ＯＮＥ

[incumbency]

A • 946 beulah street (morning)
[Mamushi's eyes snap open and she moves into a sitting position, hand pressed against the right side of her face. She shoots the man beside her a wide-eyed glare before leaping off the bed with great haste.]

You-!

[After that drama, she moves wearily about the house, ignoring the television and radio, and frowning

Comments

A

[webfreedomftw]

[The apparent teenaged boy in the photos is in the living room, trying to shove three sentient blobs into his backpack for school. Estonia hasn't noticed the changes in the pictures yet to signify a new "mother." It is, however, that faint clink of a photo frame suddenly meeting a surface that draws his attention, and he goes to look at Mamushi, adjusting his glasses habitually as he does.]

... You're not Raquel.

[incumbency]

[The voice prompts Mamushi to turn. She pauses partway when she sights Estonia, who she regards quietly with as blank an expression as she can manage, as though she's urging him to go on. 'Raquel' means nothing to her and so she has no words to spare for it.]

[webfreedomftw]

[Her gives her a moment before he continues.]

So I guess that means you're new. Welcome to Mayfield. Ah... I know you're not supposed to be here, but you are anyway, so, I guess just try not to panic too much.

[incumbency]

[She takes but a second to digest the news. Her eyes narrow again.]

Where is... Mayfield, and who is the perpetrator?

[webfreedomftw]

All signs indicate that Mayfield is in the United States of America, but considering we can't leave and things here are significantly creepier than I think he ever was, even at the height of his crazy, it's probably safe to consider this some alternate or fabricated reality. As for the perpetrator, we, uh... really don't know. There are a few people of interest but to my knowledge, there's been no clean admissions of guilt.

[incumbency]

[She takes in most of the information in stride, but the linking of America, another nation, to a pronoun throws off her comprehension.]

He?

[webfreedomftw]

Yes...? Oh, right, I should explain that. Imagine, if you will, that every nation on Earth, and even a few that aren't really nations but represent land and people anyway, has a physical personification. And that's us.

There's actually quite a number of the UN here in Mayfield, so I suppose it's best I just explain it to you now.

[incumbency]

[Preposterous, she wants to call out, but this is not the time for unnecessary doubt despite her look of skepticism.]

What must I do to leave?

[webfreedomftw]

As of yet, that's unknown. We're still looking, though.

[incumbency]

... Then we have no contact with the outside whatsoever, including Kyoto.

[webfreedomftw]

Unfortunately, yes.

Is that where you're from?

[incumbency]

More than that, there is a threat to ward off there.

[webfreedomftw]

There are threats to ward off here, too. They're just a little harder to identify some days.