WindStruck
 Thursday, October 27th, 2022 

It's another lovely day at Site-404, nestled deep within the Colorado mountains.. if you like cold and cloudy weather, that is. Snow hasn't come  yet  (at least none that has stuck for long), but it certainly feels like a nice white blanket could fall from the sky any night now. Most people and the SCPs trusted enough for a brief excursion to the courtyard are aware of these conditions as they go on their day to day routines. As for the scores of Class D personnel underground, and the more dangerous SCPs in heavy containment, not so much. It's just the same, old, boring stone walls, the steel reinforced doors, and monotonous radiance of fluorescent lights...


 Plaids 

Doctor Kalispell Hagerty is busy in her lab, running her biological experiments. The exact nature of her project is classified, but it involves genetic mutations, engineering chimera lifeforms, essentially grafting two or more living organisms with different DNA into one body. So far it has proven difficult beyond the simple cactus grafts one may find in gift shops. The immune systems of each creature tend to fight one another. Even most animals of the same species end up dying horribly. Frustratingly, it seems as though creating a chimeric creature in the lab is exceedingly difficult, though you still have dozens of ways you could try to improve your technique. Perhaps, if we start from the embryo...

However, today your work is cut short. Aside from the duties you have to monitor other SCPs at Site-404, you also just remembered a meeting you were supposed to attend today. You need to clean up and get ready - a new, clean, white lab coat that isn't stained with blood and other chemicals is probably a good idea. If you hurry, you won't be late. You recall that it's something big; the director will be there, and stranger still, there will be a number of SCPs present as well. That would explain why it is in Secure Conference-01.


 Esprit15 

James Fink had been making his rounds. James was a cut above his fellow guards here at Site-404. While most of them were pretty bored out of their minds standing at their posts, James's position was more supervisory in nature. He just had to make sure his underlings were all doing their boring jobs and following protocol. At the end of the day he was still a guard - perhaps a glorified one at that - but at least he got to walk around and had a small section of lackeys under his direct command should something go wrong. Out of anyone, James probably knew the layout of the entire Site-404 the best, aside from maybe Gus.

Today was fairly unusual, however. James had explicit orders from the director to retrieve a certain SCP. Namely, SCP-650, which was apparently a safe item in light containment storage. It appeared to be a beautiful silver ring with a large sapphire gem. Reviewing the SCP documentation, it seemed pretty harmless. Though it could be quite useful if placed within the right hands.

Then James was to escort SCP-4500 to Secure Conference-01 up on the ground floor. But first, he was to give SCP-650 to him. He double checked the orders. Hm. A meeting with the director. The ring was a temporary offering in order to help win over compliance. Apparently, it would also make the situation a little less alarming to all personnel. Also of note, for this excursion, he was to be sure that his weapons were loaded with pure iron bullets. The guards stationed outside of SCP-4500 would also be coming along, and they were well-equipped to deal with potential threats.


 hand ax ranger 

You're lounging in your lavish, jungle-like containment cell. After dining on an exquisite roasted pig and washing it down with some wine, you feel like a nap would be really great. Then the loud and obnoxious blaring of the speaker system informs you personnel will be entering momentarily. You have only a few seconds to mentally prepare yourself before they barge in anyway.

When asking what this is all about, the answers are pretty vague. You only know that the site director has requested to speak with you. You don't  absolutely have  to go, but perhaps curiosity got the best of you. In exchange for your cooperation, you are offered a silver ring. Putting it on, you find that you can change your appearance, back into that of a man, at will. However, it really doesn't feel quite right, and you still can't seem to get your original form perfectly. This is on top of the fact that you still remain larger than normal.

 
 Spoiler: SCP-650 
 

This item granted to you will give something close to the Morph (rank 2) ability. You can assume the appearance of a handful of male humans. You still look convincing as a human (as per standard +20 to deception rules) but none of these appearances seem to suit your tastes perfectly.
 

You are escorted through the facility and up an elevator which seems a little crowded, given your size and the guards. But the ride is short enough. You soon arrive at your destination, Secure Conference-01.


 JeenLeen + Ameraaaaaa + AvatarVecna 

The three of you are in your cells, minding your own business. Perhaps, technically, they could be called your luxury house arrest condos. Your residences were at least above ground, and the smallish windows that were up high at least let you have a bit of sunlight, or see a tiny bit of scenery. But yeah, escape wasn't really an option. Those windows weren't breaking. And then there were the bars, the cameras, the gas dispensers, the guards...  Nope. Why ruin a good thing?

Maybe good was subjective, though. Unlike other more dangerous SCPs that could not be spared a modicum of creature comforts for safety reasons, or Class D personnel who were deemed unworthy of it, you had pretty cushy rooms, and were generally given reasonable stuff when you asked for it. Though despite this, you most likely feel bored or lonely.

That is when Site-404 personnel ask to speak with you, and offer you a proposition, you are more than eager for a chance to step out of your rooms. It sounded intriguing! Aside from the age old expression, "Curiosity killed the cat," what could go wrong?

 
 Spoiler: AvatarVecna 
You weren't surprised that that this was coming. You knew people were coming to speak with you and let you out of your room temporarily. And no knockout gas! It was nice being treated like a human being for once, wasn't it? You had ample time to pause your video game at a good spot.

But actually, something else was bothering you. Something big was coming. Last night, when you slept, or you tried to sleep, you were inundated by disturbing images. Corn fields as far as the eye could see, and the harvest. Cults, or some kind of esoteric crowd, chanting around a fire and offerings. A large creepy effigy stood in the middle of it all, with the faint shadows of buildings in the gloom beyond.

 

It did not take a genius to put two and two together. Whatever this proposition was about certainly involved these images.
 


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 MrAbdiel + Metastachydium 

It's another boring day in the slums. That's what prisoners call this s*** hole down here. You hear the facilities above ground are super nice, and, well, there's a whole lot of things you don't really know. But you do think strange stuff goes on around here.

Currently you're in the prison cafeteria. The Ethics Committee apparently deigned that complete solitary confinement is too cruel and inhumane even for former death row inmates. So each person is, essentially, granted about 60 minutes each day to socialize as they eat, before being herded back into their cells. On the bright side, despite the rampant rumors that spread, morale is still up by 66%. This makes for more willing test subjects.

Word has it that you all are nothing but guinea pigs being experimented on. Granted, most of the time no one can ever really remember  what  they experienced. It's obvious that you all are being drugged. So says Tater, as he shovels potato salad into his mouth.

 "I'm telling you, this place is f****d up. They're experimenting on us, drugging us, then putting us back in our cells and pretending like nothing's happening!" 

Another class D female speaks up, picking at her food. She just went by Cheryl.  "I don't know. Maybe it's some kind of social experiment?" 
 "Experiment is right! But this isn't no harmless social thing! Look around! See all the faces? They coming, they going. New schmucks like us coming in, old ones disappearing. Won't be long until you don't see either of us too, if you can even remember,"  Tater says.

 "Mmm... maybe they're just... transferring somewhere else?" 


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 Secure Conference-01 

You all arrive in the conference room. Despite being labeled with a "-01" at the end, there was only one of its kind here. Unlike many rooms in the upper floors of this facility, it felt cold and dark. There were no windows, and all the walls were encased in reinforced concrete on all sides. The door was a large mass of solid steel, and there were obviously other tools for containing entities here as well.

It was a fairly large room, perhaps 30 feet wide and 20 feet from front to back, furnished with tables and chairs that were standard for the underground observation rooms. In the back of the room on one of the uncomfortable aluminum chairs sat Director Lambert with his characteristic grey bushy mustache and old fashioned suit. He was casually checking his pocket watch. As you enter, he smiles cheerily at you, though without opening his mouth.

Beside Director Lambert is Doctor Roberta Curtis. Curly blonde locks fall to about mid-back around her white lab coat. Bright red spectacles frame her eyes, transforming what could potentially be a quite alluring look into one that is deadly serious and professional. To emphasize that, she does not smile, preferring to stand with arms crossed as each of you trickle into the room.

In addition to the guards which escorted the various SCPs into this room, there are a few more stationed inside. It is pretty obvious that the SCP Foundation feels there is a possibility something could go wrong, and they are more than willing to be prepared. However, with the various document packets placed around the room at each table seat, and the director's warm smile, it is also quite apparent that they intend to give a presentation of some sorts.

There's a bit of an awkward silence until everyone arrives. The door is shut behind you, and then Director Lambert speaks:  "Welcome everyone! I'm glad to have you here. In case you did not know, I am Director Lambert, in charge of this facility. But, if it pleases you, you may simply call me Harold."  He smiles warmly again, and gives a nod to James and Kalispell. He already knew them.

Dr. Curtis continues standing there, almost as rigidly as a statue. But she is looking over each and every one of you. In particular,  Kuzmo  can discern a particularly spiteful glare. Even in a more human form, she must remember the last time you commented on her natural beauty, and in particular, tried very hard to seduce her. She didn't like it.

 "The reason I have brought you here today is.. oh dear, well I suppose there's no easy way to say it. We, the SCP Foundation, would like to enlist your aid in solving a .. worrisome problem. The lot of you each have unique capabilities which I believe would greatly enhance our mission."  He leans forward and clears his throat.  "Now. I cannot, of course, force you to participate, at least not without a lengthy process through various committees, which, quite frankly, we do not have time for. But, with your consent, we can bypass all that, and I promise you, though I cannot guarantee your freedoms, we will still make it worth your while." 

The director smiles once again, though his face darkens a little.  "I must warn you, however, that there are risks involved."  He raises a hand and casually flaps it about.  "I'm sure you understand. Death, maiming, dismemberment, trauma, that sort of thing. But the service you would be providing to the SCP Foundation and to humanity would be invaluable." 

Looking at each one of the assembled SCP people (and the cat) Director Lambert smiles and asks,  "So, are you in?" 
Ameraaaaaa
King was not happy to be woken up from his nap by the guards.    "Jeez Louise can't you guys understand the purpose of a cat nap! This better be good.  

As king walked into -01 king decided to read the mind of the guy who spoke. The site director right? King wondered why he was asked to come.

 "sure I'll help. But only in exchange for 2 weeks of catnip and milk. Afterall it must be pretty dangerous if your asking us for assistance."  
Metastachydium
  Damn it, Taters.   Cecily shifts on her seat as she forks her own food nervously, not sure she'd like to actually touch it.   Don't  creep  me out. I don't  need  creeping out.   at this point, she is vaguely aware of her right foot pounding the floor in a hectic rhythm, but can't do much about it. What if the staff is listening? Scratch that: the staff is  always  listening. What if they  mind  that?   I'm creeped out all right, I don't need  your  ****.   her hand slightly trembling, she braves a piece of potato, raising it  very cautiously  to under her nose to sniff it and take a  tiny  little bite. Damn. What if  the food  is drugged? Could she even tell? These a-hats do weird stuff, she's sure of that, as sure as Taters if not more, why wouldn't they have chemicals she can't recognize by smell?

Defeating the gag reflex, she swallows, smooths a strand of hair out of her forehead and takes another bite. Starving to death is still death and she'd  really  rather not die. Not here. Not now.
WindStruck
 Ameraaaaaa 

As far as surface thoughts go, what the man with the big goofy mustache says happens to be more or less what he's thinking.

As for his personal thoughts, he actually seems a little.. conflicted?  Doubtful? Hmm.
 
 Spoiler: ooc 
As per the Mind Reading rules, "You can essentially ask any one question and receive the answer from the target’s mind."  And given that we're here for a while and you're likely to succeed often, let's extend that to.. say.. three questions? Don't have to ask them all this instant, so do choose carefully. 🙂
 


The specific memories you are digging up seem pretty boring, not much unlike when someone read through a book or a report and then was about to regurgitate it in the form of a book report. But this information is most likely what is in the papers on the tables anyway.

Director Lambert turns to address King.  "Ah of course, my feline friend. The freshest milk and quality catnip for two weeks straight. Or perhaps, broken up into a more.. healthy schedule, if you'd like."  He smiles again. As far as you can tell, the request seems very easy for him to fulfill, and he is more than happy to do it.
MrAbdiel
    D-44529 - Benjamin Hillcrest - The Slums    
 "Hey, you shut up, Tater!" 

Benjamin Hillcrest was not, by reasonable standards, a remarkable man.  There were thousands, even tens of thousands just like him all throughout the United States, operating in the bottom rung of organized crime and the bottom three rungs of gang activity.  Rounded shoulders, thick arms, and a barrel of a body; a physical presence that could be considered quite becoming, if he were only six to twelve inches taller.  As it were, he had the appearance of a strong and handsome man that someone had accidentally sat on; a squat,   stumpy  affect chasing any real magnetism out of his person and replacing it with assembly-line aggression and envy.

He was, in short, a goon; as plain and replaceable as one might imagine.  One might be forgiven for feeling, upon meeting him, that he had been scooped from the gallery of non-speaking parts in third-rate mafia movies, shucked out of his brown leather jacket and flat cap, stuffed into D-Class apparel and dumped here, for someone else to deal with.  Goons are not remarkable people.  But they  are  good at the staples of goonery; and this was one such thing.

 "You shut your goddamn mouth over there; trying to get people all aggravated with your theories."   The demand came from across the table, Benjamin half risen of his bench seat, stabbing out his sudden sincerity with a pudgy digit extended towards Tater.

 "People come and then they go.  That's what prison is, dumb***.  You betta pray to God and all the saints you're lucky enough to leave like the others.  Sure, the days run together because you spend most of them starin' at the same damn walls.  We need  positive energy  if we're gonna earn out.  So if all you got is more of that complaining, you just restrict your mouth to shovellin'.  Or else, I don't care who you killed, I'm gonna give you something to complain about." 

With that, his temper recedes as quickly as it crested.  He shakes his head with unearned, paternalistic disappointment at the scolded Tater, then glances to the nearby Cheryl, and Cecily.   "You ladies don't listen to none of that, okay?  You need people with some brains in their head in your corner; not this schmuck." 

He taps his own forehead with the heel of his cardboard prison-edition spoon.  Phrasing would suggest he is referring to himself as the schmuck, and not the brains; but context would suggest he intends the opposite inference.
Ameraaaaaa
 "sure. A more healthy schedule works. I hear binge drinking is bad for humans. Not sure why but maybe it applies to cats as well. Though i wouldn't be surprised if we were built better. So what kinda job is this. 
. 
 Spoiler: question 1  

What if anything is the old man hiding about the job.
 
WindStruck
 Underground Prison Cafeteria 

Taters was a pretty lean guy with a crooked nose and a gap in his teeth. He very much resembled a redneck with a head almost completely shaven except for fuzz.

He grins a bit at Cecily's protests and shakes his head. It wasn't that he got pleasure from making her uncomfortable, at least you don't think.. kind of hard to tell with that screwed up face of his. It was something far more cynical, like he can't help but mock the situation he and everyone else is in.

Benjamin's outburst, however, wipes that grin off his face and turns it into a scowl. Briefly it catches a guard's attention, who decides to tune him out.

 "Pff. Who are you calling a dumb***, dip****?"  he says dismissively.

He turns to the ladies and says,  "This man thinks he's smart, but he's just as dumb as all the rest of us. Yeup, I think we all did something perdy dumb to wind up in here.  Won't be long now... "   He starts grumbling to himself.

Cherly was a slightly plump woman with pale skin and chin-length raven hair. She smiles shyly at Benjamin but doesn't say anything for a while.

 "Yeah... that much is right at least. God, if only I could go back in time." 
 Secure Conference-01 

Director Lambert nods, with the same warm smile toward King.  "Well, I was about to get to that shortly. As soon as all those present agree." 
 
 Spoiler: Question 1 
What is he hiding?  Well..  nothing.

You can sense that he intends to tell you everything he knows. That in itself might be somewhat concerning. You would think there's some gory classified details like other gross things you have sneaked out of someone's mind before. However, it seems they are dealing with quite an unknown. Which might not be so bad. Or it could be really bad.

OOC: I think we're good on the 1-on-1 with King for now.  Let's give the others a chance to chime in before everyone gets a mission brief.
 
Metastachydium
The unsolicited grin barely gets to register with Cecily before Hillcrest goes ballistic on Tater, prompting her to instinctively try and duck for cover, with mixed results. Which is to say, with the main result being an awkward wince that lands her long, caramel brown hair in her plate to be mixed with the flavourless, gross food therein. With a half annoyed, half e,barrassed hiss, she recoils, and dropping her spork, she begins to hurriedly wipe the stuff off with her long, gracile fingers. Still, engrossed as she is in said activity, she can't help but notice two irksome details: now the stains are on her hands, which is no less pleasant; and the poor nutrition exacerbated by her stupid, picky palate is beginning to show on her nails and in the split ends of her hair. Feeling thoroughly miserable, she lets her hands drop down by her sides, not even surprised that the others, with Tater taking the lead again, would endeavour to sour the mood even further, reminding her that all these people around are probably even  worse  than she is. Hillcrest is right: they are still in a prison, and not in a cozy one, even by prison standards.   Yeah, let's just stay realistic, okay?   she tells Cheryl at last.   No conspiracy stuff or time travel bull****, I mean, what's that do for any of us?  
AvatarVecna
Daniel rubbed his temples a bit as he prepared to be escorted away. Whatever they had in mind was likely to be more interesting than plodding through this level again...


 


While the Director gave his presentation, Daniel couldn't help but let his eyes and mind wander a bit. Hearing the same words over and over gave him plenty of time to absorb what was being said, but it still dragged on. Briefly, he entertained the idea of trying for one of the guard's weapons in a daydream, but those memories always ended poorly for him. Nothing really exciting about getting laid out flat on your back. The others though...they catch his peripheral attention. Most of them just looked like regular folk in orange jumpsuits like his, but didn't show any obvious signs of weirdness. Whatever they had, if they had anything, was subtle, he'd have to keep an eye on them. One was a giant of a man - not outside human norm, but certainly impressively tall. Possibly physically-capable, super-strong or super-tough or something? The other one of note was a cat; the talking caught him off-guard the first time, but none of the others saw it since they didn't remember that daydream the way he did. Daniel noted it was a black cat, and wondered if those old superstitions were rooted in some truth. A witch's familiar, perhaps? Or a witch itself? Difficult to say. Privately, he considered the cat the most dangerous of the lot until proven otherwise.

Daniel turned his focus back to the Director.   "I certainly got stuff I want, but partly I want more details before I sign up for something. What are we looking at here, that's got you worried enough to start trading favors?"  
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  hand ax ranger 

You're lounging in your lavish, jungle-like containment cell. After dining on an exquisite roasted pig and washing it down with some wine, you feel like a nap would be really great. Then the loud and obnoxious blaring of the speaker system informs you personnel will be entering momentarily. You have only a few seconds to mentally prepare yourself before they barge in anyway.

When asking what this is all about, the answers are pretty vague. You only know that the site director has requested to speak with you. You don't  absolutely have  to go, but perhaps curiosity got the best of you. In exchange for your cooperation, you are offered a silver ring. Putting it on, you find that you can change your appearance, back into that of a man, at will. However, it really doesn't feel quite right, and you still can't seem to get your original form perfectly. This is on top of the fact that you still remain larger than normal.

 
 Spoiler: SCP-650 
 

This item granted to you will give something close to the Morph (rank 2) ability. You can assume the appearance of a handful of male humans. You still look convincing as a human (as per standard +20 to deception rules) but none of these appearances seem to suit your tastes perfectly.
 

You are escorted through the facility and up an elevator which seems a little crowded, given your size and the guards. But the ride is short enough. You soon arrive at your destination, Secure Conference-01. 
 


Finishing the delectable pork offering Kuzmo the Wildfire even gnaws on the bones, crunching them and licking the marrow out. His great hunger was nothing to take lightly, and besides it was yummy. He chuckles to himself amused as he ponders all the things.


While he was no less a prisoner here as he was as a youth in his homelands these "SCP Guardians" were incredibly generous for captors. It's true.... were he at full power as he was in the Forgotten Empires he would simply have taken this fortress over, slain many of these demons they keep as pets and started fresh. But there were two issues.

The first, his power was not yet at it's full zenith since he has arrived in this strange land of metal birds and "women's sufferage"..... whatever that meant. Why would the let their women suffer?

The second was that he still didn't know much of this world in the first place, save that simple magics were enough to impress these people. Not that it didn't help his case....

As he was about to slip into a nice slumber on his newly appointed throne he hears the sirens calling and he leaps to his feet from the excitement. The drill was only there for a few seconds and already his fiery blood was pumping in anticipation.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Probably a good time to mention Kuzmo has ADHD, or at least symptoms of such.
 


Once the men enter the cell he holds back the urge to engage and sits back down. though not before reaching down and securing the simple, hospital gown-like cloth they had given for modesty. For their sake.... hew was proud of his body, and they seem to be the jealous type.

"  Ah, what brings you to my den?  " He tires to be hospitable as possible with their sudden entry. When they speak few words he at first feels slighted but then puts up his hand and nods. "  Ahhhhh the Commander wishes me to make an audience? Good good, will the fair doctor be there as well?~   He gives his typical toothy smile as he thinks.

Once they offer him a ring and give an idea of it's power the mighty lizard shrugs and slips it on. While the lizard aesthetic disappears his size and girth remains as his skin turns from scales to albino pale human flesh.... which work out best as even with the power of the ring his eyes remain their appearance of hot coals. His namesake remains.

With this all said and done he follows them out towards the elevator. Once inside, packed in tight with them he chuckles. "  Mhmmm didn't expect us to get  this  cozy so soon....  " He jests as they soon exit the elevator and head to the Confrence.


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 Secure Conference-01 

You all arrive in the conference room. Despite being labeled with a "-01" at the end, there was only one of its kind here. Unlike many rooms in the upper floors of this facility, it felt cold and dark. There were no windows, and all the walls were encased in reinforced concrete on all sides. The door was a large mass of solid steel, and there were obviously other tools for containing entities here as well.

It was a fairly large room, perhaps 30 feet wide and 20 feet from front to back, furnished with tables and chairs that were standard for the underground observation rooms. In the back of the room on one of the uncomfortable aluminum chairs sat Director Lambert with his characteristic grey bushy mustache and old fashioned suit. He was casually checking his pocket watch. As you enter, he smiles cheerily at you, though without opening his mouth.

Beside Director Lambert is Doctor Roberta Curtis. Curly blonde locks fall to about mid-back around her white lab coat. Bright red spectacles frame her eyes, transforming what could potentially be a quite alluring look into one that is deadly serious and professional. To emphasize that, she does not smile, preferring to stand with arms crossed as each of you trickle into the room.

In addition to the guards which escorted the various SCPs into this room, there are a few more stationed inside. It is pretty obvious that the SCP Foundation feels there is a possibility something could go wrong, and they are more than willing to be prepared. However, with the various document packets placed around the room at each table seat, and the director's warm smile, it is also quite apparent that they intend to give a presentation of some sorts. 
 

Entering the room he looks all about, being quite under-dressed compare to all these suits and uniforms with the simple gown covering just enough to remain modest enough. Yet another reason many here might look down at him, though in fairness (and probably realized by the more perceptive of the foundation) it wasn't just about a semi nudist ego but also comfort seeing as pants interfered with his greater mobility. That, and they often got torn anyway.

He spies the 'Commander' though and smiles back at him with a nod. The few interactions he had with eh man were at worst neutral and at best friendly and feeling mutual respect. "  Hello again Commander! What do I owe this visit too? What's a century plus old lizard got to do to get a wine or cider around here.  " He pushes a chair aside and sits on the ground. Then he sees 'The good doctor' "  .... and a hello to you too Roberta.~ Love the glasses, make you look fierce. good look for you.  "


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 There's a bit of an awkward silence until everyone arrives. The door is shut behind you, and then Director Lambert speaks:  "Welcome everyone! I'm glad to have you here. In case you did not know, I am Director Lambert, in charge of this facility. But, if it pleases you, you may simply call me Harold."  He smiles warmly again, and gives a nod to James and Kalispell. He already knew them.

Dr. Curtis continues standing there, almost as rigidly as a statue. But she is looking over each and every one of you. In particular,  Kuzmo  can discern a particularly spiteful glare. Even in a more human form, she must remember the last time you commented on her natural beauty, and in particular, tried very hard to seduce her. She didn't like it. 
 

He nods to Harold and winks to Curtis. In a way he couldn't help it. In another, he didn't want to.



 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  "The reason I have brought you here today is.. oh dear, well I suppose there's no easy way to say it. We, the SCP Foundation, would like to enlist your aid in solving a .. worrisome problem. The lot of you each have unique capabilities which I believe would greatly enhance our mission."  He leans forward and clears his throat.  "Now. I cannot, of course, force you to participate, at least not without a lengthy process through various committees, which, quite frankly, we do not have time for. But, with your consent, we can bypass all that, and I promise you, though I cannot guarantee your freedoms, we will still make it worth your while." 

The director smiles once again, though his face darkens a little.  "I must warn you, however, that there are risks involved."  He raises a hand and casually flaps it about.  "I'm sure you understand. Death, maiming, dismemberment, trauma, that sort of thing. But the service you would be providing to the SCP Foundation and to humanity would be invaluable." 

Looking at each one of the assembled SCP people (and the cat) Director Lambert smiles and asks,  "So, are you in?"  
 

Kuzmo gets a wicked grin on his face at the mention of this all. Danger? Death? A chance to see more of this world and perhaps have a longer leash? Sounded quite the event..... and to think he was just going to nap awhile ago.....

"  Sounds like a great time Harold! Sounds like I can get out and stretch my legs and have some real fun! By Kergull, You know I can make those risks pertain to the other side as well! A chance for glory..... and probably a few free lunches!  " He licks his lips at the latter.


 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
 As king walked into -01 king decided to read the mind of the guy who spoke. The site director right? King wondered why he was asked to come.

 "sure I'll help. But only in exchange for 2 weeks of catnip and milk. After all it must be pretty dangerous if your asking us for assistance."   
 

It was at this point that Kuzmo also looked over and saw the kitty. He scoots over towards them and reaches out to pet the black cat. "  Aww.... and with this little guy there's no way we can lose.  "


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Secure Conference-01 

Director Lambert nods, with the same warm smile toward King.  "Well, I was about to get to that shortly. As soon as all those present agree." 

You can sense that he intends to tell you everything he knows. That in itself might be somewhat concerning. You would think there's some gory classified details like other gross things you have sneaked out of someone's mind before. However, it seems they are dealing with quite an unknown. Which might not be so bad. Or it could be really bad.

OOC: I think we're good on the 1-on-1 with King for now.  Let's give the others a chance to chime in before everyone gets a mission brief.[/SPOILER] 
 

"  I'm all in Harold....especially if the guards gave you my notes on what I'd need in case of such an event.  "
Esprit15
When SCP-650 was delivered to SCP-4500, the latter had the opportunity to meet TF Leader Fink. Though shorter than the lizard, the man did not show fear while in its presence. His words were precise and firm:   “The director wishes to speak with you. You are free to decline. If you accept, put this on.”   The human opens a small box, presenting a silver ring with a sapphire gem.   “If you accept, you agree to relinquish your weapons for the duration of your time outside of your room. You will follow the men outside the door. You will not diverge from their path. If you disregard this order, you will be given a single verbal reprimand. If you continue to divert or act with hostility, you will be shot. You will sit where ordered and speak only when spoken to. Is any part of these instructions unclear?”  

***

James stands straight, barely distinguishable from a wax figure. Only his traveling gaze and the occasional blink hint at life in the man. His expression is of disinterested severity - he expected trouble from the sentient SCPs, and had argued against utilizing so many in this job. Unfortunately, his opinion had been overruled by the eggheads, bean counters, and big wigs.

   Your reward is your continued existence, 777…    Fink thinks as King speaks up. The Class-D’s he felt slightly sorry for. He wasn’t sure what the assignment entailed, but if SCP’s were being brought in, it no doubt held a reasonable risk if the aforementioned death and dismemberment, and they were the most likely to die in it. The SCPs he held less sympathy for. They had the option to participate, for one. For two, several of them were borderline unkillable, so the actual risk was greatly reduced.

He scowls as SCP-4500 speaks so casually to the director and scientist. His command technically ended once the creature set foot in the same room as the director. His gaze burns on the albino redhead, though the latter likely didn’t care. After all, he was a mere human.
hand ax ranger
 Backtracking to accommodate James stuff. 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 When SCP-650 was delivered to SCP-4500, the latter had the opportunity to meet TF Leader Fink. Though shorter than the lizard, the man did not show fear while in its presence. His words were precise and firm:   “The director wishes to speak with you. You are free to decline. If you accept, put this on.”   The human opens a small box, presenting a silver ring with a sapphire gem.   “If you accept, you agree to relinquish your weapons for the duration of your time outside of your room. You will follow the men outside the door. You will not diverge from their path. If you disregard this order, you will be given a single verbal reprimand. If you continue to divert or act with hostility, you will be shot. You will sit where ordered and speak only when spoken to. Is any part of these instructions unclear?”   
 

The lizard heard the guard speak and didn't respond as he covered himself. He assumed the man would be willing to wait a second instead of having to conduct this conversation with a fully naked inmate.

That said Kuzmo knew this one had pure iron in his weapon, but it wasn't why he showed a bit of respect. Even though he was close enough to merely break his arm and take him from there the human showed no fear in his stance or voice. He saw a warrior's spirit in there; a kindred spirt.

"  Of course I accept. I only regret having no weapons to surrender.....oh unless.....  " He motions to the picked bones of the pig. "  We're counting those remains of my meal? The sure  " He hands the entire tray off to one of the guards and tires on the ring....

.....and in the elevator he would trying rubbing up less against the kindred spirit out of respect. Still a lusty jokester though...


 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 ***
]James stands straight, barely distinguishable from a wax figure. Only his traveling gaze and the occasional blink hint at life in the man. His expression is of disinterested severity - he expected trouble from the sentient SCPs, and had argued against utilizing so many in this job. Unfortunately, his opinion had been overruled by the eggheads, bean counters, and big wigs.

   Your reward is your continued existence, 777…    Finks thinks as King speaks up. The Class-D’s he felt slightly sorry for. He wasn’t sure what the assignment entailed, but if SCP’s were being brought in, it no doubt held a reasonable risk if the aforementioned death and dismemberment, and they were the most likely to die in it. The SCPs he held less sympathy for. They had the option to participate, for one. For two, several of them were borderline unkillable, so the actual risk was greatly reduced. 
 

Kuzmo looks back at the man and resumes his usual tomfoolery, though still give him a nod of respect.
WindStruck
 Secure Conference-01 

 Daniel turned his focus back to the Director.   "I certainly got stuff I want, but partly I want more details before I sign up for something. What are we looking at here, that's got you worried enough to start trading favors?"   

The Director Lambert smiles at Daniel, albeit sadly.  "Naturally, if it were all in my hands, I would gladly share all the information I could beforehand. But the nature of our mission, this little team I am trying to form, is quite questionable in its own right. Protocol does not allow me to force you into this mission without a rigorous approval process, and yet the protocol also states that I cannot divulge any sensitive information until you agree." 
 "But that said, what I can tell you is.. we don't know much. There is an anomaly we are having some issues with containing. But we hardly even know how it works. The Foundation has made several attempts to gather intelligence or outright stop it. Needless to say, we have failed thus far." 

Looking at Daniel, the director winks,  "However, given your unique abilities, Daniel, it is quite possible that you have gleaned more information already than we have over the years." 

Dr. Curtis sharply looked at the director, almost as if she was about to say something, but it seemed she changed her mind about speaking.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Aside from what the director just said, there's also the personal spoiler you got in the OP...
 


 He spies the 'Commander' though and smiles back at him with a nod. The few interactions he had with eh man were at worst neutral and at best friendly and feeling mutual respect.   "Hello again Commander! What do I owe this visit too? What's a century plus old lizard got to do to get a wine or cider around here."   He pushes a chair aside and sits on the ground. Then he sees 'The good doctor'   ".... and a hello to you too Roberta.~ Love the glasses, make you look fierce. good look for you."   

The director chuckles.  "Ah, of course, old chap. There is plenty of that available but it will have to wait. I don't think this meeting of ours should take too long." 

The blonde doctor scowls a little harder at you, but ultimately ignores you, spurning your compliments.

In any case, with Kuzmo's enthusiasm and obvious willingness to participate, Director Lambert beams.  "Excellent! I will review the note again, but I think I recall what was on it.. it shouldn't be too much trouble to provide for you. You can expect to have those items upon arriving on site." 

- - - -

Looking around the room, but particularly at Thomas (since he had not responded yet) he asks,  "Are there any other questions? Or shall we all be in agreement to continue then?" 
 
 Spoiler: Esprit15 
I think you've made a great post so far.  I have nothing to really respond to you directly yet. However, once we begin the actual presentation, you are free to ask questions or speak your thoughts as well.
 
MrAbdiel
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Underground Prison Cafeteria 
Benjamin's outburst, however, wipes that grin off his face and turns it into a scowl. Briefly it catches a guard's attention, who decides to tune him out.

 "Pff. Who are you calling a dumb***, dip****?"  he says dismissively.

He turns to the ladies and says,  "This man thinks he's smart, but he's just as dumb as all the rest of us. Yeup, I think we all did something perdy dumb to wind up in here.  Won't be long now... "   He starts grumbling to himself.

Cherly was a slightly plump woman with pale skin and chin-length raven hair. She smiles shyly at Benjamin but doesn't say anything for a while.

 "Yeah... that much is right at least. God, if only I could go back in time."  
 

 "Hey. Lookame, Tater.  Lookame."   He pressed back up on his palms, rising slightly out of his chair as if preparing to spring across the table.   "I'll let that go because you're obviously under a lot of emotional pressure and not handling it, on account of not getting your  meth  ration.  But disrespect me like that again and it'll cost you teeth,  sweartagod. "   More threats with the cardboard fork.  But even if Benjamin rated himself as a tough guy, it was hard to take him seriously. Not to mention he was somewhat undercut by the nearness of the guard.

 
 Spoiler: OOC: My First, Spontaneous Roll Of The Game! 
Rolling intimidate to put some fear into Tater.  But Benjamin has a habit of coming off less threatening than he intends to, so who knows what'll happen?   (1d20-1)[ 8 ] !
 
JeenLeen
 Conference Room -01 

5404 listens to the recruitmeal speal and looks over the other SCPs, especially surprised to see the cat.  He's surprised at the cat's quick and assertive demands, and moreso to the Director's approval.

" Um, yes, sir.  I'd be willing to come. "  He normally asked for things  after  completing a mission, but he's feeling a bit embolded by the cat, so he add, " Could I get a copy of the latest Final Fantasy game? "

 
 Spoiler: medical gear 
Would 5404 usually be given a medic's bag when on missions?  I didn't think of it when designing him and not expecting any bonus to Treatment, but I figure he'd have some kit to apply first aid and treat wounds.
 
WindStruck
 Secure Conference-01 

 " Um, yes, sir.  I'd be willing to come. "  He normally asked for things  after  completing a mission, but he's feeling a bit embolded by the cat, so he add, " Could I get a copy of the latest Final Fantasy game? " 

The director smiles and says,  "I'm glad to hear it!"  He then nods to the inquiry.  "Of course, Thomas, of course. Let me just, uh..." 

He scrambles around his pockets for a pen and begins writing it down on a notepad.  "What did you say that was again? Final Fallacy?" 
 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Yeah, some basic gear will be provided by SCP for the mission.
 

 
 Spoiler: ooc again 
I'll assume our 4 SCP characters are on board with this. If not, well, uh.. I guess that means your character goes back to their cell and you miss out on the fun.  😏  Will start writing up the next bit.
 
WindStruck
 Underground Prison Cafeteria 

Tater looks at Benjamin rather nonplussed.  "Yeah, yeah, sure thing big guy....."  His voice was dripping with sarcasm. But hey, wait a minute. Benjamin  was  a big guy, after all!

He shakes his head and chuckles to himself cynically.



   Yeah, let's just stay realistic, okay?   she tells Cheryl at last.   No conspiracy stuff or time travel bull****, I mean, what's that do for any of us?   

Cheryl shrugs and then sighs.  "Yeah, you're right. It does nothing. Abso-f*****g-lutely  nothing at all. "  Once seemingly meek, uncertain, indecisive, now Cheryl has transitioned to a pretty bad mood.

 "Realistically, how long are we going to be here? Twenty years? Thirty years? Do they even do good behavior here?" 
 "Good behavior...  Good behavior! Ha! That's a good one." 
AvatarVecna
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Secure Conference-01 

The Director Lambert smiles at Daniel, albeit sadly.  "Naturally, if it were all in my hands, I would gladly share all the information I could beforehand. But the nature of our mission, this little team I am trying to form, is quite questionable in its own right. Protocol does not allow me to force you into this mission without a rigorous approval process, and yet the protocol also states that I cannot divulge any sensitive information until you agree." 
 "But that said, what I can tell you is.. we don't know much. There is an anomaly we are having some issues with containing. But we hardly even know how it works. The Foundation has made several attempts to gather intelligence or outright stop it. Needless to say, we have failed thus far." 

Looking at Daniel, the director winks,  "However, given your unique abilities, Daniel, it is quite possible that you have gleaned more information already than we have over the years." 

Dr. Curtis sharply looked at the director, almost as if she was about to say something, but it seemed she changed her mind about speaking. 
 

Daniel nods, unsurprised. Endless paranoid secrecy tended to be how these guys handled their problems. Most likely, whatever information they did have would be given to those they trusted more, whatever agents were gonna be escorting them through this. Certainly they weren't just gonna be released into the wild with no supervision or mission details; whoever was in charge of wrangling this group into a unit would be easier to wheedle information out of along the way than trying to argue here.

At the director's accusation (jovial though it may be), he shrugs.   "Never not having weird dreams. But sometimes they're just dreams, y'know? Hard to be sure what was prophetic or not until after the fact."   He sighs, running a hand over his scalp.   "I guess I'm on board, especially if there's prizes for surviving. I don't suppose this is the kind of dangerous important mission that warrants being armed with more than a headstart?"   he jokes.
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 It was at this point that Kuzmo also looked over and saw the kitty. He scoots over towards them and reaches out to pet the black cat. "  Aww.... and with this little guy there's no way we can lose.  " 
 

" "hands off humie. I don't let humans pet me unless they earn my respect. You can scratch my back though there's an itch that has been bothering me all day." 
hand ax ranger
As Harold and the the other one chattered about what they were after the albino monstrosity looked down at his hands, where the ring was, and started toying with it like someone who was bored in a meeting would. He knew what he had desires for though he kept it mostly quiet for now. Best to save that for last.

The cat was mouthy, but that could be expected from this place, and he shrugs and gives the feliner the desired scratches.

As there was more talk about dreams or prophecies and Kuzmo scoffs, uncaring for divination as he was living proof that is was a load of crap. He was about to interrupted this when he shifts a bit, a pulse of energy surround him and his skin suddenly shifts to more accurately appear as he had before he was even a lizard. His teeth shift back to fangs and his eyes remained fiery but otherwise he looked like a burly mixed race man.

"  Oh.....Seems I have decoded your ring. Nifty.  " He uses the ring to turn his teeth more human then flicks out his tongue, showing a unusually long but still human version. He enjoys the reactions and chuckles before he changes the topic back.

"  Speaking of prizes.... what was it you'd offer me Harold? If there is a risk as great as you say then surly you have an intent to see me compensated? Especially as out of everyone here of the usual variety I am the most likely to continue partaking of these jobs. As well as my knowledge of the styles of magic compared to most....  "
Esprit15
  ”You will be equipped in a manner appropriate to your skills and the assignment, as always, SPC-6356,”   the tall man says harshly to Daniel.   “That arming will be weighed against the risks inherent in arming  former Class-D personnel  with  extensive  histories of criminal behavior, though.”  

James flinches as Kuzmo’s form shifts, hand reaching for his gun but pausing short of drawing it when the SCP’s form merely shifts color and its behavior remains the casually rude sort rather than hostile or dangerous.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by AvatarVecna 
 At the director's accusation (jovial though it may be), he shrugs.   "Never not having weird dreams. But sometimes they're just dreams, y'know? Hard to be sure what was prophetic or not until after the fact."   He sighs, running a hand over his scalp.   "I guess I'm on board, especially if there's prizes for surviving. I don't suppose this is the kind of dangerous important mission that warrants being armed with more than a headstart?"   he jokes. 
 

A look of comprehension crosses Director Lambert's face.  "Ah.. yes. You will each be provided some basic gear, however we can, uh..."  he looks down at King,  "reasonably accommodate you."   He wasn't sure what type of gear he could actually offer to a cat, however. If anything, some good food and a really nice traveling box he supposed.

Nodding to James Fink, the director turns back to Daniel and adds,  "It is quite true that we must weigh each risk in this operation. I will warn you..  any attempts at treachery  will  be guarded against. That is all I can say." 

 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 "  "Oh.....Seems I have decoded your ring. Nifty.  " He uses the ring to turn his teeth more human then flicks out his tongue, showing a unusually long but still human version. He enjoys the reactions and chuckles before he changes the topic back.

"  Speaking of prizes.... what was it you'd offer me Harold? If there is a risk as great as you say then surly you have an intent to see me compensated? Especially as out of everyone here of the usual variety I am the most likely to continue partaking of these jobs. As well as my knowledge of the styles of magic compared to most....  " 
 

The man looks up with interest.  "Oh, my. Well done! I had a hunch that you would have a certain affinity for that trinket. Perhaps we could try a bit more testing with it later. But.. for now..." 

Director Lambert clears his throat and says,  "I understand, Kuzmo, that you have particular.. tastes: in art, in food, in company. We would be quite willing to generously increase your supply." 

It is then that Dr. Curtis finally speaks up,  "Are we done making pleasantries and fooling around?" 
 "Ah, of course. All business, no pleasure. I admire your work ethic, Doctor Curtis." 

Once it was decided that all four SCPs were willing to participate, and the inevitable bargaining had come to pass, Director Lambert claps his hands together, quite pleased.  "Good! That's all four of you! In addition to that, Doctor Hagerty will be accompanying you, as well as Former-sergeant Fink, a number of other field agents, namely those present in this room, and some Class D personnel..." 

Dr. Curtis clears her throat.

 "Ah, yes, of course. And now, Doctor Curtis here will brief you on the nature of our conundrum." 

The aging man scoots his chair aside, and Dr. Curtis takes a few steps forward. Pulling out a small remote control and pressing some buttons, the room grows darker and a projector screen lowers on the wall opposite from the door.

 "The anomaly we have requested your help with is known as SCP-1031."  She presses another button and an image of a map appears upon the screen.

 
 "I will now go over the documents laid out in front of you. SCP-1031, once tentatively assigned object class Euclid, has now been reclassified as Keter." 
 "Special Containment Procedures: During the months of November through September, no special action needs to take place. On the days prior to October 31st, highway construction crews are to set up work sites on the east and west sides of Oklahoma highway 399 bordering SCP-1031. Road barriers are to be placed on all entrances to Oklahoma highway 399, and no civilians nor personnel are permitted to come within 2,100 feet of SCP-1031. At noon on November 1st, all barricades can be taken down, and personnel posing as construction workers may be dismissed. The area around SCP-1031 must be surveyed and its size and these guidelines must be reassessed each year." 

Dr. Curtis then hits a few more buttons over the course of her report, and images of a rural town occupy the screen.

 
 
 "Description: SCP-1031 is a circular area in the western panhandle of Oklahoma, approximately 4.92 miles in radius. Running through the middle of this area is Oklahoma Highway 399, and in the center of SCP-1031 is the hamlet of Blumber, Oklahoma. The exact population of Blumber fluctuates each year between 80 and 90 persons, and all age groups of people can be found living here. Surrounding this town is approximately 76 square miles of corn fields. The 4.92 mile radius encompasses these corn fields, which mark the boundary of SCP-1031.

At first glance, the town of Blumber, Oklahoma seems completely normal. The people there appear to go about their business as typical for a rural town. However, over periods of long-term observation, one begins to realize that the residents rarely ever leave this area, or import or export any goods. It has further been discovered that though many of the buildings have functional electricity, the hamlet itself is not connected to the national power grid.

The people of Blumber, Oklahoma are exceedingly friendly to visitors and offer generous hospitality. However, when threatened or otherwise suspicious of outsiders, they expel those individuals from their community. Any attempts made by those same visitors to revisit the hamlet, or otherwise, any attempts by law enforcement to apprehend any residents of Blumber, Oklahoma, or to follow up on any reports of wrong doing prove unsuccessful, as instead they arrive upon a deserted ghost town." 
 
 "The size of SCP-1031 has been growing steadily over the past fifty years since it was discovered. SCP-1031 has been consistently documented at growing 1.8% in diameter each year. In the past several years, however, this rate of growth has accelerated. Last year, the radius of SCP-1031 increased by about 8%. These periods of growth happen on the evenings of October 31st. During this time, thick fog blankets the entire area, making it difficult to see.

The SCP Foundation has sent field agents to investigate the anomalous properties of SCP-1031 multiple times. During periods of non-growth, they were eventually expelled from the hamlet and could no longer return as normal. Anyone who had direct contact with expelled individuals, or who heard about the experience through word of mouth also could not access the hamlet normally, and only came upon the ghost town. When field agents investigated SCP-1031 on the evening of October 31st last year, all contact was lost, and they went missing." 

Dr. Curtis stops and attempts to look at everyone in the darkened room.

 "Now then. Are there any questions?" 
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Director Lambert clears his throat and says,  "I understand, Kuzmo, that you have particular.. tastes: in art, in food, in company. We would be quite willing to generously increase your supply."  
 

Kuzmo smiles and Harold understands him. "  Excellent. There was one more thing I was after but we can work that out another time perhaps...  "

After hearing the report Kuzmo thinks and nods his head. He recalls a similar escapade in his past and starts working backwards from there.

He raises his hand, now with the curiosity of a big game hunter rather than the foolery of a braggart. "  During these excursions has there ever been deaths on the side of the townsfolk? If so has the same or similar individuals appeared in their place?  " he explains. "  If they are the spirits of cursed town for instance, then each year the person who has passed on might return as a shade or revanent of some kind, or perhaps it will show the entire thing is one large illusion. I have seem the latter before....  " He scratches his chin and he ponders more on this.
Esprit15
James listens patiently through the explanation, jotting down notes as Director Lambert speaks. Like everything else here, the logic of the entity fit together with itself, but not the external world.

Finally, he goes down the list of notes, pausing after each for the Director and Dr. Curtis to answer.   "Is there a local government for the town? If so, do we know anything about the members?

"Is there not simply a local power grid that is not connected to the national grid? If not, have previous investigations sought to find the source of electricity by following power lines, either above or below ground?

"Are there any locations of note in the town that are either particularly guarded by the residents, or otherwise unusual for a rural American town to possess?

"Have samples of this fog been collected by the foundation and examined at all?

"Do people ever move to or from the town? Do they keep in contact with people from their original places of residence?

"When was it founded?

"Were there any events in the last 50 plus years that preceded the creation of SCP-1031?

"By what means were previous investigators expelled?

"Has an investigation that was expelled, before expulsion, left anything behind in the city? If so, was it still there when they returned to retrieve it? Did later investigations find said object when the town was returned?

"Has the city been observed while investigators were expelled and then later returned?"   At each answer, he scribbles down additional notes. King can read that the ex-sergeant is only half way down his list of questions.
JeenLeen
James, er, 5404... safer to think of himself by his designation... doesn't think much of the description.  Some anomalous  thing , spreading influenece.  And he'e going along, probably to just soak damage from  actual  humans and help the SCP in exchange for some trivial increases to comfort to decreases to boredeom.  The normal.

He's nodding along to the description, but doesn't have anything to add or question.
WindStruck
Doctor Roberta Curtis proceeds to answer each of the questions posed to her calmly and matter-of-factly.


 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 He raises his hand, now with the curiosity of a big game hunter rather than the foolery of a braggart. "  During these excursions has there ever been deaths on the side of the townsfolk? If so has the same or similar individuals appeared in their place?  " 
 

 "At this present time, we have no recorded or confirmed deaths for any of the residents of SCP-1031. We are not saying it is impossible. However, we have never received authorization, nor would I have recommended attempting to do so." 

 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 "  If they are the spirits of cursed town for instance, then each year the person who has passed on might return as a shade or revanent of some kind, or perhaps it will show the entire thing is one large illusion. I have seem the latter before....  " He scratches his chin and he ponders more on this. 
 

 "That is one theory, more or less. However, it appears that some people within SCP-1031 change with each cycle. In other words, completely new persons that did not exist before. We do not believe there is any form of 'illusion' at play. Our best guess is a bubble of warped reality: or a pocket dimension, if you will." 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 James listens patiently through the explanation, jotting down notes as Director Lambert speaks. Like everything else here, the logic of the entity fit together with itself, but not the external world.

Finally, he goes down the list of notes, pausing after each for the Director and Dr. Curtis to answer.   "Is there a local government for the town? If so, do we know anything about the members?   
 

 "As far as we are aware, no. No mayors, no councils, et cetera. One SCP agent posing as a traveler, who had asked about this topic, was told about as much." 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   "Is there not simply a local power grid that is not connected to the national grid? If not, have previous investigations sought to find the source of electricity by following power lines, either above or below ground?"   
 

 "There are no facilities within SCP-1031 that generate power. All sources of power generation, such as wind turbines, coal plants, and nuclear plants are quite noticeable. There has been no extensive testing regarding the source of SCP-1031's power. What we have been able to confirm with certainty is that they do not draw power from the national power grid. We have confirmed this by checking the perimeter, both above ground and below ground." 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   "Are there any locations of note in the town that are either particularly guarded by the residents, or otherwise unusual for a rural American town to possess?"   
 

 "The hamlet itself does seem very reasonable with shops, businesses, homes, and the like. There is nothing unusual in the types or number of locations present themselves. On the subject of something being guarded: the one unusual thing we discovered was on the days leading up to October 31st. Residents begin piling offerings - in particular, pumpkins and stalks of corn - in the center of their town square. They become quite agitated when asked about the display, and they do not want anyone to disturb it." 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   "Have samples of this fog been collected by the foundation and examined at all?"   
 

 "No.." , she says with a mix of disappointment in her voice. She briefly walks over to Director Lambert and they exchange a few whispers and nods.  "We think this is something worth looking into." 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   "Do people ever move to or from the town? Do they keep in contact with people from their original places of residence?"   
 

 "From all of our observations, no one has ever moved out of SCP-1031. Rarely, we have noted that sometimes an individual leaves the area and drives about the country. They pay for gas, stop at hotels and restaurants as normal. Usually they simply drive back without incident. On one occasion, a male resident from SCP-1031 was apparently able to bring a female from another town over to Blumber. She seemed to be a normal person, like many other residents. However, after an expansion event, she had disappeared." 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   "When was it founded?"   
 

 "We don't know. The residents have stated a varying number of dates, between 1930 and 1950. Local residents of other towns in the surrounding areas have stated that Blumber has existed ever since they could remember - or otherwise have not heard of it at all. Oklahoma state highway records say that highway 399 was first commissioned in 1929." 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   "Were there any events in the last 50 plus years that preceded the creation of SCP-1031?"   
 

