83

[perfectsymmetry]

After last week's truthful phone call, Crowe's daring to venture outside again. He really hates wasting the nice summer weather, after all. So it's time to get back to life as usual in Mayfield. As usual as it ever gets, anyway.

A) How does Crowe vent frustration? SPORTS! Well, in this case, martial arts practice. Crowe's been training religiously in Mayfield in his long stint here, and has had a few different trainers. Today, he'll be teaching the boxing equipment a lesson it'll never forget, complete with some yelling as he throws some punches and kicks. Who knew Crowe had it in him? That meek personality hides a fierce fighter underneath. He tries to go to the rec center just as it opens, hoping there will be less people for him to bother with all the noise. But there's bound to be some other early birds there, right? Maybe some who want to see what's going on, or maybe even spar.

B) Later that day, exhausted from his workout, Crowe heads to his usual hangout, the park. He's working at a picnic table in the shade, and in front of him lies his dozens of newly-developed photos. Crowe takes pictures of all non-droned people in town, and has been doing so for months. He's looking through the new ones, pictures spread out on the table that anyone passing by could see. You might be in there, or someone you know. He has his old albums there with him too, and is sorting them all away. His iPhone is sitting on the bench next to him, quietly playing music. Some of the older ones he flips through, looking over the ones of his now droned friends sadly. Once in awhile, a breeze picks a photo or two up, and he has to chase after. Maybe it blows your way?

Tucked away in one of the albums is also a piece of paper that you might find him looking over. Ciel gave it to him months ago, and he's still trying to figure out what it could mean.

Comments

B

[ooeeooahah]

[ Ilsa is wandering in the park, while the breeze dies down a bit. Without it, she seeks shade and finds Crowe. ]

Appropriate music, hon. How are you?

[ She doesn't immediately sit down next to him, waiting to see how he reacts. ]

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

[He gives her a tired smile.] Ah, they're my favorite, is all. I'm alright. How're you?

[ooeeooahah]

Still getting my sleep schedule back in line after that [ she makes an indistinct hand gesture indicating the episode of putting nearly the entire town on truth gas ] thing, and getting used to part of my head being back in place.

This what you were working on, before?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

[He looks away.] Ha, I had to... get over myself, I-I guess, after that. I'm not sure how to keep going a-after you completely and utterly mortify yourself to the whole town, but, ah, here I am.

[He nods.] Yeah. The collection's getting pretty big.

[ooeeooahah]

I guess I cheated by going to the medically-induced coma option, but it wasn't just my secrets I had at that point. And who knows, maybe some good can come out of it.

[ Her eye is caught by the letter, but it's a couple of pages away from the current one he's working on. ]

Are these pictures of the ones that are aware?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Mmhmm. Though, a lot of them aren't anymore, sad to say. Ah, do I have you in here, yet...? [He takes a look through his latest acquisitions.]

[ooeeooahah]

I did see you with a camera, so it's possible.

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

[he picks one out] Ah, here we are. May I have you sign the back of it for me? Usually I do it, but you're here...

[ooeeooahah]

[ She eyebrows, and then signs it. It's largely illegible. ]

Thought so - here, let me print it.

[ Ilsa writes her name in squarish block letters. ]

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

[Have a smile!] Thanks. I like having everyone sign them if they can, but I tend to take too many.

[ooeeooahah]

Scrapbook as well?

[ She taps the edge of the paper hanging out of the album. ]

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Ah, that... [He'll take out the whole piece of paper, and show it to her.] Someone gave me that. I know she wanted me to have it as a clue, something to figure out... But I can't seem to figure out where it might have come from.

[ooeeooahah]

[ She sits beside him on the picnic table bench, facing away from the table as she reads. ]

[ Ilsa takes her time before responding, with several re-reads. ]

I don't recognize the penmanship style, so it wasn't written by someone taught in the Georgia school system, or at least, not the one I know, or not recently. Beyond that... I want to find her. At least I think it's a her - could be a boy that likes dresses. [ Ilsa shrugs ] Sounds like one of us.

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

I wish I knew where it came from. Mayfield? Maipole? Westport? If it's the latter, finding her is out of the question...

[ooeeooahah]

She may be out of our reach even if she is here, if she is droned.

Has this been shared out in the general pool of information?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Could be... Ah, I don't think so. I've been meaning to circulate it but I've been, um, distracted I guess.

[ooeeooahah]

[ Ilsa hands the paper back to him. ]

I'd consider copying it. In fact, I'd consider having everyone who has the capability, to scan it. Then make a traced carbon copy. Belt and sus- [ She remembers to translate for him, ] er, belt-and-braces approach.

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Ah, true, people here with cameras and computers and such... [He'll take out his iPhone after a moment, and take a close photo of it.] I'll start circulating it.

[ooeeooahah]

Stop by the house sometime this week, I can make a primitive copy. Just in case they take the tech away again.

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Right. Yeah, you never know when something like Maipole could happen again, a-and be permanent.

[ooeeooahah]

I've heard stories, but that was before I got here. Can you tell me about it?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

A-Ah, it was, um. Well, one day, we woke up and the whole town had changed. Everything - the scenery, clothes, houses, everything. It was deplorable. Everyone was forced into factory jobs, or ridiculous tasks, and incredibly long school days. I-I was supposed to... do some sort job i-involving food production output that was impossible, a-and after a few days they took me a-and dragged me off for, ah, "reprogramming". Which pretty much involved getting tortured. Um. Some people were killed when turned in a-as spies. Other people were dismembered o-or tortured for not completing their jobs too. I-it went on for a week or so until it stopped a-as suddenly as it started. This was l-last year, now. I-I had the scars from the incident on me until the n-next time I had died, a few months later.

[He absently rubs his chest, where the worst wound was.]

[ooeeooahah]

[ Oh, she had no idea what she was opening up with that question. She reaches across him and hugs, gently. ]

I'm sorry, I didn't know. The town can be so horrible.

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

H-Hey, better you know, right? In case it happens again, y-you know what we might be in for...

[ooeeooahah]

[ Still rubbing his shoulder, she shakes her head. ]

There are so many things that we might need to be prepared to deal with, soon. We can't just hope that their infighting won't spill over to us.