010 Omens of Crusnik

[kinship]

[A: Elementary School (OPEN)]

[What is that sound floating out over the playground at lunch? It's piano music, just basic tunes being repeated over and over again from the open window of the music room. Cain has retired there to study the books that Charles gave him, tireless in his pursuit of being the very best at whatever task was set to him.

Every time he makes a mistake, he repeats that part of the piece over and over again until it's flawless. Anyone at all is free to hear his attempts or tell him to shut up.]

[B: Around Town (OPEN)]

[Tis the season, and all that... It's Cain's first Christmas where he'll actually get to celebrate, instead of watching all the colonists exchange presents while never being part of it himself. He's been saving all the pocket money that his drone not!mother had been giving him (until she got replaced yesterday), as well as the money he got for doing odd-jobs for his friends. So now he's out and about shopping for gifts.

Do you work in any of the stores? Then this blond haired boy might just be peering over the counter with a bright smile. Are you wandering down the street aimlessly? Feel free to bump into Cain as he carries a stack of boxes too high to see over... because clearly that's just asking for trouble.]

[C: Phone (OPEN)]

[Did you order a rousing pep talk by a ten year old today, Mayfield? No... shame, because it's coming anyway.]

Christmas is coming soon... Maybe you celebrate something else in your world, or maybe you don't celebrate anything at all, but here... I think they'll have Christmas. I don't know if anything will happen, but...

Even if it does, and even if it hurts us, we can't let it break us. We have to keep our eyes forward, and we have to stick together. As long as we look out for each other, then we can change the future to whatever we want.

[D: Home (Locked to Housemates)]

[It seemed like he was the first one home, which was a little odd after the drone!Esther housewife who had always been there to welcome him in and tell him to do his homework before dinner. Which, consequently, led to the thought that there was no dinner... Astha didn't seem the type to make a meal for the family based on what he had seen, Rachel had already shown she believed cooking beneath her, and he didn't want to die so Abel was out.

Therefore, whenever anyone else gets home, they might find the youngest non-drone member of the household stood on a chair by the stove. He's pouring over one of the recipes Esther had left behind, not being allowed to go and find any more of his own, and is carefully adding things to a big bubbling pot.]

Comments

[noluckduck]

... Oh, what the fuck?

[Despite the vulgarity, her voice is quiet with disbelief.]

[kinship]

[He can't... really argue with that.]

Please don't underestimate this town, Clover.

[noluckduck]

[Maybe it's for the best that her friend isn't here.]

Doesn't sound like I have much of a choice.

[kinship]

I hope nothing like that will ever happen again.

[noluckduck]

How many times can ya drop an atomic bomb somewhere, anyway?

[kinship]

From what I've been told, this is the second time something of that magnitude has been done.

Though there have been many other different... obstacles.

[noluckduck]

What, the second time? Seriously?!

[kinship]

Mm. Apparently it hit a town called Westport a couple of years ago.

[noluckduck]

... Never heard of it.

[kinship]

Supposedly it's the next town over from Mayfield.

[noluckduck]

... There's a next town over?!

[kinship]

Yes, but we aren't allowed to get there often.

[noluckduck]

[There's the sound of her hand impacting wood.] That must be where the way out is!

[kinship]

Maybe.

[He can't rule it out as an option.]

But it seems to be in ruins, people have said it's a dangerous wasteland.

[noluckduck]

I guess, if a bomb did--

Hang on a sec, how big is Mayfield anyway? Where'd the Thanksgiving bomb fall?

[kinship]

...I don't know, we all just woke up to the fallout. Nowhere was spared, but the Mayor's office and the Dairy.

[noluckduck]

What?! But-- And how come I'm only hearin' about this now?! Shit, is the town radioactive?!

[kinship]

I don't think anyone has been to Westport in months, the road there isn't open. If it is dangerous, we seem to be safe from it here.

[noluckduck]

But didn't ya say there was a bomb here in Mayfield too?

[kinship]

Right... that's over now, it's like everything reset.

[noluckduck]

Whuh-- Reset?! But... But...

[Sheee is starting to sound a bit like a broken record.]

What the fuck.

[kinship]

It's like nothing ever happened. The buildings are restored, all those who... they're all fine again.

[noluckduck]

... That... no. Things just don't fuckin' work that way.

[kinship]

It's almost worse in a way, to see them walking around oblivious to that fact they died only days ago.

[noluckduck]

That's fucked up.