 "At the present, there is nothing that comes to mind." 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   "By what means were previous investigators expelled?"   
 

To this, the doctor tilts her head and asks,  "How would you get rid of someone who invaded your home, James?"  Blinking, she begins to speak much more professionally.  "Residents of SCP-1031 display acts and threats of aggression, gradually escalating. Foundation personnel under such threats were forced to retreat. They had orders to stand down and avoid combat and confrontation." 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   "Has an investigation that was expelled, before expulsion, left anything behind in the city? If so, was it still there when they returned to retrieve it? Did later investigations find said object when the town was returned?"   
 

 "As I said, once an individual is expelled from SCP-1031, any attempts to return simply result in arriving at a ghost town. We believe some supplies were left behind at one point. However, we were unable to retrieve or confirm that they still existed until after an expansion event. Once an expansion event had occurred and new agents capable of entering the hamlet of Blumber were brought in, no such evidence of missing equipment was present." 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   "Has the city been observed while investigators were expelled and then later returned?"   
 

 "As of yet, no. Satellites and drones have malfunctioned. It seems the presence of anyone who was expelled from SCP-1031 interferes with the ability of anyone who might otherwise be able to interact with the hamlet." 

After this volley of questions, Dr. Curtis takes a breath and reaches for a small pitcher. She pours herself a glass of water and sits down.

Director Lambert comments with a chuckle.  "My, you certainly are an inquisitive fellow. That's good! We need to tackle this problem from as many angles as possible." 
Ameraaaaaa
King's ears perk up when he realzes something  "are there any wild life in the area"  
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
 King's ears perk up when he realzes something  "are there any wild life in the area"   
 

While Dr. Curtis is taking a quick water break, Director Lambert answers King's question.  "Why, there are! There are indeed! However... we have noticed that in the time that directly precedes an expansion event, the wildlife flees." 
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 While Dr. Curtis is taking a quick water break, Director Lambert answers King's question.  "Why, there are! There are indeed! However... we have noticed that in the time that directly precedes an expansion event, the wildlife flees."  
 

 
 Spoiler: question 2  

Are any of the wildlife cats?
 
WindStruck
 
 Spoiler: Question 2 
 ooc: sheesh, couldn't you have just asked that normally without wasting a mind reading attempt?  😛

The director doesn't know. If you were to try to probe deeper or again and again, or ask the question in different ways, it certainly seems conceivable that feral cats could be there. But no reports specifically mention cats.
 
Metastachydium
With an expression of growing desperation taking shape on her face Cecily blurts out a quick, but subdued   Just…  Stop  it, guys.  Geez.    even as she begins frantically rubbing and shaking her hands under the table to get them… Well, not clean, but  closer  to clean, her nervous glance jumping between the faces of her fellow inmates and the looming figures of the guards. Why on earth do these two want to make themselves and, worse yet, her, if only by association the business of those guards?   Look,   she goes on.   don't know about you people, but I'm here to be not-dead.   she averts her face, feeling some unwelcome blood rushing into it. The left corner of her lips twitches slightly, and her foot resumes its monotonous, alarmed pounding on the floor.   It worked so far, I guess.   she lowers her head and raises it just as rapidly, turning back towards the table.   So this works for me. Beyond that, I don't wanna  think  about it. Like, I  really  don't.  
JeenLeen
5404 tries to follow the questions.  Sounds creepy and scary, like some horror flick, but nothing too likely to get him killed several times in very painful ways.  So an easy job?  Easier than most.

But failing a mission often leads to unpleasant testing, so failing is still bad.

" Based on the ghost town thing, it sounds like if  any  of us tick off the villagers and get shoved out of town, then  all of us  would just see a ghost town if we tried to get back, right?   So we have to be discrete if we want to find out anything. "
Esprit15
  ”SCP-777 will likely be most useful, given his telepathic abilities. Just learning whether or not the people of the town are real individuals or not would be a good place to start.”  
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 5404 tries to follow the questions.  Sounds creepy and scary, like some horror flick, but nothing too likely to get him killed several times in very painful ways.  So an easy job?  Easier than most.

But failing a mission often leads to unpleasant testing, so failing is still bad.

" Based on the ghost town thing, it sounds like if  any  of us tick off the villagers and get shoved out of town, then  all of us  would just see a ghost town if we tried to get back, right?   So we have to be discrete if we want to find out anything. " 
 

Director Lambert nods.  "I concur. Any behavior that could draw their suspicion or garner their ire would most likely result in being forced to leave, one way or another. Though that may be the safest option, all things considered, I fear that will lead to us learning very little..." 

Dr. Curtis clears her throat and stands, her break finished.  "Director, I think you mean 'mission failure'."  He nods. Addressing everyone again she says,  "We do have a plan to get you in the hamlet of Blumber with minimal suspicion. You might even have a chance to investigate without drawing too much attention. We will get more into those details later." 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   ”SCP-777 will likely be most useful, given his telepathic abilities. Just learning whether or not the people of the town are real individuals or not would be a good place to start.”   
 

 "Agreed. We believe SCP-777 will give us a great deal of insight, while being completely innocuous... provided he does   not  speak   in the presence of any resident of SCP-1031." 
AvatarVecna
Daniel barely suppressed a sigh as his joke was...ill-received. No sense of humor to be found here, he reminded himself, they've all had their funny bones surgically removed. He shrugged it off and dropped the point, just listening and nodding along to the conversation until some questions occurred to him...and it was probably helpful if they were answered where everyone else could hear them too. He cleared his throat.

  "I've got a few questions. You mentioned area growth but steady population. Is it the town itself that's growing, the fields, or both? You mentioned visitors, but uh...just looking at the map, it's not really on the way from anywhere to anywhere else. Have they been questioned? Especially if it's repeated visitors, or related visitors. My first guess, which means I'm sure y'all thought of it decades ago, would be that visitors is family of the people who live in town, since why else would you be passing through? And if they've got family on the outside, that maybe helps confirm they're real people without mind reading. But yeah, any insights from people who've visited but not been kicked out?"  
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by AvatarVecna 
   "I've got a few questions. You mentioned area growth but steady population. Is it the town itself that's growing, the fields, or both?"   
 

 "The growth of SCP-1031 appears to be mainly in the size of the corn fields. However, very rarely, we have noticed the addition of another building or two after a growth event. And the population, as I said, fluctuates. Getting an accurate headcount on all the residents of SCP-1031 is difficult, but we speculate that the average population is increasing, albeit slowly." 

 
 Originally Posted by AvatarVecna 
   "You mentioned visitors, but uh...just looking at the map, it's not really on the way from anywhere to anywhere else. Have they been questioned? Especially if it's repeated visitors, or related visitors. My first guess, which means I'm sure y'all thought of it decades ago, would be that visitors is family of the people who live in town, since why else would you be passing through? And if they've got family on the outside, that maybe helps confirm they're real people without mind reading. But yeah, any insights from people who've visited but not been kicked out?"   
 

The doctor has to raise her hand to stop this other flood of questions and comments.  " We are very well-aware of the map and the hamlet's positioning, "  she says sharply.

 "I think you are reading too much into the word 'visitor'. It is correct that Oklahoma Highway 399 is seldom traveled. And most people who do travel through SCP-1031 go straight through without stopping. We believe that with the advent of smartphones and programs which offer driving directions, this area has been driven through more often than before. However, not all driving apps feature this as a valid road. It appears that some have taken it upon themselves to manually enter it into their systems." 
 "As for those that have briefly stayed in the hamlet of Blumber: it has been an exceedingly rare occurrence that we have already been monitoring. When we followed up with these people and asked them about the hamlet, they did not notice anything unusual, and simply thought it was 'a charming little rural town'. To quote one tourist. Most of these  'visitors'  are our own personnel. And we have yet to discover anyone traveling from outside SCP-1031 who claims to live there, or have family there." 
hand ax ranger
"  Hmm well as nice and bucolic as this all sounds, you've not exactly assembled a team of land-dealers and farmers.  " Kuzmo nods. "  You called me in for example. Granted, I have a grand ability to track and know a good bit of how magic works.....but you also never said I wouldn't need my weapon and gear. Gave a risk of dismemberment and death.Meaning you expect that there'll be trouble.   "

The large being taps his temple. "  I assume I am there to protect the little ones, not kill a target, so what do you expect me to be having to defend against? Have the town folk ever be taken prisoners... or bodies?  "
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 "  Hmm well as nice and bucolic as this all sounds, you've not exactly assembled a team of land-dealers and farmers.  " Kuzmo nods. "  You called me in for example. Granted, I have a grand ability to track and know a good bit of how magic works.....but you also never said I wouldn't need my weapon and gear. Gave a risk of dismemberment and death.Meaning you expect that there'll be trouble.   "

The large being taps his temple. "  I assume I am there to protect the little ones, not kill a target, so what do you expect me to be having to defend against? Have the town folk ever be taken prisoners... or bodies?  " 
 

Dr. Curtis listens skeptically, neither nodding nor making any faces.  "If it hasn't been made clear by now, the answer to your question is: we don't know." 
 "We have no current record of SCP-1031 residents ever doing such, but theoretically, there is nothing stopping them. We have yet to understand how they fully operate, particularly in an aggressive state." 
Esprit15
James goes through his notes one more time, crosses off several questions as others ask something basically the same, and then frowns.   ”So what  is  our mission here? Eliminate the anomaly? Find the source of it? Bring back a resident for study?”  
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Dr. Curtis listens skeptically, neither nodding nor making any faces.  "If it hasn't been made clear by now, the answer to your question is: we don't know." 
 "We have no current record of SCP-1031 residents ever doing such, but theoretically, there is nothing stopping them. We have yet to understand how they fully operate, particularly in an aggressive state."  
 

He pays her disinterest no mind and thinks more. "  This in mind you say they require no resources form the outside world? So they have produced all their own food even? What if this town is instead a feeder? Taking in lives from outside itself and feeding off their life energies? Perhaps it is growing larger as these "Driving apps" keep taking people into the town.  "
Ameraaaaaa
King get's the smuggest feeling. Thinking to himself that "ha these humans really need me that much. How pathetic. Milk and catnip here we come!"
JeenLeen
Thomas doesn't like the idea of taking someone into Foundation captivity, especially if they are an innocent except for one day a year.  But two years of being a prisoner himself make him a touch jaded about it.  If that is part of their mission, it shouldn't be too hard.

He scratches his head and hesitantly asks, " Sorry if you already mentioned this, but why hasn't the Foundation taken and questioned a villager?  I get they aren't the anomaly themselves -- at least, probably they aren't -- but, uh... "
He lets his sentence awkwardly trail off instead of saying something snarky about the lack of ethics the Foundation has shown to some anomalies or risking saying something that sounds like the Foundation hasn't done something it should've done already.  The Doctor seems annoyed enough already.
WindStruck
 Secure Conference-01 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 James goes through his notes one more time, crosses off several questions as others ask something basically the same, and then frowns.   ”So what  is  our mission here? Eliminate the anomaly? Find the source of it? Bring back a resident for study?”   
 

 "We would like to find out as much as we can. In particular, we need to figure out what is happening during these growth events. Our end goal is to either neutralize SCP-1031, or at least, stop it from growing. And no, the residents are to be left as is for the time being." 

 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 He pays her disinterest no mind and thinks more. "  This in mind you say they require no resources form the outside world? So they have produced all their own food even? What if this town is instead a feeder? Taking in lives from outside itself and feeding off their life energies? Perhaps it is growing larger as these "Driving apps" keep taking people into the town.  " 
 

 "More speculation,"  Dr. Curtis says.  "Though I believe there are inconsistencies in your theory. For one thing, the driving apps I mentioned are only a recent invention. Secondly, SCP-1031 had been steadily growing in size for the past fifty years." 

 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 He scratches his head and hesitantly asks, " Sorry if you already mentioned this, but why hasn't the Foundation taken and questioned a villager?  I get they aren't the anomaly themselves -- at least, probably they aren't -- but, uh... " 
 

At this, Dr. Curtis seems particularly agitated and folds her arms.  "This has certainly crossed our minds. Do you have any idea what would happen if we did that, though?" 

After a long and deafening period of silence, she says,  "Exactly. You don't. None of us do. If we were to outright abduct residents from SCP-1031, there is no telling what will happen!" 

Director Lambert stands, reaching out an arm attempting to calm the blonde scientist down.  "Now, now, Doctor Curtis. I think, perhaps I am better equipped to explain..." 

He looks about the room to everyone but his gaze ultimately fixes on Thomas.  "The SCP Foundation stands for three things, if you are not aware. Secure. Contain. Protect. Though it may seem we are being lazy or incompetent with our jobs, we actually have good reason to be minimally invasive. You see, these anomalies.. well, we call them that for a reason. There is  much  we do not know about them. Imagine, if you will, you were delivered an unknown device with many buttons. Pressing one button may play music, another button may turn your possessions to gold.. and yet another button may blow up half the planet." 

Director Lambert smiles grimly.  "Much like a black box, we simply do not know how they work, and much like a bomb, any excessive tampering may have dire consequences. I am afraid, we have not tried to abduct any residents from SCP-1031 because we thought the risk was too great. As long as the SCP maintained predictable behaviors and did not grow too much, the Foundation was content to leave it be, let it sit on the back burners, if you will, in hopes of acquiring new discoveries, or new technologies that might help. However, in the recent years, with the accelerated growth of SCP-1031, we have had to change our priorities, and the higher-ups are now convinced that this anomaly can no longer be ignored." 

Raising a finger, he adds,  "That said, I still believe that presently, outright abducting a citizen from the small town of Blumber is ill-advised, and while we may be forced to attempt such a thing, we believe there are other options we should pursue first.. which is now, why we have involved you." 
JeenLeen
Thomas looks around at the other SCPs around, trying (and mostly succeeding) on suppressing a frown at the talk of being minimally invasive and careful.  it's not like they were "careful" with abducting him from the hospital.  But he supposes he is glad they aren't abducting more people.

So he simply nods, ready to listen to the "other options".
Plaids
Straightening herself up and smoothing her clean jacket Kalispell makes direct eye contact to loyally respond. Thankfully she replaced her lab coat and restrained most of her hair before arriving.
  You know you can count on me Lambert. After all you've done for me, I'm down for anything boss-man.  

Just to sweeten the deal with the elder director a fashionable orange sealed baggy is generously brought to him.
  Seems better than the last group I rode with. Feel free to snack on these if your anxiety starts to get the better of you. My sister Maribel gave me the recipe and did the baking but make sure Jaylen to not eat them around Jaylen. He's too young for the stuff. It's all natural and caffeine free. No use in worrying what about what can't control in halfway across the world right?  

Kalispell then quickly glances at the small crowd in the room that she would soon be working with.
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
 Straightening herself up and smoothing her clean jacket Kalispell makes direct eye contact to loyally respond. Thankfully she replaced her lab coat and restrained most of her hair before arriving.
  You know you can count on me Lambert. After all you've done for me, I'm down for anything boss-man.  

Just to sweeten the deal with the elder director a fashionable orange sealed baggy is generously brought to him.
  Seems better than the last group I rode with. Feel free to snack on these if your anxiety starts to get the better of you. My sister Maribel gave me the recipe and did the baking but make sure Jaylen to not eat them around Jaylen. He's too young for the stuff. It's all natural and caffeine free. No use in worrying what about what can't control in halfway across the world right?  

Kalispell then quickly glances at the small crowd in the room that she would soon be working with. 
 

 "is that food or is that the human equivalent of cat nip? I can't tell" 
AvatarVecna
Daniel remembers another thing he wanted confirmation on...or rather, maybe needed?


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  "The SCP Foundation has sent field agents to investigate the anomalous properties of SCP-1031 multiple times. During periods of non-growth, they were eventually expelled from the hamlet and could no longer return as normal.  Anyone who had direct contact with expelled individuals, or who heard about the experience through word of mouth also could not access the hamlet normally, and only came upon the ghost town.  When field agents investigated SCP-1031 on the evening of October 31st last year, all contact was lost, and they went missing."  
 

  "Oh, what's the range on that 'direct contact' issue? Or I guess, is it a range limitation, or a medium limitation?"  
MrAbdiel
 "Aw, y'see what you did now, Tater you blockhead?  Y'made her upset.  Next time you're in line for the commisary, you better ask for an aspirin; 'cause I'm gonna punch you in the back of the head." 

This, and comments like it back and forth, were the flavor of the day.  Ben, clearly; wasn't ready to let it go; and Tater didn't seem willing to show weakness.  One or both of them might have acted differently, however, if they had any idea about what was in store.

 
 Spoiler: OOC: 
I think we might be done with the cafeteria scene, possibly.  Looking forward to being herded into the reality-hazard meatgrinder!
 
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
 Straightening herself up and smoothing her clean jacket Kalispell makes direct eye contact to loyally respond. Thankfully she replaced her lab coat and restrained most of her hair before arriving.
  You know you can count on me Lambert. After all you've done for me, I'm down for anything boss-man.  

Just to sweeten the deal with the elder director a fashionable orange sealed baggy is generously brought to him.
  Seems better than the last group I rode with. Feel free to snack on these if your anxiety starts to get the better of you. My sister Maribel gave me the recipe and did the baking but make sure Jaylen to not eat them around Jaylen. He's too young for the stuff. It's all natural and caffeine free. No use in worrying what about what can't control in halfway across the world right?  

Kalispell then quickly glances at the small crowd in the room that she would soon be working with. 
 

Director Lambert nods and smiles, the same usual calm and patient smile everyone should be used to by now.   "Ah, another fortune cookie? You are too kind, Doctor Hagerty."  Meanwhile Dr. Curtis glances away briefly. Some of you may think you catch her rolling her eyes.


 
 Originally Posted by AvatarVecna 
   "Oh, what's the range on that 'direct contact' issue? Or I guess, is it a range limitation, or a medium limitation?"   
 

 "Apologies. That is a somewhat vague description. Generally speaking, anyone in the company of said expelled individual is also similarly affected by SCP-1031 and cannot access the hamlet of Blumber. They only arrive upon the ghost town as well. Anyone coordinating with said individual, be it following them, moving ahead, or even attempting to enter SCP-1031 from the opposite side still results in the same effect. This also seems to go for anyone who has directly spoken with such individuals, which makes us believe the effect is similar to a memetic hazard. Though we have done extensive testing, we still are not absolutely certain how this phenomenon works." 
Plaids
 Kalispell Hagerty 

 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
  "is that food or is that the human equivalent of cat nip? I can't tell"  
 

Nervously readjusting her spectacles, the doctor quickly informs the feline to avert tragedy.
  Oh it is human "cat nip" but it's not for grownups or cats like you kitten. If you're looking for some herbal remedy, I might be able to schedule an experiment involving you and the agricultural sloths, some which have been seeded with catnip suited for you.  

The director was strict on who was allowed in the herbal laboratories and had yet to be fully enlightened of the vast benefits of herbal remedies. He'd fully see the light before her return home.
AvatarVecna
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  "Apologies. That is a somewhat vague description. Generally speaking, anyone in the company of said expelled individual is also similarly affected by SCP-1031 and cannot access the hamlet of Blumber. They only arrive upon the ghost town as well. Anyone coordinating with said individual, be it following them, moving ahead, or even attempting to enter SCP-1031 from the opposite side still results in the same effect. This also seems to go for anyone who has directly spoken with such individuals, which makes us believe the effect is similar to a memetic hazard. Though we have done extensive testing, we still are not absolutely certain how this phenomenon works."  
 

Daniel nods along. Given that they were spreading the information to them by word of mouth, it was probably a limit on how many people the effect could travel through rather than a matter of what medium the information spread through, but that was just a guess; he knew firsthand how seriously they took mind-virus stuff, and truth be told the stuff made him nervous as well since it could follow him through the daydreams if he wasn't careful. If they'd done a lot of testing and still weren't sure how it worked, that probably meant it was more complicated and weirder than usual, which made it more dangerous.


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  "We would like to find out as much as we can. In particular, we need to figure out what is happening during these growth events. Our end goal is to either neutralize SCP-1031, or at least, stop it from growing. And no, the residents are to be left as is for the time being."  
 

  "So, two things. First is, between me and the cat, we could probably do some good work figuring out the limit on the memetic thing...assuming we don't just try stuff you've already tried, I guess. But you can tell us about it, so there's some kinda limit to it? Second thing, given what I've heard, I think I actually  have  had a relevant dream recently. Would you prefer a verbal description, or a drawing?"  
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
  Kalispell Hagerty 


Nervously readjusting her spectacles, the doctor quickly informs the feline to avert tragedy.
  Oh it is human "cat nip" but it's not for grownups or cats like you kitten. If you're looking for some herbal remedy, I might be able to schedule an experiment involving you and the agricultural sloths, some which have been seeded with catnip suited for you.  

The director was strict on who was allowed in the herbal laboratories and had yet to be fully enlightened of the vast benefits of herbal remedies. He'd fully see the light before her return home. 
 

 "as long as it involves catnip I'm in!" 


King is noticeably wagging his tail. Which is a sign of cats being happy. King is very much a catnip addict though he'd never admit it. Afterall addictions are for lesser species. King "knows" this very well.
Plaids
 Kalispell Hagerty 
 

 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 The SCP Foundation has sent field agents to investigate the anomalous properties of SCP-1031 multiple times. During periods of non-growth, they were eventually expelled from the hamlet and could no longer return as normal. Anyone who had direct contact with expelled individuals, or who heard about the experience through word of mouth also could not access the hamlet normally, and only came upon the ghost town. When field agents investigated SCP-1031 on the evening of October 31st last year, all contact was lost, and they went missing."[/COLOR]

Dr. Curtis stops and attempts to look at everyone in the darkened room.

 "Now then. Are there any questions?"  
 

  Sounds like a cozy place honestly, it might even be my ticket back home. But I got some question before we leave.
Is the land the town occupies formerly Native American land or have any other notable historical events occur on it? I've experienced a few SCPs with a painful historical past and discovering their history has saved my teams several times already.
Has anyone in this room been expelled the town? I doubt it but if you are a primary source giving us this briefing then this entire mission needs a new team. But I will gladly inform the next team if need be.  

Dr. Hagerty continues her train of thought wringing every question out and tactical suggestion for Lambert.
  Also do you have a plan for how we make our entrance? Cause if you don't then Maribel just gave me the best idea. Infiltrating the town as one big family. She even has all the flannels and hide hats picked out. Though I will need to put Jaylen in the daycare before we leave. 

Dr. Hagerty tenses and abruptly concludes her train of thought as her right swivels to focus on Dr. Curtis.
  Jaylen, don't be rude Dr. Curtis is busy and needs to impress her boss. I'll ask her about it ok?  
After chiding then reassuring her son Dr. Hagerty continues, now addressing Dr. Curtis.

 So Dr. Curtis what king of growth rate are we looking at here polynomial, exponential, factorial? You are the best with applied actuarial mathematics.   After eying Lambert and returning her focus to Dr. Curtis. Nervously tugging just, a bit on her clean lab coat before straightening herself out she asks.

  And uhm... anyway. Dr. Curtis would you like schedule a get together after this mission? Maribel and Jaylen would like to share notes with you. If your tired of the blonde I could do your hair you would make a great Redhead and an even better Raven. Well, those are all my questions. Thank you both for your time.  

Dr. Hagerty returns to full attention with as serious a regimented demeanor as she can pull off.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by AvatarVecna 
   "So, two things. First is, between me and the cat, we could probably do some good work figuring out the limit on the memetic thing...assuming we don't just try stuff you've already tried, I guess. But you can tell us about it, so there's some kinda limit to it? Second thing, given what I've heard, I think I actually  have  had a relevant dream recently. Would you prefer a verbal description, or a drawing?"   
 

Dr. Curtis raises an eyebrow.  "At this time, the strange memetic properties regarding who is allowed inside SCP-1031 and who isn't is not our priority."  She nods to the first question. At the mention of the dream, she says,  "Oh? That is most interesting." 

She looks at the director briefly, who nods seemingly pleased with himself, before continuing.  "For now, if you are certain the dream doesn't involve you being expelled from SCP-1031, you may share it verbally with everyone. A drawing later on would be helpful as well." 

Dr. Curtis also quickly walks over to retrieve a clipboard of hers, ready to write.


 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
  Kalispell Hagerty 
 "Sounds like a cozy place honestly, it might even be my ticket back home. But I got some question before we leave.

Is the land the town occupies formerly Native American land or have any other notable historical events occur on it? I've experienced a few SCPs with a painful historical past and discovering their history has saved my teams several times already."  
 

 "Unfortunately we have no records regarding the hamlet of Blumber or any notable events that occurred within that area." 

 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
  "Has anyone in this room been expelled the town? I doubt it but if you are a primary source giving us this briefing then this entire mission needs a new team. But I will gladly inform the next team if need be.   
 

 "No. This would not be the first time that has happened, however, the information we received was all via written documentation. As far as we are aware the semi-memetic properties of SCP-1031 do not spread via a written medium." 

 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
 Dr. Hagerty continues her train of thought wringing every question out and tactical suggestion for Lambert.
 "Also do you have a plan for how we make our entrance? Cause if you don't then Maribel just gave me the best idea. Infiltrating the town as one big family. She even has all the flannels and hide hats picked out. Though I will need to put Jaylen in the daycare before we leave."  
 

 "We already did have a plan in mind, however, seeing as you will be personally overseeing this operation, Dr. Hagerty, your suggestions are welcome,"  Dr. Curtis says gazing blankly at Dr. Hargerty.

 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaaaa 
Actually what she's thinking is,   'Don't ruin my plan, you loopy old bat.'  
 


 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
 Dr. Hagerty tenses and abruptly concludes her train of thought as her right swivels to focus on Dr. Curtis.
 "Jaylen, don't be rude Dr. Curtis is busy and needs to impress her boss. I'll ask her about it ok?" 
After chiding then reassuring her son Dr. Hagerty continues, now addressing Dr. Curtis.

 "So Dr. Curtis what king of growth rate are we looking at here polynomial, exponential, factorial? You are the best with applied actuarial mathematics."  
 

Dr. Hagerty's strange behavior does not elicit any looks, aside from a blank stare again.  "Until recently, the growth rate was exponential. Granted, at a steady increase in diameter of 1.8% per year, it was slow. Now that growth has accelerated, I couldn't tell you the answer to that question. It's too fast for our liking." 

 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
 After eying Lambert and returning her focus to Dr. Curtis. Nervously tugging just, a bit on her clean lab coat before straightening herself out she asks.

  And uhm... anyway. Dr. Curtis would you like schedule a get together after this mission? Maribel and Jaylen would like to share notes with you. If your tired of the blonde I could do your hair you would make a great Redhead and an even better Raven. Well, those are all my questions. Thank you both for your time.  

Dr. Hagerty returns to full attention with as serious a regimented demeanor as she can pull off. 
 

Almost imperceptibly, Dr. Curtis twitches, and after a slightly awkward pause, she responds,  "No, Doctor. This meeting isn't the time for personal discussions." 
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  "We already did have a plan in mind, however, seeing as you will be personally overseeing this operation, Dr. Hagerty, your suggestions are welcome,"  Dr. Curtis says gazing blankly at Dr. Hargerty.

 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaaaa 
Actually what she's thinking is,   'Don't ruin my plan, you loopy old bat.'  
 

] 
 

King laughs at Dr Curtis's thoughts.  "Sorry. Just remembered something funny." 

King almost feels bad for laughing. Emphasis on almost. Afterall Dr Hargerty was gonna get cat nip for king's experiments but king couldn't deny she was a little weird. Well little is a understatement.
AvatarVecna
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Dr. Curtis raises an eyebrow.  "At this time, the strange memetic properties regarding who is allowed inside SCP-1031 and who isn't is not our priority."  She nods to the first question. At the mention of the dream, she says,  "Oh? That is most interesting." 

She looks at the director briefly, who nods seemingly pleased with himself, before continuing.  "For now, if you are certain the dream doesn't involve you being expelled from SCP-1031, you may share it verbally with everyone. A drawing later on would be helpful as well." 

Dr. Curtis also quickly walks over to retrieve a clipboard of hers, ready to write. 
 

  "...well, I was able to see people. So that probably means I wasn't kicked out..."   he mutters, before clearing his throat.   "Most of it's too hazy to recall, but there's one bit that's seared in. So, I'm in a cornfield, with cornstalks bundled together for harvest as far as I can see in every direction. I'm just about under a gnarled old tree missing most of its leaves, and not too far off I can see...well, I think it's a church? It's got the right look, the tall steeple. Given the size of the town, 'the part between the church and the tree in the cornfield' probably gives you a location? Assuming this is accurate."

"Anyway...a patch of corn's been cleared out. There's pumpkins scattered around the clearing, and people dancing around a bonfire. Since they're kinda far away and they're only silhouettes against the bonfire, I can't tell how big they are, but they're all around the same height - might be all little kids, all teenagers, all adults. Hard to say. Anyway, they're dancing around the bonfire. The base of the bonfire is a mound of pumpkins. In the center is some kind of figure, looks like a man made of sticks with ragged clothes and a big jack-o-lantern for a head. He's about three times as tall as the people dancing around him, so anywhere from ten to twenty feet? His pumpkin head looks bigger than the other pumpkins that are the same distance. It's possible he was moving? But it might just be the bonfire light flickering. Oh, the church from earlier is behind and to the left of the bonfire and the dancers. I mean, not directly behind them, I'm not sure about distance, I just mean from my perspective. There's other buildings I can sorta see, but they're right behind the bonfire from my perspective, so I can't make out details, it's ruining my night vision too badly. Can probably only see the church cuz there's a big circle of light in the sky. Scene's too dark to be daytime, so it's probably a full moon? That should help narrow down the timing."

"Last thing is, I'm with someone. He's a bit in front of me to the left, maybe ten, fifteen feet? He's got a big pilgrim-looking hat and a big coat that makes it hard to see any details on him, and he's leaning on something long and straight. A cane, or a shovel? Doesn't seem like a weapon, at least. I don't think he was moving, could be a scarecrow or just a really still guy, I'm not sure."  
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
   And uhm... anyway. Dr. Curtis would you like schedule a get together after this mission? Maribel and Jaylen would like to share notes with you. If your tired of the blonde I could do your hair you would make a great Redhead and an even better Raven. Well, those are all my questions. Thank you both for your time.   
 

"  Ooooo yes that could work great for her!  "
WindStruck
Dr. Curtis writes down notes rapidly. She jots and jots until Daniel stops. She looks at him, waiting for more information, but none comes. She seems disappointed.

 "Hm. Interesting. A ritual of some kind, I am sure. It seems to be related to the 'offerings' that the people start placing in the town center. And there is a church in SCP-1031 as well..." 

She checks her notes again.
JeenLeen
5404 looks at Dr. Hagerty with some confusion.  At first he dismissed her talks of Jaylen and some woman as people she and the other staff knew, but it seems clear she thinks someone else is here.  She looks like Foundation staff, and they said she's in charge of this mission... but...  what ?  No way an SCP would be in charge (right?), but is she crazy or some SCP is following her?  He's heard rumors of some staff who stay staff after an SCP makes them think sideways, or of people too valuable to fire despite going a little crazy or being contaminated.
Well... guess someone a little crazy being in charge doesn't really matter.

He listens to the man give details of his dream.  Definitely a horror movie, he thinks.

Hesitantly, he adds, " In addition to the ideas for this mission and our objective, can we know about the others on our team?  I mean, like, can I  -- an SCP -- know what's up with... um, his dreams, and the cat and... "  He looks hesitantly towards SCP-4500, feeling too intimidated to say much.  " Uh, I don't mind my anomaly being shared.   I can help protect the others better if they expect it. "

 
 Spoiler: in case 
If Thomas is asked to describe it himself, he says, "I heal fast, so getting injured isn't really a deal.  Like faster than Wolverine from the X-Men.  So don't be surprised if I take a bullet for you, if it comes to it.  It also lets me be a little faster and stronger than your average person, since my muscles don't tire and they heal if I tear them any.  I have some medical training; they usually give me a first aid kit on missions."  He pauses, then adds, "And, uh, I come back if I die.  Takes a few seconds.  But it's not comfortable, so, um, y'know, best to avoid it."
 
Esprit15
James listens intently to the SCP’s vision, writing down notes as the young man speaks.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 Hesitantly, he adds, " In addition to the ideas for this mission and our objective, can we know about the others on our team?  I mean, like, can I  -- an SCP -- know what's up with... um, his dreams, and the cat and... "  He looks hesitantly towards SCP-4500, feeling too intimidated to say much.  " Uh, I don't mind my anomaly being shared.   I can help protect the others better if they expect it. " 
 

Director Lambert stands, almost with an enthusiastic clap, and says,  "My, what a fine idea! Yes, I believe introductions are in order. After all, you will all be working as a team during this operation! No point keeping your secrets any longer." 
 "You still are expected to not say anything about yourselves outside this room, unless directly asked by one of our scientists in a secure location, is that understood?"  Dr. Curtis says.

Director Lambert nods,  "Yes, yes, of course, I was just about to get to that,"  he says. Or perhaps he might have forgotten in his currently jovial disposition.
Ameraaaaaa
King scoffs  "ok. You want a introduction.  Sure thing. Hi I'm king. You might of know me from the french revolution or the Chinese civil war. I can read minds i can talk and i don't age. As the person who can determineif these town people are real it is up to you to protect me.   that last part is said in a extremely smug tone of voice.
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
  Hesitantly, he adds, " In addition to the ideas for this mission and our objective, can we know about the others on our team?  I mean, like, can I  -- an SCP -- know what's up with... um, his dreams, and the cat and... "  He looks hesitantly towards SCP-4500, feeling too intimidated to say much.  " Uh, I don't mind my anomaly being shared.   I can help protect the others better if they expect it. " 
 

The Tall Black man/Former Lizard Turns and looks at the one who's speaking and, with the coincidental blessing of Dr. Curtis, answers. "  I am Kuzmo the Wildife, Feaster of flesh, Slayer of Demons and in my time a God-king. Here, I am a living wrecking ball of magic. The powers of flesh and flame are at my call, albiet in lesser degrees in this world, as well as other gift of divine root. I have also killed many, many people and beasts.  "

He Thinks on it more and gets more specific. "  I can run faster and jump higher than the average man. I can sense by smell and by the vibrations coming from around me. My body passive mends it's wounds and I can more actively mend the flesh of myself and others. I also lob fire at people. Other than that? I had leader skills, people skills, formal and informal training in combat and guerrilla warfare and an affinty for animals.  " He thinks once more. "  Oh, and I [REDACTED] like an animal. Make it seem like [REDACTED] is going out of style. Or [REDACTED], if that's your style.~  "
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Director Lambert stands, almost with an enthusiastic clap, and says,  "My, what a fine idea! Yes, I believe introductions are in order. After all, you will all be working as a team during this operation! No point keeping your secrets any longer." 
 "You still are expected to not say anything about yourselves outside this room, unless directly asked by one of our scientists in a secure location, is that understood?"  Dr. Curtis says.

Director Lambert nods,  "Yes, yes, of course, I was just about to get to that,"  he says. Or perhaps he might have forgotten in his currently jovial disposition. 
 

Joining in on the get together Dr. Hagerty joins in after the precocious kitten and the large man claiming to be able to wield magic.
  I am Dr. Kalispell Hagerty, one of the science leads on this mission. I believe I have had the honor of working the genetic material of several individuals here. I have the far-out power of biological sciences and I'll be responsible for relaying any new scientific understanding from this mission back to SCP. Feel free to call me Kali when outside of missions or in civilian guise.  

Next the doctor began introducing her beloved family as a doting mother and loving sibling.
  This little song in my heart is Jaylen and this brainy gal here is my soul sister Maribel. Jaylen will be staying here at homebase will we're out. So, who wants to share their special power next?  
Esprit15
The stiff man speaks up next.   ”I am Task Force Leader James Fink. You may refer to me as Mr. Fink, or Task Force Leader. My job will be the same as it is inside this facility: keep this mission pointed toward its objective and prevent unnecessary casualties. I served in the army for ten years prior to being onboarded here, eight of them in special forces, and have served with the Foundation following my discharge from there.”   He looks each of the SCPs in the eye, a look that is simultaneously a thousand yards away and yet laser focused on each SCP it passes over them.   “As unusual as all of your natures are, there is very little that can truly  surprise  when it comes to how people and animals behave to get what they want. I’m under no illusions that half of you could kill me and run for it the moment we set foot outside these walls. Let the  extensiveness  of this facility speak to the resources that can and would be spent bringing you back if such a thing were attempted, and how  tight  the chains that bind you would be  when  you return.”  

His posture relaxes, and he smiles casually.   ”Well, with that out of the way, I look forward to working with all of you.”  
 
 Spoiler: King 
His mind adds in the word “dishonorable” when talking about leaving the Army.
 

 
 Spoiler: Anyone with a high Intuition 
He hesitates ever so slightly on the word “discharge,” and seems to wrap up the sentence quickly after that.
 
AvatarVecna
  "Daniel Morgan. I can mostly see a bit into the future, enough that it helps me fight, and other stuff too. Stole some cars, played getaway driver a lot, shot my way out of trouble more than a few times. Finally got caught cuz, turns out I'm not  quite  good enough to take five air force pilots at once the first time I joyride a jet."   He laughs and holds up a couple fingers in a pinching gesture.   "Came  this  close to being an ace, though."  
 
 Spoiler: high intuition 
He seems unsure of and unconcerned with whether the pilots survived or not.
 

 
 Spoiler: telepathy 
He didn't come as close as he thinks - shooting taxiing jets almost certainly doesn't count. He did get multiple air kills though. He seems unsure of and unconcerned with whether the pilots survived or not.
 
WindStruck
 Secure Conference-01 

All of you continue with introductions and a bit of banter for a while. But the meeting does soon draw to a close. You are each given a copy of the files on SCP-1031 to review, as well as various mission logs which help fill in small details not mentioned in the overview. (King could have someone to flip the pages for him or read aloud if necessary).

In addition to the facts on hand about SCP-1031, there were details on the mission plan, which you were also later briefed on. The story is as follows: The group gathered in the conference room would be posing as a group of family and friends going on a moving trip.

 Dr. Hagerty  would be acting as a middle-aged mother, moving from North Carolina to Arizona for the the dry air to help her lungs. After some haggling about, it was decided her name will now be Kali Simmons.

Accompanying Kali Simmons were her two sons, Brandon and Michael Simmons. These rolls were to be played by  SCP-6356  and  SCP-5404  (aka  Daniel Morgan  and  Thomas Skylark ) respectively.

 Kuzmo  would be posing as a family friend of the Simmons', who large size and musculature would actually come in quite handy when it came to moving furniture.

 Task Force Leader Fink  was also coming along, posing as Michael Simmons's friend from the army. His new name was Rudolph Ericson. As it turned out, Rudolph was on military leave but would soon be deployed in Hawaii. A trip out west with his friend and his friend's family seemed like a good idea.

Lastly,  King  was just.. well, King. The family pet was the most important role (or so King was told). But in all seriousness, technically, according to story, King was in Kali Simmons's care and ownership.

This group of family and friends would be traveling west on Oklahoma Highway 399, into SCP-1031 and into the hamlet of Blumber, where their vehicle would be staged to break down. From there, they were expected to speak with the residents of Blumber, act reasonably with a concern to get their car fixed, but ultimately stay the night and investigate what they could.

The "Family Unit" (as it was being referred to now) was equipped with a large pickup truck that contained a toolbox, and the truck pulled a U-haul trailer behind it. To be believable, there was luggage as well as furniture and moving boxes crammed with stuff (conveniently picked up from an abandoned storage unit). However, hidden within all this stuff was supplies: guns, ammo, body armor, Kuzmo's other gear, and some other useful things.

Meanwhile, your unit is aware of another group entering SCP-1031 from the  west  (as in, they are traveling east, entering the SCP from the opposite side). This other group is posing as a highway cleanup crew comprised of prisoners. Their group is supposed to have a lot of supplies as well, and 8 Class-D personnel. The main difference here is, this group is timed to be within the outskirts of SCP-1031, but not in or near the hamlet of Blumber.  James Fink  knows members of his team are here and can attempt to radio them if needed.

Dr. Hagerty and James Fink will be given radio comms with the SCP Foundation on their smartphone-like devices. However, SCP Foundation will never (or perhaps, only extremely rarely in case of some unforeseen emergency) radio first. If you use the radio communications, it is expected to be in a private area - ie not in the presence of any of the SCP-1031 residents. Also, as far as you are aware, there are hidden recording devices present. But when dealing with most SCPs, it's already half-expected that they won't be completely reliable.


 MrAbdial and Meta 

You finish your dinner in peace. It's just more boring monotony in your cells after that. Too much boring and too much monotony, in fact. It seems it had been a while since you were last called to do some tests. Then suddenly, the guards arrive, and they order you to follow them. Doing as you are told, you and seven other Class-D personnel are collected. After being marched through the underground corridors of Site-404, the lot of you are loaded up onto a truck, without explanation. Handcuffed, chained, and securely seated, it takes off and drives, and drives and drives....


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Monday, October 31st, 2022 - 10:00 AM  
 The Family Unit 

It was a few days after your first meeting about SCP-1031 that you left on your journey. You embarked on October 30th, and after stopping at a motel for the night (conveniently paid for and watched by the SCP Foundation) you cross the Oklahoma state line in early morning. SCP Foundation trucks escort you as you drive, one in front of you and one behind. You turn off onto Highway 399, and soon the trucks pull off to the side but allow you to pass. They begin setting up, doing whatever it is they're doing. Probably putting the road barricades back up at least. You continue driving on ahead.

The golden fields of corn are ahead, well into harvest season. Soon you are amongst them, and there is nothing but road and rows of corn on either side. Then, up ahead, you see the village. As if on cue, there's a loud  pop . The engine of your vehicle falters and smoke begins to plume from under the hood. Your truck continues to lurch forward, carried forth by momentum, but ultimately stops some 200 yard away from the nearest building...

((Not quite as glamorous, fun, or silly as  this . But now you've been infected by another memetic SCP.))

You're on you're own now. What do you all do?


 MrAbdiel and Meta 

It's the two of you, Benjamin and Cecily again! Tater is also here, as well as Cheryl. There are four other Class-Ds chained up as passengers in the back of this truck: Hank, Tom, Chris, and Marianne. Your journey was long and tiresome. At most times you were all silent, other times you started talking about random stuff but it usually ended up with Tater angering someone and things devolving into arguments and threats. The lot of you are let out infrequently to stretch your legs and take care of other biological needs. You sleep uncomfortably in the truck in sleeping bags, yet still chained up.

The next day you're on the road again. You don't know how long you've been driven around or where, but you notice the truck has stopped again. This time, you're let out, but the chains are taken off. There's eight of you, but at least a score of well-armed, well-trained, no-nonsense agents all around you. You're briefly filled in on what is expected of you:

 "All D-Class Personnel, here is your assignment: you are to follow this road, picking up trash. Do not move too quickly, or too slowly. You will be accompanied by eight of our foundation officers. You are to comply with any other orders they give you, or there will be consequences upon return." 

The man issuing his orders turns to leave and get back in his truck. Then he stops and turns around.  "Oh, one other thing. There are corn fields up ahead. Don't even think about trying to run or get lost in the cover. We will find you. Or maybe something else will." 

All the D-class personnel are handed little pointy trash pickers, garbage bags, and a complimentary pair of gloves. The armed SCP agents walk along side you, and two slowly follow you with their trucks. Far in the distance, you see the aforementioned fields...

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Feel free to make up details of your new, fake backgrounds.  I couldn't be bothered to write new life stories of 6 extra-fake people, but I figure you guys can collaborate and just make stuff up on the fly.

As for our two d-class people.. sorry you're not with the main group! I tried to figure out a way to have everyone involved in some kind of way.  Either way, it's better than everyone else idly sitting behind safety glass watching D-Class people dying!  😛
 
AvatarVecna
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 It was a few days after your first meeting about SCP-1031 that you left on your journey. You embarked on October 30th, and after stopping at a motel for the night (conveniently paid for and watched by the SCP Foundation) you cross the Oklahoma state line in early morning. SCP Foundation trucks escort you as you drive, one in front of you and one behind. You turn off onto Highway 399, and soon the trucks pull off to the side but allow you to pass. They begin setting up, doing whatever it is they're doing. Probably putting the road barricades back up at least. You continue driving on ahead.

The golden fields of corn are ahead, well into harvest season. Soon you are amongst them, and there is nothing but road and rows of corn on either side. Then, up ahead, you see the village. As if on cue, there's a loud  pop . The engine of your vehicle falters and smoke begins to plume from under the hood. Your truck continues to lurch forward, carried forth by momentum, but ultimately stops some 200 yard away from the nearest building...

((Not quite as glamorous, fun, or silly as  this . But now you've been infected by another memetic SCP.))

You're on you're own now. What do you all do? 
 

Daniel exits the truck and takes a peek under the hood - it's likely that whatever's gone wrong isn't something he can fix, it's something about the town, but no harm in taking a peek. Plus, if they're being watched, gotta stay in-character.

 
 Spoiler 
Expertise/Cars +8, can take 20 on mental checks in roughly 1/8th the time as long as it can fit in his "a few minutes" window. Idk if that's long enough for a diagnosis, but lmk what the bonus/total should reasonably get me.
 
Ameraaaaaa
King read "Daniel's" mind and realised that it is possible he is being watched. So king meows and lays down. It is this moment he wished he had telepathy. Oh well. He get's to peak into the minds of his "family"
Esprit15
  ”Goddamnit,”   “Rudolph” says as he gets out of the car, getting into character.   “Guess I was wrong about not getting her serviced before we left. Hey  Brandon , I’m gonna see if there’s someone up ahead who can give us a tow or something.”   James jogs off to the building up ahead.
Metastachydium
Cecily, all tense and sore, rubs her wrists quite grimly as she waits for being handed her equipment. She thought standing as freely as she'll get in the foreseeable future, under an open sky would be more liberating. Instead, it just feels  odd . She looks around, slipping the gloves on. The scenery is welcomely nondescript, but… Did they just journey for  literal days  to do…  Community service? 

The fingers of her bag hand drumming arythmically on her thigh, she catches up to Hank (it was really him or Cheryl, and Cheryl, while a known quantity, wasn't always super good for her mood) to try and pick up his pace, making sure she stays as far away from Benjamin and  especially  Tater as possible.    Hey.    she whispers to the man.    That's, uh, that's some kind of a sick joke, right? The thing with the corn, I mean.    She really needs some reassurance on that front: in less than a minute, she managed to cook up at least three theories about how there could  actually  be something in the cornfield. Maybe a lion? It escaped from a zoo or something and now they're used to bait it out. Or it could be the  Children of the Corn  thing. She shudders at the thought, and has to actively force herself to at least pretend she's focusing on the task.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

I decided C. and Hank know each other and are on good terms, relatively speaking. Sue me.
 
MrAbdiel
Benjamin spends a good twenty seconds looking up at the sky, squinting toward the sun, feeling it on his face.  One doesn't really give the sun the value it deserves until they've been incarcerated underground, one's body forced to nervously capilulate to the capricious dictates of electric light day-cycles.  But once herded into action, he's a model prisoner; jabbing trash, bagging trash; jabbing trash, bagging trash.  He makes a little game of it; each peice of trash he thinks up a name for, and then the next one he thinks up a name the next letter over, and a boy instead of a girl, or what not.  Like he's naming cyclones, or something'.  Franky.   Jab, bag.   Greta.   Jab, bag.   Henrietta.   Jab-  Wait, ****, he means Henry.   Bag. 

Briefly, he considers accusing Tater loudly of trying to make a run for it - but the wardens here aren't messing around. Tater deserved to learn a lesson, not to be blown to pieces.  Still, that'd be a hell of a lesson.
hand ax ranger
 
 Spoiler: Desired flashback equipment scene 

(OOC: I am going with some artistic liberty here but feel free to bap me with the rewrite stick if needed)


After the meeting but before they took off on the assignment the lizard would request to see his equipment in person. To be sure that the weapons and armor they were sending with him were adequate for the risks he was undertaking, willingly no less. Upon wandering up he see's them assembled, and around them a plethora of guards ready to shoot should he make a wrong move. Paying them no mind he looks down at them, them hovers him hand over the falcata and waits for the ok to inspect it.

"  Might I inspect this one more closely. it has been a long while since last I held my blade of choice.  "
 


 
 Originally Posted by AvatarVecna 
 Daniel exits the truck and takes a peek under the hood - it's likely that whatever's gone wrong isn't something he can fix, it's something about the town, but no harm in taking a peek. Plus, if they're being watched, gotta stay in-character.

 
 Spoiler 
Expertise/Cars +8, can take 20 on mental checks in roughly 1/8th the time as long as it can fit in his "a few minutes" window. Idk if that's long enough for a diagnosis, but lmk what the bonus/total should reasonably get me.
 
 
 

As the truck came to a stuttering stop Kuzmo perks up his head from the two diffrent bags of sliders he was chowing down on (which many thanks to the team leader for securign for him as his hunger was great) and gives a slight frown. "  Geysers of Gazramil! Has the truck just died on us!? Splendid. Shall i get out and push then?  "

He grumbles and he sets one of the bags down and exists the vehicle unless stopped by Fink.


 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
 King read "Daniel's" mind and realized that it is possible he is being watched. So king meows and lays down. It is this moment he wished he had telepathy. Oh well. He get's to peak into the minds of his "family" 
 

If Kuzmo should get even the inkling of an idea that his mind is being read he will mention eating the brains of whomever is invading his mind.


 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   ”Goddamnit,”   “Rudolph” says as he gets out of the car, getting into character.   “Guess I was wrong about not getting her serviced before we left. Hey  Brandon , I’m gonna see if there’s someone up ahead who can give us a tow or something.”   James jogs off to the building up ahead. 
 

"  And me? Am I pushing this horseless wagon to a better place to wait?  " He says, still filling his face with delicious tiny cheeseburgers.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by AvatarVecna 
 Daniel exits the truck and takes a peek under the hood - it's likely that whatever's gone wrong isn't something he can fix, it's something about the town, but no harm in taking a peek. Plus, if they're being watched, gotta stay in-character.

 
 Spoiler 
Expertise/Cars +8, can take 20 on mental checks in roughly 1/8th the time as long as it can fit in his "a few minutes" window. Idk if that's long enough for a diagnosis, but lmk what the bonus/total should reasonably get me.
 
 
 

Daniel's precognition may be spot on, but his postcognition may be a little rusty. He recalls during the mission briefing that it was  planned  for the car to break down. From what you can see happened under the hood, amid all the smoke, it almost looks like a tiny, mini explosive has ruptured the car's fuel regulator.

The actual cause of this damage would most certainly stump any skilled mechanic, but you know for certain it was intentional sabotage.  Also, in case of an emergency, there is a backup regulator hidden amid all your moving stuff.  That was just thrown in there as an afterthought. But good luck getting it replaced in an actual emergency.


