Ace Mayfield Investigations

[a_gentle_boy]

Who: Lucas, Rin, Holland, the Librarian
What: Unraveling a murder mystery
When: The afternoon of the 8th
Where: The Library
Warnings: Mayfield is a warning all by itself.

"Remember, we don't want to scare her."  Lucas speaks solemnly as he pauses outside the entrance of the library.  "She's really just a girl, I think, so... it's probably better if we don't all gang up on her at once.  Or press her hard if she starts to look afraid.  Let's just show her the newspaper clipping about Lucille and ask if she knows anything about this disappearance, and maybe if that's when Zemekis started to go a little crazy, too."

There were one or few other things he wanted to bring up, too, if he had the chance, but those weren't nearly as important.  Lucas nods, heads in, and makes a beeline for the head librarian's desk.

"Hi, Miss Librarian.  We'd like to ask you about something we found in a newspaper."

Comments

[roadroller]

A printed copy of the original clue is in Rin's hand. She casually sets it onto the librarian's counter.

"Here, this one."

She then takes a step back and looks up at the librarian with a friendly smile and her hands folded in front of her. Following Lucas' advice, she hopes this looks nonthreatening.

[gezellig]

[He'd lost his bit of newspaper when he'd died in the Carnival, but the one Rin had was the same. Holland will nod at Lucas' instructions, and he'll hang back slightly when they speak to the librarian.

Spain and Belgium had told him - though he's not sure if he believed them - that he was scary without even trying. He wouldn't want to be intimidating now. He'll also make sure there is nobody else around.]

[mayfield_mods]

The Librarian isn't looking too good, quite frankly. There are rings under her eyes, as if she hasn't been sleeping, and her fingers are jittering on the counter even more nervously than usual. Her head jerks up quickly when the group approaches her.

"What..." She takes a deep breath, and then tries again. "What do you want me to tell you about it?"

[a_gentle_boy]

Lucas would have preferred to have eased into showing the newspaper, but maybe pulling it out so quickly would surprise her into saying something she wouldn't normally say. Still... it doesn't look like she would cope well with surprise at this point. He glances towards the others briefly and nods.

"Well. This must have all happened when we were still really young." Trying to play it safe here... "So we'd like to ask if you can tell us what you know about Ms. Lucille and how she disappeared. We think we might have found a clue that could solve the mystery."

[roadroller]

Rin keeps eye contact as the librarian takes her moment before talking. She hasn't been to the library too often, nor has she paid much attention to its keeper's mannerisms. But now that they're here like this, she can't help but observe. That finger jittering is a bit of a distraction.

Glancing over at Lucas's nod, she also wonders if playing the 'good little mayfield kid' card will really help them in this situation. The librarian isn't a real drone, right? Rin doesn't know if she wants to deceive her, the way she's acting. But maybe it's an act for everyone's sakes including the Librarian's. She'll play along.

"Anything you can tell us would be fine," she adds nicely.

[mayfield_mods]

The Librarian's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You aren't with that Dist character, are you? He was very, very rude. I..."

Her eyes fluttered to the side, incapable of staying locked on any of their faces for very long. "I'm afraid I lost my temper. I don't want that to happen again. I can't let that happen again."

[a_gentle_boy]

"Dist?" Lucas blinks in surprise at the name. Dist was... He was the man who had made those pamphlets, wasn't he? From the tone of the words, he had judged that the author was one with a rather short temper himself. To be honest, he wasn't too terribly surprised that someone else had approached the librarian first - It had been requested of them, after all.

"Please, the last thing we want to do is make you upset. Miss... We want to be able to help. Not just for our own sakes - for you, too." Lucas swallows a bit. He hesitates for only a moment, glancing towards Rin and Holland again before he continues on softly, his eyes solemnly returning to the Librarian's face.

"...Mr. Richard asked us to."

[mayfield_mods]

"Richard?" The Librarian's eyes widened. "I- I don't know any Richard. A-And I don't need anybody's help. There's nothing you can do, so just... maybe you should leave."

[roadroller]

Leave? Already?

Rin looks down for a moment, thinking about it. Lucas did say that they shouldn't push her too hard. But, isn't there some way to continue without leaving? She stammers out, "B-But, it's Richard Gray, right? We found this article with his name on it. So... Even if you don't know Richard, you should at least know about the paper, right? You are the librarian after all. It can't be a coincidence that he wanted us to find you."

[a_gentle_boy]

Rin is right. Pushing her too hard was one thing, but barely getting two words in... Lucas takes a breath and follows up quietly after Rin.

"Miss Annie, please. It... It's all coming apart. You must know about it, too. Mayfield... when we're out of power for good..." He shakes his head. "This is your world. You're... the last one of them left, the most important one. Mr. Richard is right. If anybody can be saved from this place, it should be you.

"...Please help us."

[gezellig]

[He really didn't like the way the woman was discounting Lucas and Rin; Even if it likely won't do anything, Holland decides to make himself a little more present, leaning on one of the nearer bookshelves and simply giving the librarian a pointed look.]

[mayfield_mods]

The Librarian's eye twitches- she's blinking rapidly, as if with purpose. Her mouth, meanwhile, is set in a grim line. "It's... it's not my world... is it? Maybe it... I don't..."

Her hands reach up to clutch at her hair. "Richard... you spoke with him? Is- is he here? No. No, that can't be. Mr. Grey- Richard- he died, didn't he? He's dead now, so how... how could you speak with him? How is that possible?"

[a_gentle_boy]

He had misspoken, perhaps. Lucas tries to reassure her as quickly as he can. "No, I... - I know Mayfield isn't anyone's world. Not really. But you came here first, and so..." He isn't sure what will come her and will settle for speaking as gently as he can. "We're not sure how, either. But Mr. Grey sent us a message. He told us to save Annie. To save you."

[mayfield_mods]

"No." Her face was white by this point. "No, it isn't true. Mr. Grey is dead. I saw his body. Wh-Whoever's talking to you isn't him. It's just someone pretending."

Her eyes narrowed. "I don't need saving. I don't need anything. I'm happy. I'm happy."

[roadroller]

Rin's hands ball up as she's glared at. This is just getting frustrating. Her reply is terse.

"You're the one that's pretending."

She unclenches her fists, trying to calm down, but that doesn't exactly happen. Instead, she holds her head.

"What's going to happen when Mayfield stops working? If it's like that carnival, you'll just die! You won't be happy, you'll be a burst of static!"

[a_gentle_boy]

"R-Rin...!"

Lucas holds out a hand in warning. They were rapidly crossing over the 'pushing her too far' line at this point. Smoothing over tense situations was something he had some practice with, thankfully.

"We... We're just worried, Miss Annie. For everyone. Maybe it is someone pretending, but... We have to at least try and give it a chance.

"I know Mayfield's done something to you - like with Miss Samantha. But you're more... here than she is; I -- ...Can you try and push past it?"

[roadroller]

"S-Sorry," Rin hastens to say. The thought of Samantha has also stirred a strange reaction. Rin remembers when she died - It may have been a long time coming from Samantha's perspective, but it had seemed so sudden to them. No one had reached out for her, had they? Not really. How could they leave another person like that to be all alone?

Lucas understands more about the situation, so she'll fall silent after the apology, but there's a more serious look as she listens and watches.