympathetic, despite the choice of words.]

New in town, yeah?

Re: [1: Phone, Unfiltered - 07:50]

[taser_facial]

[ Bit of bitter laughter. ]

Oh, there's someone on the line, then. Good? GOOD? Not likely! This is obviously some sort of sick joke, and for all I know, you're one of those behind this!

[ Paranoia? Check. Another bit of harsh laughter follows.]

Oh, yeah. I'm 'new'. A new man, by all standards, at that.

[walking_nuke]

Yeah, it's'a sickest fuckin' joke I've ever seen. But no, I ain't behind it. I'm a prisoner of'is sitcom of a town, just like you.

Welcome to Mayfield, anyway. Which is kinda like sayin' "welcome to Hell," but, yanno.

[Beat.]

I'm Sergeant First Class Balin Wilbur, by'a way.

[taser_facial]

[Snort.]
Lovely. Just fucking great. So someone's getting their jollies trapping people in a BTL... right, a sitcom. One of those old '90s shows. Sure, why not.

Mayfield, you say. I'll keep that one in mind.
[ He pauses, for a moment, then decides to go with honesty here. ]
Call me Sokora. No real other title, none I've used for years, anyway.

2

[a_gentle_boy]

[At some point during his week, he'll be treated to the bizarre sight of a boy on top of a table tearing down the street, shooting out newspapers in every which direction as he goes.]

Ah, I can't believe I'm so late...!

[As per the conventions of this kind of fiction, a newspaper will proceed to fly straight towards the man walking down the street.]

[taser_facial]

[ Sure enough, the Law of Narrative Causality takes hold to full effect; the man's not seen the table galloping along the road, and so the thin newspaper sails out to smack him right upside the head.

He turns sharply, staring at the dangerous weapon with which he's just been feloniously assaulted, just before his mouth drops open at the sight: a table? A freaking tea table, moving like a horse? His hand's arrested en-route to that knife as he takes in that image, silently wondering if something a bit harder hit him. ]

What in the...!

[a_gentle_boy]

((*some point during his walk*, sorry!))

Ah!

[There is an impossible neigh as Lucas reins in the table -- or... brings it skidding to a stop, anyway, causing him to half-somersault off the front from the momentum. The boy bounces to the ground.]

I'm so sorry! Did I hit you?! I must've; are you alright?

[taser_facial]

[ The man just can't seem to stop staring at that tea table. First it gallops, now it neighs? What's with this place?!

At least he's too shellshocked to react with more than a shake of his head, defense momentarily forgotten. ]

It's fine; I'm fine... it's just... paper.

[ He bends down for a moment, to pick up that wrapped bundle, shaking his head again. ]

I think, anyway. I might be having some sort of seizure. Or someone slipped a drug into my water. Or something. Is that supposed to be a horse?

3 - Phone in the afternoon

[duck_duck_laser]

It's alright. I think almost everyone here has spent some time shouting panicked things into the phone. I can't blame you.

I'm Dakki Sigal. I'd be happy to try to fill you in a little. I've only been here a... month and a half, but I get the gist. [She laughs.] And I'm not supposed to be human, either. But this town? It makes you human. If you endure this place long enough, you can earn your real self back. I've seen it happen.

Re: 3 - Phone in the afternoon

[taser_facial]

From what I've seen so far, it's certainly more than some time... this place seems incredibly twisted. But thank you, ma'am.

I'm glad that people around are eager to share information... and ah. That would explain it, then, another sick little game of the people in charge. Lovely. I'm glad that eventually I'll get back to my old self, then, provided I don't wind up too twisted first. Or die.

If you don't mind me asking, Ms. Sigal, what manner of being were you beforehand?

[duck_duck_laser]

Very twisted. Be prepared for anything.

Most of the people here aren't so bad. They're happy to share what they know. We're all in this mess together, right? [She hesitates for a moment.] ...I don't know if you'll find this comforting or not... but apparently? We can't die. Not permanently, anyway. You'll... you know... die. Get killed. But you'll wake up in your bed the next morning, just fine.

Hm? I don't mind. I'm supposed to be a CAST. That is... I'm an artificial humanoid.

[taser_facial]

Right. No going out, without some sort of self-defense. I just wish they'd let me keep my guns - never was one for close combat, at all. Guns or armor. Or RV.

[Deep breath.]

I'm guessing that qualifier - most - is another reason to stay careful. I'll keep it in mind... Oh. Well. I suppose that's... either good, or very, very bad. And gives me flashbacks to some very unpleasant experiences I've had with simulations.

An artificial humanoid? Such as an android- er, gynoid? We have a couple of those where I'm from... not very common, though. Well, for the sake of sharing, I'm ordinarily an elf. Just another metahuman.

[taser_facial]

[ Ooh, snark. That's a great way to get on his good side this morning. On the plus side, it did stop his rant for a moment, as he sputters wordlessly for a second or two, before grinding out his question again. ]

What. Is. Going. On.

[taser_facial]

Calm down. Calm down? I woke up to a woman I don't even know, in a house I've never seen, in... in a town that looks like it's from some ridiculous trid! Calm DOWN?!

[Beat. When he speaks again, he's at least ostensibly reasonable.]

Okay. Let's say that I'm calm. What's the short form?