 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   ”Goddamnit,”   “Rudolph” says as he gets out of the car, getting into character.   “Guess I was wrong about not getting her serviced before we left. Hey  Brandon , I’m gonna see if there’s someone up ahead who can give us a tow or something.”   James jogs off to the building up ahead. 
 

((Good acting! I hope.))

You start jogging off into the town. Looking behind, you see "Brandon" checking the car, and Big Kuzmo beginning to push from behind. If he was on one side, the the two of you other guys pushed from the other, you could probably actually push it all to the town if you really wanted.

((Either way, I'll wait to see if you change your mind or if anyone else joins you before proceeding.))


 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
 Cecily, all tense and sore, rubs her wrists quite grimly as she waits for being handed her equipment. She thought standing as freely as she'll get in the foreseeable future, under an open sky would be more liberating. Instead, it just feels  odd . She looks around, slipping the gloves on. The scenery is welcomely nondescript, but… Did they just journey for  literal days  to do…  Community service? 

The fingers of her bag hand drumming arythmically on her thigh, she catches up to Hank (it was really him or Cheryl, and Cheryl, while a known quantity, wasn't always super good for her mood) to try and pick up his pace, making sure she stays as far away from Benjamin and  especially  Tater as possible.    Hey.    she whispers to the man.    That's, uh, that's some kind of a sick joke, right? The thing with the corn, I mean.    She really needs some reassurance on that front: in less than a minute, she managed to cook up at least three theories about how there could  actually  be something in the cornfield. Maybe a lion? It escaped from a zoo or something and now they're used to bait it out. Or it could be the  Children of the Corn  thing. She shudders at the thought, and has to actively force herself to at least pretend she's focusing on the task.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

I decided C. and Hank know each other and are on good terms, relatively speaking. Sue me.
 
 
 

Hank was a tall and well-built man with olive skin. If he got out in the sun as often as normal people, he would probably have a healthy tan. He makes one very brief, punctuated laugh at Cecily's worry.  "Heh. They're just sayin' that to scare us. But I still don't think it's a good idea to give 'em trouble."   He confidently saunters along, not really caring for any of this bulls***, but going along with it anyway.


 
 Originally Posted by MrAbdiel 
 Benjamin spends a good twenty seconds looking up at the sky, squinting toward the sun, feeling it on his face.  One doesn't really give the sun the value it deserves until they've been incarcerated underground, one's body forced to nervously capilulate to the capricious dictates of electric light day-cycles.  But once herded into action, he's a model prisoner; jabbing trash, bagging trash; jabbing trash, bagging trash.  He makes a little game of it; each peice of trash he thinks up a name for, and then the next one he thinks up a name the next letter over, and a boy instead of a girl, or what not.  Like he's naming cyclones, or something'.  Franky.   Jab, bag.   Greta.   Jab, bag.   Henrietta.   Jab-  Wait, ****, he means Henry.   Bag. 

Briefly, he considers accusing Tater loudly of trying to make a run for it - but the wardens here aren't messing around. Tater deserved to learn a lesson, not to be blown to pieces.  Still, that'd be a hell of a lesson. 
 

You're a star when it comes to picking up the trash!  Not like there's much of it around here, but your efforts most certainly go unnoticed.



 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
  
 Spoiler: Desired flashback equipment scene 

(OOC: I am going with some artistic liberty here but feel free to bap me with the rewrite stick if needed)


After the meeting but before they took off on the assignment the lizard would request to see his equipment in person. To be sure that the weapons and armor they were sending with him were adequate for the risks he was undertaking, willingly no less. Upon wandering up he see's them assembled, and around them a plethora of guards ready to shoot should he make a wrong move. Paying them no mind he looks down at them, them hovers him hand over the falcata and waits for the ok to inspect it.

"  Might I inspect this one more closely. it has been a long while since last I held my blade of choice.  "
 
 
 

((Well it's not much I planned to dwell on, but okay.))

 
 Spoiler: Le Flashback 
The crew overseeing you inspect your weapons takes but a step back for a bit more distance. Perhaps it's nothing, given the sudden bursts of speed and strength you are capable of. But still, all the same, they are well-trained soldiers, and they wait curiously to see how you handle your falcata. You're more than welcome to give it a few practice swings, just not on any SCP Foundation members.
 


 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 As the truck came to a stuttering stop Kuzmo perks up his head from the two diffrent bags of sliders he was chowing down on (which many thanks to the team leader for securign for him as his hunger was great) and gives a slight frown. "  Geysers of Gazramil! Has the truck just died on us!? Splendid. Shall i get out and push then?  "

He grumbles and he sets one of the bags down and exists the vehicle unless stopped by Fink.

If Kuzmo should get even the inkling of an idea that his mind is being read he will mention eating the brains of whomever is invading his mind.

"  And me? Am I pushing this horseless wagon to a better place to wait?  " He says, still filling his face with delicious tiny cheeseburgers. 
 

It would seem that's what you're doing for now! But even with your massive strength and size, the car and trailer it pulls behind barely moves an inch. It'll probably take all of your combined efforts to get this thing rolling without engine power.
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  
 Spoiler: Le Flashback 
The crew overseeing you inspect your weapons takes but a step back for a bit more distance. Perhaps it's nothing, given the sudden bursts of speed and strength you are capable of. But still, all the same, they are well-trained soldiers, and they wait curiously to see how you handle your falcata. You're more than welcome to give it a few practice swings, just not on any SCP Foundation members.
 
 
 

 
 Spoiler: Le Flashback 

Once the guards stand back he hefts the shield, a simple buckler sized proportionate to him, inspect the armor made of ballistic steel plates brigandine style and tries it on. Finding the fit and mobility to be about right he leaves it on, finding a sort of comfort in the weight of armor once more.

The came the sword. He slowly moves his hand to it and takes short yet hefty weapon up. He slowly pulls on the hook-like handle and savors the way the steel slides free of it's sheath. The slight shimmer in the steel as it is exposed to the light puts a twinkle back into his eye and once pulled free sees they had not skimp out on the edge, as even the first few inches of the back had a suitable edge to it. It was even balanced perfectly, shown when he instantly finds the center of balance and the blade sits till on his finger.

With this he takes it back in hand and slowly moves it around as if striking. While most of the time he portrays a brutish, clumsy demeanor the almost surgical detail in his movements shows not just skill but muscle memory, as he moves it around and in front of him with all the same ease and any here might walk or talk. His actions become faster with time where the speed and precision might seem like something you would see out of a old samurai movie and yet it was here, in this room, perform by this man with such a hefty weapon.

Towards the end he flourishes the weapon, holds the scabbard at his side and slide the blade in it's home before gently putting it back on the table.

"  Yes, this will do greatly.  "
 


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 It would seem that's what you're doing for now! But even with your massive strength and size, the car and trailer it pulls behind barely moves an inch. It'll probably take all of your combined efforts to get this thing rolling without engine power. 
 

"  HRRRRR  " He grunts. "  How is this [REDACTED] so stuck!? It's only a metal wagon with some furniture on it!  " He grumbles and stands back devouring yet another delicious slider. "  Well now what?  "
Esprit15
As he hears Kuzmo’s shouts, Rudolph turns around, even though James would rather forge ahead. It occurs to him that without his oversight things could get a little choppy.

  ”It’s a car, not a wagon,”   he hisses to the large man.   ”Residents are going to find it strange if you can’t talk like a human from this country or planet.”   He takes a deep breath as he gets behind the other side of the car.   ”Hey Kali? Mind asking one of your boys to go get help? I think Kuz needs a hand back here. Also, hop in the driver’s seat and put it in neutral, then just steer to keep us on the road.”  
JeenLeen
5404 offers, " I could head into town to look for a tow.  Or I'd be happy to help push the car.  I am stronger than I look. "  He glances to his 'brother', the precog.  " I'm really fine staying or going.  His insights might be more helpful finding out something useful talking to people, and I'd probably be better pushing... but, well, I know we aren't the decision-makers. "

The lizardman yet again makes 5404 nervous.  He reckons it's similar to how the others feel -- big strange-talking lizard wizard is a strange thing indeed and he seems dangerous both for health and the mission -- but at least if he goes crazy, 5404 knows he'll be okay in the end.  After a very uncomfortable few seconds, hopefully just seconds.  Thomas tries to focus on his curiousity of what the "magic" actually is, as opposed to its talk of eating and killing.

 
 Spoiler: intro 
OOC: if y'all are all good with it, let's assume what I wrote in the spoiler back at the -01 meeting room for introduction was what he said.
 
hand ax ranger
"  Is there anyone else here? No. I'll call it a  truck  when we're around others. till then I got give a [REDACTED].  " The large man then looks back and unhooks the trailer. "  Well if we have someone who can push or drag this we can make it easier overall.   "

He leans against the Truck as he chows on his food and looks to the fellow warrior, Fink. "  So whose army were you from before the SCP? You don't strike me as a sell-sword ...err....Gun? Sell-gun? Gun for hire..... What ever it is, I don't think you were mercenary.  " He offers his a slider. "  What's your story?  "

He then looks to the other one and smiles. "  And you boy? I can smell off you that you've taken a beating before too..... but I doubt you've ever killed. They just pull you off the streets?  
Esprit15
  "It's better to stay in character the whole time rather than just when you think you're being watched. Keeps you from being out of character when someone overhears."   James gives him a quizzical look at the question.   "What army?  The Army.  Of the nation you're currently living in. And you ain't getting **** beyond that. Lest you forget, we are not friends. My life isn't relevant to this."  

He looks at the trailer now that it's unlatched.   "If you pull that, Thomas and I can probably get the car moving."  
Plaids
Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother
 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 As he hears KuzmoÂ’s shouts, Rudolph turns around, even though James would rather forge ahead. It occurs to him that without his oversight things could get a little choppy.

  Â”ItÂ’s a car, not a wagon,Â”   he hisses to the large man.   Â”Residents are going to find it strange if you canÂ’t talk like a human from this country or planet.Â”   He takes a deep breath as he gets behind the other side of the car.   Â”Hey Kali? Mind asking one of your boys to go get help? I think Kuz needs a hand back here. Also, hop in the driverÂ’s seat and put it in neutral, then just steer to keep us on the road.Â”   
 

  I'm on it Rudolph.   Responding quickly Kali, the mother several times over jumps into action.   The truck is in neutral and for better or worse the ground is flat as can be. Wait a minute Kuz. All our precious treasures are in there.  

Taking further stock of the situation an eye swivels toward town and Thomas/5404. Kali speaks with a mildly oblivious and saccharine voice with just enough insistence to make it clear she is making an order.
  Ooh Thomas dear. Please go ahead into town for some help. Kuz and Rudolph will take a will going at this rate. And take King with you as well and if he's feeling lazy just carry him in the carrier. Aunt Marianne/Maribel will follow as well. She can't help push given her bad back.  

Kali gestures to the empty passenger seat before pulling out a small cat carrier.
Kali nostalgically sighs as the town creeps closer.   I could get used to this.   I wish I could get used to this.    
 
 Spoiler: Cat carrier 
 
 
Metastachydium
   Yeah, figured that much.    Cecily smiles back (and up) at Hank. This was one of her better ideas of late, sticking with Hank. She envies the big man, big time: exuding such an aura of utter not giving a ****, strong enough, in fact, to  partly  rub over even at  her  is quite the perk when one's… Whatever they really are. She even skips some ten seconds worth of nervous drumming and manages to pick up an actual piece of trash. It's almost like she's barely functional!
WindStruck
 Pushing Your Truck 

With Daniel, James, and Kuzmo giving the truck a push, and Dr. Hagerty behind the wheel of the smoking contraption, you're making steady progress. It'll be some minutes until you start passing by some buildings and are in the village proper.


 Running Ahead 

Meanwhile, Thomas has run ahead at Dr. Hagerty's instruction. The road curves slightly. Up ahead past the first buildings, you see a stack of corn and pumpkins beginning to form in the middle of the village square. There's a small number of people, here, straightening the decorations up and arranging them just so. Doesn't seem they noticed you yet.

Alternatively, there's a number of what appears to be shops and businesses along the main road of this intersection. You might easily be able to find an auto mechanic shop or something of that nature.

 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaaa 
I'll let you ultimately decide where King is. Still with the truck or are you being carried by Thomas?
 

 Community Service 

Benjamin and Cecily continue plodding onward. Benjamin has already filled up a bag, even going so far as to put some ugly dead weeds in with the garbage. His efforts are rewarded with another empty bag.

Cecily, as nervous and fidgety as always, sticks next to Hank like flies on cow dung. Speaking of which, watch your step! You almost stepped in some. Hank can't help but notice this. He's pretty quiet for the most part, but at some point he says,  "Nice day out here, ain't it?" 

There's not much talking amongst anyone, though. Even Tater knows better than to run his mouth about crazy conspiracies and experiments when his captors are so close and watching. Most others are pretty bummed out about this lame job, and perhaps would rather enjoy the sun and fresh air in peace.

The corn fields loom in the distance.
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Pushing Your Truck 

With Daniel, James, and Kuzmo giving the truck a push, and Dr. Hagerty behind the wheel of the smoking contraption, you're making steady progress. It'll be some minutes until you start passing by some buildings and are in the village proper.


 Running Ahead 

Meanwhile, Thomas has run ahead at Dr. Hagerty's instruction. The road curves slightly. Up ahead past the first buildings, you see a stack of corn and pumpkins beginning to form in the middle of the village square. There's a small number of people, here, straightening the decorations up and arranging them just so. Doesn't seem they noticed you yet.

Alternatively, there's a number of what appears to be shops and businesses along the main road of this intersection. You might easily be able to find an auto mechanic shop or something of that nature.

 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaaa 
I'll let you ultimately decide where King is. Still with the truck or are you being carried by Thomas?
 

 Community Service 

Benjamin and Cecily continue plodding onward. Benjamin has already filled up a bag, even going so far as to put some ugly dead weeds in with the garbage. His efforts are rewarded with another empty bag.

Cecily, as nervous and fidgety as always, sticks next to Hank like flies on cow dung. Speaking of which, watch your step! You almost stepped in some. Hank can't help but notice this. He's pretty quiet for the most part, but at some point he says,  "Nice day out here, ain't it?" 

There's not much talking amongst anyone, though. Even Tater knows better than to run his mouth about crazy conspiracies and experiments when his captors are so close and watching. Most others are pretty bummed out about this lame job, and perhaps would rather enjoy the sun and fresh air in peace.

The corn fields loom in the distance. 
 

King is with Thomas.

King thinks to himself. "Pathetic humans setting up decorations without even knowing your minds are about to be opened like a book. Silly silly humans. You shouldn't be celebrating Halloween. You should be celebrating king day. Which is every day."
JeenLeen
 At the car 

5404 doesn't really respond to Kuzco's statements.  At least verbally.  A look of fear, as he has flashbacks to several gruesome deaths.

He questions if he should say more, but fear and self-justiciation prevail: probably best if the monster doesn't think it's safe to kill him, anyhow.  The Foundation staff would have been briefed.

 Toward Town 

Thomas feels uncomfortable as King speaks.  He agrees with Mr. Fink that, if they want this to succeed, best to stay in-character.   Also just not sure how to respond to a cat that seems to think of "king" more as title than name.

As he arrives near the town, he undoes the carrier and whispers,  "If you stick close to me, nobody will probably question you being free.  I reckon you'd like being able to walk around with a bit more freedom.  See if anybody has useful or abnormal thoughts as they decorate?" 

He then walks towards one of the people working on decorations and asks, " Hey, excuse me.  Our car broke down a bit down the road.  Is there a mechanic or tow truck working in town, or someone with a truck and chain that could help pull us into town while we try to fix it ourselves? "

Yeah, going to the shops is more direct, but this lets King more easily read a decorator's mind.  And Thomas is curious if they're act normal or not.
Ameraaaaaa
King nods as he walks with Thomas. He reads the mind of the closest town person.  let's see exactly what you are 
WindStruck
 
 Spoiler:  Ameraaaaaa 
From the confines of your little carrier, you smugly begin to read the minds of those foolish, hapless humans who were doing stupid Halloween things!

But that's when you sense there is immediately a problem.  There were no minds to read! 

It's not a complete, empty void though. You almost feel like there  is  something there, behind the meat puppets, pulling the strings. However, beyond the inkling of some other barely perceptible presence, you don't get anything, aside from Thomas's mind of course.
 
Ameraaaaaa
King has the information now. He proceeds the tap his paw against Thomas's leg.  we should head back as soon as possible.  I'd tell Thomas but people are watching.  I gotta inform the team if i want my milk and catnip. 
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 He then walks towards one of the people working on decorations and asks, " Hey, excuse me.  Our car broke down a bit down the road.  Is there a mechanic or tow truck working in town, or someone with a truck and chain that could help pull us into town while we try to fix it ourselves? " 
 

The people seem to stiffen up briefly, as if Thomas takes them by complete surprise. They turn around curiously, but greet him with a smile all the same.

One of the people, a pretty average-looking man in overalls with a big nose replies,  "Car broke down? That's a mighty shame. Yeah, we got a mechanic down yonder that way,"  he points north down the main road.  "Hopefully we can get you fixed up and out of here before the evening. Where you headed anyway?"  he asks.
Metastachydium
Cecily stumbles ever so slightly as she makes her way around the manure, muttering a subdued    ****.    She manages to catch her balance, however, which gives her all the more time to begin pondering whether  actually  stepping into the thing would have made her lucky and grossed out or just plain old grossed out. Unable to reach a satisfying conclusion despite thinking it over long and hard, she contents herself with offering Hank a nervous chuckle and a    Sure thing. Beats basement brooding.    Still, even with Hank close by and her mind preoccupied with contemplating fate and the human condition, that stupid cornfield somehow never ceases to be ominous.
JeenLeen
Thomas makes a note to talk to King privately once he can, e.g., probably after done talking to this man.


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 One of the people, a pretty average-looking man in overalls with a big nose replies,  "Car broke down? That's a mighty shame. Yeah, we got a mechanic down yonder that way,"  he points north down the main road.  "Hopefully we can get you fixed up and out of here before the evening. Where you headed anyway?"  he asks. 
 

" My mom's moving to Arizona.  Hopefully better for her health.  My brother and I and some family friends are helping her out. "  He looks towards the mechanic's.  " Thanks, man.  I appreciate it.  Does he have a tow truck, or should we push it into town? "  He pauses a moment before adding, " Happy Halloween!  Looks like y'all do it nice here.  If my brother and I were about ten years younger, I reckon we'd really enjoy seeing the party you're setting up. "
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 Thomas makes a note to talk to King privately once he can, e.g., probably after done talking to this man.

" My mom's moving to Arizona.  Hopefully better for her health.  My brother and I and some family friends are helping her out. "  He looks towards the mechanic's.  " Thanks, man.  I appreciate it.  Does he have a tow truck, or should we push it into town? "  He pauses a moment before adding, " Happy Halloween!  Looks like y'all do it nice here.  If my brother and I were about ten years younger, I reckon we'd really enjoy seeing the party you're setting up. " 
 

The man nods along, thumbs underneath his overall straps.

 "I reckon we could pull your car along. Would be a lot faster than trying to push it!"  he chuffs a laugh, unaware that is what was happening even now as you two spoke.

He suddenly turns and yells, hands cupping his mouth.  "  Hey Willis! Bring your truck over here! And some chain!  " 

Turning back to Thomas, he nods with a twinkle in his eye, perhaps a regretful twinkle that belonged more to an elderly man than one his age.  "Oh, it's a celebration we all look forward to every year. It's a sight to behold, I tell you. My name's Peter."  He extends a large, rough hand forward for a handshake.
JeenLeen
" Michael.  Pleased ta meet ya, and thank you.  Say, in case the problem's bigger than we hope, any place we could stay for the night?  Like a bed n' breakfast type deal? "

He waits patiently for the tow.  If there's a moment where they are a bit isolated, he'll lean down to scratch King's ears so that King can whisper something.
WindStruck
 "Nice meetin' you Michael,"  Peter says. Though he hesitates at the mention of staying the night.  "Uh. Yeah! We have some places with a spare room or two. No, uh.. watsat? Bed in breakfasts? But, uh, you might want to - it'll be a busy night, tonight, y'know. With our little Halloween celebration and all. I'm sure you all got somewhere else you need to be?" 
JeenLeen
5404 laughs a nervous chuckle, replying, " Oh, yeah.  Definitely better to hit the road.  Be a bit of a shame to miss this cool thing you all got, but we do need to head on if we can.  I was just thinking of what-ifs. "

If the truck is ready, 5404 leads them to the car with King.
WindStruck
Yup. Soon enough you hear the rumbling of an old engine pulling up. It's a rather old and beat up looking truck. They drive down the road, turning the slight bend, and quickly they're backing up and attaching chains to your vehicle's front bumper.

For now, you're all together again.
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Yup. Soon enough you hear the rumbling of an old engine pulling up. It's a rather old and beat up looking truck. They drive down the road, turning the slight bend, and quickly they're backing up and attaching chains to your vehicle's front bumper.

For now, you're all together again. 
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 
 

The help arrived promptly enough. They looked like they fit the profiles provided by the mission briefing. Farmer tans, hospitable nature, and worn durable utilitarian clothing. It made Dr. Hagerdy hope they wouldn't be a part of the problem later on. Though the nervous pacing and pawing probably indicated otherwise.

Kali Simmons begins talking with the townsfolk.
 
Oh thank you for the help. I'm glad my sister and my two babies found you out here. Tell me do you have anywhere to stay overnight? And I must meet the passionate people who did such a wonderful job at decorating the outskirts of your town. 

It would be best to stay in town fully armed once the sun set. These missions always seemed to get deadly once the set and the corners of the world seemed to unfurl.
  We will also need to double back and get some of our luggage. Kuz, can you help me retrieve our luggage later?  
WindStruck
The man towing your truck is a burly man with beady eyes, a pointy nose, and thinning blond hair. But he still has that trademark tan and utilitarian clothes like much of the people here.

 "Name's Willis, ma'am. Seems you got yourself quite a smoker. What happened, you all forget to change the oil or sumthin?" 

His answer isn't much different from Peter back near the town center:  "I reckon we got quite a number of people with some spare rooms, but..." 

He scratches his head.  "Huh, you said you had a sister?"  He sees the four other guys, but that's about it.

 "Woah now, miss, who said anything about luggage? Leme get yer truck pulled into my shop, and I'll see about getting you on the road..." 
MrAbdiel
Benjamin eyes the cornfield, as he works.  He has no instinct for omens; but it occurs to him he's never eaten corn fresh from the stalk.  It's better on the cob than out of a can; and off the stalk seems fresher than that.  Since prison food ain't much to brag about, he decides he'll try his luck.  So what if they have pesticides on 'em?  They still do at the store.  That's how they get them yellow; or so he's pretty sure he's heard.  Cunning as an ox, he begins to steer his trash pickin' trajectory closer and closer to the edge of the cornfield.  It's still quite a slog away; but patience is the cardinal virtue of the convict, and he keeps working at the most cornward edge of the group, trying to force the mass of prisoners and guards to equilibrate closer to compensate... and then straying just a little further to cause this response again.  In such a way, pearls are made; a layering of natural response to a persistent irritant.  Incremental adjustment towards a goal is mastery of the universe.

Of course, Benjamin's mind is not furnished with such justifications.  He is single minded in his scheme - inch by inch, ever cornward, dragging the group as much as is permitted.
Esprit15
  “Yeah, that was my mistake,”   James says, stepping up to greet the older gentleman.   “Rudolph Ericson,”   he continues, putting out a hand to the man and smiling.   “I figured its last change was recent enough. Forgot to account for how civilian equipment ain’t made to be run all day.”  

Regardless of whether the man shakes his hand, James tries to size the man up. Just how human were these inhabitants?
 
 Spoiler: Assessment 
"You’re able to quickly size up an opponent’s combat capabilities. Choose a target you can accurately perceive and have the GM make a secret Insight check for you as a free action, opposed by the target’s Deception check result.

If you win, the GM tells you the target’s attack and defense bonuses relative to yours (lower, higher, or equal). With each additional degree of success, you learn one of the target’s bonuses exactly.

If you lose the opposed roll, you don’t find out anything. With more than one degree of failure, the GM may lie or otherwise exaggerate the target’s bonuses."
 

 
 Spoiler 
I’d also like to just get a more general vibe of the guy. He seem shifty? Weirdly honest? James’s Intuition is quite high for a regular human, so I’d like to think he’s sharper than most about anything off in mannerisms.
 
WindStruck
 
 Spoiler: Esprit15 
The guy's combat stats  seem  pretty average.  Which means, below yours.

You don't notice anything particularly unusual about behavior as of yet. Only you do pick up the subtle hints that he'd rather get you out of town and on your way in earnest.
 
AvatarVecna
Brandon ceases his pushing as help arrives. Truthfully he wasn't exactly doing much to help in the first place - raw physical power was not his strong suit.
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo, who was not given a cover name to his knowledge, stops pushing the truck as resumes raiding the bag of sliders with glee. He was lost on what was going on and fully heartily decided to let them figure this out for now. He could always interject of he needed too.
Esprit15
With a nod, James looks to the man and then the town.   “And yeah, we’d like out sooner than later, but I think that will depend on what’s up with the car. At latest we’d like to be out by tomorrow afternoon, if only so we don’t impose on you all.”  
WindStruck
Willis nods to James aka "Rudolph".  "Weeell. We'll see."  With your vehicle securely latched to his truck, you're all set to go.  "What do y'all want to do with that?"  he asks, pointing at your u-haul trailer.

It probably wouldn't hurt to leave it on the side of the road, but with the other supplies you know are in there, maybe you could bring it into town too?
JeenLeen
5404 turns to the doctor and says, " Mom, I'd be happy to carry a package or two if you're nervous about leaving it behind.  I'd think it'd be safe around here to just leave it locked, but I know you get nervous sometimes. "  He pauses.  " I guess, if the car isn't just needing some quick fix, someone would probably be willing to give us a lift back here to get the rest. "

He supposes it's best not to say anything, even privately, that he wishes the Foundation had timed the incident better so it stranded them in town instead of down the street a ways.
hand ax ranger
The Large man grabs the trailer and shrugs. "  I'll start pulling it towards there, least this will be easier. You all go ahead and get the truck in town then maybe come back and tow it the rest of the way? I dunno either way I'm not leaving my stuff out here.   " He tries to hide the oddities of his voice as he starts pulling in that direction as if nothing was wrong. "  This is a nice [REDACTED] couch!  "
Esprit15
James nods to Kuzmo.   “It’s less likely to get mistaken for abandoned and raided.”  
WindStruck
After it's decided that the large and burly Kuzmo the Great will pull the u-haul trailer himself, the rest of you either hop in your own vehicle as it's being towed, or otherwise you can trail behind without quite being in the town proper yet.

...

Willis the apparent mechanic of the little hamlet, lifts up the hood of your truck within his garage and soon curses under his breath.  "Well kiss my pitute! It looks like your fuel systems blew. They sure don't make 'em like they used to." 

The man scratches his scruffy face and says,  "I don't reckon there's any way I can fix this. All these newfangled cars and all, they have their own little parts and systems now. It's just not what we're used to dealing with around here. Why I've been maintaining cars that are forty, fifty years old at least!" 

Looking at you all with some concern he asks,  "Well. If I can't fix it, someone else from outta town has got to. Y'all have a phone to call a cab? Or a tow truck?" 
JeenLeen
5404 pats his pockets.  He might get a medkit as standard issue, but the SCP (wisely, he begrudgingly admits) forbids him telecommunications.
" Uh, I seem to have misplaced my phone. "

Didn't they say this place had no connections to outside.  Maybe get some info on that.
" Do y'all have a landline we could use to reach a nearby city?  Urgh... I think I dozed off before the engine broke.  How far away is the next town? "
Esprit15
James pulls out his non-work phone and checks for service.   “No bars,”   he says, regardless of the actual signal strength.
 
 Spoiler 
As someone who regularly has driven through rural Oklahoma, there’s a good chance he’s not lying. 😛
 

  “I’ll give it another shot in a few. Signal is a squirrelly bastard sometimes.”   (Did James note any service towers on the trip in?)
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo headed down the road hauling this trailer. Between his strength and unnatural foot speed he had a respectable pace on it, and his disguise makes him appear as some sort of power-lifter (Which he was in fairness). As he gets closer and closer he opens his senses to figure what he can detect as he moves in. He particularly tries to smell the flesh of mankind here, excluding those he came here with. If the folks of this town were real....

 
 Spoiler: Senses and skills to consider 

Smell
Tremor-sense
Tracking
Magic knowledge
A very minor bit of investigation
 
Ameraaaaaa
King before they reach the hamlet while everyone was inside the truck speaks up

 "sheesh. Glad to be able to speak again.
Anyways it seems like there's a predicament here. I was about to read some minds but it seems there was a little twist to this toen. None of the town members had minds! I'm serious! Nothing to read! However there was something.  I could only barely sense it. It seems like something is puppeting these meat puppets. Whatever it is I'd rather not have to deal with it. That's your jobs. 

King bursts out laughing at the expense of the others who'd face this threat. Until he realises they are the only thing between him and it.

He coughs and quickly adds  "ahem. Good luck. Oh and remember that i am a very important pussycat and that it's your jobs to protect me.  
JeenLeen
 In the car 

 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
  "sheesh. Glad to be able to speak again.
Anyways it seems like there's a predicament here. I was about to read some minds but it seems there was a little twist to this toen. None of the town members had minds! I'm serious! Nothing to read! However there was something.  I could only barely sense it. It seems like something is puppeting these meat puppets. Whatever it is I'd rather not have to deal with it. That's your jobs.  
 

" Like, even when the guy was helping us set up the tow, it just some autopilot or some  thing  speaking through him?  Creepy ."


  "ahem. Good luck. Oh and remember that i am a very important pussycat and that it's your jobs to protect me.   

He's serious?  Well, he is right, at least for this SCP.  That basically  is  his job on these missions.
" I'll protect you with my life, King. "  A touch of morbid humor enters his voice.  " I've got more than nine, after all ."
Humor's a defense mechanism, right?  He really hopes he doesn't have to die a lot this mission.  Or at all.

 Back at town 

5404 doesn't have much to say or do at the moment.  He eyes some of the villagers working on decorations, particularly with an eye to if any kids or elderly seem to be acting differently (or just present).
Esprit15
 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
 King before they reach the hamlet while everyone was inside the truck speaks up

 "sheesh. Glad to be able to speak again.
Anyways it seems like there's a predicament here. I was about to read some minds but it seems there was a little twist to this toen. None of the town members had minds! I'm serious! Nothing to read! However there was something.  I could only barely sense it. It seems like something is puppeting these meat puppets. Whatever it is I'd rather not have to deal with it. That's your jobs. 

King bursts out laughing at the expense of the others who'd face this threat. Until he realises they are the only thing between him and it.

He coughs and quickly adds  "ahem. Good luck. Oh and remember that i am a very important pussycat and that it's your jobs to protect me.   
 

James nods.   “Hm, strange. But I suppose that explains why the town can so uniformly reject people. Fingers are all part of the same hand.”   He frowns, trying to figure out how to place this new information. It  does  mean that social niceties with these folks is really just an act to keep whatever was living here convinced that they didn’t know something was up. So that was… something. But what does it want? It’s not feeding on people, or it would simply kill folks who were too nosy rather than expel them. The whole thing clearly has something to do with the harvest festival though. Maybe whatever is here is an herbivore and it has the town feeding it the harvest? That would explain the expanding corn fields. Or maybe it’s making the corn into fuel. Could be an alien… no, that doesn’t answer “Why do the people not have minds?”

He looks to the scientist.   “Kali, what do you make of this?”  
WindStruck
 OOC:  Feel free to continue your private conversation (now somewhat in the past) if you'd like.

Also! You can report stuff to SCP foundation by your little radios/phones. Kali and James are able to do that.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 Kuzmo headed down the road hauling this trailer. Between his strength and unnatural foot speed he had a respectable pace on it, and his disguise makes him appear as some sort of power-lifter (Which he was in fairness). As he gets closer and closer he opens his senses to figure what he can detect as he moves in. He particularly tries to smell the flesh of mankind here, excluding those he came here with. If the folks of this town were real....

 
 Spoiler: Senses and skills to consider 

Smell
Tremor-sense
Tracking
Magic knowledge
A very minor bit of investigation
 
 
 

You are finally into the little village proper, turning the small bend into the town square. Your senses don't pick out anything unusual ((thanks for all the reminders!)). It smells like dirt, corn, fresh air, the rustic scent of an old town. Nothing appears to be magical. Tremor sense hasn't picked up anything that you don't already see.

In the distance you see a group of kids playing with a ball. One of them bounces it to a little girl. She jumps to catch it but it springs up out of her fingers and keeps going behind her. She runs after the ball, chasing it out of sight to your left.


 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 5404 pats his pockets.  He might get a medkit as standard issue, but the SCP (wisely, he begrudgingly admits) forbids him telecommunications.
" Uh, I seem to have misplaced my phone. "

Didn't they say this place had no connections to outside.  Maybe get some info on that.
" Do y'all have a landline we could use to reach a nearby city?  Urgh... I think I dozed off before the engine broke.  How far away is the next town? " 
 


 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 James pulls out his non-work phone and checks for service.   “No bars,”   he says, regardless of the actual signal strength.
 
 Spoiler 
As someone who regularly has driven through rural Oklahoma, there’s a good chance he’s not lying. 😛
 

  “I’ll give it another shot in a few. Signal is a squirrelly bastard sometimes.”   (Did James note any service towers on the trip in?) 
 

The man grunts.  "Dang. We haven't had a working landline in weeks. Last I heard some government folk done screwed up, cut our line by accident. Keep saying they'll fix it, but they ain't done it yet. Not like we really needed it anyway,"  he says.

 
 Spoiler: Esprit and AvatarVecna 
Insight:

The story about the landline being out of commission seems very believable. No tells to give anything away like they're lying, though given that you know the whole place is actually more than it seems, you never know.

What  does  seem odd is the man's proud assertion that they never needed a landline.  So they never had any outside contact with the world?  What if there was a medical emergency?
 


Willis turns away from the vehicle, eying you all.  "Huh. What are we gonna do..  I suppose.. could let you borrow one of our own trucks for a while, let you run into another town and get them to tow you... 

Just then, a maroon, rubber ball bounces into the garage, a little girl chasing right behind it. She had honey-blonde hair with pig tails, and wore a blue dress of something that looked like denim and overalls, with a white blouse underneath. She was probably no more than 8 years old.

 "Sorry, Mr. Willis!"  she cries, before peering at you all curiously.  "Oh! I didn't know we had out-of-towners! Howdy!"  She smiles with a toothy grin.

 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaaaaa 
Oddly enough, this girl definitely has a mind to read, unlike the other people. At first glance she is quite happy to see you all here, and curious, but still feeling a little timid and shy, and trying to hide it.
 


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 MrAbdiel and Meta 

Benjamin tries to steer the group closer and closer to the cornfields. And the only way to do that is moving faster and faster down the road. At first his efforts are not noticed, and he nudges the entourage to move slightly faster. But then...

 "Look at this bonehead,"  Hank mutters to Cecily, very briefly pointing at Benjamin before jabbing his trash picker in the ground at nothing in particular.  "What in the hell is he trying to do? Win an Oscar?" 

At about the same time, even the guards noticed Benjamin getting much too far ahead.

 "44529! Slow down and stay with the group!"  one of the guards commands.

The corn fields begin about 900 yards away now.
Esprit15
James nods.   “Hm, damn. Gonna walk around, see if I can nail down some signal. Mike, wanna borrow Kali’s phone and come see if we can get anything? Gotta stretch the legs after being crammed in that car all day anyways.”   As the ball bounces into the building, James pauses. His eyes track the movement until it is stopped by its little owner.   “Hello Miss. Almost lost your ball there!”  
Metastachydium
Given that she's resolved to try and pretend that neither Benjamin, nor Tater ( especially ) Tater really exists or barring that, graces this little expedition with his presence, it takes a moment for Cecily to realize just who Hank's talking about. For the same reason, nonetheless, for once, she's not quite caught by surprise. She sighs, rubbing her bagside index finger against her bagside thumb irritably.    Asshat sure loves…    she pauses to wince as the order's barked at the wayward thug, reflexively shifting closer to Hank.    …the attention of the  ****ing  staff. I half expect him to pick a  fight  or somesuch.   
hand ax ranger
As the disguised monster wanders into town with the trailer in tow he will find a proper place to park it as he sits down and takes in the scene. He smells everything as it should be, form the simple farm town scents to the odor of mankind rolling through the place.

He sees nothing out of the ordinary and sees small children playing off in the distance. He chuckles at their little ball game but stays put where he is. At best it would draw attention as if he was some [REDACTED] piece of [REDACTED] or something (especially as an out of towner), and at worst it might well be a trap if this place is as much illusion as he suspects it to be....
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 James nods.   Â“Hm, strange. But I suppose that explains why the town can so uniformly reject people. Fingers are all part of the same hand.Â”   He frowns, trying to figure out how to place this new information. It  does  mean that social niceties with these folks is really just an act to keep whatever was living here convinced that they didnÂ’t know something was up. So that wasÂ… something. But what does it want? ItÂ’s not feeding on people, or it would simply kill folks who were too nosy rather than expel them. The whole thing clearly has something to do with the harvest festival though. Maybe whatever is here is an herbivore and it has the town feeding it the harvest? That would explain the expanding corn fields. Or maybe itÂ’s making the corn into fuel. Could be an alienÂ… no, that doesnÂ’t answer Â“Why do the people not have minds?Â”

He looks to the scientist.   Â“Kali, what do you make of this?Â”   
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 

The doctor furrows her brows and purses her lips trying to contemplate an answer that would satisfy and inform the security chief. Scanning her surroundings to confirm the absence of townsfolk within earshot she gives her best estimates.
  I do agree that whatever is orchestrating the townsfolk is putting up a front. But I am glad it's been less aggressive towards interlopers and simply exiles them instead of bringing them harm. Could we perhaps appeal to some virtue this entity shares with us?  

Pointing towards the free-range SCPs warmly greeting a meat-puppet shaped like a young girl. Kali continues offering options.
  King is going to be a priority asset in this mission with his ability to detect mental and psychic presences. I wish we had two of him right now. I like your theory of whatever we are dealing with harvesting the crops to sustain and grow itself. This is one of the best locations on the planet to harvest calories inconspicuously.  
  We can head to the grain silos to see if our puppet master entity is there. At this point we need any information we can get. What I want to know is what importance their upcoming festival has.  

Festivals always required preparation and given how convincing the imposter town was it ought to have some sign of what the festival entailed. Addressing the townsfolk Kali Simmons begins inquiring about the festival with enough volume and enthusiasm to prompt anyone to respond.

  Oh, the decorations around town are simply fabulous.  Please tell me, what kind of shindig do you have around here?  If it's trick or treating my boys brought more than enough candy to hand out and if it's a demon warding Kuz and Thomas make a beautiful circle of salt.  
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  OOC: 
 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaaaaa 
Oddly enough, this girl definitely has a mind to read, unlike the other people. At first glance she is quite happy to see you all here, and curious, but still feeling a little timid and shy, and trying to hide it.
 
 
 

King begins meowing loudly to grab the attention of the group.  i have to tell them the new information.  This is crucialinformation! 
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
  Oh, the decorations around town are simply fabulous.  Please tell me, what kind of shindig do you have around here?  If it's trick or treating my boys brought more than enough candy to hand out and if it's a demon warding Kuz and Thomas make a beautiful circle of salt.   
 

The girl simply smiles, and Willis answers with a chuckling snort,  "It's our harvest festival, ma'am. It is by far the biggest event in our little town! None of that 'trick or treating' or what have you, and no demons either. Geeze lady you sure do have an imagination,"  he says, still chuckling.


 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
 King begins meowing loudly to grab the attention of the group.  i have to tell them the new information.  This is crucialinformation!  
 

The little girl immediately notices the meowing cat.   "Awww, look how cute!!"   She approaches King to pet and cuddle him, and like most young children, she's a bit too rough and inconsiderate for it to feel nice.

 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaaaaaaaaaa 
She thinks the stuff Kali said about demons sounds really cool (or scary!) and she reaaaaaaally thinks you are adorable.~
 


She asks,  "Is this your cat?" 
Ameraaaaaa
King is quite uncomfortable with this child's idea of petting and cuddling. King doesn't want to scare the child with hissing because then the townfolk might want him stuck in that container because apparently a cat who doesn't like discomfort is a "wild beast" king remembers this 12 years before he saw the scp foundation took him from when he hissed at a 5 year old named billy or something like that. They god damned called animal control on him! The bastards!

Anyways king tries to escape her grasp. He'd also meow desperately to get out but that probably wouldn't work.
Esprit15
James looks at King curiously. He  hates  people normally, so what was he yowling for? The man chuckles though at the cat's squirming in the girl's grasp.   "Aw, are you scared of the stranger, King?"   he says in a definitely-a-little mocking tone to the cat, but also one that is common for pet talk.   "I think the little guy is a bit spooked by all the new smells out here. Might want to let him down before he starts clawing his way to freedom."  
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 
  King right here is my cat little youngling. Looks like he's missing his mama.  
Kali Simmons delivers King from his distress lifting him by his shoulders and bringing his face up to her tangle of hair. Humming loudly, she listens to King's warning before anxiously rubbing his face into James Fink's sideburns. She plans to disseminate the information to everyone else through secondary sources to mitigate the suspicious gestures.
 
 Spoiler: Holding cat image 
 
 


She takes gives a brief to the SCPs on the mission as the children play and "Mr Willis" tinkers with the truck.
  The classification of the townsfolk has changed and so has the contours of our mission. The children have their own child minds independent of the entity but seem to not know the danger they are in. Keep an eye on how the adults interact with the children.  

SCPs #6356 Crystal Ball, and #5404 Mr. Immortal would likely understand the importance of the revelation given their stable rearing in human society. SCP #4500 King Lizard was an unknown. It was untested whether or not his affinity for empathizing with animals extended to similarly impulsive children.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 James looks at King curiously. He  hates  people normally, so what was he yowling for? The man chuckles though at the cat's squirming in the girl's grasp.   "Aw, are you scared of the stranger, King?"   he says in a definitely-a-little mocking tone to the cat, but also one that is common for pet talk.   "I think the little guy is a bit spooked by all the new smells out here. Might want to let him down before he starts clawing his way to freedom."   
 

The girl nods apologetically and sets King down.

Willis says,  "This here's Lily. Quite a little darling, ain't she?" 

Looking at the girl with a kind smile he says,  "Why don't you run along and play with your friends again, Lily? And leave these folks' poor cat alone!"  he chuckles.


 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
   King right here is my cat little youngling. Looks like he's missing his mama.  
Kali Simmons delivers King from his distress lifting him by his shoulders and bringing his face up to her tangle of hair. Humming loudly, she listens to King's warning before anxiously rubbing his face into James Fink's sideburns. She plans to disseminate the information to everyone else through secondary sources to mitigate the suspicious gestures. 
 

The information on who actually owns the cat is noted, but it's a bit presumptuous and risky to assume King would speak now and risk blowing your cover.

 "Well like I said, I don't think there's much I can do.."  Willis says.  "Might take the work of a blacksmith to come close to fixing the hole in this thing, but there's still no telling if it would work..." 

Lily seemed as if she was about to go, but turns around.  "Oh, your car broke down? Well, if you are going to be stuck in town a while, I can show you around!" 

The girl throws her ball clumsily over to her friends, who seem rather disappointed she isn't playing with them anymore.

 "Now Lily-"  the mechanic begins, before thinking better of what he was going to say.  "Aw, what the heck." 
AvatarVecna
In one of his daydreams Danny sees King's distress, but instead of wandering off to save the cat from the little girl, he looks at the guy who was proud of their lack of landline.   "Really? Seems a touch inconvenient. I mean I kinda see the appeal of living out away from it all-"   he gestures broadly in the direction of a nearby big city,   "-but I'd at least wanna call my grandma now and then,"   he says with a chuckle.   "Or emergency line. Actually..."   he peers back to the town.   "To tell the truth I woulda expected a sheriff or somethin' to come pokin' around by now...just making sure we're not gonna cause trouble or something. Maybe I've just seen too many movies."   He chuckles again, shaking his head.
MrAbdiel
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  "44529! Slow down and stay with the group!"  one of the guards commands.

The corn fields begin about 900 yards away now. 
 

 "Hey, boss, okay, okay; I'm just runnin' out of trash here, okay?"   He yields to the command a little - backing up some and making a small show of looking around with a helpless flap of the arms to indicate his inability to locate much work to be done, here.   "We're makin' good ground, is all.  I like makin' a difference in the world.  C'mon, didn't you ever want to do something that mattered? You know, before givin' up and all?" 
Metastachydium
   I kind of prefer not being shot dead.    Cecily mutters morosely under her breath, her voice low enough that she's not sure  Hank  can hear her, let alone Benjamin or their handlers.
hand ax ranger
After looking around and assuming the trailer to be safe here he sets it down, outs something under the tire to keep it from rolling away, then starts wandering towards the rest of the group.

"  Hmm? A tour! That sounds like a lot of fun.  " The large lizard disguised as man says, a warm smile on his face. It seemed despite his barbaric, man-eating tendencies he was good around kids. Sort of like an older brother, if not an outright parent. "  How about I find where our truck is and take this trailer over there, then I can get my adventure bag and you can show us all around?  "

He points to the trailer he dragged in and chuckles. "  When the truck broke down we almost left it behind..... so I had to go back for it. Didn't want to lose our very nice couch after all.  "
JeenLeen
Taking a lead from the faces on Dr. Kali and Task Force Leader, 5404 says, " A tour sounds nice.  We could see if we reception to call a tow while we walk around. "
Esprit15
James nods and smiles to the kid.   "I'd love a tour of your little town, miss."   Seems not  all  of the locals were unfriendly. Though if they were all being controlled by something else... why was she offering at all? Unless...

King  did  start acting weird when she arrived, too. Maybe she's a regular human? All the more reason to learn about what she knows.
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 
  A tour would be lovely and would be a great opportunity to give me some inspiration.  
She pulls out a notepad and pencil prepared to take notes of anything irregular in town.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by AvatarVecna 
 In one of his daydreams Danny sees King's distress, but instead of wandering off to save the cat from the little girl, he looks at the guy who was proud of their lack of landline.   "Really? Seems a touch inconvenient. I mean I kinda see the appeal of living out away from it all-"   he gestures broadly in the direction of a nearby big city,   "-but I'd at least wanna call my grandma now and then,"   he says with a chuckle.   "Or emergency line. Actually..."   he peers back to the town.   "To tell the truth I woulda expected a sheriff or somethin' to come pokin' around by now...just making sure we're not gonna cause trouble or something. Maybe I've just seen too many movies."   He chuckles again, shaking his head. 
 

In an alternate reality, the man nods and says,  "Oh, we don't have a need of a sheriff. We all have a way of protecting ourselves, and watching our backs. And we have a doctor in case of emergencies too,"  he explains.

Also, in another vision, the little girl is giving King a belly rub and giggling.

In yet another alternate reality, Dr. Hagerty is blabbing away about the mission, not realizing the townsfolk are still within earshot, and drawing strange and confused stares.


 A Tour of Blumber 

The girl skips about. It takes something like a power-walking speed to keep up with her. She prattles on,  "..and this is where Mr. Henson, our barber lives. He also cuts hair here. I've never had my hair cut though, I just grow it and Ma says it's prettier that way and we brush it every night. And this here is Mr. and Mrs. Paul's. They've got a lot of this land over here,"  Lily says as the main road tapers out into gravel, and pasture, fences, and corn fields.

It appears to be a homestead here. There's some grazing animals, and pigs and chickens, and a large barn, and yes, a grain silo.

 "... pigs are actually really nice. Most people like to think they are dirty animals but Mr. and Mrs. Paul's pigs are cleaner than the dogs and cats! Did you folks ever see a pig before? What animals do you have where you're all from?"  she asks.


 Highway to Hell 
 "Running out of trash? You missed one!"  Tater says mockingly, as he jabs at what looks like an old, dirty receipt and holds it up. For some reason the man is giggling, but it sounds more like cackling really, ever so eager to rub the triviality in Benjamin's face.

But the guard  really  doesn't like what Benjamin said about 'giving up'. He angrily approaches.  "Shut up! You hear me scum bag?! Shut up! Open your goddamn mouth again, and you'll be drinking through a straw!" 

His gun is pointed vaguely in Benjamin's direction, probably not intent on actually  shooting  it, but who knows? Maybe he'll just bludgeon you to death with it instead. It still does nothing good for the nerves of the twitchy.

  "Do you mean  eating  through a straw?"   one of the other guards asks. He's clearly in much better humor.

The first scowls and shoulders past him.
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  A Tour of Blumber 

The girl skips about. It takes something like a power-walking speed to keep up with her. She prattles on,  "..and this is where Mr. Henson, our barber lives. He also cuts hair here. I've never had my hair cut though, I just grow it and Ma says it's prettier that way and we brush it every night. And this here is Mr. and Mrs. Paul's. They've got a lot of this land over here,"  Lily says as the main road tapers out into gravel, and pasture, fences, and corn fields.

It appears to be a homestead here. There's some grazing animals, and pigs and chickens, and a large barn, and yes, a grain silo.

 "... pigs are actually really nice. Most people like to think they are dirty animals but Mr. and Mrs. Paul's pigs are cleaner than the dogs and cats! Did you folks ever see a pig before? What animals do you have where you're all from?"  she asks. 
 

Kuzmo went to collect his bag from a box in the truck, making sure it was all there, then rushes back out to join the group.

Thankfully, power-walking was his default setting. As the little girl led them all around and told them about everything he nods and smiles, not holding onto any of it but happy to let the child enthusiastically tell them about her little world.

Once at the homestead Kuzmo would look around at all the animals and the bucolic setting and grin. It, in it's own little way, reminded him of the a farming village he and his people had revived from destruction on the edge of the crying rivers. It was his home back where he came from, and had gone from a meek village to a proper city state all it's own: It was there he was God-King, and his heart felt heavy as he felt homesick.

But for now he wanders over to the pigs and motions them over for head-pats, a show of his natural affinity for animals. "  Heh, these pigs are cleaner than I am sometimes! I had pigs back home where i was from..... Pigs, cows, chicken, horses.... Also two lazy crocodiles and a rambunctious hyena.  " He thinks, realizing that might sound strange. "  I...uh.... lived one a big farm. The Hyena was a family pet gotten when my uncle went to that far place with the lions and stuff.  "

Nailed it!
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 But for now he wanders over to the pigs and motions them over for head-pats, a show of his natural affinity for animals. "  Heh, these pigs are cleaner than I am sometimes! I had pigs back home where i was from..... Pigs, cows, chicken, horses.... Also two lazy crocodiles and a rambunctious hyena.  " He thinks, realizing that might sound strange. "  I...uh.... lived one a big farm. The Hyena was a family pet gotten when my uncle went to that far place with the lions and stuff.  " 
 

 "Oh, a hyena!!"  the little girl exclaims.

...

 "What's that?" 
Metastachydium
And the resident twitchy one  does  twitch! And gasp. And try to slide behind Hank posthaste, spilling some of her own garbage back onto the dirt, but ultimately failing to accidentally slam into the man or impale hersef on her own trashpicker. This is really not her day. Which is to say, a lot more not her day than most days that are not her day, meaning most days in general.

All red and unsure who to apologize to, she begins to clean up after herself almost as fast as she's made the mess in the first place. It  does  beat the improvised sepukku, after all.
MrAbdiel
Benjamin's   stupid , but he's not an  idiot.   He knows sass can't deflect bullets, and doesn't give the guard (who he will later remind everyone was wildly overreacting) a reason to escalate.  He just gives another open palmed gesture of calm submission, and returns to his task, no longer pushing the group ahead... right now.

Tater's jab, perhaps fortunately, goes unremarked.  Not because Benjamin is forbidden to remark; but because keeping one's cool at the business end of a submachine gun has a way of narrowing one's focus.
JeenLeen
The girl certainly seems more like a normal human.  5404 feels homesick for his little sister.  Been two years in the SCP's holding... dang, she'd be almost done with high school now.

Well, if she (or it) is feeling talkative, best to take advantage:
" What do you and the other kids do during the festival tonight?  How was it last year? "
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 The girl certainly seems more like a normal human.  5404 feels homesick for his little sister.  Been two years in the SCP's holding... dang, she'd be almost done with high school now.

Well, if she (or it) is feeling talkative, best to take advantage:
" What do you and the other kids do during the festival tonight?  How was it last year? " 
 

 "Oh, it's so fun!"  the girl says.  "We get to have a nice big meal with everyone, and desserts, and we all join hands and dance and sing around a fire! You should see when the big corn man gets lit up! He makes a lot of popcorn!" 
 "Hm.. last year...?"  she says.

 "Um.. yeah, I guess we did that." 
 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaaaaaaa 
Lily actually isn't entirely sure what happened last year... briefly troubling and confusing before she simply brushes that notion aside.
 
Esprit15
  ”Well with our car broken down, maybe we’ll get to see this year’s,”   James says.   “If you don’t mind me asking, what do your parents do around here?”  
AvatarVecna
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  "Oh, it's so fun!"  the girl says.  "We get to have a nice big meal with everyone, and desserts, and we all join hands and dance and sing around a fire! You should see when the big corn man gets lit up! He makes a lot of popcorn!" 
 "Hm.. last year...?"  she says.

 "Um.. yeah, I guess we did that." 
 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaaaaaaa 
Lily actually isn't entirely sure what happened last year... briefly troubling and confusing before she simply brushes that notion aside.
 
 
 

  "Sounds pretty fun,"   Danny replies, nodding along. He keeps a friendly smile on his face while he glances around the town, taking in everything he can without looking too nosy.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   ”Well with our car broken down, maybe we’ll get to see this year’s,”   James says.   “If you don’t mind me asking, what do your parents do around here?”   
 

 "Oh, my pa helps work one of the fields for Mr. Sanderson. He can fix just about anything too! And my ma, well, she stays at home most of the time..  oh.. Oh, I should head back to help her now! Do y'all want to come meet my folks?" 
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo was about to explain what a hyena was but then the subject changed and he shrugs, petting the pigs and listening in on the discussion.

He though it peculiar the girl could not remember last years events but shrugs it off as he was sure one of the others were already on that oddity. Once the girl offers to introduced her family he nods.

"  Sure why not! Might as well introduce ourselves to more of the fine folk here!  " He then follows the girl with little concern.
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 Kuzmo was about to explain what a hyena was but then the subject changed and he shrugs, petting the pigs and listening in on the discussion.

He though it peculiar the girl could not remember last years events but shrugs it off as he was sure one of the others were already on that oddity. Once the girl offers to introduced her family he nods.

"  Sure why not! Might as well introduce ourselves to more of the fine folk here!  " He then follows the girl with little concern. 
 

Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother

Everyone was getting along and building trust with one another over shared experiences. Things couldn't be going much better at the moment. But this ritual and the "corn man". This didn't feel right much like the time father had disappeared and the home had sublimated away into wilderness.

But Maribel was right it was unwise to leave the town's main product unscrutinised. Given the girls mention of food and the town's corn.
Kali Simmons addresses the group after conversing with the girl.
  I'll catch up with you soon. I just need to take a few small samples. Have to make sure there aren't any unusual microbes or fertilizers leeching into the drinking water. I'll be short range radio communication if I need help. Just make sure you don't go underground or get into a faraday cage.  

Dr. Hagerty soon begins carefully uncorking small vials with gloved hands and tuning her lenses. Carefully so as to not contaminate any of corn plant and soil sample. Thankfully no one in the group was reckless enough to eat the corn in the SCP zone.

 
 Spoiler 
 (1d20+8)[ 26 ]  Rolling to investigate the soil and corn with +4 from INT and +4 from biology knowledge. I don't know how long this would take and how it would go with only simply tools and not expensive lab equipment. If it takes too long, it can be done later.
 
Ameraaaaaa
King is hungry. He wishhs he can find a rat soon. For now he'll just try and read the mind of other kids. If they have a mind to read then more information will be acquired. Which is good. If not then he'd still know if the little girl is special or not.

Afterwards king will report back and ask for food.
Esprit15
  ”We’d love to meet your parents.”  
WindStruck
 
 Spoiler: AvatarVecna 
Not sure where you are at. Just feel free to insert yourself at one of these scenes, or perhaps even wander off to do your own thing. I don't know.
 

 A Tour of Blumber 

The group of you follow the girl as she skips her way down the lane. You pass by buildings you already walked by. As you approach the town square, you notice there's a group of more people now with a truck full of straw and corn and pumpkins.

 "Oh look, they're still setting it up!"  Lily says excitedly. The other villagers nod, smile, and/or wave to you all.

 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaaaaaa 
All the people you passed, as well as the other children, don't seem to have any detectable minds either. So far it's only this girl.
 


Then you pass some more buildings: a general store, a leather worker/tanner, a restaurant of some kind called  The Tin Lizzie , a gunsmith, and some other homes. The end of this side of the main street is coming up.. in the distance you can see more pastures and fields, before it's corn, corn, and more corn. But before you quite get to that end, you arrive at a quaint two story house with a pointed roof. It was blue with white-painted trim and white porch railings and supports.

 "Ma! Pa! I brought some guests!"  Lily calls out as she runs inside.

 "Your dad went out to help with the festival, sweetie. Who did you bring here?"  A woman steps out, in an old-fashioned dress with her hair tied up in a bun. She also wears an apron which is covered in a dusting of flour and some stains. She looks at each one of you.

 "Howdy y'all. I'm Emma Becket. What brings you here? Aside from my daughter, of course,"  she says with a slight smile.


 Fields Tests 

Dr. Hagerty makes some discreet tests. She can make a few simple chemical tests of the corn kernels and the soil, but nothing conclusive seems to show up. Admittedly, her ability to test for exotic compositions and abnormal properties is severely limited.

Dr. Hagerty opts to collect further samples, but leaves them untouched, to later be thoroughly analyzed in the SCP labs. It's as she is trying to collect a water sample that she runs into a slight problem:

Dr. Hagerty operates an old pump and fills one small vial with water. She tests its PH, among other things. However, while she's in the middle of doing this, and before she can get another sample to take back to the SCP labs, a voice says,  " Excuse me, miss. Who are you, and what are you doing on my property? " 

He's a much older, balding, bespectacled man in a simple, utilitarian suit. He is clutching an upright pitchfork with one hand and looking at you very suspiciously.

As if to emphasize the man's creepiness, a nearby flock of birds takes flight from the fields, either scared off by something or perhaps one got the idea to go somewhere else and the rest followed.


 Highway to Hell 

It's midday.

After that incident, you all continue walking along, picking trash for some time. It's dull and slow going. There's a few idle complaints here and there. Chris thinks this is the biggest waste of time and would rather just be staring at the wall in his cell again. Marianne complains that her feet hurt.

The corn fields are about 400 yards away now. Suddenly, there's a rustling and slight whooshing sound in the distance. From your vantage point, and the dullness of  absolutely nothing else going on , you all notice many birds flying out of the corn fields all at once. There's a great many flocks of them, and they seem to scatter in all directions. The one common thing about this strange phenomenon is that they all seem to by flying  away  from where you are going.
Esprit15
  ”Rudolph Ericson,”   James says with a smile and outstretched hand to the woman.   “We broke down just outside of town, kinda stuck here until we can figure out what to do to get on our way. Your daughter was just showing us around. It’s a nice place, reminds me of Glenville, where I grew up. ‘Cept without the lake.”  
JeenLeen
" Michael Simmons, pleased ta meetcha.  Folk here seem real pleasant and nice, from the little I've seen.  Even towed our car to the shop and gave it a courtesy lookover.  You're daughter's been really nice to show us around town. "

He pauses.  " Looks like a big festival tonight.  Seems a shame to miss it and all.  Anybody work out of town and have to miss it?  Seems like that'd be a shame.  Was last year's as fancy as this year's? "
Metastachydium
Startled, Cecily winces again. This would've looked a lot less ominous were it not for those stupid "or something" comments earlier. As is, she and all her trembly, fidgety extremities have a none too rosy-good feeling about all this, so much so that for a few lengthy seconds, she freezes up where she is. It takes some deep breaths for her to snap out of it; or, well, rather that and, more importantly, a  largely  unrelated, but equally (if not more) concerning thought. Birds are birds and  guns  are freaking  guns . And the guards have a lot of the latter on them, and they look a fair bit readier to remind her of that than she'd like.

And so, she marches on, bravely surveying her surroundings for a safe back to hide behind. Hank's kind of there, of course, but she'd feel kind of bad if he were eaten by the Children of the Corn or something. But then again, she'd feel  absolutely  miserable about getting… Wait. Do the Children of the Corn even eat people? Anyhow, about what they do. To people. Like her. In horror movies, which this road trip totally isn't. Right?  Right? 
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 

 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 [SPOILER=AvatarVecna]]
Dr. Hagerty operates an old pump and fills one small vial with water. She tests its PH, among other things. However, while she's in the middle of doing this, and before she can get another sample to take back to the SCP labs, a voice says,  " Excuse me, miss. Who are you, and what are you doing on my property? " 

He's a much older, balding, bespectacled man in a simple, utilitarian suit. He is clutching an upright pitchfork with one hand and looking at you very suspiciously.

As if to emphasize the man's creepiness, a nearby flock of birds takes flight from the fields, either scared off by something or perhaps one got the idea to go somewhere else and the rest followed. 
 

Drat, peeling off the group to satisfy a personal curiosity, rookie mistake. The town was just too unassuming and friendly like home had been. Luckily things were tame right now and no one took notice of Maribel. Hardly anyone ever did.

Dr. Hagerty provides a simple lie to excuse her actions while she eyes an exit.
  Oh hello there, I didn't notice you. I'm just taking some water samples to check for nitrate poisoning. I used to be county fish and wildlife inspector, so it's become a habit to check for me to look at the water. I've seen too many blue skinned babies while on the job.

I'm sorry if I've interrupted anything. But I have to get back to the town square. Lily invited me and my family to meet her family.   
Kali Simmons begins tentatively walking back down the road after her party while keeping an eye on "Mr. American Gothic".
WindStruck
 Plaids 

 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
 Dr. Hagerty provides a simple lie to excuse her actions while she eyes an exit.
  Oh hello there, I didn't notice you. I'm just taking some water samples to check for nitrate poisoning. I used to be county fish and wildlife inspector, so it's become a habit to check for me to look at the water. I've seen too many blue skinned babies while on the job.

I'm sorry if I've interrupted anything. But I have to get back to the town square. Lily invited me and my family to meet her family.   
Kali Simmons begins tentatively walking back down the road after her party while keeping an eye on "Mr. American Gothic". 
 

 
 Spoiler: OOC: 
As a matter of fact, I was thinking the people that lived here were going to be very similar to the American Gothic portrait.  😁
 


The man continues to eye you suspiciously, but he eventually nods. Your story seems.. plausible.

 "Lily, eh? She lives the opposite side of main street, in the blue house,"  he says, pointing thataway.  You're free to go.


 The Becket Home 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   ”Rudolph Ericson,”   James says with a smile and outstretched hand to the woman.   “We broke down just outside of town, kinda stuck here until we can figure out what to do to get on our way. Your daughter was just showing us around. It’s a nice place, reminds me of Glenville, where I grew up. ‘Cept without the lake.”   
 


 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 " Michael Simmons, pleased ta meetcha.  Folk here seem real pleasant and nice, from the little I've seen.  Even towed our car to the shop and gave it a courtesy lookover.  You're daughter's been really nice to show us around town. "

He pauses.  " Looks like a big festival tonight.  Seems a shame to miss it and all.  Anybody work out of town and have to miss it?  Seems like that'd be a shame.  Was last year's as fancy as this year's? " 
 

 "Well, nice to meet you Rudolph, and Michael. It's a shame about your car. You oughta see if you can get that fixed. Hopefully sooner rather than later." 

"Michael" seems to have a lot of questions though. The woman pauses.  "Oh, no, no one misses the festival. I wouldn't call it fancy. It's should be about the same as last year." 

Lily exclaims,  "I can't wait!"  hopping up and down excitedly.

 "Why don't y'all come on in? We just had some light lunch, and I could get you some. Afraid I'll be quite busy cooking otherwise." 

The house inside is cozy. Perhaps a little cramped for Kuzmo. Emma leads you to a sitting room near the front entrance. The kitchen is just the next room over.

Everything looks pretty old-fashioned. Fading wallpapers, wooden floors with rugs, shutters on the windows. Old furniture, like stuffed sofas and armchairs, old portraits on the walls, really outdated looking bulbs.. and a mini grand piano sits in the corner of the room.

Rather than hanging out with you, Lily skips off into the kitchen with her mother. You distinctly hear her talking about how cute the black cat is.
Ameraaaaaa
King whispers while lily and her mom are in the kitchen far away enough that he won'tbe heard  "hey. While checking on the other kids they also had no minds to read. Somethingi special about lily. Maybe she'sthis years sacrifice. Or causing this somehow."  
JeenLeen
 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
 King whispers while lily and her mom are in the kitchen far away enough that he won'tbe heard  "hey. While checking on the other kids they also had no minds to read. Somethingi special about lily. Maybe she'sthis years sacrifice. Or causing this somehow."   
 

5404 doesn't say anything, but he looks noticeably alarmed by the news.  King can likely sense a rapid swapping between an impulse to protect or save Lily, fear that she'll turn out to be a monster, or fear that she'll end up locked up by the SCP Foundation.

After a moment, he whispers, " She thinks she was here last year, but seemed to not remember it. "
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 5404 doesn't say anything, but he looks noticeably alarmed by the news.  King can likely sense a rapid swapping between an impulse to protect or save Lily, fear that she'll turn out to be a monster, or fear that she'll end up locked up by the SCP Foundation.

After a moment, he whispers, " She thinks she was here last year, but seemed to not remember it. " 
 

[COLOR="#008000"]"indeed. She couldn't remember a thing about that night." /COLOR]
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 

After waving farewell Dr. Hagerty power walks from the farmhouse hoping to put some distance between herself and the dour farmer.
Dr. Hagerty follows the man's directions towards Lily's residence hoping to reunite to quickly reunite with her party.  Though it was interesting that he knew the child's residence. Perhaps she was the daughter of the mayor or commodity exchange director.  
MrAbdiel
Benjamin watches the startled birds zipping away from the direction of their advance.    Then he looks back to the guards, to discern if they are having some disproportionate reaction. But lacking that, Benjamin is blessed with a failure of imagination; which is a genuine virtue in a world such as he occupies.  The offender is  probably  a dog, or something similarly mundane.  And for now, that  probably  is self assurance enough.  He doesn't even mind being first in line to approach... once the group is prodded along by the guards, of course.
hand ax ranger
With the house mot being made for such tall, burly men Kuzmo makes his way over to the sitting room, though not before getting a good look at Emma. As he sat he thought about how she might look without the grime and homely clothes...... if any. "  Mhmmm I does smell like it's going to be great! heh then again you don't get to be like me without loving food in general.  "

It was his nature to be lecherous, but the SCP locking him up and starving him of his more metaphorical hunger. He tried to focus on the mission, on how it was little Lily's mother and she was probably claimed by another (thought that last one didn't really help much) but ends up staring at the paintings as he fights animal instinct to conquer and claim.

"  Yes, the festival... how exciting.  "
Esprit15
James says thank you and takes a seat with the others.

  "I was wondering if that's why you acted weird around her,"   James whispers back with a frown.   "What about her mom? Just as empty as everyone else?"   If Lily was controlling anything, King would likely have been able to detect those thoughts, so the latter's probably out of the question.
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 James says thank you and takes a seat with the others.

  "I was wondering if that's why you acted weird around her,"   James whispers back with a frown.   "What about her mom? Just as empty as everyone else?"   If Lily was controlling anything, King would likely have been able to detect those thoughts, so the latter's probably out of the question. 
 

 yes. Just as empty as everyone else.  
JeenLeen
5404 is worried about it being his fault for a child winding up in Foundation custody, but that's better than an innocent being hurt.

Looking at the Task Force Leader, he whispers with an assertiveness he rarely gives and a straight-forwardness he's picked up from some of the missions he's been on.
" If we have to withdraw, my recommendation is we take the girl for her own protection.  It was mentioned someone, an out-of-towner, vanished one year after moving here.  Lily was here last year, it seems, but... I know it's not my place, but I'd feel bad leaving her to potential risk. "
No reason to waste breath and rare time of privacy noting the idea that Lily might be the SCP; he's sure the Foundation staff already figured that.
WindStruck
 The Becket Home 

Mrs. Becket suddenly arrives from the kitchen with a plate of quartered up sandwiches.  "Here you go. Sorry, it's not much, and about all the time I can afford.. we were planning a nice dinner tonight. 

Lily also came in, closely following her mother.  "Oh, maybe they can stay for dinner! Can they, Ma? Pleeeeaase?" 
 "Oh, I don't know, dear. There's.. quite a number of people already..." 

And at that point is when Dr. Hagerty knocks on the front door, making it a total of 5 guests, plus a cat.

Emma Becket opens the front door and sighs.  "Oh hello. You're with them too, aren't you?"  She forces a smile.  "Well, come on in. The more the merrier."  Though she looks a bit more stressed and worried than cheerful.


 Highway to Hell 

The disturbance of birds seems to be noticed by the SCP staff as well. Subtly, one of them radios in to command.

 
 Spoiler: MrAbdiel 
You think you hear something like,  "control ... bravo ... anomaly ... commencing ... noon ... wildlife ...."
 


Despite that, however, the guards don't make any commands to any of their charges, and they continue on as if nothing had happened.
AvatarVecna
Danny had wandered around town looking for a church. He figured there had to be one, and maybe they would be more friendly to strangers wandering around than the rest of the town would be (or at least, they would pretend to be more friendly, as part of whatever the trick of this place was).
Esprit15
  ”Hey Kali,”   James says politely to the doctor. He notes Mrs. Becket’s discomfort and stands.   “Don’t worry Ma’am, we’ll be out in just a few. Just couldn’t refuse your daughter showing us around, and wanted to make sure she got home safe.

“Kali, you manage to get any reception to call a tow company?”  
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   ”Hey Kali,”   James says politely to the doctor. He notes Mrs. Becket’s discomfort and stands.   “Don’t worry Ma’am, we’ll be out in just a few. Just couldn’t refuse your daughter showing us around, and wanted to make sure she got home safe.

“Kali, you manage to get any reception to call a tow company?”   
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 

Responding performatively Kali Simmons responds before walking closer.
    I tried but no dice. I might need you or Kuz to stand on a roof to get a signal out here.    

Responding discreetly Dr. Hagerty discloses her work.
   I was gathering well water and local corn samples. I was interrupted by a local before I could gleam anything. Hopefully it was an unlucky break and not the "entity" defending itself.  I'll see if we have a signal here.     

Kali Simmons checks her phone seeing if a signal can be found in the living room.
WindStruck
 Snooping Around the Church 

It wasn't very difficult looking around the village. Considering it was all pretty much on one road, Daniel walks along the road - more or less with the others and keeping his eyes peeled - until he discreetly stops in front of an old church which was near the village square

The church wasn't a very big building. It had its own little courtyard, surrounded by a low wrought-iron fence and the telltale bell and steeple. Stepping inside, there were rows of pews on either side, and a pulpit at the back of the room, down the middle row. It could maybe fit 100 people if they were packed quite tightly. It felt a little dark inside, despite the plain windows on the flanking walls. There was a small door at the back of the room.

Everything looked old here and the floorboards squeaked occasionally. The church wasn't in total disrepair, but it wasn't exactly well-maintained either, it seemed. For now, everything is silent, except for your movements, and there doesn't seem to be a soul here.


 The Backet Home 

Mrs. Becket smiles weakly.  "Of course. That's very thoughtful of you, Rudolph. Hmm.."  she says, tilting her head slightly to the side.  "Is she your mother? I don't think I see much family resemblance amongst you all..."  She looks at you all over again, especially noting a stark difference in appearance between Kuzmo and the others.

 "Hey Ma, what do they mean about signals and reception?"  Lily asks.

 "It's.. new technology the city folk have.."  the mother says.

 "But what is it?"  she says, eying your phones curiously.
Esprit15
  ”Nah, Kuz and I are just friends. Brandon and Michael are hers. Michael and I met while deployed in Germany, but the punk decided to get discharged,”   James says with a teasing grin.

The teasing grin softens to a smile as the girl asks her question. He didn’t want to possibly agitate the entity, but it would also be rude to dismiss the girl entirely.   “It’s a little box that lets you talk to people very far away. Like a cup and string, but without the string. But if there are too many big things in the way, then it won’t work.”  
Metastachydium
Cecily tilts her head to a side but she can't make out for the life of her what the guards are mumbling into their stupid little radios. She can tell, on the other hand that they… Kind of don't look like they are gonna run for their dear lives just yet? They  totally  wouldn't think twice if there were any real danger here. She looses a sigh of relief and she doesn't even really wince upon realizing it came out a bit louder than she intended; the result's more like the weird flower child of a twitch and a light shudder.

Chris is right, it'd seem. This is a colossal waste of time, and she finds that oddly reassuring. All she needs to do is soldier through it and then she can get back to rotting in the relative safety of her cell. The prospect makes her gait  almost  energetic.
JeenLeen
5404 notes that the parents seem to be aware of cell phones, but the girl isn't.  So he probably isn't the cause of the SCP.  That's good, even if it's worrisome that it makes it harder to justify not trying to protect her.

Sandwiches probably aren't poison, but he's the best to try.  With a  "Thank you, ma'am,"  he tries the food she brought out.
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 

Seeing 4504 reaching for a sandwich Dr. Hagerty restrains herself from grabbing one as well. It was often best to not eat the food offered in a mission site. Luckily "Mr. Immortal" was the best candidate to sample the offering. And if a malignant effect surpassed his abilities a haymaker from James and quick scalpel work could bring back to form. The only thing to worry about would be the stains left behind.

To add further credence to the guise Dr. Hagerty elaborates on the story. Wary of the reaction from Lily or her mother. Probing for any indication of disgust or taboo sentiment. SCP incidents often accrued cults followers appropriating an anomaly unknowingly or knowingly to validate their beliefs.

Kali Simmons smiles warmly while reminiscing.
  Don't worry you aren't the first to not see the resemblance. They both take after their fathers who are both quite different from one another. But they both loved both my babies just the same. Coming to every football game and graduation.  
WindStruck
 The Becket Home 

Mrs. Becket nods to "Rudolph" though some confusion crosses her face as she counts the people in the room again.  "Mm.. So there's one more then. Brandon?" 

Indeed he had stopped to check out a church (but might be arriving soon?).

Lily almost reaches out for the phone but stops herself.  "Oh.."  she says, rather glumly, still obviously lacking comprehension.  "But it's not working now, right? You need to stand on a roof?" 
 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaaaa 
The whole concept is mystifying to the girl for sure. She thinks perhaps it's related to the wind, like with weather vanes or something.
 


"Michael" tries a sandwich. A critic might complain for the very paltry amount of meat -just one very thin slice across - but combined with the cheese, mayonnaise, tomato, and bits of lettuce, it truly seemed delectable and appetizing. Lily grabs a sandwich and nibbles on it too.

Mrs. Becket glances at Lily and then at Kali.  "Well.. It's lucky you are surrounded by loved ones then, isn't it?" 

An awkward silence fills the room until the girl suddenly says,  "So you just need to get someplace high up, right? The higher the better?" 
 
 Spoiler: Plaids 
As Dr. Hagerty checks her phone, she notes that the reception seems weaker than it did when they checked in the mechanic's shop.
 
Esprit15
 ”Yeah, it would certainly help. Haven’t seen a cell tower in some time, so we might just be out of service. Is there roof access in the church? Or at least a second floor?” 
WindStruck
 The Becket Home 
 "There's a grain silo nearby,"  Mrs. Becket says.  "Though you would need to climb up on a ladder.. Oh I hope you aren't afraid of heights! The church has a very small tower too. Well, it barely even houses the bell." 
 "Maybe.. maybe it would be best if you just borrowed a car?"  she does sound worried either way.
MrAbdiel
 
 Originally Posted by Indistinct Guard Mumblings. 
 "control ... bravo ... anomaly ... commencing ... noon ... wildlife ...." 
 

Benjamin strains his ears, catching only fragments of the chatter.  The words alone are too vague in isolation - some of them elude him entirely!  But his limited imagination, and frankly delusional optimism about his predicament, pour their dull grout into the spaces between them, to create his speculative mosaic.

  Control , one of the prisoners is really good at this.   Bravo , I say.   Anomaly  don't stick my neck out, but I'd like to suggest special considerations for 44529.  Double merit points,  commencing  at  noon  tomorrow and on from there.  Hey look, some  wildlife!   Over. 

If he was even  half  right, then he was looking at one and a half times merit points.  Armoured against fear in the adamant regalia of the truly dumb, Benjamin continues his trash-pickin'... With enough enthusiasm that he almost seems to be suppressing the urge to dance.
Esprit15
James flashes back to parachuting out of a C-130 in training. He smiles.   ”No problems with heights, but thanks. Probably try the church rather than the silo.”   He heard how dangerous grain silos could be if you weren’t careful.
JeenLeen
" Maybe one of us could check the church, another the silo?  I'd be okay with either. "

Splitting up could be stupid, but it'd also get more intel quicker.
WindStruck
Mrs. Becket gently clasps her hands together.  "Well then! If you want to try to get better reception by going someplace high, by all means! Please, be careful." 
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 
  We'll be on our way. Thank you for your hospitality. All we need is a signal and we'll be on our way.  
Kali smiles and Dr. Hagerty plans on what to investigate next. Maybe HQ would have some suggestions. She pulls the phone out hoping to find a stronger signal soon.

OOC: It seems like we need to link up with the rest of the party and then continue the investigation. Besides the Lily and the festival there aren't many. Maybe the staff back at SCP could give some advice on what objective to pursue. I vote for going to the church.
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
  Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 
  We'll be on our way. Thank you for your hospitality. All we need is a signal and we'll be on our way.  
Kali smiles and Dr. Hagerty plans on what to investigate next. Maybe HQ would have some suggestions. She pulls the phone out hoping to find a stronger signal soon.

OOC: It seems like we need to link up with the rest of the party and then continue the investigation. Besides the Lily and the festival there aren't many. Maybe the staff back at SCP could give some advice on what objective to pursue. I vote for going to the church. 
 

King makes sure to piss on the carpet before leaving.

Ooc: church definitely.
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo simply remained stuck in his mind, fighting the urge to think the bad thought's about Mrs. Beckit and devouring a sandwich. He looks to the other's for basic direction and generally remains a very large black man with a surprisingly nice personality.

Edit: He leaves with the others, thanking the nice lady for the food.
AvatarVecna
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Snooping Around the Church 

It wasn't very difficult looking around the village. Considering it was all pretty much on one road, Daniel walks along the road - more or less with the others and keeping his eyes peeled - until he discreetly stops in front of an old church which was near the village square

The church wasn't a very big building. It had its own little courtyard, surrounded by a low wrought-iron fence and the telltale bell and steeple. Stepping inside, there were rows of pews on either side, and a pulpit at the back of the room, down the middle row. It could maybe fit 100 people if they were packed quite tightly. It felt a little dark inside, despite the plain windows on the flanking walls. There was a small door at the back of the room.

Everything looked old here and the floorboards squeaked occasionally. The church wasn't in total disrepair, but it wasn't exactly well-maintained either, it seemed. For now, everything is silent, except for your movements, and there doesn't seem to be a soul here. 
 

Danny scratches his head.   "Weird having a fence but no lock..."   he mutters to himself. After a beat to think, he crosses over to the windows - this place looks abandoned in the "ghost town" sense, like what the docs warned them about during prep. Had he been 'kicked out' without being physically kicked out? He goes to check at the window, see if he can still see townsfolk out and about. And if someone's in that back room waiting to ambush him for some reason...well none of this has to be anything but a dream.
WindStruck
 Snooping Around the Church 

Daniel looks out the windows, and it doesn't  seem  as though he's been transferred to an alternate reality. Peering out at the right angles, he can still see villagers in the distance arranging their decorations - or their sacrifice? - in the middle of the town square.

Speaking of ambushers waiting in the back room, someone does emerge eventually. The door activity was not particularly quiet.

 "Oh, hello,"  a man says. Turning to look at him, he appears to be a pastor: the minister of this church. He's a slight, middle-aged man dressed in a simple dark-grey suit and appears to be Caucasian; he's beginning to bald but still has thick tufts of hair on his head. And of course he has the trademark white collar across his neck.

The pastor smiles at Daniel.  "I didn't know we had visitors today. Lovely day isn't it? I'm Reverend Olheim. What brings you to our humble little town?" 
AvatarVecna
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Snooping Around the Church 

Daniel looks out the windows, and it doesn't  seem  as though he's been transferred to an alternate reality. Peering out at the right angles, he can still see villagers in the distance arranging their decorations - or their sacrifice? - in the middle of the town square.

Speaking of ambushers waiting in the back room, someone does emerge eventually. The door activity was not particularly quiet.

 "Oh, hello,"  a man says. Turning to look at him, he appears to be a pastor: the minister of this church. He's a slight, middle-aged man dressed in a simple dark-grey suit and appears to be Caucasian; he's beginning to bald but still has thick tufts of hair on his head. And of course he has the trademark white collar across his neck.

The pastor smiles at Daniel.  "I didn't know we had visitors today. Lovely day isn't it? I'm Reverend Olheim. What brings you to our humble little town?"  
 

Danny glances back at him.   "Yeah fall weather's great. Oh, uh, Brandon Simmons. We were comin' on through when our car broke down. Thankfully was just barely outside of town, instead of another 20 miles up or down the road,"   he chuckles.   "Quaint little village you've got here. Nice calm energy to the whole place, least from what I've seen so far."  
WindStruck
Reverend Olheim nods, still with a gentle smile.  "Ah, I see. It's funny how most plans we have simply fall apart at the seams when least expected. But then again, I am of the belief that there are no accidents. The Lord always has a plan..." 
 "Well, it's nice to meet you, Brandon. Say, was Mr. Willis able to solve your car problems?" 
AvatarVecna
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Reverend Olheim nods, still with a gentle smile.  "Ah, I see. It's funny how most plans we have simply fall apart at the seams when least expected. But then again, I am of the belief that there are no accidents. The Lord always has a plan..." 
 "Well, it's nice to meet you, Brandon. Say, was Mr. Willis able to solve your car problems?"  
 

  "Was able to figure out the issue, at least. Doesn't have the parts for it, though. We're gonna see if we can find someplace we can get a signal; barring that, hopefully we can get her towed elsewhere."   He glances back out the window.   "Corn man, huh?"   he asks rhetorically.   "Always neat getting a glimpse at how different people celebrate stuff. Kid sure seemed excited about it."  
WindStruck
 Snooping Around the Church 
 "I see,"  the reverend says about your car issues.

 "The corn man, he's always been a quaint little tradition this town has kept.. Yes, the kids love him. Or, perhaps it's the popcorn he makes. It's mostly full of corn, not straw. They've got to make the outfit just so so it bursts from the pressure before everything burns. A bit unsanitary when they pick it off the ground, but I suppose eating a little dirt never hurt the kids."  He smiles wryly.

 "I'm sure you must be wondering why don't we just make plain old popcorn in a pan or something safer. Well, I imagine it's because it's a lot like watching fireworks. For the kids, that is." 
 "Do you have kids?"  he asks Daniel.
AvatarVecna
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Snooping Around the Church 
 "I see,"  the reverend says about your car issues.

 "The corn man, he's always been a quaint little tradition this town has kept.. Yes, the kids love him. Or, perhaps it's the popcorn he makes. It's mostly full of corn, not straw. They've got to make the outfit just so so it bursts from the pressure before everything burns. A bit unsanitary when they pick it off the ground, but I suppose eating a little dirt never hurt the kids."  He smiles wryly.

 "I'm sure you must be wondering why don't we just make plain old popcorn in a pan or something safer. Well, I imagine it's because it's a lot like watching fireworks. For the kids, that is." 
 "Do you have kids?"  he asks Daniel. 
 

  "Oh doing it this way makes sense. I mean, in the sense of making a fun spectacle. Saying 'its a holiday' and then doing normal stuff just isn't the same."   He blinks at the question.   "Kids? Nah, not me. Never really seen myself as father material. Big responsibility, and world's got too many people who don't take it serious enough as it is, y'know?"  
WindStruck
 Snooping Around the Church 
 "Yes, it's troubling..."  the reverend says, knitting his eyebrows.

 "Mmm. Well, I had some other business to attend to. Do you plan on staying here, or.. is there something else I can help you with?"  he asks Daniel.
AvatarVecna
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Snooping Around the Church 
 "Yes, it's troubling..."  the reverend says, knitting his eyebrows.

 "Mmm. Well, I had some other business to attend to. Do you plan on staying here, or.. is there something else I can help you with?"  he asks Daniel. 
 

  "Oh! Uh, no, sorry, just got kinda curious and came around looking. Don't wanna be a bother though."  
WindStruck
 A Rugged Catastrophe 

Mrs. Becket gasps as King pees on her rug. Lily is shocked speechless. She's likely having second thoughts about having a pet cat...

Seeing as you all were  already leaving , there's little to do but issue some awkward apologies as you are shooed out of the house. Seems to be some drama now cleaning up the nasty mess, and poor Lily stuck cleaning up the remainder as Mrs. Becket goes back to work in her kitchen.


 The Church 

The reverend was about to take his leave. He didn't seem to mind that Daniel was lingering in the church.. perhaps, if anything, there simply wasn't much to steal or vandalize.

It's at about this time when the others arrive.

 "Oh! I suppose these are your friends.." 
 "Welcome everyone. I'm Reverend Olheim. I take it you are not here for spiritual guidance?" 
 
 Spoiler: ooc 
There probably has been some time to communicate with King with minimal risk, if you wanted to. Also to discuss other plans if you wanted.
 

 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaa 
The man in this church feels a bit different from other villagers. Not like an empty void with dangling puppet strings in the back.  He feels more like an impenetrable steel wall.  If you do want to make more attempts (and I'm sure you do!) you can try making mind reading rolls in the  dice thread .
 
Ameraaaaaa
As king leaves the house and heads to the church he laughs and says  "did you ****ing see that! It was hilarious! The looks on their faces! Ahh yes i do love to see humans suffer."    why do they even bother cleaning up piss in the 1st place. Silly humans 

Apon meeting the reverend king thinks to himself  oh a tough willed type. I'll break past your defenses and pierce your mind. Just gotta put in some effort. 
hand ax ranger
Seeing the state the cat left them in, Kuzmo sighs and offers assistance to the poor family. "  I'll help them here, then catch up with you all later. make sure he's behaving himself.  "

Assuming it would not take long he would apologies for King's being a little [REDACTED], thank them again for the hospitality, then wader off after the group. "  Bye for now! Maybe catch you at the festival.  "

Then he uses his scent and tracking abilities to power walk in their direction.

ooc: Use my speed rank to move just a but faster to catch up, enough to be walking fast with ease but not enough to draw too much attention.
JeenLeen
Seeing as the group has decided to go together, 5404 doesn't object and accompanies them to the church.

He feels a tad awkward about meeting the priest, minister, whatever.  He was never serious about his faith, but he supposes he had some... before finding out a world of monsters and clandestine conspiracy organizations existed, at least.  Now he wasn't sure what he believed, especially with a rumor that God was supposedly an SCP willingly just hanging out (usually) in some Site #.
Still, he gives a deferential nod towards the fellow.

 
 Spoiler: talking with King 
Not much to say between places, but I reckon we confirm it's Lily and just Lily who has seemed different.
 
Esprit15
  ”’Fraid not, just trying to find a place to get a phone call out for a tow truck. Pleasure to meet you, Father,”   James says, offering a hand to the reverend.
WindStruck
 The Church 

The reverend raises an eyebrow and nods.  "And I take it you'd like to try a place that's high up? Well, I'd think anyone else with a ladder might do, but since you're here..." 

He turns to gesture towards the back of the church.  "You could climb the bell tower, I suppose. There's a ladder in there too, although it's rather cramped and dusty." 
JeenLeen
5404 takes a step forward.  Potential falls or crumbly ladders seem his area.

" I can climb up ," he offers to the party.   As he walks down a way, he pauses and looks over the church.  Doesn't look like a strange cult, but this is an info-gathering mission.
" Reverened, can I ask what denomination this place is?  I take it, with the festivities, it's not one of those anti-Halloween churches.  Get good attendance on Sunday? "
WindStruck
The reverend's head tilts a bit to the side as Thomas abruptly turns around to instead ask questions.  "We're Evangelical Lutheran. As for your other question, the answer is a bit more complicated, but I'd say just about the whole town shows up every Sunday." 
 "Hmm. It's strange to see one so interested in our little community.. you aren't considering moving here, are you?"  He flashes a smile.
hand ax ranger
Following the tracks of the group to the church Kuzmo quietly hisses in anger as he steps upon the false holy ground of "The Christ charlatan'. As the conversation goes on while he steps up he holds off the urge to burn this shrine of meekness and self-limiting to the [REDACTED] ground. Or at least find someone to [REDACTED] into the altar. That'll show theses fools and their false god.

Once engaged by the paltry priest the God-king in disguise tries hard to hold his contempt for him and lets the other's speak instead. Least now they were reunited.....
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 

Kali Simmons turns to 5404 offering a smotheringly affectionate warning.   Be careful Daniel, I don't want to ice your bruises like I did when you played football.  
Both Dr. Hagerty and Kali Simmons beam. Having some additional people to banter with in a familial manner alongside Maribel and Jaylen.


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 The reverend's head tilts a bit to the side as Thomas abruptly turns around to instead ask questions.  "We're Evangelical Lutheran. As for your other question, the answer is a bit more complicated, but I'd say just about the whole town shows up every Sunday." 
 "Hmm. It's strange to see one so interested in our little community.. you aren't considering moving here, are you?"  He flashes a smile. 
 

Dr. Hagerty's eyes widen briefly at the surprising change of events. This was the first time someone in this town didn't want to shoo them away out of town. Could he perhaps be something other than a puppet on a tendril like Lily? Dr. Hagerty adjusts her glasses to discern what this pastor could be. Though if there was a choice the polite and dismissive crowds were preferable to individuals enticing people to stay.

  Thank you for the suggestion but we are already on our way to Arizona. Where the sunrises leave you crying with joy, nature provides a heavenly choir, and all your utilities are covered with just one solar panel. It's where my father grew up and retired, now I'm completing the cycle.
This truly is a lovely town though. Has anyone new decided to settle down here recently? We talked to the mechanic in town but he wanted us to be on our way.  
WindStruck
 "Not recently. There was one young woman, but..."  The reverend begins before shaking his head.

 "Well, she did not stay long. This town has mostly kept to itself over the years. Not much has changed. And yet so much has. Sometimes it feels like I'm the outsider. If it's any consolation, at least my flock comes to listen every Sunday.. Or, they pretend to, in any case."  The original kind and warm smiles of the man dour a bit.
Esprit15
James nods.   ”It’s not a life for everyone. I couldn’t see living here right now, but maybe in retirement something slower would be nice…

“What led to her leaving, if you don’t mind me asking?”  
WindStruck
Reverend Olheim patiently smiles at James for a bit without saying anything before finally shaking his head and saying,  "Personal affairs. I shouldn't say any more than that." 
Ameraaaaaa
King is astounded from the priests willpower.  you bastard.  I can't believe it! You dare keep me from reading your mind! I'll force my way in!  
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother
 

 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  "Not recently. There was one young woman, but..."  The reverend begins before shaking his head.

 "Well, she did not stay long. This town has mostly kept to itself over the years. Not much has changed. And yet so much has. Sometimes it feels like I'm the outsider. If it's any consolation, at least my flock comes to listen every Sunday.. Or, they pretend to, in any case."  The original kind and warm smiles of the man dour a bit. 
 

That was it, this was getting too suspicious.
  Excuse me father but the dust is prompting my allergies I'll be getting some fresh air just on the porch.   
Dr. Hagerty proceeds towards the front of the building and while gently tugging Kuzmo's shirt to direct him to accompany her. Splitting from the group on her lonesome had already brought an uncomfortable experience. It would be best to not do so again. She pulls out her phone hoping for a signal and belts out the group's progress while cupping her mouth with her free hand to provide some degree of discretion.

  Director, we've made some progress. King has discovered most residents seem to be puppets or projections of some entity trying to dismiss us. The exceptions are our persons of interest. First is a young girl with a mind of her own next a middle-aged priest. Both showed keen interest in us and pursued further interactions. We can extract them if needed but we still opportunities for investigation. Any suggestions from command?  
WindStruck
Dr. Hagerty leaves the church, and rounding a corner, she seems to have found a bit of privacy, with the bulk of the town behind her, and residents busy elsewhere.

The voice comes in:   "This is Mission Control. Dr. Curtis, not Director Lambert, here."  

The radio comes via your phone seems to have some kind of interference and is rife with static.   "What do you mean they are puppets or projections? Is King with you? Can he explain?"  
  "Extraction is risky and may have unintended consequences. What do you mean you need opportunities for investigation? I don't know what you are asking us. Can you elaborate?"  
JeenLeen
5404 pauses going to climb.  Some of his responses are odd.  Another abnormality?

" That sounds rough.  Hmm... whole town seems real set on this festival thing tonight.  Do you have a part in it, or usually stay apart? "
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 5404 pauses going to climb.  Some of his responses are odd.  Another abnormality?

" That sounds rough.  Hmm... whole town seems real set on this festival thing tonight.  Do you have a part in it, or usually stay apart? " 
 

 "I don't have much taste for this.. oddity. Granted, it is nice to see the community getting together to celebrate, and seeing the children have such a wonderful time. While I don't have a part in it, I often do watch from a distance." 

 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
 King is astounded from the priests willpower.  you bastard.  I can't believe it! You dare keep me from reading your mind! I'll force my way in!   
 

Once again, King is firmly repelled out of the reverend's mind and only just barely is not shut out completely.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
I don't want to keep rolling dice forever. Just thinking maybe we'll say you simply can't read his mind at this point.
 
Esprit15
  ”’Cause it’s Pagan?”   James says as he watches 5404 climb up.
WindStruck
 In the Church 
 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Yeah, let's say Thomas heads to the back rooms and begins making his way up the tower?  I'm hopefully making a good decision for your character, because otherwise I would just find it really weird if he says he's going to go up and check the signal, but then just stops to play 20 questions instead.
 

 "Well, I wouldn't say that.."  Reverend Olheim says.  "I am fairly sure it is  not  Pagan, though I suppose it seems similar to the practice of burning sacrifices. This, though? It is merely straw and corn." 
 Bats in the Belfry  (just kidding they already fled) 

Thomas makes his way to the back of the church. There's a small office back there, and another door which swings out, leading to a cramped, short hallway, and then and even more cramped chimney-like structure.  You're inside the small bell tower.  There's some ropes there which can be pulled to ring the bell, and of course a rickety ladder which could allow you to climb up to the top.

Though it occurs to you that this whole thing about checking for phone signals is all just an act. The SCP guy just foolishly gave you his phone. Though it is locked with only limited function, and you can at least see how many "bars" you have (just a weak signal of 2/5) perhaps there is something else you want to do while you are alone?
JeenLeen
5404 contemplates trying to make a call, but what would be the point?  Confusing his family, maybe getting their memory wiped, and severe punishment?

He looks out from what he can see near the ropes, then positions the ladder as securely as he can and climbs up to the top.  Assuming he reaches the top without any incident, he takes out the phone and makes a show of checking for coverage, shaking his head as if there's none.
He will use the vantage point to look out and see if he can see anything interesting in the town, cornfields, or surrounding area beyond what they've already noticed.
WindStruck
Atop the church tower, Thomas doesn't really see much interesting..  peering out below the tiny roof is a tad bit difficult in any case.  No ominous mists rolling in, no suspicious cult activity as of yet, just lots of corn, the nearby village, and more corn.  Noticeably, on getting higher, it's not like the reception of the phone improved that much.  Still at two bars it seems.
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 The voice comes in:   "This is Mission Control. Dr. Curtis, not Director Lambert, here."  

The radio comes via your phone seems to have some kind of interference and is rife with static.   "What do you mean they are puppets or projections? Is King with you? Can he explain?"  
  "Extraction is risky and may have unintended consequences. What do you mean you need opportunities for investigation? I don't know what you are asking us. Can you elaborate?"   
 

  The town, King has telepathically probed the inhabitants and all but two we met were found to be mindless and controlled by some entity. All the puppets were keen on politely asking us to depart. The exceptions we have met are a young girl with her own mind unattached to any other entity and the towns pastor. Both of them were curious about us and invited us to stay longer in town. Both of them also mentioned a harvest festival that would happen tonight. We believe it has some purpose beyond entertainment or maintaining appearances. Mindless drones don't need entertainment and the town is isolated and even denying entrance to certain people. The girl and the priest are our people of interest and we will investigate this festival. If things go sideways we may want to extract the priest and girl for questioning and their own safety.

Could there be anything we are overlooking or an investigative avenue we have yet to explore? Otherwise we will continue observing our people of interest and the upcoming festival.  
JeenLeen
With nothing of import to see, 5404 takes a few pictures just in case he misses anything, then climbs down.

Assuming the rector is still talking with the others and the can't be seen, he does decide to snoop a little.  Glancing into the rooms he can to see if he sees anything interesting, with a focus on the priest's office or the church itself.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
   The town, King has telepathically probed the inhabitants and all but two we met were found to be mindless and controlled by some entity. All the puppets were keen on politely asking us to depart. The exceptions we have met are a young girl with her own mind unattached to any other entity and the towns pastor. Both of them were curious about us and invited us to stay longer in town. Both of them also mentioned a harvest festival that would happen tonight. We believe it has some purpose beyond entertainment or maintaining appearances. Mindless drones don't need entertainment and the town is isolated and even denying entrance to certain people. The girl and the priest are our people of interest and we will investigate this festival. If things go sideways we may want to extract the priest and girl for questioning and their own safety.

Could there be anything we are overlooking or an investigative avenue we have yet to explore? Otherwise we will continue observing our people of interest and the upcoming festival.   
 

There is some silence but the radio eventually crackles to life again.   "That is an interesting turn of events. We may consider extracting these persons of interest, a big maybe, as it likely too dangerous and unpredictable, but for now, we would like to see if there are yet any more special people in this town who are not acting as.. puppets, like you say."  
  "I would not know what you are overlooking,"   Dr. Curtis says over the radio.   "You are the ones investigating there, not me. My advice is to try to find any innocent excuse you can to stay and continue investigating. I would also like to speak with King over the radio, but only if you have the chance to do so in private. Do not arouse suspicion."  

With that the radio cuts out again. Looking around, it seems you stopped with your conversation just in time as you notice some other villagers approaching you now.



 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 With nothing of import to see, 5404 takes a few pictures just in case he misses anything, then climbs down.

Assuming the rector is still talking with the others and the can't be seen, he does decide to snoop a little.  Glancing into the rooms he can to see if he sees anything interesting, with a focus on the priest's office or the church itself. 
 

The office itself seems about as underused as the church itself. It's a spartan affair with but a simple desk and pair of chairs, a low shelf with some religious texts, some religious effigies, a small window that lets in some light, and a lantern. Much like the rest of the church and other buildings in town, it's all just old, and it seems like it hardly gets any use.
JeenLeen
Figuring religious curiosity is an inoffensive excuse if he gets caught, 5404 ducks into the office and looks over the books and religious knicknacks.   Are they dusty like he hasn't looked at them in a while?  If one stands out, he'll pick it up and leaf through it (or look over it, if it's an object).  He'll also glance in any drawers.

Otherwise, he heads back to the group.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 Figuring religious curiosity is an inoffensive excuse if he gets caught, 5404 ducks into the office and looks over the books and religious knicknacks.   Are they dusty like he hasn't looked at them in a while?  If one stands out, he'll pick it up and leaf through it (or look over it, if it's an object).  He'll also glance in any drawers.

Otherwise, he heads back to the group. 
 

It does in fact seem that a layer of dust has settled on the books. The shelves as a whole look to have had some attention and been dusted, but since you're looking for it specifically, you can still see that many of the cracks and crevices and tops of the books are quite dusty, as if not having been touched in some time.

Rifling through the drawers, you find several letters addressed to someone named William. Just skimming through them, the content seems to be heavily-related to scripture. The letters express varying degrees of condolences and encouragements. Each letter appears to have been penned by the reverend himself, though oddly enough, they haven't been delivered...
Ameraaaaaa
King get's bored and decides to wander around.
JeenLeen
5404 snaps pictures of a few of the letters, and of the books to show the lack of actual use, then tries to put things back where they were and rejoin the group.

A meat puppet wouldn't write letters (right?), but the office looks unused in a way he wouldn't expect a real person to use it.  Odd.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
 King get's bored and decides to wander around. 
 

Being unattended and pretty much unnoticed, King slips away from the others as they talk.

King slinks along the western walkway (heading south), passing by a few houses. He notices one house has a window about one-half to one-third of the way open. Plenty of room for an ordinary housecat to squeeze in through.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 In the Church 

Thomas returns, not having taken an inordinate amount of time.  Seems the others are still chatting with the reverend.
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Being unattended and pretty much unnoticed, King slips away from the others as they talk.

King slinks along the western walkway (heading south), passing by a few houses. He notices one house has a window about one-half to one-third of the way open. Plenty of room for an ordinary housecat to squeeze in through.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 In the Church 

Thomas returns, not having taken an inordinate amount of time.  Seems the others are still chatting with the reverend. 
 

And so king enters.  let's see what's here. Perhaps there'll be something to eat or drink. Who knows? Maybe there'll be cat nip. It's honestly pretty boring not getting to read peoples minds and laugh at their misfortunes. That priest was pretty annoying for not letting me read his mind. Maybe i should trash his place before this mission is over. He almost made me feel inadequate.
That can't go unpunished!   
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
  Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother
 


That was it, this was getting too suspicious.
  Excuse me father but the dust is prompting my allergies I'll be getting some fresh air just on the porch.   
Dr. Hagerty proceeds towards the front of the building and while gently tugging Kuzmo's shirt to direct him to accompany her. Splitting from the group on her lonesome had already brought an uncomfortable experience. It would be best to not do so again. She pulls out her phone hoping for a signal and belts out the group's progress while cupping her mouth with her free hand to provide some degree of discretion.

  Director, we've made some progress. King has discovered most residents seem to be puppets or projections of some entity trying to dismiss us. The exceptions are our persons of interest. First is a young girl with a mind of her own next a middle-aged priest. Both showed keen interest in us and pursued further interactions. We can extract them if needed but we still opportunities for investigation. Any suggestions from command?   
 

As the rest begin looking into the church and what not Kuzmo himself gets bored and frustrated with what feels (at least to him) like a lack of results. With this in mind he wanders off to try and communicate with the more mundane townsfolk.

Or at least he would of, had the scientist playing the part of Kali not tugged his shirt and lead him along to somewhere. With his bag in hand he follows, thinking it will at least go somewhere of interest.
Esprit15
James looks to Thomas as he returns.   ”Any luck?”  
JeenLeen
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 James looks to Thomas as he returns.   ”Any luck?”   
 

He shakes his head.  " Nah.  Did get a pretty picture of the view while I was up there, though. "  He hands back over the phone.
Esprit15
James nods affirmatively as the phone is returned. He makes a mental note to comment positively on 5404’s cooperativeness during the job and ability to be trusted with a degree of freedom.  ”Well damn. Er, darn,”  he says, looking to the pastor.  “Well, day’s starting to stretch on. We won’t take up more of your time, Reverend. Thanks.”  Unless the reverend has anything more to say, James heads out to… just kinda wander, see what catches his eye in town.
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 

 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 With that the radio cuts out again. Looking around, it seems you stopped with your conversation just in time as you notice some other villagers approaching you now. 
 

No way was this doctor going to talk to the local marionette troupe without the rest of the group. Besides there was an important task to complete involving King. As she begins turning Dr. Hagerty's turns to her flank.
  4500 will be fine nothing shows the locals could actually do anything to him. The worst that could happen is he gets booted and has to wander a ghost town. ... Fine, you can stay with him Maribel, just don't get too intimate Dad taught us how avoid a philanderer. This mission is to get us back to where we belong be careful. It wouldn't be worth it without you.  

Dr. Hagerty focuses on SCP 4500 Kuzmo, although "Casanova Croc" came up on occasion, as she addresses him.
  Kuz, I'm heading inside to get King and relay his investigations to HQ. You can stay here to talk with locals or investigate at your discretion. Maribel will be with you if need a second opinion or pair of eyes.  

Dr. Hagerty returns to the church to convene with King and provide HQ with a primary source regarding the towns inhabitants.
OOC: I'm not sure if King is easily reachable but the gist is going to be "Hey King, I need you to talk into this phone to tell Dr. Curtis about the people in this town." if not easily reachable she'll ask around or just start hollering for King.
JeenLeen
After Dr. Hagerty leaves, 5404 looks to the disguised lizardman then towards the Task Force Leader who is starting to wander off.

Assuming the Reverened has left (or after he has), 5404 asks, " Okay, I get if this is above my clearance, but who or what is Maribel and is something wrong with doc-- with mom?  Like, y'all are hearing her talk about someone else, too, right? "

(If needed, he'll instead run up to Task Force Leader to ask.)
Esprit15
  ”Her sister,”   James says simply. He frowns, given what little he does know about the Doctor.   “I’m not at liberty to discuss much more, sadly. It’s… well, as everything else is with us. Redacted. But I’ll talk to her about confusing then SCPs by discussing off topic matters.”  
WindStruck
 That Darn Cat 

King leaps though the open window, intent on causing more mischief and mayhem just because he can, out of spite. Inside appears to be even more rustic furniture and odds and ends. Unlike with the Becket home, where Lily lived, the place seems more ill-maintained, with dust collecting in places and a few spider webs here and there. It's like the people living here don't actually live here.

Speaking of which, you see an old man sitting in a big recliner in the living room. He seems to just be staring ahead out towards another window, or perhaps, he's just asleep.


 Those Mundane Townsfolk You Ordered 

Kuzmo was out with Dr. Hagerty, but with her conversation on the radio over, she quickly goes back to reconvene with the others as the group of villagers approaches. Since you wanted to speak with them, well, here they are if that's still what you wanted to do!

 "Hey,"  one of them calls out. It was Peter from before, the first guy you met, though Kuzmo hadn't talked to him yet.  "Y'all doin' alright? You manage to get your phones working?"  There's two more men accompanying this one, and one quite large and burly female as well. They all look like manual laborers or some kind of farm hands.


 Leaving the Church 

Seems Kuzmo has the closest group of villagers occupied, so you are able to have a brief, yet discreet conversation amongst yourselves. It's around this point, after Dr. Hagerty aka Kali mentioned getting King to relay his investigations, that you all realize... King is gone!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 Adopt a Dieway 

The sun has past its zenith in the sky. It's still about the warmest part of the day, though. Marianne now complains that it's too hot out here. Probably understandable, seeing as the sun is beating down on you, and you're out walking doing a bit of labor.

All the idle conversation has died down now, as there's just, literally nothing happening. Expansive prairie is all around you, the flat highway stretches forward and behind you, and the corn fields are much closer. Now perhaps they are merely 100 yards away. Benjamin can almost taste that delectable corn, which surely is not poisoned, GMO, or otherwise deadly. At the very least, it's certain there's no MSG in it.

One of the SCP guards walking behind you and keeping an eye on you radio in something very brief. The corn up ahead still does seem a little ominous, though...

You find yourselves subconsciously pairing up:  Cecily with Hank, Tom with Tater, Benjamin with Chris, Marianne with Cheryl. Their sour moods seem to compliment each other. At least the complaints might be keeping your mind off the impending doom ahead.
Ameraaaaaa
King heads to old man and does his best hungry cat impression meowing and all that.  I'm hungry. You better feed me old man or I'll do this all day. I won't stop meowing until you feed me. 
WindStruck
 That Darn Cat 

It's a while until King gets a response.  An abnormally long while...

Eventually the old man blinks and looks down at you. His expression is more perturbed than surprised or delighted.

 "What are you doing here..?"  he mutters to himself. The old man clambers to his feet and attempts to pick King up.

 
 Spoiler: mind reading stuff 
At first King feels absolutely nothing, no mind at all, not even the strange background presence.

When the man activates, coming to life, however, that's when you feel that strange presence again, lurking somewhere in the deep deep subconscious. But there's still apparently no mind to this guy.
 
Ameraaaaaa
King runs to the kitchen. And starts pawing at the fridge  you better get the hint old man. 
WindStruck
 That Darn Cat 
 "What in tarnation..."  the man says as King scurries away. He hobbles after King, shaking his fist.  "Get away from there! I mean, get back here!" 
 "Ain't nothin' in there for you!"  he says, again trying to grab King.
Ameraaaaaa
King jumps on the old mans face and scratches it up good before jumping off his head and running out of the window he came from.

 dumb human deserves the wrath of my claws if he doesn't feed me. Humans are only good as obedient slaves afterall. 
Esprit15
James looks around as he realizes that he didn’t properly track the SCP.   “Hey, y’all seen King anywhere? I thought one of you had him at the church.”  
Metastachydium
Cecily finds that she's mighty pleased with her instinctive forward thinking. Poor Tom! No one really deserves getting stuck with Tater like that. But hopefully that's final. She shifts a few inches closer to Hank, nevertheless, just in case.

Still, content as she is with the understanding that her lot could be way worse, a number of circumstances continue to bug her all the same. The unladylike, fat drop of sweat she feels creeping down along her spine is surely an annoyance, for starters, even more so than the thin film of transpiration slowly taking shape on her scalp – she could use some lighter clothes; this trek could be halfway nice that way. Except… What if she began celebrating early? Yes, the guards are not  yet  fleeing for their lives, but the creepy corn's still ahead. And the guards?  Behind  them. Despite her best judgement, she tries to strain her ears in hope of catching the words radioed back to base through the noise she unwittingly makes tapping her stupid pointy stick against the asphalt nervously. A brand new gross bead of sweat joins the first one en route to her waist. She inches closer yet to Hank.
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Those Mundane Townsfolk You Ordered 

Kuzmo was out with Dr. Hagerty, but with her conversation on the radio over, she quickly goes back to reconvene with the others as the group of villagers approaches. Since you wanted to speak with them, well, here they are if that's still what you wanted to do!

 "Hey,"  one of them calls out. It was Peter from before, the first guy you met, though Kuzmo hadn't talked to him yet.  "Y'all doin' alright? You manage to get your phones working?"  There's two more men accompanying this one, and one quite large and burly female as well. They all look like manual laborers or some kind of farm hands. 
 

As the group moves up to Kuzmo he clears his throat lightly and assesses the risk. Thinking there is no danger here he nods to them and shrugs. "  Ehhhh I dunno..... I left my phone with the others cause I was getting frustrated with it. For now I figure I'll walk around and see the sights. It's a lovely town and all that after all.  " He smiles to them, for now letting natural charisma and an at ease attitude lower their possible suspicions.
JeenLeen
5404 simply nods at the explanation about the doctor leading the expedition.  Annoying, but oddly reassuring that it's just another crazy thing apparently accepted by the higher-ups.

When King's absence is noted, he looks around, but of course doesn't see the feline.  He has a mix of anxiety about mission failure or overall group punishment if King has run off, and the slight sense of hope at an SCP getting free.  Even if King does seem a selfish, entitled... well, typical cat, just talking and immortal.  " I didn't notice.  Sorry... "
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 

Kali Simmons begins looks around the church squinting as probes the room looking for King.


 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
 King jumps on the old mans face and scratches it up good before jumping off his head and running out of the window he came from.

 dumb human deserves the wrath of my claws if he doesn't feed me. Humans are only good as obedient slaves afterall.  
 

 The quiet search for King came to a dull end as a clattering and shout interrupted the peace.   What was that?   Hopefully things weren't escalating already. Dr. Hagerty strides towards the disturbance. As she rounds a corner reaches beneath her jacket palming a discrete bandolier of foam grenades.  
  Has anyone King? Hopefully he hasn't gone too far. Might have to use the cat carrier if he's too restless.  
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
 King jumps on the old mans face and scratches it up good before jumping off his head and running out of the window he came from.

 dumb human deserves the wrath of my claws if he doesn't feed me. Humans are only good as obedient slaves afterall.  
 

 "Gyaah! Goddammit!!"  the old man cries, briefly clutching his face and then moving over to pick up a broom. But by then King is already gone.

Outside, King continues stalking along the walkway. If he's looking for food, he sees a garbage can with its lid partially on. Might King be interested in some nice tasty garbage?



 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 As the group moves up to Kuzmo he clears his throat lightly and assesses the risk. Thinking there is no danger here he nods to them and shrugs. "  Ehhhh I dunno..... I left my phone with the others cause I was getting frustrated with it. For now I figure I'll walk around and see the sights. It's a lovely town and all that after all.  " He smiles to them, for now letting natural charisma and an at ease attitude lower their possible suspicions. 
 

 "Ah, well uh, I dun think the town's all good for sights and all, mister,"  one of them says.

Another smiles.  "We'd be much obliged if there's anything we can do to help get you all on your way." 
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  "Gyaah! Goddammit!!"  the old man cries, briefly clutching his face and then moving over to pick up a broom. But by then King is already gone.

Outside, King continues stalking along the walkway. If he's looking for food, he sees a garbage can with its lid partially on. Might King be interested in some nice tasty garbage?




 "Ah, well uh, I dun think the town's all good for sights and all, mister,"  one of them says.

Another smiles.  "We'd be much obliged if there's anything we can do to help get you all on your way."  
 

King decides to check out the trash.  while i deserve better then trash this will do for now. Silly humans throwing away good food. 
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
 King decides to check out the trash.  while i deserve better then trash this will do for now. Silly humans throwing away good food.  
 

King knocks the lid off the edge of the trash can expertly, as all cats are good at knocking things off ledges. However, there's hardly anything in the trash can. No fish bones, no junk mail, no rotting vegetables. Just a half a wispy bag in the bottom that doesn't seem very promising.
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 King knocks the lid off the edge of the trash can expertly, as all cats are good at knocking things off ledges. However, there's hardly anything in the trash can. No fish bones, no junk mail, no rotting vegetables. Just a half a wispy bag in the bottom that doesn't seem very promising. 
 

 I'm having the sinking feeling that nobody eats around here.  king checks the bag.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
  I'm having the sinking feeling that nobody eats around here.  king checks the bag. 
 

King rifles around in the bag but only seems to find some old clothes.. old, patched up overalls, some ragged shirts and socks. No food, or at least, nothing edible, unless you're a moth!

He hears footsteps approaching...
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 King rifles around in the bag but only seems to find some old clothes.. old, patched up overalls, some ragged shirts and socks. No food, or at least, nothing edible, unless you're a moth!

He hears footsteps approaching... 
 

King runs away from there.  Nope! Don't want to be caught! 
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  "Ah, well uh, I dun think the town's all good for sights and all, mister,"  one of them says.

Another smiles.  "We'd be much obliged if there's anything we can do to help get you all on your way."  
 

He gives a look of contemplation for a moment. "  Hmmmmm.....Nah, none that I know of, though I hardly know what's wrong with the thing. Heh.  " He starts wandering towards the center of town. "  You all should give this place more credit. I dig this peaceful town vibe.  "

He keeps his bag handy in case disaster stuck, both to keep it away from them if he needed to protect himself and the draw his blade out inf he  really  needed to defend himself. He scans all around acting merely like a nosy tourist of all things. A tourist that happened to be built like a grizzly bear.
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 

After consulting the pastor and the rest of the team occupying the church. The search begins.
 King, King, where are you!? It isn't safe for you to be out alone.  
Dr. Hagerty begins looking for footprints in the soil surrounding the church.
JeenLeen
With a shrug, 5404 follows the doctor and also looks around for tracks or any sign of mischief like... well, he's not sure exactly what he's looking for, but a dead mouse or food knocked over or something?
Esprit15
James joins in the search as well. That cat was going to be very disappointed in what its little stunt earned when they get back to the foundation.
MrAbdiel
Benjamin eyes Chris, but then gives him an encouraging nod.

 "That's good pickin'.  Put your back into it, and you'll get a commendation too." 
WindStruck
 That Darn Cat 

King leaps and scrambles out of the trash can, just narrowly avoiding a broom that the old man tried to slam into him.  He glares at King as the cat runs off, a tiny bit of blood trickling down his cheek.


 In Blumber 

It seems as everyone starts to search for King, it becomes evident to the villagers that the cat has gone missing as well. They say to Kuzmo,  "Ah, dang, it seems you lost your cat? We'll help you look." 

Dr. Hagerty can't make heads or tails of the ground; she isn't a skilled tracker of any sort, and King of course is a cat with very light steps.

Together with James, Daniel, and Thomas, the lot of you start to spread out looking for King.

James and Kuzmo are close enough in the right direction to hear a metallic clamor. Upon investigating, you find an old man with a broom replacing the lid on a trash can. There's some scratch marks on his face.


 Adopt a Dieway 

Chris looks over at Benjamin almost incredulously.  "What??"  He hesitates a moment before thrusting down at a plastic lid to a throw-away cup harder than necessary and sighs.

 "I don't know.. This job doesn't seem nearly important enough to me." 

He mutters something that is probably on everyone's mind.  "Why drive us hours and hours just to pick up trash on the side of a highway in the middle of nowhere?" 
Ameraaaaaa
King searches for the others. Since this town doesn't seem to eat may as well. He starts meowing loudly.
JeenLeen
5404 grimaces at seeing the scratch marks and asks, " Hey, I'm sorry.  Was that our cat?  Did you see which way it went? "

If he hears the meowing, he'll follow that sound, though after listening to see what sort of reply the likely-puppet makes.
hand ax ranger
Taking note of the clattering Kuzmo heads there and as soon as it's clear King was here he starts attempting to track him by scent and any trails left. He pays the old man little mind as he becomes focused in finding the cat.

As to why he felt the need? Well there was two answers. Something in his gut told him keeping an eye on the strange feline would be a good idea. He also took it it as it seemed to easiest thing to get on top of in absence of a better direction or idea.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 5404 grimaces at seeing the scratch marks and asks, " Hey, I'm sorry.  Was that our cat?  Did you see which way it went? "

If he hears the meowing, he'll follow that sound, though after listening to see what sort of reply the likely-puppet makes. 
 

The old man scowls and simply points the way between houses, back behind them, where there were fences and fields of crop.  "Around thataway,"  he says, indicating a climb over a fence to the right.  "I think you better keep your cat in its little cage." 

 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
 King searches for the others. Since this town doesn't seem to eat may as well. He starts meowing loudly. 
 

Meanwhile King is able to loop around behind houses and buildings, and it's a simple enough matter for him to work his way back to the main road and find the others who were searching for him. King runs right into Dr. Hagerty again. And Daniel. Because Daniel, apparently after not doing or saying much, usually happened to be in the right place at the right time.


 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 Taking note of the clattering Kuzmo heads there and as soon as it's clear King was here he starts attempting to track him by scent and any trails left. He pays the old man little mind as he becomes focused in finding the cat.

As to why he felt the need? Well there was two answers. Something in his gut told him keeping an eye on the strange feline would be a good idea. He also took it it as it seemed to easiest thing to get on top of in absence of a better direction or idea. 
 

Kuzmo can tell that King had ran under a gap in a fence to the right. Easy for a cat to squeeze through, but an ordinary human would have trouble getting over or under it.
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother
 
The townsfolk were quite helpful and accommodating not like what was anticipated. Could this be a honeyed trap or an anomalous entity genuinely being reasonable? Who knew at this point. Dr. Hagerty reconvenes with her squad after grabbing the cat carrier from their luggage.
Metastachydium
 Perimeter .  Yards  away? Yards  behind ? The world goes dark in front of Cecily's eyes for a moment, albeit not for long enough to make her stumble. Okay, to stumble  too  much.    Hank?    she whispers to her fellow inmate with a shudder.    What's this whole thing's supposed to be about? I mean, this is nowhere.    she flicks a quick look backwards.    And the guards are babbling about some "perimeter" and distances; I don't like this.   
Ameraaaaaa
If king isn't in sight of any villagers he says  "tried to grab a bite to eat. Couldn't find anything.  It seems like these people don't eat. Also i noticed there was somethingstrange while one of these puppets were asleep. You know how beforethere was something deep down. When they were asleep there were just plain nothing. Nothing at all. I wouldn't be surprised if the town was animating these corpses.  Anyways let's stay until the festival starts. That should provide more clues." 
Esprit15
  ”That might be good… I have one idea first though. Do we want to check out the corn fields?”  
WindStruck
 In Blumber 

The eclectic group of SCPs and SCP staff finally all meet up again, a tiny modicum of privacy granted as no other villagers seem to be within sight or earshot.

((Feel free to continue planning your next move?))


 Adopt a Dieway 

Hank looks at Cecily as she asks her questions, then up at the sky.  "Huh. Reminds me of another question. What do you call the cross between an elephant and a rhino?" 

After a long beat of silence he says,  "Elephino."  His deep, gravelly voice had just a hint of mirth to it, and yet his face still seemed so deadpan serious.

 "I dun know what to tell you, Cecily,"  Hank says.  "Ever since we've been in the custody of these jackasses things have been weird. It's never added up. Maybe the perimeter they mention is the corn fields up ahead. Could be someone's farm..." 

Hank pokes his trash picker into the ground and leans on it briefly, in thought.  "Honestly doesn't seem bad...  Well, whatever happens, we'll face it together." 
Metastachydium
The puzzled look on Cecily's face disappears with a snort as Hank delivers his punchline.   Worst. Joke. Ever.   she complains with a tired smile. The big fellow knows how to lighten the mood, that much is certain.

As Hank goes on, she lowers her head, contemplating the asphalt, only to raise it slowly as he finishes speaking, the smile back on, now wider, if still cautious. Briefly, the idea of a quick, grateful hug crosses her mind, but figuring that she'd rather not get shot over that, after some undecided tapping on the handle of her stick, she contents herself with awkwardly elbowing his lower arm.   Damn right.   she affirms with a nod, partly to just encourage herself.   Thanks, man.   He's probably right. It's just corn and weirdos being weirdos.  Probably. 
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  In Blumber 

The eclectic group of SCPs and SCP staff finally all meet up again, a tiny modicum of privacy granted as no other villagers seem to be within sight or earshot. 
 


 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother
 

Dr. Hagerty huffs as frustration frays her patience and collected demeanor. She chides King, refraining from unleashing a full barrage of complaints to the cat who had returned with new insights.
  We went scrambling around looking for you. I feared you had disappeared due to the interference from the town entity. But I'm glad you came by this new clue. Keep them coming and you might still earn your commendations.
I need you to provide feedback to HQ. Dr. Curtis is interested in your insights.  
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
  Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother
 

Dr. Hagerty huffs as frustration frays her patience and collected demeanor. She chides King, refraining from unleashing a full barrage of complaints to the cat who had returned with new insights.
  We went scrambling around looking for you. I feared you had disappeared due to the interference from the town entity. But I'm glad you came by this new clue. Keep them coming and you might still earn your commendations.
I need you to provide feedback to HQ. Dr. Curtis is interested in your insights.   
 

 "whatever you say hippe lady. Mind passing me the communication device. Also i still haven't eaten in a while" 
Esprit15
  ”We can grab you a snack from the car after your report.”  
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   ”We can grab you a snack from the car after your report.”   
 

 "deal! Man i can't wait to eat." Also we should probably check the corn fields.
  
JeenLeen
" I don't know if it means anything worthwhile, but I looked through that priest's desk.  Looked largely unused, bookshelves dusted but I could tell no one has read them for a long time.  He had some letters he wrote to a 'William' in his desk -- I took some pictures.  Seemed mostly be trying to encourage whoever it is and offering condolences, from what I could skim.
Oh, and there was limited reception up there.  I looked around from the high point to see if I could see anything odd, but nothin'. "
Esprit15
James nods, looking through the photos. Does he see anything of note that the SCP might have missed?
JeenLeen
" Do we have the name of the girl who went missing, the one who had a boyfriend in town and vanished a recent Event?  Or the name of the boyfriend?  If one of them is William, or her dad or brother is William, maybe it's a connection?   Uh, mom, maybe you could ask on radio when King reports? "
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo lingers in the background as everyone says their thing, having nothing to add seeing as not much has happened around him.
Esprit15
James leads the group to the corn fields to continue discussions and to allow King to report without being overheard.
WindStruck
James leads everyone (or most people, I guess) into the corn fields discreetly. It isn't exactly a graceful course of action, and Kuzmo's huge frame would have a difficult time squeezing through the corn without making obvious trails through it, but it's still a bit of privacy for now. You've bought yourself a bit more time to look over your evidence, and even briefly contact the SCP Foundation. Still, probably only a matter of time before the villagers really start wondering where you all went to again...

With Dr. Hagerty's phone, she starts a conversation with SCP Control, apparently still talking to Dr. Curtis on the other end.   "Hello again, 'Kali' .. I hope you are in a secured location, and do you have King with you now?"   The radio crackles, and the signal still seems weaker than normal.

Meanwhile, Thomas's discoveries certainly are interesting. Though he does have more questions than there are answers currently, it seems. James retrieves the phone from Thomas, and he has to unlock it to get at the pictures. They're not perfect, but each of the letters seem readable, the first one reads...

 
 Spoiler: Letter 
   Dear William,

I write to you today not to gloat, not as a servant of God, but
merely as a friend. Another year has passed, another year of
anguish and longing, and yet again, things remain the same. The
world continues to move on in ways beyond your ken, and yet you
linger in the past.

I understand how precious Lily is to you, how she is and was to
everyone. Your sacrifice and your devotion to her was great and
commendable, and yet, I cannot say with full faithfulness that
it was noble. Reliving the same days over and over is no way to
live at all. Such stagnation is not good for the mind, nor is it
for the soul. Even the most pristine of woods and strongest of
metals will rot and rust away in the briny cesspools of sorrow.

By now I think you have realized that the past cannot be undone.
Everything that has been shall be again, and everything that
will be has been. The past has been Written, as has the future,
from the moment all of Creation was conceived. You have
conducted yourself admirably, but it is time for this experiment
to come to an end.

Take heart knowing that you are not the first one to fall down
this path, nor will you be the last. No temptation has overtaken
you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He
will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when
you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can
endure it.

May you find peace,

Aidan O.   
 
Ameraaaaaa
 
Hey doctor bitch. 1st off the townspeople except for a little girl and a preist don't have a mind to read. There is something psyich piloting them it seems. I managed to find one asleep and that was the only time i noticed there was nothing piloting them then. But there was still no mind. Seems like something is animating these bodies while they are awake. Hey guys anything interesting in the letter we found?
 
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
    Dear William,
another year of
anguish and longing, and yet again, things remain the same
...
I understand how precious Lily is to you, how she is and was to
everyone.
...
but it is time for this experiment
to come to an end.
...
May you find peace,

Aidan O.    
 

The puzzle was coming together and things were going to go sideways fast. And six to one hundred weren't good odds out in the open.
Dr. Hagerty's breath hitches and she nervously fidgets her hair. Composing herself she offers her diagnosis.
 
It is unusual to write letters and never send them, doesn't even look like a stamp was used. But it seems our pastor Mr. Olheim wrote this himself. Seems like he knows what is truly occurring here. I deduce that the town entity was named William and Mr. Olheim willing to help us end whatever is happening here. It seems like the entity is either reenacting a key event yearly or is caught in a temporal loop. Regardless we should keep an eye on Lilie she seems to be the focal point of the key event. We should get to Lilie immediately.  
Esprit15
James frowns as he reads the letter. They would have to find this ‘William’ it seems.   ”Seems so. Though that doesn’t explain why the priest was so resilient to King’s mind reading.”  
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
  
Hey doctor bitch. 1st off the townspeople except for a little girl and a priest don't have a mind to read. There is something psyich piloting them it seems. I managed to find one asleep and that was the only time i noticed there was nothing piloting them then. But there was still no mind. Seems like something is animating these bodies while they are awake. Hey guys anything interesting in the letter we found?
  
 

There's a long pause on the other side of the radio. So long, you think there may have been a malfunction.

Finally transmission begins again.   "Let me be very clear, SCP-777, though you may be important to this mission, and you have been promised rewards, any further misbehavior will be taken into account against you. Understood?"  

...

  "Now then, can you better describe what you sense? I take it you mean when one was.. 'asleep' you sensed absolutely no mind at all. But when they are awake, what is it that you sense?"  
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 There's a long pause on the other side of the radio. So long, you think there may have been a malfunction.

Finally transmission begins again.   "Let me be very clear, SCP-777, though you may be important to this mission, and you have been promised rewards, any further misbehavior will be taken into account against you. Understood?"  

...

  "Now then, can you better describe what you sense? I take it you mean when one was.. 'asleep' you sensed absolutely no mind at all. But when they are awake, what is it that you sense?"   
 

 "fine fine. The best way to say it is that there is something deep down controlling the mindless people. 
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
  "fine fine. The best way to say it is that there is something deep down controlling the mindless people.  
 

There is apparently some audible confusion on the other side as Dr. Curtis asks,   "So.. can you read the other mind controlling them or not?"  
 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaaaaaaaaaaa 
Honestly, I have been very vague with you on purpose. While it is very understandable that Dr. Curtis might be confused and continues probing questions for clarity.. you probably can't really tell her what you've already said, sadly.

Moving on...
 

  "Were you able to learn anything from the little girl and the priest you mentioned?"  
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 There is apparently some audible confusion on the other side as Dr. Curtis asks,   "So.. can you read the other mind controlling them or not?"  
 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaaaaaaaaaaa 
Honestly, I have been very vague with you on purpose. While it is very understandable that Dr. Curtis might be confused and continues probing questions for clarity.. you probably can't really tell her what you've already said, sadly.

Moving on...
 

  "Were you able to learn anything from the little girl and the priest you mentioned?"   
 

 "sadly i couldn't read either the thing controlling the puppets or the priest. Not sure why for the former but the priest was like a steel wall mentally. The kid had the normal thoughts for a kid. She however can't remember the festivalvery well." 
JeenLeen
As 5404 reads the letter over the Task Force Leader's shoulder, he feels his blood chill at the name  Lily. 
Could it be the same girl, or a re-enactment of her?

The shock of it overcoming fear of punishment and a stunned chill in his tone, he asks towards the radio, " Is there any historical record of a girl named Lily dying, and someone named William in the city?  The priest wrote a letter to a "William" about a "Lily".  Lily's the name of the girl with a real mind. "
WindStruck
Over the radio, Dr. Curtis says,   "As we said before in the briefings, there have been no official records of this town or any people in it. As for unofficial records.. well, you're in the process of helping us make them."  
  "Hm.. it sounds like the priest you mentioned, or this 'William' may have valuable information. I urge you to be cautious, however, as if you get expelled from SCP-1031, it is likely that an entirely new SCP division will have to attempt to resume investigations next year."  
JeenLeen
Some theories click in 5404's mind.

" We never heard the name of Lily's dad, did we?  We should try to figure out if he's William.  Maybe he's the one behind this, something happened to his daughter during the festival...  The priest might be an ally.   Command, based on previous interactions from teams, if  one of us  talked to the priest by ourselves and got evicted, should the rest be able to interact with the town?   Maybe I should confront him alone and say... some lie that makes me a reporter or investigator or something but routed my family here to investigate...  see if he's willing to help.  I could claim to have known the girlfriend who vanished or something...   If I get hurt, no loss.  If I get evicted, hopefully the rest of the family doesn't. "

 
 Spoiler 
OOC: I think AV's character would be better for this, since he could foresee what some response some statements would get from the priest, but I reckon he's just not available now.
 


He looks around the cornfield, weary of folk coming to see the strangers in the corn.
" If I talk to him in the office, y'all would have more seclusion in the chapel. "
WindStruck
  "Based on past events, everyone with you on the mission would be negatively affected by your actions, SCP-5404. Myself included. However, I believe they shouldn't be ejected from the hamlet immediately so long as they remain inside SCP-1031's radius..."  
  "What you propose may be risky. There may be other possibilities. Perhaps this priest is the cause for this anomaly, or perhaps he is some outsider. You might learn something new, however the goal of this mission is to see what happens after dusk."  

There is some silence.

  "I will leave it up to Dr. Hagerty and Task Force Leader Fink to decide. Either way, if you come back with valuable information, that's good enough for me."  
Esprit15
  ”There’s more that can be done before we risk a Hail Mary like that. But we’ll keep it in our back pocket.”  
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   ”There’s more that can be done before we risk a Hail Mary like that. But we’ll keep it in our back pocket.”   
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 

Agreed, the if the repercussions could the expulsion of everyone then it is too risky. We still have some other leads we can pursue, the identity of William, the fate of Lily so many years in the past, and the missing girl.
Questioning pastor Olheim would be the most expedient solution but doing so will require finesse. Luckily Maribelle has a hunch that he has a fair share of regrets and guilt. We likely won't be able to coax him admit anything, but we might be able to lower his mental defenses to allow King to probe his mind.
hand ax ranger
As the rest of the team chatted on about priests and spooky stuff Kuzmo zones out for whatever reason. His ADHD (which the SCP actually diagnosed him with) kicks into overdrive as he starts wandering around looking for things and lets the other's decide the course of action.

After all, he was apparently not taking the lead and no matter how this went down he'd likely have to pick up the pieces anyway. So for now.... look for interesting things.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Response is a combination of explaining lack of retorts and also what the character might well do anyway
 
Esprit15
As James waits for the Doctor to voice her opinion, he notices the tall human wandering.   ”Kuzmo, where are you going? We  just  found King and you’re wandering off.”   Nor did I give you permission to leave.
JeenLeen
Hoping to head off any confrontation, 5404 offers, " How about we talk to the priest, but like not dig as much as I planned but something in-between?  We could probably at least ask who Lily's dad is, simple lie like she asked us to tell him something on our way to the car shop but we forgot to ask his name and description. "

He shrugs.  " I guess that'd make me sound stupid, but I can deal with that. "
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 Hoping to head off any confrontation, 5404 offers, " How about we talk to the priest, but like not dig as much as I planned but something in-between?  We could probably at least ask who Lily's dad is, simple lie like she asked us to tell him something on our way to the car shop but we forgot to ask his name and description. "

He shrugs.  " I guess that'd make me sound stupid, but I can deal with that. " 
 

 "well it makes sense that it makes you sound stupid. Because you are!"  king then laughs at his expense.
Esprit15
  ”Unless there’s a reason he isn’t present, which would be suspicious,”   James stares off at the corn field. The whole way this SCP worked was frustrating. It couldn’t be interrogated, they didn’t know what it knew, and it seems like it does  something  nasty to outsiders.

  “Dr. Curtis. What methods of investigation did prior teams use? What’s already failed? Asking too many questions gets us booted, but that’s something you do when you’re guarding a secret. Has anyone tried speaking to the entity directly, as though they already know what the being is? I don’t want to do this immediately, but it’s something to consider. Sometimes you need to make someone believe you are a friend before they’ll answer questions.”  
JeenLeen
 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
  "well it makes sense that it makes you sound stupid. Because you are!"  king then laughs at his expense. 
 

5404 doesn't respond verbally, but his annoyance is visible on his face and in his mind.
WindStruck
The radio really seems to crackle.   "The past .. years we .. agents .. .. evening .. before the .. ...."  

Looking at your phone, the bars have dropped to only one, and now seems to alternate between zero and one sometimes. The signal here already seemed weaker than it should have been, but this was odd.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Even though your question isn't answered, if you read up on the previous reports related to SCP-1031 provided to you, you would know that a few small teams of field agents had been sent here on the evenings prior to the expansion events covertly. However, all contact was lost and they simply disappeared.
 


Then you all realize you see shapes moving beyond the corn towards the town. It seems the villagers started looking for  you .

The old man with a scratched up face is the first to enter the corn.  "What're y'all doing out here?? That cat run away again? Hey, c'mon over, we all'd like a word with you." 

Out on the main road, it seems there's been an increasing gathering of villagers, plus an old automobile. They don't particularly look that welcoming anymore, though that might be reasonable considering all their plans and activities were being interrupted.

The one known as 'Peter' steps forward and says,  "I did some askin' around and turns out Mr. Sanderson is willing to let you borrow his car. Awf'ly gracious of 'im."  He steps back and nods to a somewhat elderly, if not middle-aged, man with an old suit and a cane.

That man, apparently Mr. Sanderson, speaks up.  "I don't normally do this, but it seems there's no way to repair your car here, and you will have to be towed either way. Unfortunately, you've been having issues with your phones as well..?"  The man looks at you all appraisingly.

 "The nearest town's about twenty miles that way,"  he says pointing westward.  "I figure it shouldn't take you that long to get there and back. And don't worry about the gas. Do you have cash on you?" 
Esprit15
Well ****. That might have just moved his ‘confrontation’ plan up a few hours.   ”Awfully kind of you. I’ll make sure to bring her back in one piece.”   He was absolutely not getting his car back, they were being pushed out. If the group came back it would be to a ghost town.   “Yeah, got some cash. Want me to top her off in town?”   It would be really nice if King ran off to the priest to give them an excuse to run that way.
Ameraaaaaa
King ran away to the priest.  what a pain in the ass. Well I'm gonna go to the priest and ask for his assistance. 
JeenLeen
As he looks at the crowd, 5404 stiffens and freezes up a moment.   Oh no.  Gonna get pitchforked to death.  Gonna get stabbed. Gonna get...  but then he shakes his head, trying to banish the panick.

Fortunately, the task force agent talks to the crowd while he mostly recollects himself.  Seeing King run off, he gives a quick glance towards the actual Foundation staff, then says, " Wow, that's so generous.  Let us just catch him then we can off. "  Stepping in the direction King ran, he adds a couple more  thank yous  as he rushes.

 
 Spoiler 
If the villagers actually get violent, 5404 will reluctantly move back to interpose himself between them and his teammates.  Literally use Interpose if needed.  Though hope no combat yet
 
hand ax ranger
Once the crowd appears Kuzmo focuses up and readies his bag to pull the Falcata out and get to him bloody work. However, the others manage to handle(?) the situation and King scampers of, prompting him to run after at a speed just fast enough to follow but not to actually catch up, leading to him also making an exit form the scene, as he assumed the others might.

Or not. This all felt quite overly complicated to him when they could just search around here, find the cause and either dismiss it magically or beat the cause enough times it ceases being a problem.
WindStruck
As the tension rises among the SCP operatives and their cooperative(?) SCPs, King makes a break for the church. A few villagers attempt to grab King but the darn cat is too fast.

They still seem none to happy about this situation as a few of you rush off after your cat. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, Daniel says,   "I'll go. You all get King, and Mom.. make sure he doesn't run away this time?"   Daniel smiles at Dr. Hagerty, his little jab passably demonstrating familial ties.    "I'll drive to the other town and see about getting us a tow truck."  

With this he get the keys to the car and starts up the engine. The ones in charge might not totally approve of this spontaneous course of action, but it seems to appease the villagers for now.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Plus, I'll just be writing the character out of the action. Without killing him! What a surprise.
 
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 As the tension rises among the SCP operatives and their cooperative(?) SCPs, King makes a break for the church. A few villagers attempt to grab King but the darn cat is too fast.

They still seem none to happy about this situation as a few of you rush off after your cat. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, Daniel says,   "I'll go. You all get King, and Mom.. make sure he doesn't run away this time?"   Daniel smiles at Dr. Hagerty, his little jab passably demonstrating familial ties.    "I'll drive to the other town and see about getting us a tow truck."   
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 
  Thank you son. We'll get King before he snacks on some church mice.  
Dr. Hagerty begins hoofing it towards the church, the hair on the back of her neck standing erect as she put distance between herself and the villagers.
 Dangit the entity was wising up. The itinerary would have to be expedited. At least no one had to break character. It was such a blessing that Maribel managed to keep her cool in these situations.  
WindStruck
 In Blumber 

At this moment, the church bell ominously rings again, one time. So, it's about one o'clock...

King races to the church and is there first. Apparently there's no one here again, but that priest is probably in the back. The others who chased behind you soon arrive at the church as well.

Meanwhile Daniel (SCP-6356) drives off west in the car that was offered. Hopefully he would buy you all some time to do.. uh.. something. Whatever was going on around here, you had to find out what it was! Or stop it.


 In the Tall grass 

The moment finally arrived. All the D-class personnel posing as prisoners (well technically they already were prisoners) have approached the corn. You all had been at this a while, so you got some time to rest and a quick meal, but now you were on the threshold of this ominous wall of corn.

The SCP guards radio in again, and suddenly there seems to be a change of plans.   "Alright, maggots, be on your best behavior,"   one of the guards says. Two guards now walk in front of you along the road, and they frequently check behind themselves. Two more walk behind you. Presumably, two more are in that truck, slowly riding even further behind you. The  other  truck, the one that you rode in on and were pretty sure was mostly empty stays behind, outside the perimeter of the corn.

You're still on this small, two-lane highway.  The shoulder isn't that big, and the corn creeps up close near the road, mere feet away. It feels claustrophobic...

Suddenly, you hear a low rumbling. Like the growling of some  creature , its stomach rumbling, yearning to eat you. It grows closer and louder!

And then it turns out to just be a car: a pretty old car, with a young man driving it. Everyone has to move out of the way, most staying on their side of the road, some on the opposite side beyond the shoulder and practically pressing themselves into the corn.

The passing of this car seems to be causing some alarm among the guards. They radio in again, and among other things said, what can definitively be heard is some repeated code phrase, "SCP-6356".
Ameraaaaaa
King runs around the church looking for the priest.  come on old fart! I need your help! 
Metastachydium
The proximity of the creepy corn makes Cecily thoroughly uncomfortable and her biology is doing its best to double down on that. Now that there's a modicum of shadow she should be sweating less and not more! And the fact that she managed to force some food into herself but only some makes her somehow both hungry and nauseous at once. If the guards weren't walking  before  them, clearly more concerned with what their assembled lo is up to than what lies ahead…

When the rumbling noise rises from somewhere out of sight, she freezes for a moment, reflexively clutching her pointy stick and trashbag to her chest (a reflex she's quick to regret, one might add). But confusingly enough, unlike herself, the guards still show no intention to just break and run and before she could make up her mind and swing behind cover ("cover", in this specific instance, meaning Hank), the source of the noise bursts into view…

And it's a car. A  really  old car, at that. In her relief, she's a bit late to realize just how fast the old timer is moving  towards them ; once that (the realization, not the car) hits her, she dashes off of the road a bit too fast, half-disappearing in the corn. She recoils from the stalks just as fast and as she stands precariously on tiptoe, flailing comically with her arms, all she can think of's just how  weird  it is that she's doing her best to fall on the cold (or, in fact, probably sickeningly warm) asphalt, rather than into the cornfield, if she's to fall. It feels… Stupid, frankly. Ominous as the whole deal, and most recently, this S-C-P 6-3-something (what could that be, anyway? Security Code P-whatever? "S" checkpoint? "C" or "see"?), might be, it feels stupid. At this rate, she'll impale herself on her own trashpicker.

This field trip is really doing numbers on her. That dumbass Chris has a point. She'd be better off in a cell now. Maybe she'll get a nice padded one once this is over.
MrAbdiel
 You're welcome, citizen. 

Benjamin thinks, as the car zooms by with no outward sign of noticing the hard work they have put in to beautify this rural highway.  He looks around, pre-emptively smirking as he prepares to recite his lukewarm sarcasm out loud to an audience that makes the mistake of making eye contact with him.  But the guards are troubled by something - they're draw to the car, and its occupant.  The time has come.  The wolf lays low, until the deer falls asleep.  The snake slithers through the snow; and the buffalo's attention is elsewhere.

The time is now for corn.

While the  fools  are distracted,  just as planned , Benjamin makes use of his corn-adjacent position; turning on the spot with languid, casual easy and attempting to  bite into an ear of corn, husk, fibres and all  before turning back about and attempting to chew as discretely as possible.
WindStruck
 In the Tall Grass 

Cecily practically wheels and stumbles about, and she almost does poke an eye out as she slowly and awkwardly falls forward, hands just barely catching herself in time to prevent her from falling flat on her face. But hey at least she was safely on the nasty asphalt!

Benjamin, in all his cleverness, sneaks a bite of corn... "husk, fibers and all". And it is the most immediately obvious, stupidest thing he's ever done in memory. Unfortunately, his memory may be rather short. The taste of completely raw corn right off the stalk may be an acquired taste for some, but being mixed with the outer corn husk and the silken fibers within, it's like trying to chew on tough, bitter cardboard and mouthfuls of dental floss. There simply is no good texture here, and what little corn flavor that would be there is masked by the overwhelming presence of inedible plant matter. The urge to spit it all out is undeniable.

Perhaps all the other inmates and guards had their own little issues as well when this car drove by. But even after the car apparently passed without issues, a minute later, yet another alarm was raised...

  "We've got a missing D-Class! Son of a b****!"   The guard radios this new development in and orders you all to keep your hands up, keep away from the corn, and stay still.

 
 Spoiler: MrAbdiel 
Though Benjamin is kinda dimwitted apparently, a decent insight reveals that these guards actually aren't very familiar with each of your faces. They probably know the numbers on your person better, which are a bit smaller and more discreet for this particular outing.
 


For the time being, you may briefly comply with these commands, only twisting your head about to try to figure out who was missing. And it's Tater. Of course it was Tater. Why wouldn't it be?
WindStruck
 Bonus Update for the Blumber Party 

King meowls around and, seeing as the only logical place where the priest would be was in the back (seeing as the bell just rang) King also begins scratching and pawing at the door.

Very soon after, Reverend Olheim emerges. Was it because of King or was he planning to come out at this time anyway? Hard to say...

The reverend looks down at the black cat with some curiosity, and then looks up to meet everyone else's gaze with an equal amount of apparent curiosity and expectation.

((Every character who was heading to the church should be here now, so feel free to just.. start your conversation?))
Ameraaaaaa
King coughs looks up to the priest and says  "reverend we need your help! How do we stop William! And yes i am a cat! 
WindStruck
The man looks down at King, the feigned curiosity melting away. He doesn't look surprised at all at the spectacle of the talking cat either.

 "So, it appears we will be dropping all pretenses of secrecy and ending this charade. Quickly then, to my office." 

Without looking around, or even at the others present, he simply turns to open the door and heads into the cramped, dim backrooms of the church, leaving the door open for everyone to follow.

After each of you shuffle in, and the door is closed behind you, the reverend says,  "The first thing you need to know is that William cannot be stopped. Only he can stop himself. The second thing you should know, more importantly than the first, is that so long as he doesn't know you know, you are relatively safe and free to leave. But as I am sure you may suspect, he is growing weary of your presence." 
Esprit15
  ”Oh thank god, we can trust you,”   James says with a sigh of relief.   “I had it on coin flip odds that you were part of whatever is going on out there or not.”  
  ”Who or what is William?”  
Metastachydium
Cecily springs up with a surprising alacrity, and suppressing the urge to rub the rough texture of the poorly maintained asphalt out of her palms, she lets her arms shoot upwards at a steep angle.   Please don't shoot me, Sir!   she blurts out as she blunders forward. Getting away from the corn is an instruction she can comply with quite enthusiastically; standing still, on the other hand, hasn't been her forte since… Well, since about  then . And armed people ordering her to freeze and put her hands where they can see them doesn't bring back the best of her memories either. The most she can do is drum on the road with her right foot as  softly  as it gets as she begins to methodically try and chew her own lips off.  Stupid ****ing  jackass  Tater! She didn't think that weirdo will actually get them all killed.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   ”Oh thank god, we can trust you,”   James says with a sigh of relief.   “I had it on coin flip odds that you were part of whatever is going on out there or not.”  
  ”Who or what is William?”   
 

The reverend paces about behind his desk.  "William is, or perhaps was, the most devout member of what this little village used to be. And now.. he is but a man with more power than he knows how to handle; becoming a more hollowed out husk as the years go by." 

He looks at each of you and continues,  "I know, that sounds vague. Imagine if you gave an ordinary man the powers of the divine, yet he did not have the abilities to properly wield them. He is everywhere and yet nowhere, only able to perceive reality through a human lens, and yet, he can split his focus. This place, this is his domain now, yet as it expands, there is no creativity. He is too focused on his late granddaughter and his former life, living in the past." 
Esprit15
  ”You mean Lily… You said ‘late.’ So what is the girl that we saw earlier? A figment?”   James asks. Though there is concern in his voice, he still comes off as the stern military type now that he’s no longer playing the persona.   “And is it possible to remove this ‘William’ without hurting him or the town?”   And how are you exempt from the effects…
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   ”You mean Lily… You said ‘late.’ So what is the girl that we saw earlier? A figment?”   James asks. 
 

The reverend nods.  "Yes, Lily.. the real Lily is gone now, and what is here is perhaps the best recreation one can make."  He shakes his head sadly.


 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Though there is concern in his voice, he still comes off as the stern military type now that he’s no longer playing the persona.   “And is it possible to remove this ‘William’ without hurting him or the town?”   And how are you exempt from the effects… 
 

 "I already told you, James. Only he can stop himself. As for this town? Technically, it does not even exist. Truthfully I fear more for William's soul than anything else..." 
Esprit15
James narrows his eyes.   ”Gotcha… so what’s your role in this? Why are you different from the locals?”  
Plaids
Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother

Dr. Hagerty follows Olheim into the inviting sanctuary and hurriedly closing the church door with everyone safely within.
 Wouldn't any prying entity eyes prying into the team's plans. Maybe some additional precautions were in order. Jaylen couldn't be raised alone at SCP after all, and Dad was waiting.  
  We're glad our priorities align Father Olheim we're here to stop William as well. But when King probed Lily he found a normal child. Did William kidnap her or commit a transgression against nature? The former would be so much more preferable since we have places to be and children to raise ourselves and places to be besides Blumber.  

Dr. Hagerty pales and gasps quickly as she steadies herself.

 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
   "The first thing you need to know is that William cannot be stopped. more importantly than the first, is that so long as he doesn't know you know, you are relatively safe and free to leave. But as I am sure you may suspect, he is growing weary of your presence."  
 

 A terrifying threat. Being confined to someone else's decaying fantasy.  
  Would it be wise to seal the churches entrances? Because we are very much outnumbered at the moment.  
Dr. Hagerty glances at the pews while tapping a cartridge of arresting foam.
hand ax ranger
When they all ran in, Kuzmo follows them in and is about to curse this priest until the ruse is dropped and he nods, listening to the ocnversation and trying to absorb it all


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 He looks at each of you and continues,  "I know, that sounds vague. Imagine if you gave an ordinary man the powers of the divine, yet he did not have the abilities to properly wield them.  Blah Blah Blah , only able to perceive reality through a human lens,  Blah Blah Blah . This place, this is his domain now, yet as it expands, there is no creativity. He is too focused on his late granddaughter and his former life, living in the past."  
 

Kuzmo tilts his head at this in particular and speaks up.   Assuming the dropping of pretenses.... that sounds like me at a point. I feel for this mortal's confusion.... even if here my power is greatly lessened to that of before I ever became a King......  . He growls in anger.

He looks to the doctor. "  Speaking of which, should I go ahead and..... get more comfortable?  "


 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
   Would it be wise to seal the churches entrances? Because we are very much outnumbered at the moment.  
Dr. Hagerty glances at the pews while tapping a cartridge of arresting foam. 
 

"  I can help fix that if need be.....  "
MrAbdiel
 
 Spoiler: Last Time... 

 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Benjamin, in all his cleverness, sneaks a bite of corn... "husk, fibers and all". And it is the most immediately obvious, stupidest thing he's ever done in memory. Unfortunately, his memory may be rather short. The taste of completely raw corn right off the stalk may be an acquired taste for some, but being mixed with the outer corn husk and the silken fibers within, it's like trying to chew on tough, bitter cardboard and mouthfuls of dental floss. There simply is no good texture here, and what little corn flavor that would be there is masked by the overwhelming presence of inedible plant matter. The urge to spit it all out is undeniable.

Perhaps all the other inmates and guards had their own little issues as well when this car drove by. But even after the car apparently passed without issues, a minute later, yet another alarm was raised...

  "We've got a missing D-Class! Son of a b****!"   The guard radios this new development in and orders you all to keep your hands up, keep away from the corn, and stay still.

 
 Spoiler: MrAbdiel 
Though Benjamin is kinda dimwitted apparently, a decent insight reveals that these guards actually aren't very familiar with each of your faces. They probably know the numbers on your person better, which are a bit smaller and more discreet for this particular outing.
 


For the time being, you may briefly comply with these commands, only twisting your head about to try to figure out who was missing. And it's Tater. Of course it was Tater. Why wouldn't it be? 
 
 


With a mouthful of half masticated corn fibres and husk, Benjamin complies with the orders from the men with guns.

For a few moments, he uses all of his brainpower to bash his thoughts into shape.  Presently, his senses are reporting that this corn, eaten this way, is disgusting and tough and bad.  But accepting this is tantamount to accepting that his initial instincts were wrong; and he cannot do this.  Instead, he does what fools prefer to do when experience proves them wrong: he lies to himself, preparing to lie to others.  Later, he will tell others that he took a bite of the corn, husk and all, and it was the  sweetest corn he'd ever tasted.   All who doubt him  are to be chided as knaves and cads; he has the experience, and he will use it to beat objections into submission.  This mouthful of indigestible plant matter was good.  It was a  good  thing.

Coughing as he swallows it, teeth clogged with silky fibres, he stands away from the corn with his hands raises, and scans around.

Tater's missing.  Tater, who had not backed down when he had challenged him previously; to whom he owed repayment.  Ratting out that little skunk to a good kicking from the guards would be extremely satisfying, and Benjamin is highly incentivised all of a sudden to try to figure out where the blighter has gone.  He scans about, hoping to spot a trail so he can immediately narc.
Ameraaaaaa
 "we're supposed to neutralise the threat right. Well what if we kidnap or kill this "lily." She isn't the real one anyways. If we take her to the base that could disrupt the magic and stop William. But it'd be easier just to kill her honestly.  It could disrupt the spell as well. What do you think about that.  
WindStruck
 In Blumber 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 James narrows his eyes.   ”Gotcha… so what’s your role in this? Why are you different from the locals?”   
 

 "I guess you could say, because I simply am  not  a local. My role in this is.. sadly, just as an observer. And I do keep the time..." 

 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
  We're glad our priorities align Father Olheim we're here to stop William as well. But when King probed Lily he found a normal child. Did William kidnap her or commit a transgression against nature? The former would be so much more preferable since we have places to be and children to raise ourselves and places to be besides Blumber   
 

 "As for what Lily is, for all practical purposes,  she is  human. I doubt any of your instruments or tests could prove otherwise. And yet, she is not truly the Lily that was lost. It would seem that William had focused all of his attention into recreating her, giving her full autonomy and the spark of life.. much to my surprise." 

The reverend sighs and then begins to do some strange things. First he sets some things on his desk aside and some others he brushes to the floor. He partially opens one of the drawers. Then he takes his chair and carefully sets it down on its side.

 "Sooner or later, William will have to face the reality, but by then, at what cost? I haven't been able to get through to him, and I doubt I ever will. But perhaps you strangers can? I must warn you, he is incredibly dangerous when angered. I would advise you to simply leave this place at your earliest opportunity. Still, if you are insistent, he lives in the attic of Lily's home.  ...and yes, he sees through the other villagers as well." 

The reverend says this as he takes a hold of the bookshelf and slowly tips it over, causing books to start partially spilling out of it and damaging their pages and spines.


 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
   Would it be wise to seal the churches entrances? Because we are very much outnumbered at the moment.  
Dr. Hagerty glances at the pews while tapping a cartridge of arresting foam. 
 


 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 Kuzmo tilts his head at this in particular and speaks up.   Assuming the dropping of pretenses.... that sounds like me at a point. I feel for this mortal's confusion.... even if here my power is greatly lessened to that of before I ever became a King......  . He growls in anger.

He looks to the doctor. "  Speaking of which, should I go ahead and..... get more comfortable?  "

"  I can help fix that if need be.....  " 
 

 "Oh, I wouldn't advise that. If you cause more trouble here, that will only heighten suspicion and put you in more danger."  Looking at Kuzmo, he says,  "Your true form may have some benefit when the time comes, but for now, it will only cause alarm and bring you peril."  As he says this, he has moved closer to your group and seems to be adjusting a picture hung up on the wall, before removing it and letting it fall with a clatter and the twinge of broken glass.


 
 Originally Posted by Ameraaaaaa 
  "we're supposed to neutralise the threat right. Well what if we kidnap or kill this "lily." She isn't the real one anyways. If we take her to the base that could disrupt the magic and stop William. But it'd be easier just to kill her honestly.  It could disrupt the spell as well. What do you think about that.   
 

 "The way you think is most unfortunate, both uncompassionate and unwise. If you think about it, could William simply not remake another Lily again? Alas, my troubled interlopers, I'm afraid we are out of time.." 

As it once again seems like the reverend is about to strangely misplace something else - this time a lamp standing near the door, he violently flings it toward the back near the bell tower, and in the same swift motion, firmly grabs King.

   "For God's sake, keep the door closed! Quickly woman, put it in the cage!"    he suddenly yells, though his facial expression doesn't match the alarm and anger in his voice.


 In the Tall Grass 

Automatic rifles briefly focus on Cecily, then on other inmates.  One of the guards radios the situation in.

Benjamin, being the double crossing wise guy that he is, at least remembered that Tater was with Tom before. Now Tom stands alone on the opposite side of the road. Surely he went into the corn that way. You're about to rat out Tater, but unfortunately, you tried to swallow that mass of tough stringy mess in your mouth. That didn't go over well. Sometimes the first step to fixing a problem is admitting there is a problem in the first place. Unfortunately, when you double down on those mistakes, they can have nasty consequences.

Benjamin begins choking and coughing up gross pieces of chewed up corn onto the ground, soon doubling over and falling to his knees. The rest of the stalk and the silks are stuck in his mouth and throat. Still ever so doggedly persistent in ratting out Tater, one of his hands points in the direction of Tom, and yet the guards are too focused on you disobeying their orders and wondering what the hell is killing you from the inside out.

All the other inmates stand stock still, too afraid to move and help Benjamin in his predicament. At last, as you crouch over the road practically  dying , one of the guards briskly approaches and grabs you. It seems he quickly identifies the problem. Somewhat.   "What the f*** is in your mouth??"  
Ameraaaaaa
 
"Hey! let go of me you stinky priest! Let me be! Stupid human! You'll pay for this!"
 

King struggles to break free as best as he can.
JeenLeen
5404 takes in the conversation.  The priest is an ally.  He's visibly angered at the monster-SCP's suggestion of killing Lily, but relieved at the responses... and a bit disgusted at the thought that he sees the logic of the creature's suggestion.

He starts to try to form some questions.  Did everyone die earlier?  What happens to Lily each festival?  What happened to those who vanished before, or that girlfriend who moved here?

But then the priest starts acting oddly.  Then throws a lamp and grabs King?!
Did he get seized by William?  Is he a different SCP?
Regardless, seems time to do his job.  If someone's gonna get hurt, best to be him.  5404 runs up to the priest, glancing out any window to see if a mob is gathering, and asks, " What are you doing? "
WindStruck
The priest tries the best he can to clamp down on King's mouth to prevent him from speaking, but without the element of surprise, it's still apparently difficult.

When Thomas rushes over, he hurriedly whispers,   "They're right outside!"  

Then he unceremoniously tosses King toward Doctor Hagerty and continues making a ruckus, knocking a stool over and pounding on the door once.
JeenLeen
King already broke protocol.  Maybe it means no new game, but screw that.

Trying to use his body and all his strength to help hold the door closed, 5404 whispers back, " I can't be hurt or "...  dang it, say it... " killed.  At least permanently.  How much are we at  physical  danger verses... whatever makes people vanish danger? "
Metastachydium
Cecily's predicament is far less interesting than Benjamin's (which she feels a warm appreciation for), but she is torn all the same. On the one hand, not being shot, aimed at or generally  acknowledged  and closely monitored for a second is all she can ask for under the present circumstances. On the other hand, watching someone (even if that someone is as annoying a twit as loudmouth freakin' Benjamin Hillcrest) is not something she needs in her day either. Still, she swallows an idle "I think he's choking" and stays as motionless as her nerves allow for, sweating some more and quietly blocking the sensation of her arms getting  so  tired, only bothering to throw a quick glance each in all directions she can without moving anything other than her eyeballs to check on Hank.
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 The priest tries the best he can to clamp down on King's mouth to prevent him from speaking, but without the element of surprise, it's still apparently difficult.

When Thomas rushes over, he hurriedly whispers,   "They're right outside!"  

Then he unceremoniously tosses King toward Doctor Hagerty and continues making a ruckus, knocking a stool over and pounding on the door once. 
 

"  Oh wellm that's a problem. So the how will we get rid of them then?  " Even as he says this he doesn't even wait for an answer before he starts donning his armor draws his cleaving blade.


 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 King already broke protocol.  Maybe it means no new game, but screw that.

Trying to use his body and all his strength to help hold the door closed, 5404 whispers back, " I can't be hurt or "...  dang it, say it... " killed.  At least permanently.  How much are we at  physical  danger verses... whatever makes people vanish danger? " 
 

Kuzmo walks over and stands against the door with them, using mighty leg muscles and his massive weight keep it closed.

"  Noted. I have both a self mending body and the means to heal your wounds should the need arise. Not sure who'll be doing the fighting but it should give them comfort.  "
MrAbdiel
Even here, on the edge of the stupidest demise imaginable, Benjamin has pride.

Pride, in this case, arriving later than scheduled; shortly after the fall.

Wheezing and coughing, he drops to his knees.  It's possible that the guards would over react and shoot him for such independent actions; but there's only so much denial of the survival instinct's initial screaming a man can muster before it is addressed.  Red in the face, he starts sticking his fingers in his mouth and digging out flakes of corn husk and silk, trying to clear the blockage by any means possible.

Pride swept into the black spots in his vision, reassuring him as he struggled.  And it was a good reassurance, too; it was everything he needed to know right now.

 Somehow, in a way I have not yet decided, this is Tater's fault. 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
You know, if this scene was less funny, I might have griped a bit, saying something like 'I wasn't aware I needed to declare my character was spending his action chewing'.

But it  is  funny, so I'm good. :)
 
WindStruck
 In the Tall Grass 
  "Robins! Look for the runaway! Everyone else, eyes on the D-Classes!"   the guard barks as he looks about ready to wrestle with Benjamin.

The choking man manages to reach into his mouth, and thankfully, the strands of plant fiber are not too difficult to get a hold of - aside from the fact that Benjamin is still gagging and on the verge of convulsing. He pulls out all the husk and most of the silks in one go. Though it seems one or two strand of silk is still really badly causing him misery.

The guard seems rather mystified by the spectacle, still not really comprehending just  what  Benjamin was choking on.  He would have never guessed that the inmate literally just took a bite out of the corn through its husk.

  "I asked you a question! What was in your mouth!?"   he asks, still rather uncompassionate about the whole situation. But to be fair, it was 100% Benjamin's fault.
Esprit15
  ”Sir,”   James puts a firm hand on the priest,   ”I understand that we all have things that we want to protect, but as you can see, we aren’t folks to be strung along, either. Being vague with passing civilians is probably good for getting them out of town, but we need to know what’s happening. Unless you  like  what your friend here is doing, it behooves all of us for you to be forthcoming rather than cryptic. You seem concerned about William, enough that you want to stay here and try to keep him from living this lie. Help us help you help him.

“Or we can do this the ****y way, where a field team ****up results in you being taken in instead and William has nobody to help guide him out of his madness. Your choice. What  is  William?”   James’s face has all the sympathy of a DMV worker listening to someone explain why they don’t have their second piece of photo ID.
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 

Things were escalating she could feel it. But the added information helped set goals and shape objectives.

  King, I you need to pipe down for a bit you seem to be agitating the man.
We know where William is now, right above Lily's bedroom. If we can stop William, we have an unmistakable path to him.  

Now with a clear objective and shaking off her nerves Dr. looks to Father Olheim in his bout of subdued mania.
 Sudden mood shifts, violence spasms, all while divulging key information. This had happened before and was too often a precursor to the real danger on missions.  
  I don't know what's occurring to Olheim. Worst case scenario, William's onto him and pulverizing his brain. King if you would be so kind, provide me a probe of his mind. He's certainly in different mental state now. Somebody restrain him so I can check him for concussions, cranial embolisms, or air pockets that come with a psychic attack.  

OOC: I assume checking Olheim would require a TREATMENT roll.
Esprit15
  ”He’s just making a mess so that people think we were actually trying to catch King,”   James whispers to the doctor.
WindStruck
 Cloistered with the Cleric 

There's a loud knocking coming from the door now. A muffled voice calls out,   "Everything alright in there, father?"  

The priest yells back,   "Yes, Peter! I mean, er, no! I mean, we have it under control, I think! Damned cat!"   He shoots King an admonishing glare, with a finger drawn to his lip.

King can't read anything at all in the priest's mind, being firmly rejected and practically flung out. It will take  extra effort  to attempt to read the priest's mind again from now on.

Even despite the priest's reassurances from beyond the door, it shudders a bit as the villager tries to press in anyway, blocked by Kuzmo, who firmly pressed himself against the door with armor donned.

Despite the priest's warnings, his words go mostly unheeded. Thomas and James and Dr Hagerty still insist upon asking questions. But there's simply no time.

  "What's going on in there? What are y'all on about??"   the voice calls out, attempting to rattle the door open more forcefully.
JeenLeen
5404 looks to his comrades.
" Run to Lily's?  Meet William in person? "
MrAbdiel
 
 Originally Posted by A Jackbooted Thug 
 "I asked you a question! What was in your mouth!?"[/COLOR][/B] he asks, still rather uncompassionate about the whole situation. But to be fair, it was 100% Benjamin's fault. 
 

  "I had to test the corn."   He wheezes, tonguing at his teeth.

When this gathers a protracted silence, he lowers his voice, and begins to dig himself further into his lie.

  "You know. For the mission."  
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   ”He’s just making a mess so that people think we were actually trying to catch King,”   James whispers to the doctor. 
 

  Sorry, just assuming the worst and jumping to conclusions.  
Dr. Hagerty releases the father's eyelid sheepishly.

Eyeing the door she provides her own assessment.
  While we were tasked with neutralizing William, I think we should leave the building regardless of our future actions.  
hand ax ranger
"  Agreed  " Kuzmo whispers, still cloaked in the illusion of the ring. "  The question is what route we shall take. I think perhaps if a few leave through the door and strike up conversation then others can sneak out the window and get a head start on slaying or neutralizing this 'William'.  

He sheaths his sword on his belt and keeps leaning on the door as he awaits a response from someone.
Esprit15
James sighs and swears quietly.   ”Guess it’s a confrontation then. Let’s run by the car so I can get my gun. This is gonna probably get ugly, and if they’re nothing but shades I give less than a damn about putting a hole in a shade.”  
JeenLeen
Knowing time is short, 5404 offers, " What if Kuzmo and I talk to them and see what happens, and you all go out a back route?  Worst case then, we two get kicked out and have more intel than any prior team.
Reverend, if you can tell us what happens at midnight in the fog, it'd be a ton of help, but if not then tell whoever comes after us.  Maybe they'll be able to do more than we did to help or stop William. "  Screw protocol at this point.  If he might get  erased  by William, for all he knows, 5404 isn't going to care too much about secrecy.  " We're SCP.  If the next odd, nosy villagers know that name, they're probably us. "

He looks to his teammates.  The Task Force leader probably really in charge, the maybe-insane scientist officially in charge, the egomaniac cat, and the monster who could probably kill the villagers if needed.
"  'Mom', 'bro', I recommend not fighting the god-thing, but your call.  We clear to talk and buy you time? "
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo nods. "   No matter how you look at it having me, your divine powered muscle suited for the ol' money making is probably a good idea. If they ask about the armor I just explain we shoot moving picture things or whatever. But, most likely, We'll just end up cutting things down anyway.  "

He looks to them all and gives a speech. "  It is clear we are dealing with something beyond mere mortal means, especially for this world, to deal with completely. It might be important for someone to find a means to combat his powers through rituals or interfering with whatever source has given him his divinity.  In case we don't succeed I want you all to know I will remember you.... probably with a toast or whatever seems fitting.  "
Ameraaaaaa
 "well let's go then. Also hopefully you 2 humans can do the talking because diplomacy was never my strong suit. 
Esprit15
  ”Sounds like a plan. It should at least give us time to radio HQ and ask how they want to proceed.”  
JeenLeen
5404 takes a heavy sigh, waiting for the doors to open either by Kuzmo's hand or the crowd's.  Most of his attention is on trying not to think out pitchforks or torches.
hand ax ranger
With the group more or less seeming to agree with the plan Kuzmo will step back from the door and open it to converse with the townsfolk.... or fight. Either one.
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - Commanding SCP scientist
Guise: Kali Simmons - The loving mother 

Time was running out, townsfolk were convening and there too many things to manage.
But now there two strategies. Hurry towards the mission objective or proceed slowly maybe even retreating.

"We need to focus on neutralizing the threat William poses. If he finds out about SCP involvement, he will be prepared for the next squad that arrives from out of town. We should make our way Lily's home and attract as little attention as possible while doing so."
JeenLeen
 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 With the group more or less seeming to agree with the plan Kuzmo will step back from the door and open it to converse with the townsfolk.... or fight. Either one. 
 

5404 steps up with, albeit staying a couple paces behind, Kuzmo and tries to put on a nervous smile of someone embarrassed to be annoying friendly townsfolk.  Quite successfully, as his emotions fit that persona quite well at the moment.
WindStruck
 Cloistered with the Cleric 

As time runs out and pressure mounts, with villagers puppeted around by an unknown force gathering just outside the chambers beyond, the five of you continue to talk, but eventually it seems the consensus is to let them come in.

In short response to the queries, about all he can really manage, Reverend Olheim lowly mutters back,  "I'm sorry, but I've done all I can for now..." 

Kuzmo steps back from the door, which pretty much flies open, slamming against the wall. Beyond the portal are four villagers, of which you've seen before, looking quite displeased.

The man's eyes, the one who called himself "Peter" before, they narrow at you all. His voice sounds a bit different from what you remember.  "Yer all from the government,  ain't ya? " 

His eyes sweep around the room as he barely manages to step in, with the massive armored form of Kuzmo plus Thomas greeting them first and foremost. The room is in a complete state of disarray, but the cat is out of the bag, so to speak. Everyone looks suspicious, everyone looks guilty, and what the heck is with the massive guy suddenly in armor??

Whatever confusion seems to briefly befuddle the villager quickly flares up into more suspicion and anger again.  " You think I didn't hear what you've been saying?!  What else have you told them, Adrian?  What else?! " 

You all feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, a strange and subtle, tingly feeling. The reverend raises his hands slightly in a placating gesture.  "I only hoped to persuade them to leave." 

Not really satisfied with the answer, and moving onto the next line of questioning, the man demands,  "Someone else is here. Where are they??" 
 
 Spoiler: Plaids, Esprit 
He's probably heard King's voice, but simply does not know about King's powers or ability to talk.
 

 In the Tall Grass 

Benjamin spins some weird and crafty stuff, but it's not this SCP Guard's first rodeo, and he's heard even more clever lies and crazy crap. Looking more closely at the mashed and chewed up plant matter on the ground.. yeah, that does actually look like it could be corn, now that he thought about it.

The guard briefly growls to himself in loathing, even going to far as breaching safety protocol by briefly giving himself a facepalm with one hand and roughly dragging it down his face, before he suddenly jerks Benjamin to his feet again.

  "Alright, listen up, everyone! No eating the corn! Got it?"  
  *RATATATATAT*  

Suddenly the deafening blast or rifle fire interrupts the debacle.

  "Think I've got a hit!"   the other soldier says.

You're not sure what it is, maybe it was the loud gun firing and suddenly scaring you, but you feel uneasy. Everyone feels uneasy, as though they are about to be struck by lightning.

The guard calling the shots backs up from the inmates again.  "Control, one of the Ds ate some corn. What should we do with him?" 

Though he's discreetly talking into his comms, due to the current situation and being on this small road, he's not far enough away to make it impossible to hear.

 "...  Control, do you copy? ... Control?" 
hand ax ranger
With it being clear that the ruse was up Kuzmo draws his falcata and stands ready for violence, his form even after so ling in confinement was natural and refined. Like that of a trained warrior of many years. He licks his lips as he remains in his human form, but his voice turns back to it deep growl with a slight screech hidden within. That, and his eyes resume their hot coal color.

"  What the Dead Son's priest has told us is not your concern. Whatever hold you have on these people you best keep them back before I reap whatever life they have in them  "

While not bothering to save the priests feelings about his false prophet he was careful not to wound the pride of this false god. Not yet, at least.
MrAbdiel
Preferring this routine disrespect to the instant perforation available as an alternative, Benjamin is manhandled to his feet.  The gunshots alarm him, as much as everyone else; he's not dull enough to misunderstand that particular danger.  But he is bewildered at the guard's decision to radio in about the corn - really, even in the rational part of his brain that wasn't in denial about his folly, it seemed like a small and meaningless tresspass and one not worth considering while live rounds were going about.  For the first time, he begins to wonder if he should consider thinking about reassessing his earlier decision to sample this corn.
JeenLeen
Not really being a fighter, 5404 nonetheless steps up beside Kuzmo and tries to put up a confident facade.  A lie quickly comes to his mind.
" The other person?  Was heading to the belltower, with a rope.  Might be gone by now. "

 
 Spoiler 
Feel free to roll to see how well/badly I lie
 
Esprit15
Damnit, no time to sneak out! Okay, new plan. James puts on a smile as the man accuses them of being feds.   ”If we  are  from the government, it behooves you,  William,  to let us to our business so that we can leave quickly and have no reason to return. Last thing anyone wants is an investigation into some danger here. Or worse. Would make our poking around here look like a passing glance. Nobody wants to be the next Ruby Ridge, or MOVE, or any of that ugliness.”   He lets the warning of a threat hang for a second before continuing.   “We have just about everything we need here anyways. If you’ll let us finish up with our friend here, we can be out of your hair by midnight.”  
WindStruck
 Uh Oh... 

Thomas responds with a clever ruse and guile. Kuzmo responds with sword drawn and threats. Task Force Leader Fink is somewhere in between that.

The man quickly glances over toward where the belltower is, though the three of you are somewhat blocking passage into the room, and stone walls and corners block vision into the actual area. But no matter.

The man's eyes narrow with pure contempt, rage even.  "No, that won't be happening." 
 "I knew you'd come back. You've been bothering me for the past five years. You  folks  have  f***ed things up enough as it is.  You won't be leaving this place alive!" 

If the chill up your spine prior wasn't indicative enough, the room begins to grow abnormally cold. The wind begins to moan outside, and the sky darkens.


 In The Tall Grass 

The SCP Guard seems to have trouble with his radio contact. Despite repeated attempts at communication, he doesn't seem to be getting through. And then things take a turn for the worse.

The sky begins to darken as clouds apparently coalesce from out of nowhere. The wind picks up and a strange fog starts rolling in from... all around somehow. But it especially seems to be creeping in from the corn fields, if for any other reason, because the vision into them was obscured already.

The guard looks around somewhat panicked.   "S***! Everyone move! Back to the trucks! Go! Go!"   he orders, pointing back along the road, the way you had came, and brandishing his gun.

The truck that was following you starts moving in reverse as well. The banks of fog roll in, obscuring vision even more. But even as you start moving back along the road, things soon start to seem amiss. The road and the corn don't ever seem to end. You could swear you hadn't traveled that far along the road. It was perhaps, only a few hundred feet. Yet the end wasn't in sight! Then again, you couldn't really see very far anymore...
Metastachydium
It would be, perhaps, becoming to feel some gratitude for the guards' showing a token consideration for her safety, but at the moment (and this is, perhaps, excusable in the light of her current predicament) Cecily Branting is only grateful for two things, and namely the little fact that for once, she succeeded in overcoming her cravenly impulses for long enough  not to  slam herself flat against the road when the shots were fired and that she happened to removed her palms pressed hard on her ears to block out said sounds in time to overhear the guard realizing that something was amiss a mere heartbeat before the fog would come.

At that point, she doesn't need specific instructions to  know  what her entire sad, sorry body wants and, indeed, has to do  immediately . Something is off. No, not off.  Wrong.  And the toughs  with the guns ? They look  afraid . Now  that  she can do, and way better than them. Faster than she can think, she spins around and amid many a panicked gasp and wheeze, breaks into a sprint. The guns, that idiot Tater, that idiot  ****ing  Benjamin, the trigger-happy jerkass who fired that burst and even Hank, wherever he may be in the ever-thickening mist are promptly forgotten.  She's got to get out of here.  Maybe if she can catch up to the truck…
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Uh Oh... 

Thomas responds with a clever ruse and guile. Kuzmo responds with sword drawn and threats. Task Force Leader Fink is somewhere in between that.

The man quickly glances over toward where the belltower is, though the three of you are somewhat blocking passage into the room, and stone walls and corners block vision into the actual area. But no matter.

The man's eyes narrow with pure contempt, rage even.  "No, that won't be happening." 
 "I knew you'd come back. You've been bothering me for the past five years. You  folks  have  f***ed things up enough as it is.  You won't be leaving this place alive!" 

If the chill up your spine prior wasn't indicative enough, the room begins to grow abnormally cold. The wind begins to moan outside, and the sky darkens. 
 

Kuzmo stands his ground in the face of this show of power, the least of reasons which is that he isn't so easily swayed by magic on it own. In his home-world he was capable of similar things, and even in this one he wasn't without magic himself.

"  You do not know what you are trifling with, William. You meddle with power you don't understand. Risk the destruction of this land and yourself playing caregiver to a rotting dream. Now call off your dogs before i put them down!  " He bellows to theses puppets and by proxy the one pulling their strings.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Intimidation check, and Expertise: Magic probably.
 


He looked to the others around him. Mere mortals, the lot of them, but at least they had a comprehension of the dangers of magic..... and also of their ally. He tilts his head, wordlessly inquiring if he should drop his disguise now and give this petty tyrant a look at what he was  really  facing, or if that would ruin whatever schemes they had in the works.
Esprit15
James gives a nod to Kuzmo.   ”C’est la guerre, as they say.”   He runs for the window.   “Head to William’s house when you’re done here, Kuzmo. Doc, come on, let’s get our gear.”   James heads to the window to help her out of the soon to be battlefield.
Ameraaaaaa
King says nothing in the hopes that willam doesn't realise there's anything abnormal about himself and just sneakily follows the doctor and the soldier while William's attention is diverted.
hand ax ranger
With the go ahead from James, Kuzmo with grin and step forward. In a flame like flash the resumes his true appearance.

Kuzmo stood the same height yet somehow seems bigger than before. His brown skin shifts to become orange scales over his hulking form. His face shifts from that of a man to a reptilian monstrosity with a stubby snout and a strong skull shape. His eyes seem to glow like hot coals even more as he laps the air with his long tongue. His 'modern apparel' disperse and he is shown with his preferred chest-wrap, loincloth and sandals combo, looking like a being of the ancient world of men. Even with the more modern appearance of the armor, the falcata and shield would feel leagues more appropriate for him now.

Over all he is much more imposing, a humanoid predator of those who were foolish or unlucky enough to be his foes.

"  Very well Williams, see now what you've stirred?  " He growls in his true voice, not disguised by effort.   I've called upon divine might longer than you have been alive and now you've gotten the likes of me to put an end to your cruel mockery of life. This is a ghost town.... and you are but the puppeteer of these lifeless marionettes.  "

Edit: The first the step up will be the first to suffer his might, with him using his fire-bolt on them.
JeenLeen
5404 shudders at seeing the monster in its true form, but he attempts to stand strong alongside his 'ally'.  He enters one of the attack stances some of the Task Force trainers have taught him and prepares to strike, hoping to do a blow to the head to knock out one of the puppets.
 They look human but aren't people,  he reminds himself.
WindStruck
First, Kuzmo threatened "William" once again. The man (or whoever it was) only seemed to sneer in response, not very convinced of an actual threat, apparently.

 
 Spoiler: hand ax ranger 
no magic incantations, or gestures used, aside from perhaps the man balling his fist in anger.

You may know some stuff about controlling weather, but perhaps this is more than that.
 


Meanwhile James quickly heads for the window. There is quite a bit of resistance when opening the old thing. He can either break it for a more immediate exit, or spend some time trying to get the window to cooperate.

Both King and the reverend stand back and watch as the conflict starts to ignite. The window isn't really open yet. Not even King can squeeze through at the present time.

When Kuzmo makes his transformation (or rather, his true form is revealed) this finally produces a response from the tyrant of this realm. The man's eyes widen and he staggers back (the other three seem to have much less pronounced reactions, if at all).

 "W-what in the  hell  are you?!"  he chokes.

Regaining his composure he yells,   "Is this what you've stooped down to now!? Hiring  monsters!? Aliens?! Freaks?!"  

With hardly even a gesture, and just a somewhat outstretched fist from the man, Kuzmo feels as though he's been rammed by an elephant. He flies back and gets slammed into the wall of the church.

Thomas, seeing the aggression start, immediately jumps in and pummels the man in the head. He stumbles backward to the ground, looking disoriented, but soon the other three villagers grab Thomas. A particularly large and burly woman takes a swing at him with her fist and a growl.
Esprit15
James swears, and wastes no time smashing the glass window open.
JeenLeen
5404 tries to dodge the blows from the woman and any others -- at least as much as he's able with little room to move and the others grabbing him.   His arms somewhat occupied by foes' grasp and his previous target at least disoriented and probably out of reach, he delivers a headbutt to the person nearest him.  (The woman attacking him if feasible.)

Adrenaline and training are taking over at least a little bit of his panic and fear.
hand ax ranger
When Kuzmo was thrown back hard against the wall of the church he felt the pain but suffered neither injury or even a moment of daze. He had been throw back against harder surfaces by much less means before. It does succeed in getting his ire though as he looks at the three who were surrounding the supposed immortal....

"  I am no alien, imposter. Let me show you what I am though.  "

 
 Spoiler: Noteworthy advantages of his 

Move-by Attack
Take-down
Uncanny dodge
Improved Initiative
 


He then runs towards them, at an inhumane speed that would seem even more so considering his size and weight. In his true skin the speed and aggression mixed with the colors of his skin makes him almost streak across the ground like some living flame rushing towards his target, showing partly why his main title was "The Wildfire."

But before this can be fully processed by itself he has dashed behind the meat-puppet to 5404's left side and swings his Falcata at it's back to sever it's spine.....if not the nearly slice the foe in two. The strike itself was no unruly chop. Instead, it flew fast and clean, choosing velocity and skill over a heavy bashing hack, showing the sheer professional grade of Kuzmo's swordsmanship with this particular weapon.

Once this is done though, assuming the puppet falls.... he will move to do similar to the next with a cleave to the skull, and keep slashing, chopping and stabbing until his momentum is stopped or all foes lay dissected.

"  Now who dares doubt me!? Have I made my point!?  "
WindStruck
Thomas manages to evade the burly woman's punch, just barely, before responding with his own headbutt which was unexpected and kind of makes her flinch back. Meanwhile Kuzmo charges forward, making short gory work of the four possessed villagers. Blood is spilled all over the church floors as each villager is cut down, a few even unleashing a cry of pain and a gurgle before crumpling to the floor.

With the window smashed open, King takes the opportunity to gracefully leap through. James makes haste to climb through as well. It is Dr. Hagerty who has some issues, being rather average, physically speaking. She needs to take her time to crawl through the window, but with James helping her, it's not really much issue.

Outside the sky has considerably darkened more, the sky is overcast, and an ominous, chill wind whips around. Banks of fog have begun rolling in, limiting visibility. And everything just starts to look more.. dead. The leaves on the few trees around town had all gone missing. The buildings looked more run down and dilapidated. Even Thomas and Kuzmo inside can tell as things in the church begin to look more aged and subtle, hairline cracks appear on the walls.

 "Godspeed,"  the reverend says.  "I cannot do much, but I will do what I can." 
Esprit15
James tries to radio in to headquarters, though he has the funny feeling that it will be a futile endeavor. Once the doctor is out, he runs for the car. If he can even get any sign of a signal, he shouts into the radio.   ”S*** is beginning to go sideways here! We know more about the source of 1031 but I don’t know how recoverable the source will be! Please advise!”  
JeenLeen
5404 freezes at the gore.  He's seen death before, but never to this degree of gore before.  He freezes up, shaking and looking at the splatter streaking his own clothes red.

When the priest talks, he shakes out of it.
People -- no, puppets dead.  Good (?).  Maybe It can't see without puppets to see through.
SCP staff escaped.  Good.

Still shaking, he takes in the building's decay.  Ghost-towning?
If the building decays on him, he can take it.  Fear for  existence though  and hope to complete the mission intermingle and have the same goal: " Olhelm, what happened to people stuck here at Events in the past? "
Plaids
Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - The running SCP scientist
 Guise: Kali Simmons - The terrified mother 

Dr. Hagerty's heart begins to regulate itself into a steady drumming instead of the jack hammering that began with Kuzmo's bold challenge to William. She follows James and King on their way to collect supplies before most likely confronting William.
 Should have left discreetly from the back when they had the chance.  

Quietly cursing under her breath before returning to address James and King.
  $#*%
At least William has never seen anything like Kuzmo before. Though I wasn't expecting his puppets to be made of actual flesh. Maybe we can surprise him again with you King.
Keep calling for any support we can get Fink, I think we're dealing with a hostile Ekhi Apollyon class now. As in National threat and Uncontainable.
 

Dr. Hagerty's gaze wavers before snapping backwards and sternly barking an order.
  You're  staying  with me Maribel! Kuzmo and 5404 knew the risks and are providing us an opportunity to finish the mission.  
hand ax ranger
In the few moments he has Kuzmo savors the feeling of battle once more, even if it was a quick affair with no danger to him. The smell of blood always seems sweeter when it was reaped with yoru own weapon and for him this was no less true.

After making sure 5404 was alive, which with his reputation he [REDACTED] should be, the Wildfire will exit the church and locate the others. Once there he stand at ease and inspects the gore on his falcata, wondering what the risk would be for licking it clean. Who knows what magic taint could be in their blood.

"  The charlatan's temple has been cleaned out, 5404 as you call him is lagging behind. Where now are we going to rid the land of this imposter god?  " Now out of both disguise and the SCP foundation he spoke with more weight in that growled, otherworldly voice. The only reason he hasn't attempted to take a leadership role is that James and Dr. Kali had a better idea of the first step and he had no desire lead this to disaster.

He gives a look to James and nods, once more in respect to a perceived kindred spirit. "  Let us see what "The Army" taught you. If you're half the warrior I think you are it'll be good to fight alongside.  "
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 Fear for  existence though  and hope to complete the mission intermingle and have the same goal: " Olhelm, what happened to people stuck here at Events in the past? " 
 

 "William disposes of his victims,"  the priest says, and merely sighs sadly afterward.  "He kills them. Ends their lives. One way or another. Their bodies become a part of this twisted place, but I am glad to say, at least their souls move on." 

With Thomas's query being answered, he quickly catches up with the others.


 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 James tries to radio in to headquarters, though he has the funny feeling that it will be a futile endeavor. Once the doctor is out, he runs for the car. If he can even get any sign of a signal, he shouts into the radio.   ”S*** is beginning to go sideways here! We know more about the source of 1031 but I don’t know how recoverable the source will be! Please advise!”   
 

Of course, just as James suspects, all radio contact is cut off now. However, he remembers there was actually a small squad of SCP soldiers who were supposed to be just inside the edge of SCP-1031 by now. They were all technically under his command, but also guarding a bunch of D-Class. Perhaps if he needed some backup, he could try contacting them at least.


 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
 Dr. Hagerty's gaze wavers before snapping backwards and sternly barking an order.
  You're  staying  with me Maribel! Kuzmo and 5404 knew the risks and are providing us an opportunity to finish the mission.   
 

There is a distinct pause, and presumably, the spirit obeys.


 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 "  The charlatan's temple has been cleaned out, 5404 as you call him is lagging behind. Where now are we going to rid the land of this imposter god?  " Now out of both disguise and the SCP foundation he spoke with more weight in that growled, otherworldly voice. The only reason he hasn't attempted to take a leadership role is that James and Dr. Kali had a better idea of the first step and he had no desire lead this to disaster.

He gives a look to James and nods, once more in respect to a perceived kindred spirit. "  Let us see what "The Army" taught you. If you're half the warrior I think you are it'll be good to fight alongside.  " 
 

It seems that the quick escape through the window and slaughtering the four villagers in the church took about the same time. However with James's and Dr. Hagerty's urgency, they are slightly ahead. The U-haul trailer with all their valuable supplies is there, still at the side of the road and sitting near the mechanic's shop. It would probably only take half a moment to get in there and retrieve any supplies you wanted.

The problem becomes apparent almost immediately, however. Four villagers have been slain, and there's about.. oh, say.. eighty more to go.

The humanoid forms shamble forth, many in the distance almost imperceptible in the fog, but Kuzmo can feel each and every one of them. They were approaching from nearly all directions. Most of them were armed with some kind of implement now: kitchen knives, pitch forks, pans, giant spanners, table legs used as ad hoc clubs. A few even had some rifles. But their weapons probably weren't really your biggest concern.

One of the villagers, who happens to be the closest, growls,   "You have no idea what you are dealing with."  

Almost instantly, the ground beneath Kuzmo feels as though it has disintegrated. It's turned into some kind of quicksand, actually. This is not just your typical bog, however. It feels almost lighter than water, and yet resistant to movement in any direction other than  down .
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
 It would be, perhaps, becoming to feel some gratitude for the guards' showing a token consideration for her safety, but at the moment (and this is, perhaps, excusable in the light of her current predicament) Cecily Branting is only grateful for two things, and namely the little fact that for once, she succeeded in overcoming her cravenly impulses for long enough  not to  slam herself flat against the road when the shots were fired and that she happened to removed her palms pressed hard on her ears to block out said sounds in time to overhear the guard realizing that something was amiss a mere heartbeat before the fog would come.

At that point, she doesn't need specific instructions to  know  what her entire sad, sorry body wants and, indeed, has to do  immediately . Something is off. No, not off.  Wrong.  And the toughs  with the guns ? They look  afraid . Now  that  she can do, and way better than them. Faster than she can think, she spins around and amid many a panicked gasp and wheeze, breaks into a sprint. The guns, that idiot Tater, that idiot  ****ing  Benjamin, the trigger-happy jerkass who fired that burst and even Hank, wherever he may be in the ever-thickening mist are promptly forgotten.  She's got to get out of here.  Maybe if she can catch up to the truck… 
 

Cecily can easily keep up with the reversing truck, which isn't going  too fast , given the reduced visibility in the fog and hopefully some reasoning along the lines of not leaving everyone behind. But it eventually stops when it's apparent there is now no end to this road, this creepy corn, and this fog.

A driver quickly gets out, then grabs the swift Cecily, herding her back in with the others.  "We're in deep now,"  he says.

  "Ah, f***, ah well. We were probably going to be here tonight anyway,"   says the one who had apparently been calling all the shots.

 "Should we try radioing the others?" 
  No, not yet. I think their cover is blown, but still..."  

There's a buzzing sound in the distance...

Most of the others are looking around for the source of this noise too. It grows louder, and soon enough the cause is apparent: insects! There are many insects beginning to swarm about everyone now. They are locusts, flies, and even some bees. They also apparently do not like  anyone .

You can feel the tiny creatures trying to bite and sting you. Since they are pretty much herbivorous and don't have mouths that can actually do that, it's pretty ineffective, but an occasional bee sting still hurts.
Ameraaaaaa
King, now realising everyone is gonna die except for that immortal guy decides to get the hell out of dodge. Using the distraction to not be noticed by James and the others king decides to try and sneak out of there. If anyone notices then king uses his agility speed and environment to run away and get out of the town.  see you later suckers! I'm not biting the bullet just yet! 
JeenLeen
5404 nods thanks to the priest then runs.
The sadness makes him think that the priest is a prisoner here as much as William or Lily, if indeed the latter's soul is here.  If 5404 even still believes in souls....  Regardless, he is relieved that William just kills, not, like makes them not exist.   5404 might not really like his life as a test subject and prisoner, but he still wants to live.

As he runs to catch up to the group, some fear rejoins his emotions. He was at first glad William just killed and, urk, recycled the bodies.   But what would he do if he caught someone he couldn't kill?

 
 Spoiler: next 
5404 will join a fight if it's happening or try to force his way through the horde if necessary to rejoin his allies.  But he'll rejoin them a safer route if possible.
 
Metastachydium
Cecily is still just lucid enough not to resist as she is grabbed and thrown back with the lot. The tacit realization that the guards (with the  car ) don't seem to see escape as a viable option anymore gives her no ease of mind. The swarms of abnormally behaving insects are just the last proverbial nail in the less and less proverbial coffin. After some ineffectual flailing around, Cecily just drops down on the road and wrapping her own arms around her face, she balls up to present as small a target with as little exposed skin as she can.
Esprit15
James shouts into the radio, this time to the squad at the town’s borders.   ”We know more about the source of the anomaly - an entity known as William. Send in backup. Treat all town residents as enemy combatants. Capture one, and dispose of the rest if they respond to you with hostility. Do not believe anything they say. They should go down with minimal effort. If you encounter William, call me with the location but do not engage. We expect he is outside the capacity standard troops. Use D-class as you see fit, but don’t be wasteful.

“Also keep an eye out for a black cat. It’s to be captured alive. Do not believe anything  it  says, either.”  

He continues on to the truck to grab his shotgun.   ”I’m no lizard godking, but humans have made our own tools of our trade that you might find interesting,”   he says to Kuzmo before racking the gun. There’s a bit of a grin on the man’s face that the others haven’t seen before.
 
 Spoiler 
Is there anything we brought along for capturing SCP 1031?
 
hand ax ranger
To James he give a laugh. "  Ah, you Earth mortals and your firearms! They do make the best sounds though.  " He was well familiar with those weapons, which he though a grand upgrade to the crossbows and war darts of his home. All the same, he always had preferred thrown weapons due to the sheer strength he had, the familiarity with the since his youth and just they way they felt when flung. But in the hands of men he could see the point, and James gave the idea there was still a martial spirit to these loud throwers of lead.

 
 Spoiler: Of note 
Uncanny dodge
Dodge/Parry 8
Acrobatics 5
Athletics 6
Move-by Attack
Leap 1
 

But then his instincts kicked in. The ground beneath him was forming to some sort of viscous liquid beneath his feet. Before it progresses to far he leaps into the air to change positions, taking the chance to find a target while airborne. He flick the blade of his weapon forward, it's tip glowing fire-like until the energy is flung like a dart from an atlatl and forms into a firebolt soaring towards the villager who acted as Williams mouthpiece.

Once he lands elsewhere he speaks. "  I know  exactly  what I'm dealing with. A frail, foolish thing with too much power. Like a child who stole his father's wand  " He twirls his weapon in hand as he belittles the so-called "god". "  Now be a good boy and give it up, or daddy will get his belt!  "
WindStruck
James hops into the U-haul trailer and gets his favorite gun, his night vision goggles, and some other equipment. He also tosses Dr. Hagerty some stuff. Probably some guns too.

He also hears a response on the radio.   "Roger! We got a problem though!"    At least that's what James thinks he hears. There's  a lot  of static on the other end. Or is that.. buzzing?

Meanwhile, Kuzmo, continues to garner this entity's ire. Leaping with almost supernatural reflexes into the air, he manages to avoid the trap set under him and launches a bolt of fire at the villager that spoke, who cries out briefly as he is impaled, then a hole is incinerated in his torso.

Of course that was not the end of it, however.  This battle has only just begun .

  "Insolent fool!  DIIEEEE ..."   says yet another villager, this time a shriveled, haggard woman with a bonnet, an apron, and a kitchen knife (among other things), but in the same creepy voice. Black miasma begins billowing out of her mouth and making its way to Kuzmo and Thomas. Kuzmo can at least tell it is somewhat magical and probably very  very  unhealthy...
hand ax ranger
As the meat puppet breaths out the sickly haze Kuzmo sprints to the left and starts circling around the horde. No matter who or what William was, there was little chance he understood simple skirmish fighting like he did. As he encircles he will find a  car  trashcan and hurl it at the group intending to hit a few grouped together.

"  If I had a Gold Drak for every time someone told me those exact words, I could buy a fleet of ships to sail the world...... so they find find someone who gives a [REDACTED].  " He laughs, mocking the petty tyrant. "  The only thing more pathetic than the minions you sent us is your threats. Stick to things you know, like playing dolls.  "
Esprit15
James fits his gas mask over his head and fishes for another one for the doctor after handing her a simple rifle. A pistol would be useless in her hands. As he fishes around, he shouts into the radio.   ”Repeat! Your message was cut off! What are you seeing out there?”   The filter on the mask is nearing expiration, but it would probably do in a pinch. Hopefully.

 
 Spoiler 
Just finishing grabbing supplies as noted in the OOC, will look forward to acting next round. Figure if he has a mask he could probably find one for her, though less reliable. And speaking from experience, rifles are easier for a novice to fire than a pistol.
 
JeenLeen
Trying to ignore fear of the miasma and seeing the monster will destroy most of the horde, 5404 places himself between the doctor and TF Leader and the horde, then proceeds to strike at the person closest to them all.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

In other words, if I can:
--move so between Fink and Hagerty  and horde
--punch closest person

He'll risk breathing in the miasma if needed to accomplish this.  Then probably regret it :)
 
MrAbdiel
This was a complicated matter.

On top of the fact that he still had corn silk stuck in his teeth,  driving him crazy , the axioms of the world began melting away.  The horror-fog swept in, glooming the corn fields around; and the nature of space seemed to buckle under the weight of its obligation to honor the effort of the driver to retreat.   And  now a swarm of locusts, gnats and flies - a  God's Wrath's Greatest Hits  collection - were hooning in, buzzing and biting, scratching with their little grasshopper leg thorns.

This, without even knowing that these things were the subconscious wrath of a traumatized psychic rural demigod, was too much for Benjamin.  These were complicated matters; and that gave his simple mind a license to simply ignore the looming implications and to focus all of the horsepower of his wheezing old Clydesdale of a brain on the most immediate situation, context free.

  "In the truck!  In the truck, come on!  Get up!  Get up and in the truck!"  

Strictly, he does not have the authority to order this; but it runs with the grain of what may be the logical conclusion of everyone involved, and the important men with guns had greater threats to consider than his presumption of authority.  Throwing open the rear doors of the truck, Benjamin toon upon himself the sacred mantle of crisis leader - God help us all.
  
"Get in there!  No bugs inside the truck, c'mon!"    Squinting as buzzing beetles bonked off his nose and dragooned dragonflies slapped off his cheeks, he would go as far as to physically scoop Cecily (compacted into a fetal curl for easy handling) and hand her into the truck, demanding or bullying his fellow prisoners into helping her in, and anyone else in such desperate, paralysed peril.  Once all the prisoners he can detect are herded into the back of the truck, he slams the doors leaving them to deal with whatever bugs made their way inside, and jogs up to the huddle of armed men, and the driver.  There, he inserts himself into the crisis discussion as if he belonged there; picking cornsilk and bugs from his teeth as he pipes up.

  "Can't go back, can't go off road; gotta go forward!  But we gotta go know, boys!  Can you see clear enough to drive forward in this mess, or can you give me a couple road flares, so I can run ahead to keep you on the road?"  
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - The running SCP scientist 

With the mob of townsfolk incoming things were officially out of hand. The only thing wasn't coming their way were the farm animals one would expect in farming community like Blumber pretended to be. Perhaps it was a tactical decision, striking humans was the greater taboo. One which Fink and Kuzmo had long eschewed. But right now, the team needed to improve their odds before the final charge.

Quickly toggling through short range frequencies Dr. Haggerty repeats one simple message.
  The containment team is by the target we need everyone. Follow the flare expect resistance.  
 Trying to a long-range signal would have been an exercise in futility as Fink had shown.  
The flare races upwards lighting a small pinprick of churning sky.

The action unfolding was unnerving. A wave of people unconcerned with own condition as black miasma began to waft above the freshly released gore. 5404 Thomas fights fearlessly, recklessly if he were without his anomalous properties. Kuzmo is a maelstrom of blades and claws unbeholden to the ground attempting to swallow him. While King decided to turn tail leave everyone.
 The clear frontrunner for Most Valuable Anomaly just forfeited his position hard. It was times like that made field commanders reconsider the use of the remotely controlled surgical explosives.  
  It looks like we can't wait for help. Lillie's house and our objective is over there. We can use the house funnel the horde as well.  
Dr. Hagerty addresses Thomas Skylark with an expression kinder than would be expected of the situation.

  5404 If you could, please take the lead to Lillie's house. We don't know what's inside and I expect a kitchen knife or two to greet us. Maribel will be right behind you to act as your second pair of eyes. In case something would gouge them out. 
JeenLeen
 
 Spoiler 
The post below is assuming I'm free to act and not already occupied by a horde of grasping hands or the miasma.
 


Hearing the SCP doctor's command, 5404 pivots from the crowd and smoke, then gives a strong nod and makes a run towards Lily's house.

He isn't sure what to make of the phantom SCP 'Maribel' that is apparently accompanying him, but he guesses having a ghost or something with him is helpful.
WindStruck
 The Rumble in Blumber 

Kuzmo swiftly runs around the horde, skirting aside them and the cloud of black miasma. As the hold hag turns and continues spewing the deathly fumes toward him, she promptly eats a face full of metallic trashcan, getting knocked down, along with another villager in close proximity.

The expanded cloud continues to follow Kuzmo and Thomas, though it seems to be a pretty lazy or inept way of killing you, given how slow it is. It probably won't catch up to you if you keep moving.

Thomas, putting himself between his companions and the approaching zombie horde, belts out a few punches and kicks, staggering them back.

James has procured a rifle for Dr. Hagerty, and other stuff. Dr. Hagerty fires a flare into the sky, though with this fog, it's doubtful anyone would be able to see it from a distance. The black miasma is approaching the three of you, but it has not reached your position yet.

The other SCP staff respond,   "We have a situation! Swarms of insects!"   You also hear them shouting other stuff briefly.   "We've already lost some D class! Heading there now, ETA seven minutes!"  

Without any further wordy retorts as of yet, earsplitting gunfire fills the air as a couple villagers take aim and fire their rifles at Kuzmo. On top of this, the trashcan he threw comes flying back, smashing into him several times. The first hit seems to be the hardest, but it circles back as if magnetic, attempting to buffet Kuzmo toward the miasma.


 In the Tall Grass 

The insects continue to swarm everyone, and you can hear the guards shouting into their radios now.

  "Roger, we got a problem though!"  
  "We have a situation! Swarms of insects!"  

It seems everyone is very distracted with these swarms of insects attacking them. Combined with the fog, visibility was practically zero! The guards alternate between swiping at the tiny assailants and trying to paw at you, herding you together.

Poor Cecily simply curled into a ball, hoping for the best. Benjamin heroically tries to save the day however, ushering everyone into the back of the truck. Hank helps scoop Cecily up.

  "Robins! Collins! In the back! Don't let them touch anything!"  

The leader is apparently climbing into the front of the truck...  That leaves Cecily, Benjamin, and three other D-class with you in the back of this truck. Two more of your fellow inmates seem to have gone missing. A few stray insects still buzz around inside the truck, and the two guards eye you with agitation set in their eyes.
Metastachydium
Cecily is stuffed into the truck without issue, but even with the noise of the Swarm subsiding somewhat, it takes her a while to realize she is  somewhat less  in danger of being doomsdayed  for the time being  than before and a few awkward moments more to worm into a position  probably  a bit more comfortable for the other occupants of the proverbial can of sardines.  This doesn't make sense are we going to die I don't want to…  she proclaims  fast  (although not quite fast enough to squeeze in a proper conclusion for the sentence). She inhales very deeply, clenching and unclenching her fists a couple of times before adding an almost idle    Why the **** are we even here?    A headcount she doesn't dare attempt.
Esprit15
  ”Switch by your thumb is the safety. Horizontal is safe, vertical is live. Point and click,”   James explains quickly.   “Now let’s get the  hell  out of this mess!”   James pulls down his mask and begins to run for the house. Anything that tries to stop him gets a face full of buckshot.

God if he didn’t wish the plan hadn’t required disabling the car.
JeenLeen
Seeing that Fink and Hagerty are also heading to Lily's, 5404 hesitates as they run.  Then he breaks off fighting to catch up and follow them, trying to keep himself between them and the villagers so he can soak any gunfire.  Or flying trashcans?
hand ax ranger
As the rest mobilize to try and get where they are going Kuzmo will keep moving but keep his guard up, the rounds flying at him mostly being redirect by his shied as he holds it an angle. The trashcan smacks him a good few times but between his size and how many times he has been hit by more effective weapons all it does is distract and bruise him.

Even with this his limited Anatomical awareness and passive flesh magic was already at work to mend any damage these were doing.

Within this capacity he elects to keep the crowd busy as his allies make their move, ready to follow once they are in the clear.
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty - The running SCP scientist
 
Dr. Hagerty quickly follows the party briefly glancing back to the horde mindful of flying debris and anticipating any faster approaching enemies requiring restraining foam. Arriving at the side of the house she peers through a window before hugging the side of the house trying to stay out of sight of any occupants.

She addresses Fink, hoping to rely on his expertise.
  Any ideas on how to breach the house? Anyone inside already knows we are coming. I was considering going in rifle butt. Though I'd like to keep the walls and windows intact to buy us time.  
Esprit15
  ”If the door’s locked there’s not going to be much that keeps either me or Kuzmo from breaking it down,”   James says.   “For all the weird stuff going on, William doesn’t seem to  fear  us, so I don’t see him hardening the house against intrusion much. That’s more something that fearful entities do.”   Unless of course he wants to protect the girl, which he absolutely does.   “You got much in the way of restraints for the paranormal, doc? Because I’m pretty sure the org wants this weirdo alive.”  
WindStruck
Kuzmo keeps this entity's attention for the time being. The bullets grazing him and trash can battering at him don't stop the large dragon humanoid as he manuevers away from the miasma and puts more villagers between himself and the metallic object, working his way to the villagers with rifles. Even as he moves he cuts more of his foes down, severely injuring the villagers or outright slaying them.

    *KKOOOOM*    

A deafening boom and briefest flash of light herald a lightning bolt which ironically strikes the abandoned trash can and makes it jump up a little, with a shower of sparks and small gout of flame. A second bolt of lightning strikes elsewhere, pointedly away from that trash can but it misses Kuzmo. You aren't struck by the lightning or actually harmed, but your ears are ringing for sure.

Meanwhile the other three make a break for it between the buildings, trying to take a more back route. The black miasma follows them as well (if this is still confusing, just imagine the cloud splitting off in two directions, like a snake with two heads). Behind them, the enveloping darkness brushes against the buildings. Paint peels off and wood decays at an exponential rate from its merest touch, and brick and mortar crumble.

For now, there isn't much of any resistance at all as they skirt around the village and run what would be considered "behind" the buildings. But they haven't gotten to Lily's house. You're probably only about 1/3 of the way there.

You hear the loud crackle and boom (and see the flash) of lightning striking twice in close succession.
JeenLeen
5404 continues to stay between the miasma and the SCP staff.

As he washes the buildings decay, he starts to get mixed feelings.  Or, well, more fear mixed in.  It seems like it's aging the buildings.  Or maybe erasing the  whatever  William did to make them appear normal.   He remembers that SCP scientist noted he doesn't seem to age, something about teleomeres not decaying anymore or any damage regenerating such that it is equivalent.

But he still doesn't like the idea of experimenting with a rapid-age anomaly, and it probably wouldn't feel good even if his body heals it.  He speeds up a little bit.  Not enough to outrun the others, but he's a little closer to them.
Esprit15
James meanwhile  does  speed up, a mix of fear and eagerness to get the job done guiding him.
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty  
 Going through the front door. The thought hadn't occurred. A good crisis could make a fool out of anyone. 
Attempting to enter through the front door Dr. Hagerty moves into the house with 5404 at her hip. Should some swift fireman kicks fail the windows butted down by her rifle would have to do.

  It looks like the mists have surrounded us. It looks we will have to convince William make them depart since an aerial extraction seems out of the question. 
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo moved from villager to villager, cutting them down like weeds as they try and shoot him with their mortal firearms. Things were going well as he distracted William always from the others, at least partly.

Then the Lightning strikes. Twice. He moves quickly to be harder to strike with the elemental pillars of pain. Thinking quickly he leaps into the air, away from the ground. In his knowledge of magic and the energies within he knew that lightning magic works by coursing through a target and disturbing the normal functions of the body on it's way to the next point of interest. He also knew that lightning naturally wants to go into the ground, so the best way to prevent issue was to stay off the ground as long as possible to stay out of the arc.

Or at least, that was what is experience as a mystic had told him.

In this he actually tries to move away from the party, diverting attention so that the others can get to that house and start getting to whatever their plan was.
MrAbdiel
In the back of the truck, Benjamin is  alive  with opportunity; devoting himself to slapping and squashing the bugs that made it into the carrier compartment with them.  Flicking remnants of a smooshed grasshopper from his palm, he notices Cecily's desperate condition; and squinting at her, asks, stupidly:

 "...You alright?" 
WindStruck
(Will be covering time over the span of a few rounds!)

 The Rumble in Blumber 

Kuzmo continues to fight valiantly, a distraction for the others as they make their way to the objective. Dancing around the battlefield, he slices and dices, first prioritizing the villagers with rifles so they shoot him no longer, cleaving their guns and bodies in twain. He leaps about, avoiding a few more bolts of lightning, only to get smacked out of the air as a rather large chunk of a building's facade shakes, creaks, and flies at him.

Slightly disoriented, he hacks apart two more villagers, though one girl manages to stab him in the thigh with a knife, and another villager whacks him over the head with a rake. Kuzmo dispatches these assailants as well and leaps over towards another bearded man brandishing a pitchfork, easily blocking the farming implement and decapitating the man.

The man's head rolls along the ground, but unlike most other corpses, it begins to speak.

   "You actually think you're accomplishing something, don't you? You foolish monster, this is my domain, and I alone command life and death! It is only a matter of time before you perish. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha..."   

The body Kuzmo just decapitated begins to move on its own and reaches for its head. It fits its head back on its body, not quite how it was supposed to go on. The bearded man smiles at you with a twisted grin, blood still staining his neck, hands, and body. All around you, especially with the aid of your tremor sense ability, you notice that the villagers you killed and which should no longer be moving are. You look about, seeing them assemble themselves again. Even the four bodies from the church stand and lurch as they exit the building.


 The Fear in the Big Blue House 

James, Dr. Hagerty, and Thomas continue running along behind the buildings. At first their going is pretty good with no obstacles to speak of. But eventually, villagers start interposing themselves in your way. What you can't outright avoid, James blasts with his shotgun, putting them down. Thomas even gives someone a solid belt in the face as they lunge out of an alleyway at him.

Up ahead, you dimly see the form of what you think is your target. Soon its blue color becomes apparent: Lily's house. But even more villagers seem to be guarding this home, and for good reason.

   "Leave Lily alone!"    one of them growls and flings themselves at you. James quickly guns the villager down, but there are at least four others, including Lily's "mother" here, blocking passage to either the back door or the way to the front door.

(Note to everyone. The black Miasma of Death seems to have slowed down and dissipated for now)
Esprit15
  ”We ain’t here for Lily,”   James says as he blasts another villager with his gun.   “Just William.”   He aims the gun at Lily’s “mother’s” head and racks another shell.   “You wanna come out and talk, William? Or you wanna watch your neighbors and loved ones die over and over? Either one’s fine by me. Your choice, William. But there will be more of us next time. And I’m  nice  compared to some of the people that will come after me.”  
Metastachydium
Cecily turns to stare at Benjamin quite blankly for a second before blinking in a manner quite incredulous.   No?   she says  very  slowly, as her gaze flicks right and left to scan the tight space (incidentally confirming that Hank's at least alive; that's good). She makes a vague squirming motion.   This is  The Mist  slashficked into  Children of the Corn  and the bees are trying to  eat  me.   she states with utmost conviction, the pitch of her rising all the way.   Geez. I'm ****ing missing death row back home, I thought we ****ing outlawed  torture  at some point!   her eyes shift from Benjamin's face to that of a guard faster than she believed is possible.    What  do you want from us?!  
Plaids
Dr. Kalispell Hagerty

Dr. Hagerty follows Jame's lead and taking aim and firing hoping to dispatch some of the obstacles in their path.
Hoping to sway William Dr. Hagerty intersperses pleas between rounds.
  William, I know how it feels to lose your home and community. You want nothing to do with anything else. But recreating your home won't bring it back. Stand down and we can help you get what you lost back. Just like SCP is doing for me and Maribel.  
JeenLeen
5404 really didn't want to risk killing Lily's mom where Lily might see.  Hopefully one of William's people moved her somewhere safe, but findable, in the house.  As he gears up for a fight to enter the house, he's surprised to find Fink and Hagerty  negotiating .   He stays tense and ready to jump between them and an aggressive action, but decides to stay quiet.

Even if Hagerty sincerely believes the SCP will help her and her ghost-SCP-whatever, 5404 trusts their altruism too little for him talking to help at this stage.  But he won't muck it up on purpose.   Did that cat really run off?  And the psychopath precog... did he really go for help or just escape?  Dang. 
hand ax ranger
With the dead reassembling themselves it could be well assumed that one would become fearful and disheartened. But Kuzmo is not such an easily dissuaded individual. He just undead similar to that stemming  from The Shades of his home reality.

"  Hmm!  " He snorted "  You expect me to be merely defeated by necromancy? I've slain the living dead of all forms, even clearing lines of ravenous ghouls at the Battle of Broken Horns.  "

He bats the head off the bearded man, then keeps amputating limbs from the stumbling corpses and kicking and slapping them into the distance.

"  When I put you in you're place, I'll tell of it.  "

This did however leave an effect..... now he missed his dear friend Macalki, who'd been there at the battle by his side.
WindStruck
 The Rumble in Blumber 
   "Bah!"    The entity growls and grumbles, but it seems to be fighting even more pathetically (in Kuzmo's eyes) and bantering no more. Though Kuzmo keeps hacking the villagers down and dismembering them, they do seem to keep reanimating. At one point a stray hand leaps at his face, attempting to gouge his eyes. Still although no more divine powers seem to be utilized against Kuzmo at this time, the zombie/villager hordes slowly close in, as they outnumber him 50 to 1.


 The Fear in the Big Blue House 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   ”We ain’t here for Lily,”   James says as he blasts another villager with his gun.   “Just William.”   He aims the gun at Lily’s “mother’s” head and racks another shell.   “You wanna come out and talk, William? Or you wanna watch your neighbors and loved ones die over and over? Either one’s fine by me. Your choice, William. But there will be more of us next time. And I’m  nice  compared to some of the people that will come after me.”   
 

  "You're talking to him!"   One of the standing villagers barks, apparently growing more angry as you continue gunning the bodies down.

  "You think you can scare me with your big government talk? You all are  nothing  but worthless  thugs  and  bullies !"  

The entity laughs,   "I dare you all to come. Send your armies in! I welcome the opportunity to make you pay and put you in your place!"  

With merely an angry snarl, James is suddenly flung against the adjacent building, his skull rattling, and pounded again, dropping his gun. Thomas leaps in to try to interfere, only to be on the wrong end of this entity's ire instead. He's suddenly frozen in place, being floated off the ground, and his limbs begin to to be pulled back and stretched, pressure bending them in the wrong ways.


 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
 Hoping to sway William Dr. Hagerty intersperses pleas between rounds.
  William, I know how it feels to lose your home and community. You want nothing to do with anything else. But recreating your home won't bring it back. Stand down and we can help you get what you lost back. Just like SCP is doing for me and Maribel.   
 

The villager turns to Dr. Hargerty and snarls,   "What do you know about loss?! You took everyone and everything from me!!"  

Thomas feels like he's on the verge of being ripped apart!

  "The last time you fools came here to 'help', you burned everything to the ground.. Why do I have any reason to trust you? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tear this lousy, lying, lowdown, four-flushing bastard limb from limb!"   He sneers, seemingly enjoying Thomas's fear and pain and the power he lords over his helpless subjects. But understandably, Thomas probably isn't quite as scared...


 Packed Like Sardines 

It's an awkward moment riding in the back of a somewhat armored truck, filled with boxes, cramped with 5 prisoners in orange jumpsuits and two armed and armored guards with twitchy trigger fingers. And a few stray nagging bugs.

Taking a headcount, it's Benjamin, Cecily, Hank, Marianne, and Chris left. The others apparently got lost, or ran off.


 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
 Cecily turns to stare at Benjamin quite blankly for a second before blinking in a manner quite incredulous.   No?   she says  very  slowly, as her gaze flicks right and left to scan the tight space (incidentally confirming that Hank's at least alive; that's good). She makes a vague squirming motion.   This is  The Mist  slashficked into  Children of the Corn  and the bees are trying to  eat  me.   she states with utmost conviction, the pitch of her rising all the way.   Geez. I'm ****ing missing death row back home, I thought we ****ing outlawed  torture  at some point!   her eyes shift from Benjamin's face to that of a guard faster than she believed is possible.    What  do you want from us?!   
 

There is nothing but the rumbling vibrations of the truck for a while, as the guards apparently choose their words carefully.

 "..we want you to remain calm and do as you are told,"  one says.

 "Aww, c'mon!! Bulls**t!!"  Chris yells. Guns are aimed slightly more in his direction.

 "We aren't stupid!"  he says. Then looking apologetically at Benjamin, he says,  "Well, most of us aren't. Look, it's obvious some crazy things are going on, so much so that it even freaked out your leader! Now, is there anything we should know to help keep everyone alive, or are you d**kheads just going to keep us in the dark?" 

The one who was apparently Robins looked about a little awkwardly, until he finally sighed and said,   "Basically, you folks were meant as cannon fodder. The idea of being let go after doing so much time or so many tasks has always been like dangling a carrot in front of a horse. Guess there's no harm in telling you now, since we're all probably dead anyway."  

The other guard starts to protest, but Robins continues on,   "I really can't promise you much of anything, but if you follow our lead, you may at least live a little longer. Or, I could just put a bullet in your heads now. Your choice."  

Hank sighs and lowers his head, muttering,  "Jesus Christ..."  Marianne's face appears to have turned a shade of green, and looks like she is choking on a frog.

It's then that Hank raises his head, and looks around, as if he had just remembered where he had misplaced his car keys, or a winning lottery ticket.  "I think I have an idea." 
MrAbdiel
Benjamin endures this slight from Chris - either in a display of unusual magnanimity or, more likely, having misheard some part of it and elected not to chase clarity.  He's paying attention when the guard gives the grim rundown - exposing the dark nature of the D-Class designation and the meaty fate that awaits them.  He swings his eyes over the other prisoners, silent and reflective from this revelation... then locks eyes with the guard...

And winks, and touches the side of his nose; as if to suggest that he, too, is on the inside of some kind of double meaning that does not exist.

This, of course, was a test - and he didn't intend to show signs of despair that might imperil his future advancement.
Metastachydium
Calm.  Calm?    How exactly do you  expect …   Cecily begins with a wounded indignation (if a squeaky one still), but the much louder Chris interrupts her interruption. And it only gets worse from there. So they are guinea pigs, here to be… What? Fed to the corn? Cecily shrinks back, wearily,  feeling  the blood leaving her face. She slowly looks around again. It's going just fine. Tom and stupid Cheryl with her melancholy stupid face. Done for, done with. The bullet offered doesn't sound like such a bad deal, all of a sudden. Cecily tries to inhale deeply… And just then, the cavalry arrives.  Of course  it's Hank. She looks up at the big man with a glint of dubious hope in her eye.   What?!   she presses out, hurriedly, with the air she just took in.   What is it?  
JeenLeen
 I hate this I hate this I hate this 

5404 doesn't do much besides winch and yell in pain as he feels his muscles and tendons being stretched, healing slightly, then stretching more over and over again as the entity pulls on him.   Worst case, he guesses he'll knit together or regrow if he gets quartered, but the pain doesn't let his mind quite grasp that as a comfort.

 Dang... need to end this... 
5404 bites off his tongue and spits it out, holding his mouth open so the creature can see it regrow.  Maybe it'll let go if it sees he's not quite human.
Esprit15
James groans. Getting thrown was always so much worse than falling. Harder to land right, and it bruises the ego as much as the body.   ”Last folks… when was that? Never heard of people burning things down.”   Not that he would blame them. His brain rattles as he gets up.   “Last group that came here from us was just supposed to investigate. Why’d they try to burn it down?”  
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
   "The last time you fools came here to 'help', you burned everything to the ground.. Why do I have any reason to trust you? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tear this lousy, lying, lowdown, four-flushing bastard limb from limb!"   He sneers, seemingly enjoying Thomas's fear and pain and the power he lords over his helpless subjects. But understandably, Thomas probably isn't quite as scared... 
 

 Dr. Hagerty- SCP Scientist 
Thankfully William had unknowing chosen to threaten the most resilient member of the party. Thomas wasn't at risk of any serious bodily harm. Fink seemed to still be capable as well. Though the invisible forces lifting and contorting Thomas were still a problem.

  We do what good we can despite of who we are employed by. We talked to Olheim and he told us you are sick and need help. Ripping Thomas to bits won't be helping you bring anything back.  

A freshly removed hand catches Dr. Hagerty's attention as propels itself back towards the maelstrom of blades emanating from Kuzmo. The hand hops forwards propelled by its flexing wrist. Each pogo hop leaves a fresh spurt of blood in an absurd macabre display.

 Looks like guns won't be a working solution against these villagers. Luckily there was restraining foam available.  
Dr. Hagerty addresses Thomas as she tries to help him.
  This should keep you in one piece for a bit. Fink can shoot you out later.  
Dr. Hagerty tosses a restraining foam pod towards Thomas aiming for his limbs and avoiding his head to avoid an agonizing asphyxiation.  She then begins to push Thomas should the foam hit its mark and subsequently harden. 

She tries to inform Kuzmo of her discovery and her need for magical consultance.
  Kuzmo, these villagers and staying down and we are having trouble with William's psychokinesis, magic, or whatever it is. What can we do stop it?    Before realizing the lizard forgot his communicator.

Gesturing to Fink Dr. Hagerty motions him toward the house.
  While 5404 has William distracted let's get to that house.  

*EDITS* Removed communication to Kuzmo but kept the attempt. Added extra communication between Fink and Thomas
 
 Spoiler:  Restraining foam Intent 
 The idea is to put Thomas in a hard shell so he is kept in one piece. I was thinking Fink could shoot the foam to free Thomas later or have Kuzmo smack it with the pommel of his swords. Either way Hagerty is going to push Thomas towards Lillie's house.
 
MrAbdiel
Benjamin's beady eyes swing to Hank as he announces his idea.  The road before him bifurcates.

Down one path, he can attempt to get in on the ground floor of this idea and, later, attempt to insinuate in some way that it was  his  idea, or at least contend that he came up with the same idea.  In Benjamin's experience, insisting without showing doubt was very often enough to make people go along with a claim even if they had seen countervailing facts with their own eyes.

The other path was much the opposite - become the plan's foremost immediate sceptic, even sabotaging it if necessary, for the payoff of later basking in the radiance of those forced to acknowledge how clever he was for seeing failure so presciently.  Both plans had merits and flaws; but one thing was certain:  if anyone was getting out of this alive, they would do so with a reason to thank Benjamin and put a gold star on his record.   Ultimately, he takes the second path.

 "An idea?  How could you have an idea, dumb-dumb?  You haven't been told anything about what's going on?  All he's told us is that we're cannon fodder.  Is the idea 'try not to be cannon fodder'?  Everyone has that idea." 
hand ax ranger
With the fake god finally shutting his mouth the Hulking mystic looked all around at he dead surrounding him. He wasn't all that concerned as he had handled worst in his home-realm. Bands of trained, well funded nmercenaries. Hordes of ravenous flesh eaters. Gargatuan beasts intend on death and mayhem. These were not threats.... they were pests. As fun as it had been to slash and burn them all it was time to end this game.

He begun running on the outside of these all, utilizing his fire bolts to start turning them all to ash. As valid as this was though it would take a long, long time. He searched his mind he tried to think of ways to more properly rid his sight of their undeath.

"  Might as well cease their attack, it won't do anything but delay me.  " He says the the sky, though he doubted William would listen.
WindStruck
 The Rumble in Blumber 

Not much to add here. With Kuzmo's abilities, he begins utilizing divine fire and burning the villagers to ash. It's a much slower process than just hacking them apart with his sword, but at least the body parts being burnt to a crisp don't seem to be coming back together any time soon.


 The Fear in the Big Blue House 

"William", now in the guise of a portly man with a cooked nose snaps at James.   "Idiot! I'm not talking about the buffoons you've been sending here the past few years!"  

Turning to Dr. Hagerty, he's about as equally rude and aggressive.   "I'm sick?! I don't need anyone's help! I just have to fix this! What I need is to be rid of meddling fools like you!"  

And with those words he twists Thomas's head off. It makes a rather sickening yet subtle sound. Perhaps William was too busy paying attention to other things, including this seemingly hopeless conversation. Maybe it's likely a man would accidentally bite off his own tongue given the pain wracking through his limbs, but he was already poised to kill Thomas, foam or no foam.

Thomas's head drops to the ground, and his body encased in strange foam is tossed away. But he doesn't seem to realize something rapidly growing out of Thomas's head. Not yet, anyway...

Turning his attention back to the remaining two, he scowls.   "Just look at yourself. With one breath, you claim you want to 'help'. And with the next, you're conspiring against me, right in front of my face!  DO YOU TAKE ME FOR A FOOL!? "  

The man slams his arm down, and yet with one motion, it seems a whole swath of destruction emanates from that one line, like a line of land mines exploding in the vague direction his arm swung. The blue house shakes and corners and bits of wood splinter. On top of the fog that surrounds you, now there's plumes of dust.


 Packed Like Sardines 

Cecily's reaction to Hank was surprised, and Benjamin can't help but rain on the parade. He had a point though. What could Hank possibly know that these guards didn't already know, and then some? Everyone was looking confused, or skeptical.

 "There's a church in the town! We need to get there!"  Hank looks around, wide-eyed, a certain hysteria that was never noted in him before, until now. The two guards look at each other.

Hank licks his lips and says to Cecily, and Benjamin, and anyone else who will listen.  "I know, it must seem crazy. Take my hand. Now more than ever, we need to pray." 
Esprit15
James tries to shield his face from the worst of the blast.   ”Then what are you trying to fix? Seems like you haven’t made much progress on it,”   James says as the dust settles.   “We’re here because we want to figure out what’s going on. ‘Go away, I’m fixing it’ unfortunately only makes us more curious. But if you tell us, we might be able to be out of your hair. Might even be able to tell our bosses why they shouldn’t send more people.”  
Metastachydium
While she doesn't literally take the hand, Cecily does grab a handful of Hank's jumpsuit for her own comfort. Which is to say: the words alone are hardly going to make her more comfortable.  Pray ? That's the master plan?    …it's over it's over it's over it's over…    she begins to mutter, barely noticing she's doing it. A cold sweat breaks on her scalp and palms. This isn't fair. None of this is.

All of a sudden, however, her body is convulsed by a sudden, violent spastic jerk, as if she were struck by a little, invisible bolt of lightning. Her eyes snap open and she stares up at Hank.   Town? The **** are we talking about, there is no town?  
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 

While Fink has William's attention Dr. Hagerty moves towards Thomas's newly liberated head. Gently lifting his with one hand cupping a cheek another she begins to whisper.
    I'm glad it was you not anyone else. Try and stay out sight for now. If we need anything done, I'll let you know. I trust you to do the right thing when the time comes.     
She turns her attention away from Thomas for a moment.

    Sorry Maribel, you have stick with me. William will notice your absence.    

Grasping Thomas's hair with both hands she attempts flings his head behind some rubble almost throwing out her back in the attempt as a new body sprouted from his head.
 Dangit, he never regenerated that quickly back at headquarters.  

Stumbling forward and catching herself with her hands she finds herself at the feet of William's conversing puppet.
  My colleague has a point. We don't even know what you want. Perhaps our wants aren't even in conflict and us fighting is counterproductive to achieving both our goals?  
JeenLeen
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Narrator, retcon this away if it doesn't work, but going with this based on your OOC post.
Also, as I think about it, probably not really time for her to retrieve the head, whisper, and throw it before he regrows.  And I think he'd be dead until he regrows and thus unable to hear her anyhow.
 


As Dr. Hagerty grabs Thomas' head and starts to whisper, tissue rapidly grows from his neck down and reforms his body.  Thankfully face-down so at least he's mostly covered.  He has a confused and groggy look for a moment as she stops mid-whisper.  Throwing him into the bushes is quite less of an option now.

He moans out,   "I hate dying..."   before looking around and realizing he's now in devastation-swept townscape.  Then, some wits returning, looks to William's primary host.
WindStruck
 The Fear in the Big Blue House 

Dr. Hagerty furtively whispers to Thomas's head, and whatever figments of imagination she has rattling around in her skull.

Meanwhile, it seems despite all unlikelihood, James has managed to coax some kind of conversation out of this entity that wasn't just tirades or death threats. He looks like he wants to just twist your head off too. But he hesitates and sighs.

  "All I wanted was for this town to flourish. I just wanted my granddaughter to live again. But every time - no, every year, something always goes wrong. I must have seen her die a hundred different ways now, from wild fires, to wild dogs, falling down a well, choking, a pitchfork through the eye..."  
  "Every year I'd try again. I had it down to a science, running the whole town, making sure no freak accidents happened. And then you all started showing up again.  Twice now , she's been struck by a stray bullet. Last year, one of your little 'flash bangs' put her in a coma! How do you expect to help me, when I'd bet dollars to doughnuts, you're going to be the cause of her demise!"  

It's about then that Dr. Hagerty tries to fling Thomas's head to a remote spot, but she hasn't realized that a brand new body suddenly grew out of it. She can't manage to toss Thomas (or his head) any distance, though she probably does give him a really bad crick in the neck.

While Dr. Hagerty essentially tries to reiterate what James already said, what gets more attention is Thomas's groaning. The villager's eyes widen and jaw hangs slack, as he gazes upon the nude (and more importantly, whole and alive) form of Thomas.

  "W-what in the blazes?? How?!"  
 Packed Like Sardines 

Hank gently holds onto Cecily's wrist as she clutches his leg.  "No, no, that's not how you do it. You don't worry yourself to death saying meaningless things. You talk to God. Open your heart to him." 

The two guards have begun exchanging some furtive whispers.

 
 Spoiler: MrAbdiel 
"Did you tell him?"

"No. Did you?"

"Maybe Wolfram did?"

"That's insane! It's all classified!"

"You just told them they're not getting out!"

"Yeah, one minute ago, cause  none of us are !"
 
MrAbdiel
Benjamin listens to both Hank, and the muttering of the guards.  This was bad.

People were in danger of not outright rejecting Hank's nonsense and recognizing Benjamin as the smart one, which would be the worst outcome possible.  He does the only reasonable thing and makes the opposite arguement.

 "Hank's popped a blood vessel in his brain.  We're going into danger, and some of us are going to die - some already have.  The only chance we're gonna have out there against whatever it is to work back-to-back and fight like hell.  I'll take God's help if he's giving it, but I know the bible; and the bible says 'God helps those who help themselves'.  So get ready."

 

As a matter of fact, Benjamin doesn't know the bible; and if he did, he would know it doesn't say that at all.  If anything, it's extraordinarily forthright in promoting the idea of beseeching God directly.  But it sounds good; like the kind of thing someone who knew what they were doing might say.  So he says it, then cracks his knuckles, and lets the truck rumble on towards death, or glory.
Esprit15
  ”Even if I knew, I’d be shot if I told ya,”   James says with a shrug. William calming down from his words surprises James, and he at least brings his gun down to a low-ready.   “Ain’t got no rugrats of my own, but I get wanting to protect your grandkid,”   he says, trying to keep up the conversation.

  “Look, ah… is she still safe right now? Because we don’t  want  to hurt her if it can be avoided.”   James looks to the doctor, then back toward William’s current speaker.   “Our bosses heard about people disappearing here and weird things happening, so we were sent to investigate. Take notes. Secure the area, contain any threats, protect the local population. But if there’s no danger here… well, we might just be able to take our notes and leave.

“So how about we help your little girl make it to tomorrow instead?”  
JeenLeen
Trying to figure out what little he missed, 5404 groans out, " Protect and Contain are part of the creed. "  It's not quite an honest assessment of the the SCP, but they do protect the SCPs they contain.  " If you can stop increasing the spreading area, or explain what's happening, they'll help you keep her alive.   Keep others from interferring.   That's what they do with me. "

He starts to stand, but then realizing his nakedness, looks around for some scraps of clothing or shubbery or something.  He hesitantly takes some of the bloody remains of his shirt from his old rent-asunder corpse.   Urgh... hate seeing my body dead... 
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 
 William protecting Lillie from an annual threat? That wasn't in the mission briefing but it would explain William's behavior.  
Dr. Hagerty supports Fink who had provided a much-needed breakthrough.

  Annual attacks on the town wasn't in the mission briefing. At least we know what William wants now. I'll follow your lead you've made more progress with William than the rest of us. We will have to act quickly though the festival is only a few hours away. Maybe Olheim can help us protect Lillie.  
Metastachydium
Seemingly unaware for the most part of Benjamin and the guards, Cecily looks up at Hank with wide, dry eyes, in horrified confusion.   But… But there  is  no town.   At the end of the day (and too much of her battered sanity was hinging on this), this trembling mess of a D-class asset formerly known as Cecily Branting is still the owner of that same old  chemist's  brain; her world, ever decreasing in width and depth, was a simple one, with finite amounts of matter, coming in orderly little bundles, entering or breaking away from a finite number of properly explained and understood combinations. She used to think she can assess the merits of how a hypothetical town or population would hypothetically regulate itself – given some exact parameters. But a town that isn't somewhere past a fog that shouldn't be… To her, that is something occult to the point of absurdity. And the absurdity of Hank's propositions, all too reliant on things he presented as given but that are, to her, intangible could not possibly calm her. This is the impossible happening, beyond reason which is the scope of her understanding. And Hank? Hank is being  impossible  himself.

Cecily begins to tremble even harder than before. Who is Hank, anyhow?  She 's with these freaks for unspeakable reasons. What about Hank? And the others. What about  them ? Is she losing it? Was there  ever  anything,  anything  to lose? A panicked whimper claws its way out of her: fear is a place. And here she is, sitting alone, right in the middle of it.
hand ax ranger
As fun as the fight here had been for Kuzmo it was getting tiring. In particular, the amount of effort compared to the end result was starting to become a sunk cost,especially magically as he could feel the drain start to fatigue him slightly. Giving an angry growl he turn to the way his allies  had went and figured he had covered them long enough and he could return to them.

Perhaps they needed his help even.

Using superior speed, leaping ability and sheer "freight train energy" Kuzmo made a dash for the farm where he estimated them to have headed to for at least a fallback point if not the main target.
WindStruck
 In Blumber (a town that is not trying to kill you at the moment) 

For a brief moment, the puppet's eyes narrow. There's an almost unbroken silence as only the mist swirls around and dying spurts of wind rustle the distant fields a bit.

Finally he says,   "I suppose you could try. If worst comes to worst, I'll just have to start over again."   Briefly he stands there, seemingly hesitating, before turning around to walk towards the front of the house with the other remaining villagers.   "Let's get you a change of clothes."  
  "I wouldn't say it's attacks. Things just.. happen. Unforseeable things. Things that are just beyond my control, until it's too late. Olheim.."   he says with a grunt and grumbles something.

Heavy footsteps are heard approaching fast. He raises his voice, turning his head to the side.   "Make sure your lizard pet stays clear. I don't want that thing anywhere near Lily."  

More villagers surround the blue house in a protective formation. One calls out to Kuzmo, putting an upright, flat hand in the air.   "Hold it!"   they call. If Kuzmo doesn't stop,  he is made to stop  via magical force.

Another villager, a youngish woman heads into the blue home with alacrity. Less than a minute later, she emerges with a rustic pair of pants and shirt and tosses them to Thomas. No shoes are given at this time, but maybe they could procure some from elsewhere later, or just pry them off his old corpse.

The portly, middle-aged villager starts talking again.   "Alright. Listen here. I'll try an' explain what's going on. But first  you  tell me what all this is,"   He gestures at Kuzmo and Thomas.   "I thought I'd seen everything, but talking lizard-men with fire magic? Growing your entire body back from your head? And I might have misheard you, but did you also say something about a talking cat? Maybe. Maybe you can help save Lily. First, you tell me what all this is."  
 The King of Nowhere 

King paws and scrabbles along the road, and he even begins hiding amongst the corn for good measure. The mist was thick in all directions, the clouds overhanging dark and sodden. There were even several booms of lightning in the village, deafening to his cat ears. And yet, he hears the booms of thunder and gunfire subside, and the wind slowing down to but a gentle breeze.

Maybe things have calmed down? Or maybe, just maybe, everyone was dead?


 Packed Like Sardines 

At first, Hank shoots Benjamin a weary look. But the man's expression lightens.  "Very true,"  he responds with a nod.  "It's a fine creed, but that isn't in the bible verbatim. Don't think I got an aneurysm or a stroke. In all likelihood, could be.."  he shrugs.  "But I feel fine, and more saner than I've been my entire life." 
 "I don't think this is a problem we can solve with guns and body armor and.. whatever else you have in there. Grenades?"  He looks at the two guards, who are now tight-lipped and say nothing. Turning back to Benjamin he says,  "You certainly sound like a man with a plan. How do you suggest we get ready?" 

The man's look is more confident and reassuring than ever. And he smiles, ever so faintly at Cecily.  "We'll get through this hun, don't worry,"  he assures her.

Chris and Marianne have still said nothing thus far, since the revelation that they were all invariably in death row, and Hank may in fact be a loony too. Though they seemed to have recovered somewhat.
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Spoiler: ooc  

I'm probably gonna have to bend king's character a bit to reintroduce him back to the game. But it's either that or king doesn't get to participate. Eh i have the perfect excuse.
 


King was running away when a idea hit him.  wait. Given the distance, what am i gonna eat. There's no food for miles! 
 "well the noise died down. Perhaps the scp guys are alive and i can return to them. Or they are dead. Well lily likes cats. I can be a pet. That works too. 

King heads back to the town like he didn't just leave to group to die.
Esprit15
  ”The short of it is that we work for a foundation that searches for the weird and dangerous things that aren’t quite explainable by current science. Kuzmo and Thomas here are two such research subjects. After being found, they are secured where they cannot, intentionally or accidentally, cause harm to humankind. Most of the time that means being captured and stored in a facility, though sometimes it just means cordoning off regions of land. I’m sure something like the latter may be doable for you, if we are able to finish our work here.

“For Kuzmo, we don’t know exactly what he is, beyond what he claims - that in his own world he was a godking, something like our legend of Gilgamesh maybe. Thomas cannot die, and we aren’t sure why. And King is an unaging cat who speaks, and has a sharp mind for what people are thinking.”   He didn’t  want  to explain too much about the foundation, but if he was going to become an SCP anyways, he’d learn eventually. Willing captures happened sometimes, after all.
JeenLeen
5404 nods along to the Task Force Leader's description.  He's glad they decided to speak more openly than he expected.

" Yeah.  That's pretty much it.  Those of us who are willing to work with the team sometimes get to go out on field missions.  I don't know the particulars like he or my 'mom' does, but everything I've seen and heard makes me think they'd try to keep you and your town, and Lily, safe and protected from outside influence. "

At speaking of safely, he glances back towards where the bonfire was being made.  Even if he can't see it from here, he's still thinking of it, and what that pre-cog said about a vision related to it.
And if William's some eternal being, what is Olhelm?  ...quiet for now.
Metastachydium
The chemist's brain continues to pump the chemicals around in a frenzy. Benjamin's words from somewhere in the background cut sharp like knives, those ugly, serrated knives handled by motion picture madmen, horrifying in their cruel impracticality. And Hank's  infernal  calm, drifting from plan to plan… It's ominous, more ominous even than the thguggishly direct Benjamin. A whirlpool? Cecily seems to remember something, something about these things. A strait perhaps, blue water. Italy? It could be; but it's not a good place.

And yet: though the entity known as Kuzmo (whose very existence was so far mercifully hidden from Cecily) could conceiveably feel offended by the term, they say there's a deep layer within the head of every man, commonly called  the lizard brain . It is a strange, old thing; cunning and primal, a lump of powerful basal urges made tissue – but there is a peculiar kind of wisdom residing in it. The lizard brain scoffs at the hypnotic swirls of circular thoughts, complicated explanations and unlikely rationales; and as the chemist's brain in Cecily tangled itself up in a sticky web of nonsense, the lizard brain quietly awoke to take stock and take over. And to it, Hank is still what he always was; a big heap of friendly, warm flesh, alive and familiar. Despite herself and trembling on, Cecily worms even closer to the man and biries her face into his side, joining the silent chorus.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   ”The short of it is that we work for a foundation that searches for the weird and dangerous things that aren’t quite explainable by current science. Kuzmo and Thomas here are two such research subjects. After being found, they are secured where they cannot, intentionally or accidentally, cause harm to humankind. Most of the time that means being captured and stored in a facility, though sometimes it just means cordoning off regions of land. I’m sure something like the latter may be doable for you, if we are able to finish our work here.

“For Kuzmo, we don’t know exactly what he is, beyond what he claims - that in his own world he was a godking, something like our legend of Gilgamesh maybe. Thomas cannot die, and we aren’t sure why. And King is an unaging cat who speaks, and has a sharp mind for what people are thinking.”   He didn’t  want  to explain too much about the foundation, but if he was going to become an SCP anyways, he’d learn eventually. Willing captures happened sometimes, after all. 
 


 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 5404 nods along to the Task Force Leader's description.  He's glad they decided to speak more openly than he expected.

" Yeah.  That's pretty much it.  Those of us who are willing to work with the team sometimes get to go out on field missions.  I don't know the particulars like he or my 'mom' does, but everything I've seen and heard makes me think they'd try to keep you and your town, and Lily, safe and protected from outside influence. "

At speaking of safely, he glances back towards where the bonfire was being made.  Even if he can't see it from here, he's still thinking of it, and what that pre-cog said about a vision related to it.
And if William's some eternal being, what is Olhelm?  ...quiet for now. 
 

  "..huh. Explains a lot, I suppose. Especially that cat. Tarnation he's a bastard,"   the portly villager "William" spits on the ground. Looking pointedly at Thomas, he says,   "You honestly don't know how that works?"  

He'll lead the group to a different house, one right next to it. He offers some seats with merely an uncaring gesture, but hey, at least it's a modicum of hospitality from a godlike entity who was previously about to end you.

  "Now let me try to explain. It's.. been quite a while ago, but I'll try to keep it short."  
  "Many years ago, we were a small town, but thriving. That is, of course, 'till the Great Depression. Suddenly, no one was buying our crops anymore. No one was selling nothin'. We were just on our own trying to scrape by, except now even after everything'd gone to Hell in a Handbasket, the banks were still after us charging us bills for the property many had already lived on for generations.. and the  government .. that damn  agricultural department  wanted us to  burn  our crops."  

He laughs dryly, hoarsely, in contempt.   "Yep, that's right. The G-Man took a swing by here in his fancy car, told us  we're  the problem, cause too many people are growing corn. We all told him to get lost, and we put fences and barricades up around our lands."  
  "It was absolutely ridiculous, seeing as we were already planning to keep the livestock, the food to ourselves till this all blew over. We were going to have a fun little harvest festival too. Burn a few crops just for s***s and giggles, stick it to the man, so to speak. It went over really well. The kids especially loved it. Later that night we went to bed.. we woke up in the middle of the night with the fields ablaze and half the town on fire."  
  "Lily.. she..."   the man struggles to hold back some tears,   "Ceiling just about collapsed on her. She was trapped screaming in her bed. We managed to get her out, with some burns but.. she took in too much smoke. She just.. she died in our arms..."  
  "Those of us that were left.. we prayed and prayed something fierce. We'd give up anything if just one of the kids could survive. And then, our prayers were answered. He came. The Lord granted me the power to do what I wanted with this town. But when we first came to, it was only me and Olheim. He reasoned, only the most devout and closest to God might have been left to wield this power..  
  "I don't know why everyone else was gone. I don't know why it's so hard to just keep one little girl alive for a year. I don't know how that charlatan even stays so faithful, given what keeps happening. Frankly, I don't get it. If it wasn't for what you have seen with your very own eyes, I would have given up on the idea of God long ago."  
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo bolted toward the house, seeing the crowd surrounding it and deciding this meant William and the rest of his team must be in there. Ready to blitz through he ran full force at the wall of puppets....

..... but he did not realize until it was too late a charm hand been set up. Once he was a mere 3 feet from the crowd he smacked hard against something solid. The barrier absorbed the kinetic force of the 400lb lizard moving at such speeds and, to his great displeasure, gave it right back. The angry, hateful screech can be heard from the house as Kuzmo if sent flying by the equal exchange of force into the air and several yards away.

He hit the ground with a thud and grumbled to himself. He hated "the kinetic wall", and wasn't sure what was worse. That he had just smacked full force into it, or that William had figured out that trick.
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 

Dr. Hagerty enraptured by William's story reminds herself to diligently record William's account later. The mention of a William's power being bestowed upon him by someone else was concerning and raised further questions. She speaks to William who had confided with the party.
  Sounds like we have to stop a terrible cycle. Although I do wonder what would happen if we prevented the inciting incident. Help from the outside world should throw the situation out of equilibrium favorably. 
MrAbdiel
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Packed Like Sardines 

At first, Hank shoots Benjamin a weary look. But the man's expression lightens.  "Very true,"  he responds with a nod.  "It's a fine creed, but that isn't in the bible verbatim. Don't think I got an aneurysm or a stroke. In all likelihood, could be.."  he shrugs.  "But I feel fine, and more saner than I've been my entire life." 
 "I don't think this is a problem we can solve with guns and body armor and.. whatever else you have in there. Grenades?"  He looks at the two guards, who are now tight-lipped and say nothing. Turning back to Benjamin he says,  "You certainly sound like a man with a plan. How do you suggest we get ready?" 

The man's look is more confident and reassuring than ever. And he smiles, ever so faintly at Cecily.  "We'll get through this hun, don't worry,"  he assures her.

Chris and Marianne have still said nothing thus far, since the revelation that they were all invariably in death row, and Hank may in fact be a loony too. Though they seemed to have recovered somewhat. 
 

He had not prepared for Hank to give up so easily.  But if he had, what he had prepared was unlikely to be better than what he made up.  So with falsified confidence, he turns his gaze to the door of the truck, rumbling along as they are.

 "No way to prepare for what you don't know's coming, other than to stop drownin' in your own imagination.  When we get out there, we'll see what's happening; then we'll do it like we did on the road - work in pairs, take out trash." 

Benjamin is reasonably sure this is the coolest thing anyone has ever said.
JeenLeen
5404 listens intently to the story, some tears forming at his eyes at the mention of Lily's death, but replaced with eye-wided surprise at hearing about the answer of a prayer.  And that only he and Olhelm still existed after whatever happened.  He starts to try to piece things together.

" You were able to recreate everybody who died in the fire or vanished after you got your power?   Were they real people like Lily at first, but you had to kinda take them over to keep Lily alive, so Lily and Olhelm are the only real people here besides you now? "

After listening, if able, he'll ask, " Our foundation noticed that the area you control, or at least that gets remade each year, is increasing each year.  Is that something you can control or is it increasing, like, by accident? "
Ameraaaaaa
King arrives at the house the group is in while they are talking to William.

 

"What did i miss? Anything important?

 
Esprit15
James nods as he listens to the story. It’s tragic, sad, and cracks the top ten but not top five weirdest things he’s heard happening since joining the Foundation.  ”William? Would you permit me to make a call? When things were getting violent, I called in some reinforcements and if I don’t call them off, we’re going to have a repeat of that tragedy that you’ve seen happen far too many times.” 
WindStruck
 Exposition Expansion 
  "You could call it a cycle. A terrible cycle indeed,"   nods the man.

  "It turns out, creating things, life, people.. is mighty difficult. Exceedingly difficult. It takes an absurd amount of time to make all the necessary tweaks, to make everything just so. The first time I tried to put this town back together, it felt like an eternity. And nobody and nothing was quite right."   
  "Even stranger, people just sat there and did nothing. Even when I finally got their hearts to beat and lungs to breathe, their nerves to function, they were little more than soulless animals. After countless amounts of trial and error, and failures..  I finally managed to bring Lily back. I poured all my memories with her and her parents, and the community.. all my heart and soul into her, and had to take a lot out, to make her more like a naive child again. She..."   
  "She's still not quite the same, or so I've been told.."   His expression darkens.   "Honestly, I believe it. But at this rate, she's all I care about now. I just.. I just can't be bothered to 'bring back' anyone else."  
  "In case you're wondering, maybe why it feels like God has never done anything for you.. it's a pain. A complete and utter, pain in the pitute. Everything is so unbelievably complex, you wouldn't..."  

At that moment, King walks in the door and speaks. He turns to the cat and just stares at him.

Then when James asks to make a call, he turns and nods.    "What do you mean the area I control is increasing? I wasn't aware of that..."  
 Packed Like Sardines 

Hank begins to grin wryly at Benjamin.  "Sounds to me like you don't have a plan, partner." 

Looking to Cecily and everyone, he says,  "I've been told there's a town up ahead that's in trouble. It will be up to us to help and set things right. We just need to find the most devout man there. I am sure he will be in the church." 

Chris finally blurts out,  "What the hell?! Really? Now you claim the almighty has made you his messiah? Bull****! God doesn't exist, no more than the flying spaghetti monster!" 

Marianne looks confused.  "The what?" 
 "Nevermind..."  the man glowers.

Hank puts his hands up defensively.  "Look, I'm not claiming to be a saint or a prophet. I only just heard the voice. That's all. Make of it what you will." 
Esprit15
James nods in turn, and excuses himself.

Away from the group, James speaks loudly into the radio.   ”Attention! This is operations commander James Fink! Stand down and cease all hostilities! Repeat: Stand down and cease all hostilities! The situation has evolved, combat is no longer required. Do  not  advance further into the town! Repeat: Do  not  advance further into the town! Please repeat to confirm you’ve received this message!”   If there was no response, he would almost certainly have to try and communicate directly to forces on the ground, and it was always a pain getting soldiers wound down after they were riled up.
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 He'll lead the group to a different house, one right next to it. He offers some seats with merely an uncaring gesture, but hey, at least it's a modicum of hospitality from a godlike entity who was previously about to end you. 
 

Kuzmo would see the rest of the group moving into the house with William and follow. As they were no longer fighting he assumed they had come to some sort of agreement, and he elected to stick with this idea they had established. Or so he believed.

Staying off to the side and finding a place to sit he listened to the explanation for this madness and went through several emotions. Sympathy, sorrow for the man's loss, frustration with his hubris and most of all.... disbelief at how William wasn't getting what seemed so obvious to the mystic.

Poking his head into the conversation he spoke. "  You poor, blind fool. You can't even see the trap you've been stuck in. These powers of your? your attempts to return things to the way they were? What I can tell it came from a source that's been feeding on your soul. Feasting on your hope and the feeling of crashing despair that comes when nothing goes right.  "

He motioned around to the villagers and the world around them. "  True, you have a realm to yourself. Can change the weather, control these townspeople like dolls and many other things that would make you the uncontested king of this place. But.... do you  feel  like you're the one really in control William? Or does it seem that something, someone, is always keeping you just one step away from your perfect reality?  "

Kuzmo crossed his arms and shook his head. "  You might have found a powerful spirit, Willy. Maybe even a god. But it is not  your  god, and I don't think it is one your side. Anymore than a farmer is to his best laying hen!  " He scoffed in uncontrollable disgust. "  You can no more save their souls, or give them new ones, than a child can drain the ocean with a bucket. It's beyond your means.  "
MrAbdiel
Benjamin squints at Hank; his indignant bulldog-expression graduating one of curiousity of a maturity level one might find on a child who, encountering a dead animal, has passed the threshold of disgust sufficient to be enticed to poke it with a stick.

 "You make a habit of listening to voices in your head?" 
Metastachydium
Cecily joins her lizard half in relaxing somewhat as Hank finally explains himself. He's nothing sinister, after all, he's just hearing voices. That tell him to do things.  Here.  Which is sinister enough, in the end. She tenses up again. But then, if it's benignly (does she know that?) sanity-impaired Hank or Chris or Benjamin… She turns her head abruptly, producing an ultimately borderline comical scowl.   Just… Shut the **** up, both of you.   she hisses, pained, and unhelpfully not specifying who she's really talking to. That doesn't, in fact, even cross her mind.   This stuff, it doesn't make sense. None of it, it just doesn't. Creepy voices and creepy fog and bugs – I mean, what's the difference?   she goes on, shakily, nodding to herself encouragingly.   B-but we still have  method , I mean… We  know  the fog's a thing, because it's  here , right? If there's a town with a church and all, that'll be a thing too. Empirically.   she explains, a modicum of conviction creeping forth from the chemist's brain and into her voice.   W-we are to move anyway, it's not like we have  more  **** to lose than before. Right?   she glances timidly at the guards, hoping for a confirmation rather than a bullet.
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 

Dr. Hagerty wipes back a tear only allowing her voice to waiver for a moment.
 Losing nearly everyone you knew and then having your community burnt to the ground. The loss was enough to tear a hole in someone. The wound would reopened after healing time and again by even the smallest triggers and reminders. The best one could do was diminish each subsequent rupturing.   Dr. Hagerty she speaks to William continuing from Kuzmo's speech.

  You have been caught in a cycle of misery of and frustration. I know the feeling myself and I also know that you have had support since you first received your powers. Olheim has remained hoping to liberate you from this cycle. If he has stuck around, you for decades then he is still willing to help you. I've had the same fortune; my sister could have left my side at any time, but she chose but here she is watching my back while I keep throwing myself into danger.

If you listen, Olheim may have a solution to your problem.  
JeenLeen
5404 isn't really sure how to respond to the lizard-god's comments, and mostly hopes that it both isn't true though does fear that it is the case.

To answer William's question, he turns towards Hagery and Fink and says, " It's been increasing a little each year, right, but more in the last few? "  Then he turns back to William and says,  "Do you create the fog that comes every Halloween?  We figured it was you..." 
WindStruck
 James's Call 

James hears confirmation from one of his underlings.  "Affirmative. We will pull over and wait. ETA would be one minute from town."  Apparently the short-range radios within the area of SCP-1031 were still working amongst themselves.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Note that this conversation is relatively private on your end. Anyone with particularly sharp hearing and a penchant for being nosy could at least hear what James says.

By that reasoning, James can also attempt to listen in on the conversation happening in the other room.

If James's call is quick, we can assume he may actively participate in both conversations.
 

 In a Sitting Room 

Meanwhile, Kuzmo can't resist taking the opportunity to belittle the dark lord of this realm, at least in a mild manner as he drops his truth bomb. The villager being controlled by William primarily glares at Kuzmo, a hardened demeanor of self-righteousness and contemplating wrath, though considering he has opted to not kill everyone for now, and try to accept this group's aid, he swallows the words as if it were medicine that tasted like bleach.

His eyes narrow as he replies,   "You are right about one thing. Sometimes it feels as though something is working against me. Especially with the bizarre events that have happened. But I still think you know nothing about what you speak. Feeding on my soul? Who or what is doing that? I have never felt such a presence. And if not my.. no,  The  God, the one true creator, who else do you think is behind this?"  
 
 Spoiler: ooc 
I never thought Kuzmo's actual expertise in this subject was that great, but you're welcome to attempt a roll for knowledge. *gasp*

Results don't matter much to me either way. Roll poorly, and you can continue to make up some nonsense. Roll well and I'll give you an actual hint.
 


Thomas further explains about the expansion and asks about the fog. He looks more confused and curious, and he explains,   "This? This is what I do to keep the rest of the world out, at least for a time. It's not the most natural, and as you can imagine, it's unsettling to children. Also.. when I have to reset everything.. put things back as they were..."  

Turning to Dr. Hagerty, the man scoffs.   "Bah. For all his 'wisdom', Olheim has not helped me in any significant manner. He rings the bells and holds his sermons on Sundays. And I take Lily there, for a proper upbringing."  

He continues lambasting the pastor.   "If that man knew of even half the things he claimed, he .."   He stops and blinks, and curses to himself.   "Son of a b****! He should have seen Lily's deaths coming from a mile away. But he's never warned me. Never lifted a finger to stop it! All he does is spout nonsense.  'Oh, this isn't how things were meant to be. We can't change the past. There is a lesson to learn..!'  Hogwash!"  
  "We haven't talked much in ages, it feels like. But I think it is about time that I gave him a piece of my mind!"   William turns to leave, stomping a few steps toward the door, and then stops and says to everyone.   "Oh.. and what do you all suggest for Lily? I'm currently with her. She  should  be safe in her room..  for now ."  
 Packed Like Sardines 

Hank looks at Benjamin again, with that sappy wry grin, widening more than before.  "Don't think I have an answer for you there. This is the first time." 

Cecily interjects with her own rambling spiel and reasoning. And to that Hank nods.  "Yeah. I also can't help but notice how all this has been happening at about the same place and time. If anything there's something strange about this place for sure." 

Marianne asks,  "Well what are we going to do when we get there? I don't think you plan to make us pick up trash the whole time?" 

The only response she gets is the low rumbling and vibrations of the truck seeming to come to a halt. It was easy to feel that inertia had changed. The truck had slowed and came to a stop.

 "Wait. Why are we stopping? We need to get to the church!"  Hank says again.

 "Give it up, Hank,"  Chris says.  "Even if I do believe you're hearing voices, it's probably just some other f****d up thing here trying to kill us. And the bottom line is, we do what  they  tell us, or they kill us for sure."  He thumbs at the two guards watching over them.

Speaking of trying to kill y'all:

As the truck decidedly stops, the engine's vibration quickly stuttering to a halt as it's turned off, and the truck lurches back a bit into its parking breaks, a  box  shifts somewhere above and behind Cecily. Then the shelf support suddenly gives way on that side, causing it to slide off and tip, partially opening and dumping its contents onto the floor: grenades.

 
 Spoiler: Benjamin 
Your hyper mental faculties suddenly kick in, as what is more scary than a bunch of grenades falling near you! And you realize one of them has a pin missing.
 
Ameraaaaaa
 "guess this is goodbye to the the priest. Serves him right for trying to stuff me in a box. By the way what's up guys. Got food?"
 

King says with innocent eyes like he didn't leave you for dead.
MrAbdiel
Things happen very fast; then very slowly.

The truck stops; but in a display of events as unfortunate as any that has befallen a man, the support for a shelf above gives way just enough that a hitherto unexamined box tumbles down and spills its content on the floor.  For a blurry moment his eyes register these items as avocados; but he is  stupid , not  blind.   His heart contracts in his chest; his chimp brain deploys a spasming gush of adrenaline into his body in one desperate biological prayer to preserve the whole vessel by eliciting a brainwave of a kind his brain is simply not equipped to produce.

But then, it's a day for miracles, isn't it?

Now it's not fast anymore.   It's slow; almost comically slow.  He knows the eyes of the other prisoners and the guards are widening with alarm.  He knows because that is the right thing to do, but he does not look to see those expressions.  His eyes are on the grenades; and particularly, the one spinning on its grooved side near his foot.  In the air nearby, winking in the dim light of the truck's interior bulbs, is another important object.

He recognizes it at once as a a strand of 15 gauge American Standard galvanized steel wire.  In a straightened form it would be eleven and a quarter inches long; but its length is arrested in three right circles creating a ring and a single 'pin' jutting therefrom.  The looped wire ring is threaded through a small aluminium tag which denotes the nature of the item to which it belongs, and a serial number; all the information stamped into its surface on the face directed away from Benjamin as it falls through the air in this infinitely slow moment.  He can read it immediately even in reverse as it is, but he does not need to.  The serial number is irrelevant, and the item's nature is known to him already - an M26 fragmentation grenade, or possibly an M26A1.  He knew this because the the grenade spinning by his foot already had its level undepressed, and had no safety catch which was added to such designs in their later iteration from the M61 onward.  There were different grenades in the mess falling, but only this one had lost its pin.  And given that it had hit the ground once to spin, it was not an M26A2 grenade, which would have already detonated and begin the process of explosively shredding everyone in the truck.  Benjamin knew this because  he didn't know why but probably because he's a friggen genius and he must have picked it up talking to old Les 'Fatty' Forbes who had served in Korea, where  the American military used this model before it was discontinued for the safer M61.  Given the distance between the pin falling through the air and the grenade at his feet, the grenade was probably armed immediately falling out of the box one eighth of a second prior.  The handle was already undepressed, which meant the percussion cap had ignited the chemical fuze.  Operating under the assumption that this weapon was a typical example of its kind, there now existed between three and seven eights, or four and seventh eights of a second before detonation.

Call it three and seven eights, for clearance.

Benjamin could save himself.  He could lunge for the door, throw the interior handle and be clear of the blast's direct radius while the rest of the clean-up crew froze and panicked, wasting their last moments  before they were reduced to chunky salsa.   But that wouldn't work.  Even if he made the leap - which presupposed the guards were not quick enough on the draw to shoot him for the sudden movement, which was not guaranteed considering how keyed up they were with fear - the likelihood that the first blast would throw grenades out the door to then experience secondary detonation was very high, in which case he would be flat on the ground while an explosion was taking place a few feet above him, killing him immediately.  Neither could he convince and force the evacuation of everyone else, because  this crew of bozos don't got no respect and it  would take more than these moments to activate them to move let alone convince them of the need to move.  There was no escape; the right action was to disarm the weapon immediately.

Three seconds, now.

He reached down and snatched the spinning grenade off the floor and brought it up to his lap.  The lever was the distinctive straight galvanized steel flanged bar with its shallow bend (as opposed to the curved handles of later models) - an M213 fuze, screwed into the top of the explosive unit.  He put the heel of his palm to the side of the fuze cap, gripped the shell of the grenade with the other hand, and twisted.  It didn't budge.

Two seconds.

Briefly confounded, he took a fraction of a moment to consider why  the bloody bastard wouldn't turn.  This  was military surplus from a production seventy one years ago.  It likely rotated into the Korean peninsula and came back unused.  In that time enough humidity must have penetrated the machined elements of the fuze to cause mild oxidization and the kind of chemical rust bond that required the extra leverage that comes from a set of pliers.  But he didn't have pliers; all he could do was improvise.  Benjamin pivoted at the waist, raised the grenade up, and gave the fuze cap a firm  whack  against the edge of Hank's seat beside him - an action that might appear suicidal to everyone else.  Benjamin knew this wasn't an impact grenade; all that blow would shake loose was the rust bonds clinging to the thread of the fuse.

One second.

He gripped the fuze cap, turned firmly, and felt it rotate a quarter revolution.  With rapid movements of his fingers gripping the grenade's explosive shell and also the hand on top, he revolved and counter revolved the elements and plucked upward, pulling the rust-speckled fuse rod from the grenade's interior.  The floor around him was covered in grenades; the floor at the far end of the truck, up near the cab between the feet of the guards, was not; and with a flick of his wrist, he sent the fuse spinning through the air, bouncing and stopping against the front wall of the truck's interior.

Zero seconds.

A half second elapsed further (better safe than sorry) and the fuze's chemical charge finally cooked off.  The sound was that of a small, lonely fire cracker; popping in the enclosed truck, it was loud and  pants-crappingly  distressing considering the outcome every sane imagination in the truck must be assuming would follow any bang at all.  But there's just the pop, and a fizz of chemical smoke, and then Benjamin sitting there holding the unexploded shell of the disarmed grenade.  And everyone else  sitting around looking like a bunch of dumb-dumbs for being worried, like they didn't think he could do it -but oh boy, he showed them.

  "We should get out of here."  
 
 Spoiler: OOC: Action. 
Woop - Project Semphore Guinea Pig kicks in, boosting Benjamin's intelligence up to 9.  I'll spend my VP immediately to use Beginner's Luck and gain 5 effective ranks in Technology, and then disarm the grenade.  Disarming a bomb is usually a DC 10 Technology Check, but you'd be within your rights to raise that given the urgency of the moment.   Jack of All Trades  means no penalty for working with improvized tools (like banging it on the seat to loosen rust).  Feel free to call for a roll if you want!  But if you set a DC 15 or lower, Benjamin passes.  Otherwise, I'm happy to roll and retcon as needed.
 
Esprit15
James nods, satisfied with the reply, and steps back into the room.   ”My people are holding for now. Kuzmo, stop harassing our host. Your role here is not to provide whatever religious guidance you think needs dispensing, it is as security.”   The squad leader frowns. Helping William may end up concluding the phenomenon happening here, and the Foundation would likely not have a chance to observe this anomaly again.

  “I can’t do much, but I can at least stand guard at the house. Doctor, would you please keep an eye on things with the Father? I think there’s more for you to do there with regards to our mission than for me. Kuzmo, follow her, keep her safe. 5404, you’re with me.”  
Metastachydium
Cecily goes all stiff as the grenades tumble out onto the floor, all moisture seems to suddenly evaporate from her oral cavity at once and her eyes close. Bombs, in a car, with her. Hank might be right, after all. This is terribly poetic. BUt the blast… Doesn't happen. Or, rather, it  does , but it does n't . And then Benjamin speaks up with triumphant calm.    That…    she has to clear her throat.   That was just the fuse.   Her eyes pop open and she sees the thug holding the business bitof the grenade nonchalantly.   It's inert now.   she adds, flabbergasted.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Now, Cecily has 10 ranks in technology, 7 in Expertise (chemistry) and, khm, a past with bombs in it. I figure she'd realize what happened, except for the bit WHERE  BENJAMIN SOMEHOW DID IT SUPER FAST. 
 
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo crossed his arms at James annoyed. "  You do realize I am also a Mystic, yes? I am here as much to consult on magics, especially those pertaining the the spiritual, as I am the slaughter our foes.  " he walked over to the Doctor regardless. "  I'm a physician-surgeon as well... though I'm rusty enough I can at least see why that got passed over...  "

Despite his rebuking of James he followed along with the plan. Better to get the point across then still be a team player than to press the issue and be a problem.
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

Thomas and James (presumably?) make their way to the neighboring blue house. Lily's "mother" has more or less put herself back together, though her forehead still looks pretty bloody and messed up.  "Lily's room is at the top,"  she says, leading you up the stairs, through a cramped hall, and then up another tight staircase. She knocks on the door.  "Lily, honey, it's me. Y'all alright in there?" 

You think you hear a muffled  "Yeah..." 
 "We have a couple visitors,"  the mother announces.


 Confrontation at the Church 

The villager puppet "William" briskly marches across the foggy town back to the church, with Dr. Hagerty and Kuzmo following behind him. He barges into the church and says,   "Adrian!"  

The reverend could be found tidying up the office he put in disarray earlier.

  "It makes sense now. All those times you said the past couldn't be changed. But you knew Lily was going to die, didn't you. Hell, you even know what will happen tonight, don't you?"  

Olheim responds calmly,  "It isn't that simple, William. Had I tried to intervene, everything would again become unpredictable, and something else would surely go wrong. Today.. tonight is especially confounding..." 
 An Explosive Situation 

The two guards are flustered by this situation. One looks up at the box that tipped over, resting on the shelf that just happened to give way. Another looks at all the bombs scattered all over the ground with mild concern. It's not like grenades just went off by themselves anyway. That's what the safety pin was for!

But he does notice Benjamin reaching for a grenade. Rather than shoot him, which could be really dangerous with a potentially active grenade scattering somewhere about, the guard leaps at Benjamin to get it out of his hands.

  "Grenade! Put it down!"   he shouts.

This most certainly deserved a shooting. But by time he's reacted and wrestled it out of Benjamin's hand, all he's holding is the shell casting. With a loud pop like a firecracker, the fuse goes off, leaving one guard still grappled with Benjamin, and the other pointing his gun right at the two of you and messing with the truck door behind him.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Consider Semaphore still active for right now.
 
Esprit15
  ”Hey Lily, remember us?”   James says, returning to the more casual, friendly tone of his guise.   “Hope the ruckus outside didn’t scare you too bad.”  
MrAbdiel
Benjamin doesn't resist the grappling at the disarming, once he's accomplished his goal - he allows the guard to take the remnant of the weapon away, and even tolerates being manhandled with only the grunts requisite when he is restrained and shoved.

 "Hey, hey, take it easy, take it easy - the pin came out, I had to give it the old twisteroo and we're okay now, okay?  C'mon, geddoff me, man." 
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Confrontation at the Church 

The villager puppet "William" briskly marches across the foggy town back to the church, with Dr. Hagerty and Kuzmo following behind him. He barges into the church and says,   "Adrian!"  

The reverend could be found tidying up the office he put in disarray earlier.

  "It makes sense now. All those times you said the past couldn't be changed. But you knew Lily was going to die, didn't you. Hell, you even know what will happen tonight, don't you?"  

Olheim responds calmly,  "It isn't that simple, William. Had I tried to intervene, everything would again become unpredictable, and something else would surely go wrong. Today.. tonight is especially confounding..."  
 

Kuzmo followed the two there with only the bare minimum of interest in how this ended. He had already told the foolish old man what was going on yet he had not heeded his warnings. Anything past here was his fault as he saw it. If it endangered his party though he would suffer greatly for it.

When William confronted the priest Kuzmo leaned against the doorway and just watched with true indifference. Up until the false priest spoke of tonight being different.

"  Hmph, what? Halloween a powerful holiday for your dead carpenter god? Are the spirits supposed to be more active tonight?  " He said with great sarcasm. Then he suddenly thought less like a man scorned and more like a mystic and reflected on that. "  Wait,  are  they supposed to be more active on this night?  "
Metastachydium
  It's inert!   Cecily repeats, quite redundantly, and shifting steadily back towards panic and Hank both (though not in the same way). Bullets bouncing about inside the car are among the last things what she wants in her life right now – not that this list of "last things" is a particularly short one.
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   ”Hey Lily, remember us?”   James says, returning to the more casual, friendly tone of his guise.   “Hope the ruckus outside didn’t scare you too bad.”   
 

Lily's "mother" covers her forehead with her hand and briefly smiles a Lily before turning away.

Inside this room is a somewhat small yet cozy affair. There's a window looking out (which is now noticeably barred) and at the foot of the bed, covered in pillows and a patchwork quilt is a trunk with toys. On the opposite side of the room is a small bookshelf filled with books and other colorful trinkets, and a dollhouse, and a ball, the maroon one you saw her playing with earlier.

Sitting on the bed is Lily, dressed the same, looking quite anxious. And with her, closest to the window and enfolding an arm across her in a comforting half-hug is an older man. Must be William. The real William.

 
 Spoiler: Stolen Concept Art 
 

Just without spooky glowing eyes. That probably comes later.  😁
 

 "Is it over? Is the storm over?"  she asks.

  "Oh, I sure hope so,"   William says, throwing Thomas and James half a scowl.   "But it's calmed down now, that's the important thing."  
 "Were you scared, Mr. Ericson?"  she asks.


 Confrontation at the Church 

 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 "  Hmph, what? Halloween a powerful holiday for your dead carpenter god? Are the spirits supposed to be more active tonight?  " He said with great sarcasm. Then he suddenly thought less like a man scorned and more like a mystic and reflected on that. "  Wait,  are  they supposed to be more active on this night?  " 
 

The reverend is nonplussed by Kuzmo's derogatory comments. He does clarify, however.  "I was not referring to Halloween specifically. Rather, today..  this  particular night. I noticed the ensuing chaos to come, ever since you entered our town." 

He tilts his head curiously.  "So it seems you managed to convince William not to kill you."  Then he looks over at the villager being puppeted and asks,  "Are you going to let them go, regardless of what happens?" 
 An Explosive Situation 

 
 Originally Posted by MrAbdiel 
  "Hey, hey, take it easy, take it easy - the pin came out, I had to give it the old twisteroo and we're okay now, okay?  C'mon, geddoff me, man."  
 


 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
   It's inert!   Cecily repeats, quite redundantly, and shifting steadily back towards panic and Hank both (though not in the same way). Bullets bouncing about inside the car are among the last things what she wants in her life right now – not that this list of "last things" is a particularly short one. 
 

The situation calms down now, and once again, Benjamin has miraculously avoided getting shot or having his teeth kicked in. The guard probably didn't actually see him pulling out the pin, or at least, even if he did, the handle that activated the fuse wasn't already sprung open in Benjamin's hands. If anything, the guard at least couldn't argue with the fact that the fuse had popped, yet they were all still alive.

  "What in the hell.."   he mutters.   "Everyone out, bugs or no bugs. Move!"  

The five of you Class-D prisoners are herded out of the truck before anything else fishy happens - like guns randomly falling into your laps, and whatnot.

While one guard keeps an eye on you, the other takes a minute or two to tidy up the inside of the truck, and meanwhile, the other two guards who were driving the truck step out and come around back.

  "What's going on?"   the apparent leader of them says.

  "A box of our surplus grenades fell down after your truck engaged into park. And by some freak accident, one of the pins came out.."   he fixes his gaze on Benjamin,   ".. Don't know what to tell you, Sarge. Either this guy disarmed it, or he pulled some fast trick."  

The man inquiring about the events that transpired looks at each of you, all the D-Class present skeptically, yet expectantly.   "Well? Is there any reason to believe this wasn't just some freak accident?"  
 
 Spoiler: MrAbdiel 
Hyper-cognitive function deactivated...

Yet you still have an insight: You've seen pigs use similar interrogation tactics. This guy wants you scum to talk, and the instant he sniffs a whiff of something that seems off, he will have a further excuse to continue to question and harass, until he hears something that he wants to hear.
 
MrAbdiel
Benjamin knows that was a live grenade.  He doesn't know how he knows; not really. But he doesn't  know  that he doesn't know how he knows.  The enormous boost of cognitive caching, rapidly bleeding away now, does not permit him awareness of that instinct any more than a man can stand outside of, and witness a dream he is having while he participates in it.  Now it's gone; and the simple, rationilizing instinct of his brain puts the matter in the 'too hard' basket.  But he  does  know he's being interrogated; and he knows the matter is too complicated to explain to these bozos.  The fact that offering a dumber explanation prevents him from having to figure out how it all happened too is just a bonus.  So Benjamin lies; and offers the most convincing lie possible: a suggestion of his own stupidity, which all these clowns, these  chumps , were so sure was real.  Boy did he have them fooled.

  "...Wait, wait, that thing was real?  I thought they were the ones that spray paint everywhere, like what they have at those, whaddaya call em.  The paint fight joints, that do kids parties.  Holy smokes, are those real hand grenades?  Hey, can we all have one?"  
 
 Spoiler: Benjamin's Play 
Benjamin is hoping the guards will be more willing to beleive that this was a sequence of bad luck then dumb luck, rather than bad luck then him being a  fricken genius .
 
Esprit15
  ”By a little ol’ Midwest storm? Nah, we get hurricanes out east,”   the man says.   “Not as bad as they get ‘em down south, but I’ve seen a good bit of wind and flood in my time. And when I was deployed, I saw everything: blizzards, sandstorms, wildfires, typhoons.

“Course, doesn’t mean these things can’t be scary to you,”   he says, smiling softly.   “And I know for a fact that if it does start back up, Will here will protect you.”  
JeenLeen
5404 tries to give a comforting smile to Lily.  Reminds him a little bit of his little sibling.  Dang, he misses his family.
He's a bit put off by William, and wondering if Lily is having a natural discomfort to the entity, or if she's used to him from knowing him all year, or if he warped her mind so he looks like a normal grandfather.  At least he's not a walking corpse, but still looks odd to the 90s kid 5404 is.

" Hi, Lily.  Yeah, if anything starts up, we'll be around. "
He tries to position himself between the window and Lily, in case anything freakish comes through there.  Bascially make it so he's more likely to get hit by something random instead of her.
Ameraaaaaa
 ok. I might be a uncaring jerk. But I'm not completely amoral.  king sits on lily's lap and let's her pet him if she wishes.  hopefully that comforts her. Even if she's not technically the real thing. She does seem sad for real. 
Metastachydium
For her part, Cecily, on the edge again as usual and even a little hunched with fear, buy's Benjamin's story just fine – and feels a highly uncommon urge in herself, namely to  strangle him on the spot .   That wasn't a  toy , you dumbass, you could have…   she jabbers at a high pitch, biting the end off to gulp and shudder. This was just getting better and better.
MrAbdiel
Benjamin doesn't respond to this provocation - but he does lean away from her with some bewilderment in his eyes, and then glances about to the guards and prisoners, specifically the male ones, with a wry expression that reads something like,  'women, am I right?' .  Lamentably sexist expressions aside, he does ask the obvious question:

 "...Bugs are gone, huh?" 
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 The reverend is nonplussed by Kuzmo's derogatory comments. He does clarify, however.  "I was not referring to Halloween specifically. Rather, today..  this  particular night. I noticed the ensuing chaos to come, ever since you entered our town." 

He tilts his head curiously.  "So it seems you managed to convince William not to kill you."  Then he looks over at the villager being puppeted and asks,  "Are you going to let them go, regardless of what happens?"  
 

Dr. Kalispell interjects after the question lingers a moment beyond her comfort.
  It won't come to that. We know what terrible things happen to poor Lilly every year. We believe we saving Lilly now will bring peace to William and will accomplish our goal of halting the growth of William's domain. Please help us Father Olheim we both benefit from helping Lillie survive.   

Dr. Hagerty concludes imploring Dr. Olheim by making eye contact with the priest.
 Kuzmo is likely correct. There has to be another conspirators involved who has something to gain from stringing William along. Please don't be one of them Olheim. 
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

Lily smiles timidly as James and Thomas do their best to put her at ease. William nods, too. An air of confidence, reassurance, comfort.. trust. He was apparently an older man, with quite a haggard and somewhat scruffy face, sporting a grayed mustache and wispy, sparse beard that was not cleanly shaven if anything. His suit was old fashioned and he wore an old, faded duster.

King climbs into Lily's lap, and she begins to pet him, completely forgiving the cat for the "accident" it had on her living room rug. As a kid, she's a bit rough with the petting, but hey, she could probably be trained to do better.

William glances at King and narrows his eyes briefly before standing up and putting on a more cordial face.   "Gentlemen. Nice to finally meet you. I hear you arrived in our town a while ago with a broken down car. The names Becket. William Becket."   The man extends a hand to greet each of you, and though you know introductions are not needed at this point, the only logical reason for this charade to continue is for Lily's benefit, so she doesn't realize anything too strange has happened tonight.

  "It's a shame we couldn't get your car up and running. And with this 'storm'.. ah well, in this nasty weather, I can understand if people don't want to go out right now."   He sighs and looks down at the girl.   "I'm not sure if we'll be having our little festival tonight, pumpkin. Maybe we could just rustle up some popcorn instead..?"  
 Confrontation at the Church 

Dr. Hagerty pleads with the priest, and he is further pressured by William.

  "So do you know something or not, Adrian? Maybe we can get Lily through a year, this festival night, for once. Maybe we can thwart whatever is causing this, and finally move on."  

The reverend is silent for a bit and finally sighs, saying,  "That's just the trouble, William. I don't think we can 'move on' by 'fixing' things. Everything is telling me that  you  are the reason we are still here..."  Reverend Olheim raises a finger, licks his lips, and his mouth twitches a few times, so reluctant to speak.  "William.. it's still as I said, decades ago, when you decided to stop talking to me...  You  were the cause of Lily's death. And your subconscious-" 
  "Shut up,"   William growls.

Olheim's face grows pale and he immediately stops talking.   "You're lucky you always come back, too, when I reset everything. Feels like there's hardly any point in killing you anymore. Just tell me what you know.  How will Lily die tonight?? "  
 An Explosive Situation 

Chris and Hank and Marianne stay silent. They don't have anything to contribute to this line of questioning, nor anything to even rat out, really. They're mostly just thankful that they didn't get blown up.

As Benjamin speaks, the man's head swivels toward the D-class, and his eyes look like a hawk sizing up its prey. Benjamin probably should have just stayed silent. You know what they call it: pleading the 5th! His dashing, chauvinistic smile and observation about the lack of bugs don't win him any noticeable support.

Benjamin would probably be squirming now, as he is looked at with even more extra scrutiny.   "And why would you disarm a grenade that you thought was fake?"   It was another trap! Probably?!
Esprit15
James nods.   “Rudolph Ericson,”   James says, shaking the proper William’s hand for the first time.   “Hopefully Dan gets back tomorrow with a tow truck at least.”  
Metastachydium
Cecily squints at the head guard in confusion. Benjamin  almost killed himself trying to eat the creepy corn . The answer for why he would tamper with something for little gain when he might end up shot seems fairly obvious to her. But she doesn't share that kind of suicidal confidence: discretion is the better half of  ****ing  staying alive, after all. Her concerns, accordingly, remain unvoiced.
JeenLeen
5404 offer his hand and gives his alias' name.  No reason to confuse Lily by giving his real one, or risk a reprimand.

At the mention of popcorn, he says, " I don't know, sir.  With the storm going on, trying to cook something might be risky, y'know?  Don't want to short out the stove or something. "
MrAbdiel
Benjamin squirms under the scrutiny, but he is assisted in his lie by the fact that his brain does not have a good explanation for how and why he did what he did; all it has is a loose string of rationalizations which he subconsciously knows better than to pull on too hard, so he elects to double down on his lie.

 "I didn't say it was fake, I said I thought it was gonna spray paint everywhere!  And you would have blamed me if I just stared at it and let it go off, wouldn't ya?  You tell me I saved your life now you're pickin' on me for it?  C'mon, whatsamadda with you?  You shouldn't be up in my face, you should be namin' your kids after me!  Jeez!" 
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Reverend Olheim raises a finger, licks his lips, and his mouth twitches a few times, so reluctant to speak.  "William.. it's still as I said, decades ago, when you decided to stop talking to me...  You  were the cause of Lily's death. And your subconscious-" 
  "Shut up,"   William growls.

Olheim's face grows pale and he immediately stops talking.   "You're lucky you always come back, too, when I reset everything. Feels like there's hardly any point in killing you anymore. Just tell me what you know.  How will Lily die tonight?? "   
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 
 This was troubling news. Annual murders concluding with an indifferent estrangement. Olheim doesn't seem to have any anomalous that would allow him to extend his life well beyond a century. The absence of powers likely meant he isn't perpetuating the problem.   
  Excuse me, Father Olheim. Have you have been killed and returned annually? Can you remember just what killed Lily every year after her initial death. Do you remember your own moments between your and rebirth?  

Dr. Hagerty questions Father Olheim as her complexion pales.
Ameraaaaaa
 kids rough but whatever makes her feel better. 

Kings still hungry tho. So he let's his stomach rumble while on lily's lap hoping she realises that.
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 
  "Oh, the stove? Hm, yeah.."   says William, seemingly absent-minded, distracted even.   "It's hard to know what's too risky at this point. But we can't just do absolutely nothing.. after all, man's gotta eat."   He manages a wry smile, glancing down to Lily again.

  "I think if we keep an eye on the stove for any problems, nothing will happen. That's usually how bad luck happens anyway. It's always the things you don't expect."  
 "Popcorn sounds nice..."  Lily says.  "King, are you hungry?" 

If anything, King most definitely wanted to be fed. It would seem out of the five present, three wanted to head down to the kitchen.


 Confrontation at the Church 

Olheim appears to be, to say the least, overwhelmed. His head swivels slightly and his eyes dart about, mouth beginning to open and close.. much less of a composed figure as he was earlier.

 "I - I don't.. first, choking..  then a fire.. n-now.. a man with a gun..?" 

Dr. Hagerty addresses the man, who blinks at her as if seeing her for the first time.  "Oh..? I - sometimes? I remember it all. But between dying and coming back, it's almost as if waking from a dreamless sleep, or coming out of a stupor." 
  "Hold on. A man with a gun?? Who is he? One of these people still in town?"  

The reverend shakes his head.  "I don't have any idea who he is. A skinny man.. crooked nose, orange jumpsuit. Looks like a convict that just got out of prison." 
  "A prisoner? What in the hell would one be doing here?"  
 An Explosive Situation 

The sergeant's eyes narrow as he pierces into Benjamin's soul. But as of yet, nothing comes of it. Suddenly, he turns as if suddenly losing interest. He walks up to one of the other guards and whispers something.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Anyone with any hint of movie savviness would know he's whispering something like 'watch him'. Of course Benjamin probably thinks they're talking about what a great guy he is for disarming a paint grenade. Extra free time outside the cell for sure!
 


He turns back to address everyone, with a raised voice.   "Alright dips**ts, listen up! No guns, no grenades for anyone! If you so much as touch another grenade, armed or not, you're getting shot! Capiche?"  

As if on cue, pandemonium breaks loose.

  "Hey!"    *ratatatatat* 

The sergeant spins toward the source of the gunfire, which was apparently coming from the inside of the truck, only to get pegged several times by wild spraying of bullets.

The mad gunman takes down another guard, and Hank grabs the last from behind, putting him in a chokehold, while Chris begins to wrestle for his gun.

Just based on the sound of the maniacal laughter, there was only one explanation, one perpetrator behind this: Tater.  Of course  it was Tater.
Ameraaaaaa
King nods to the girl.

 little unrealistic for a normal cat. But he wanted certainty that he was gonna get food. 
hand ax ranger
The conversation had little to hold Kuzmo's interest until they talked about some gunman and the kid.  He shifted to the doctor and told her she should send that info to the others in case there was validity to the ramblings of the priest.

Otherwise he stood by waiting to start cutting people in half. Which seemed less 'if' and more 'when' to him. This wouldn't end well in all likelihood so the time for force would probably return soon enough. Either that, or they'd have to compel a conclusion to it.
Metastachydium
Unlike the soon to be bullet-ridden sergeant, Cecily doesn't  need  to know what's happening. She can tell that there's shooting going on, which makes it unlikely that she'll be shot for making sudden movements; she'll likely get shot  despite  that, in fact. Still, that's exactly what she goes for: she slams herself against the road and covers her head with her painfully  not  bulletproof hands to begin whimpering pathetically. This isn't even some dumb flavour of ironic anymore.

But then, just  then , with the echo of gunshots ringing in her ear, she hears that other, horrible sound over her own moaning. Is that… Laughter?! No, not just that. A much worse sort of  -ter .  Ta ter.  Of course  it had to be Tater. And now she knows: they really  are  doomed.
Esprit15
 ”Well, ain’t no food growing from the floorboards.”  James gets up and heads for the stairs.
MrAbdiel
Benjamin startles with the gunfire; but as soon as he has a measure of the situation, he moves. The balance of power has changed - now the guards were getting overrun, and the prisoners were in charge.  He lurches towards the grapple, and as Hank and Chris wrestle with the last operable guard, he slips in to add his own arms to the mess - leveraging the guard's neck against Hank's choking arm, to speed up the process... and also giving himself three human shields.

 "Hey, okay, okay, stop shooting - that you, 'Tater?  You got 'em, you're the big man now, okay?  What now?" 
 
 Spoiler: OOC: 
Benjamin is using his "Blood Choke" power to try to blackout this poor guard quickly.  With two others involved, it shouldn't take long; but I'm happy to roll or not, as you see fit.
 
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Confrontation at the Church 

Olheim appears to be, to say the least, overwhelmed. His head swivels slightly and his eyes dart about, mouth beginning to open and close.. much less of a composed figure as he was earlier.

 "I - I don't.. first, choking..  then a fire.. n-now.. a man with a gun..?" 

Dr. Hagerty addresses the man, who blinks at her as if seeing her for the first time.  "Oh..? I - sometimes? I remember it all. But between dying and coming back, it's almost as if waking from a dreamless sleep, or coming out of a stupor." 
  "Hold on. A man with a gun?? Who is he? One of these people still in town?"  

The reverend shakes his head.  "I don't have any idea who he is. A skinny man.. crooked nose, orange jumpsuit. Looks like a convict that just got out of prison." 
  "A prisoner? What in the hell would one be doing here?"   
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 

Heeding Kuzmo's advice Dr. Hagerty twists her fascination from Father Olheim.  It seemed that William had shared some of his gifts with Olheim. Unless the man had extrasensory abilities himself which was certainly a possibility with an anomaly of this magnitude. Though the vision coinciding with William's led credence to the first theory. Either way they were definitely SCP given the uniforms and any civilians would have been stopped at barricade by security agents.  

Addressing Father Olheim and William Dr. Hagerty explains the appearance of the man as best she can.   I believe you are seeing an "affiliate" of our organization. He must be responding to Fink's distress call he transmitted earlier. It would be best if handle the man. You two then can keep your focus on protecting Lillie. Kuzmo has learned how to dispatch foes with modern firearms.   She concludes with her praise of Kuzmo.

  I have one more question though.  
She speaks cooly attempting an officious tone in her inquiry though her voice wavers at the end with concern.
  Have you seen this man before in previous years on this night?  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
I think intercepting the class D individual before more trouble occurs. He probably can't down anyone in the party but he could hurt Lilly. Does anyone else have any ideas?
 
JeenLeen
5404 gives a slight frown at William dismissing his concerns.  Yeah, want to keep the girl happy, but... like, seriously dude?

He shrugs and gets ready to go down with everyone, trying to keep positioned so he and Fink are in a protective point near the kid.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Makes sense with the "your subconscious is making it dangerous", but 5404 doesn't know that.   Just IC annoyance, not OOC
 
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

You all decide to head down to the kitchen. Lily's "mother", Emma, still doesn't look that good. Her head is a bit less bloody and chewed up, but it's still red, swollen, scabbed over...

 "Ma! What happened?!"  the girl asks.

 "It's.. nothing sweetheart. You remember when the house shook, dontcha? Well a pot fell down and hit me square on the head with its handle. Don't worry dear, I'll be fine..." 

William approaches the woman and seems to go through some motions checking her over. He turns to look at Lily and nods.  "Your Ma will be fine,"  he says gently.  "Let's check the stove to see if anything's come loose." 

He begins to pull it out from the wall, opens it up, checks the back and the wires. He doesn't seem to find anything...

None of you are skilled electricians either, and there doesn't appear to be anything obviously wrong. Still, do you proceed or double, triple, even quadruple check everything over? Bear in mind, if you take it apart, you might not be putting it back together. On the other hand, with William effectively running all the people in town, maybe he picked up that mechanical knowledge? Who knows, really...


 Confrontation at the Church 

Olheim shakes his head.  "No, I haven't seen this man before." 

But the villager played by William blusters,   "What do you mean an affiliate? Do you mean to tell me you idiots decided to bring a bus full of prisoners here?!  Why on Earth would you do that?!   
 
 Spoiler: ooc 
I will assume Dr. Hagerty is actually intending to speak the truth. In which case, the facts are:

D-class are very loosely an 'affiliate' if anything. People brought here against their will. These prisoners were  under the supervision  of the ones Fink called earlier.
 

 Viva la Resistance! 

Luckily, Tater isn't interested in shooting any of the D-class. Though with his erratic attitude and close proximity of the guards, he could have very well hit you, regardless! Cecily dropped to the ground, which was an extra measure of safety.

Benjamin helped choke out the remaining guard. He passes out, and now Benjamin can come into possession of an assault rifle, if he so chooses. Quick tally of the scene is 6 D-class personnel. Three guards shot up, bruised and bleeding. Another guard blacked out from asphyxiation.

Tater whoops and sprays more gunfire into the air, till the magazine empties and his rifle clicks.  "Whoooeeeeee! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout! Take that you sumbi***s!"  He runs up and kicks one of the guards he shot in torso, stepping quite uncomfortably close to Cecily.

Chris looks at the crazed peer/inmate, backing up slowly.  "Well, thanks I guess. Where the hell did you come from?" 

Tater laughs,  "After all the fog and bugs came, I went back to the road. Saw the truck drivin' by at a snail's pace. Hopped up on the side and climbed the roof. They's idjits were none the wiser." 

Then the redneck man looks at Benjamin and says,  "Huh, I haven't thought of that yet. I reckon their truck is full of guns and ammo. I bet it's a day's drive to Mexico. Yea, that sounds like a plan! We just need some clothes. Can't go runnin' around looking like walkin' pumpkins, can we?" 

Hank suddenly speaks up and says,  "I think they said there was a town that way."  Though he points in the direction opposite the way they were driving.
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Operation Home Defense 
 Confrontation at the Church 

Olheim shakes his head.  "No, I haven't seen this man before." 

But the villager played by William blusters,   "What do you mean an affiliate? Do you mean to tell me you idiots decided to bring a bus full of prisoners here?!  Why on Earth would you do that?!    
 

Kuzmo will nod in partial agreement. "  I wasn't part of that decision making. I'm just here to help solve the problem and deal with the things that threaten the team.  " He looked to Willliam. "  As you've seen.  "

He then finally looked to Dr, Hagerty as if it was time to make a move. "  On that point, shall I go find this prisoner then?  "
JeenLeen
5404 gets more and more uncomfortable with William as he sees how the man (thing) is handling this.  That he let Lily see her mother in her current state is just... a glaring oversight.  If he could not foresee that for the girl's emotional safety, who knows what he'd miss for physical safety.

" Uh... William, sir, not that I'm an electrician or nothing, but maybe just some food in the fridge?  The misses here made us a nice sandwich earlier -- much obliged, ma'am -- and I'd still rather not try cooking anything given, well, everything going on. "   He tries to think of a way to ask  you sure  to the potentially unstable SCP.  " Maybe be safer and faster to made a sandwich then go back upstairs?  Or at least just make Lily one.  I'm fine waiting to eat. "  He looks at King and doesn't want the cat to mess things up.  " And some meat for King, I guess. "
Metastachydium
  I don't know about Mexico; I'm having… Midwest vibes?   Cecily chips in, rising to an elbow and opening her eyes  very  cautiously – something she regrets she's done, immediately and on multiple levels. With a nervous twitch, doing her best to avert her eyes from the bodies and  not  to question Tater's wisdom any further, she adds, quickly and much faster an apologetic   M-maybe there's a map or s-something? In the car. That we're s-searching. For guns.  
Esprit15
James shrugs.   ”Yeah, not sure how much I want to fiddle with electronics and gas. But do you need just another set of hands?”   He looks outside as the weather is still bad but dying down a little.   ”Actually, gimme a moment.”  

The officer steps out into the porch and pulls out the radio again.   “This is the operations commander again. Things have calmed down here and we’re just checking in for an update on what you and the Ds all saw out there on the periphery. Seems the mission may be changing into a ‘defend the package’ type job.”  
Ameraaaaaa
King was just excited to potentially get some meat. He was walking around lily's legs to make sure they did not forget that. Making sure to meow occasionally to get it done quicker. As a he was a master of begging. Homeless people should really learn from him.
MrAbdiel
Benjamin's eyes swivel from Tater to the vehicle's cab.

 "Right, maps and charts and radios.  I'll check." 

He moves toward the driver's side door of the truck.  Truth be told, he wasn't really interested in finding a map.  The animal cunning that rattled around in his pea-brain wanted one thing: to trigger in power-drunk Tater a flash of concern that Benjamin might, if permitted to get to the driver's seat, simply drive away, or claim something secretly for himself.  In Benjamin's mind, the natural response to this would be to bully Benjamin away from the task, and head over to inspect personally.

What Benjamin didn't consider was that Tater might just shoot him on a whim, if he was nutty enough.  That simply didn't enter his calculation, and he might pay the price for it.  But if Tater was the same kind of cabbage-brained mook he took him to be (perhaps from experience), then he'd come around to check the cab, take the keys so no one could nab the truck, especially.

And that would be the perfect time to kill him.  Because Benjamin was a  survivor , and there was no way on God's green earth that he was going to be gunned down in some slum in Mexico by the  next  truck full of gun-toting spooks and D-Class nutcases for being party to the deaths of these guards and staging an attempted escape.  Especially not when he was so close to earning the merit points for release.
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Operation Home Defense 
 Confrontation at the Church 

Olheim shakes his head.  "No, I haven't seen this man before." 

But the villager played by William blusters,   "What do you mean an affiliate? Do you mean to tell me you idiots decided to bring a bus full of prisoners here?!  Why on Earth would you do that?!   
 
 Spoiler: ooc 
I will assume Dr. Hagerty is actually intending to speak the truth. In which case, the facts are:

D-class are very loosely an 'affiliate' if anything. People brought here against their will. These prisoners were  under the supervision  of the ones Fink called earlier.
 
 
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 

Dr. Hagerty blanches and stutters under William's searing disapproval.   Well I. They shouldn't be here and they shouldn't be wielding weapons. Something must have gone wrong. Please just give us a chance.  

Dr Hagerty catches herself before whimpering for forgiveness any further. Now was the time to resolve the problem just as she had learned at SCP. You could make a mess, but you couldn't allow it to metastasize.

Gathering her resolve Dr. Hagerty responds to Kuzmo's inquiry awaiting her approval.
  The D-Class approaching us are not a routine presence in this town and are a threat to Lilly. Let's make sure no harm comes to Lillie.  

She chose her words carefully not wanting to prime Kuzmo to seek a violent solution at the first sign of disagreement. But the option was still on the table. Father was once D-Class. He never spoke of his time as one, but she could never imagine what he could have done to deserve to once be one of them. The information was kept out of reach and administrators were always in the way. But she didn't have imagine what others did to be sentenced to D-Class.

After hastily preparing to depart Dr. Hagerty tells William her intentions.   They shouldn't be here but we will make sure none of our associates will endanger Lillie.  Before departing she asks while she and Kuzmo won't have to walk towards the D-Class crew careening towards town. [COLOR="Our truck is still out of commission and we need to be as quick as possible. Do you have any extra vehicles or horses available to aid us in catching our associates?"]
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

After peering at the stove a while and fiddling with it, to unknown effect, Thomas intervenes, suggesting only to get something from the fridge, like a sandwich. William grunts.   "I suppose that would work for now. We even have some carrot cake in there, if you'd like,"   he says, looking down toward Lily and smiling. She smiles back, still ever-so-eager to have her sweets before the actual meal. King rubs against the girl's legs, and she reaches down to pet him again.  "Oh, and I think King wants something too!" 

They scrounge around in the refrigerator for ingredients to make more sandwiches, and find some scraps for King to eat. Meanwhile, James steps outside on the porch to relay an update.

There is no response. Only silence.

James tries to radio in again, asking for confirmation. Nothing...

William quickly steps out onto the porch with James. His voice low and urgent.   "Hey. There's a problem. It seems some prisoners y'all have brought here may have gotten lose? One of them has a gun."  
 Confrontation at the Church 

"William" only appears somewhat mollified by Kuzmo's explanation and Dr. Hagerty's apology.

  "I'll tell the other two what's going on. Yeah, we still should have a few good working autos or two. What's your plan?"  

Turning to the reverend he asks,   "Adrian. Where is this person? How does he get here?"  
 "I.. I really shouldn't.. don't know if saying will cause Lily to die, or if not.. maybe both, either, way..?"  he mumbles.

  "Focus, man. Focus. Let  us  worry about that. Don't look at the future, just  now .  Where is he? "  
 "They're.. in a truck.. west.. no, east?" 
 Viva la Resistance! 

There's the sound of radio jargon going on. One of the guards is receiving a radio transmission from somewhere. This also outs the downed, bloodied guard as  barely-conscious, as he was slowly trying to raise his gun at his charges. Attracted to the noise, Tater immediately sees the threat and pounces on the man, violently bludgeoning him with the butt of his rifle and practically beating his brains out.

Tater curses under his breath, snatching away the radio apparatus from the body and replacing his empty rifle with a new one full of ammo from the deceased guard's possession.

He looks at Cecily, somewhat annoyed.  "Midwest? You mean like, Texas? Ain't that where we already at??"  He tchs dismissively. Cecily also brings up the prospect of maps and guns in the cabin of the truck. Which Benjamin also seems to be quite keen upon. Perhaps too keen.

Something was triggering in the crazed redneck's mind: that this wily Benjamin was up to something. Out of everyone, he was most likely the most weaselly. Though perhaps, this suspicion was exactly what Benjamin wanted after all. Tater just didn't realize that yet.

 "Maps, huh? Yeah. Let's see if we can figure out where we're going."  As if taking the bait hook, line, and sinker, Tater followed Benjamin towards the front of the truck. Excellent, except for one problem. He seemed to be wary of Benjamin. And armed.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
So, did Benjamin get that gun from the one guard he choked out?
 
Ameraaaaaa
King gladly ate the scraps. Looking adorable while doing it. Finally. Some god dang food. Ain't that what we all want? The chance to eat? Nothing more. At least from kings perspective it seemed that simple. Eat, mate, and sleep. So far that 1st one seemed good enough for now.
Esprit15
James swears.   ”That would explain why nobody’s answering comms suddenly. When I get ahold of those idiots I’ll have them all shot. Or do it myself.”   He unslings his shotgun and gets into a low ready. He listens carefully for any sound of gunfire in the distance.   “Any of your other bodies know where the prisoners are about?   Or would he know which direction they ought to be based on where they were staged, for that matter.

  “Either way, get your little girl to somewhere secure. A cellar or storm shelter or something. D’s are just criminals who were given the option of death row or service with us. Same difference, really. One of them probably got a wild hair that he could escape just by wasting a guard or two. I’m sorry, this falls on me for not keeping better communication up with my subordinates.”   And on them for being so stupid as to turn their backs on murderers.
MrAbdiel
Tater doesn't halt and overtake Benjamin, like he'd hoped; but for all his faults, Benjamin was good at improvising.  As he arrived at the driver's door, he pulled it open.  Without climbing in, he reached for the keys in the ignition, tugged them free, tossed them loosely in his hand, and then threw them toward Tater. The toss was a little high; they sail up towards Tater's head and then probably over them if the man himself doesn't have the reflexes to leap and grab them.  But that's much the point, of course.

Counting on Tater's attention tracking the flight of the keys (and his dreams of escape to Mexico) in the air, Benjamin acts with all the stubby, badger-esque violence bottled within him; exploding forward seeking to seize the barrel shroud of the rifle with one hand to keep its deadly payload pointed away, and snatching out with the right hand to clamp his meaty grip around Tater's throat and smash him back against the side of the truck.  The big man hisses.

 "Y'don't listen, Tater, you spadefull of pigsh**.  I try to help you and you don't even listen and you do  this  kinda damn foolishness." 
 
 Spoiler: OOC: 
It's an attack!  A surprise attack hopefully.  Either way, Benjamin is trying his luck with the old unarmed attack and his linked bloodchoke power if he succeeds on the grab.   Gotta try!
 
JeenLeen
5404 raises an eyebrow but doesn't question it as Fink steps aside, nor when William follows.  He munches on a sandwich, keeping an eye on Lily and King.

 
 Spoiler 
If I read it right, Fink &amp; William are talking outside.  5404 would go along with moving to a storm shelter or some such.
 
Metastachydium
With Tater and Benjamin providentially removing themselves from the scene, even if only for the moment, Cecily rolls onto her feet and hunched forward, as if moving against strong wind, scurries over to Hank and the one guard who remains unshot. That one isn't a corpse and should have equipment in a better condition than those peppered with ammunition. Too scared to care about possible repercussions, she begins wordlessly looking for protective equipment to peel off of the unconscious body. Her racing brain produces dreadful scenarios at such a rate, that short of running into the eldritch fields of eldritch corn, that seems to be her best bet.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

C. has that free action stand talent and  very  good manual dexterity. Do tell if I need to roll something.
 
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Confrontation at the Church 

"William" only appears somewhat mollified by Kuzmo's explanation and Dr. Hagerty's apology.

  "I'll tell the other two what's going on. Yeah, we still should have a few good working autos or two. What's your plan?"  

Turning to the reverend he asks,   "Adrian. Where is this person? How does he get here?"  
 "I.. I really shouldn't.. don't know if saying will cause Lily to die, or if not.. maybe both, either, way..?"  he mumbles.

  "Focus, man. Focus. Let  us  worry about that. Don't look at the future, just  now .  Where is he? "  
 "They're.. in a truck.. west.. no, east?"  
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 
 Maybe Fink and I should have switched places. He also had more practice subduing untrusting or insubordinate individuals in line.   Dr. Hagerty contemplates as she remembers previous encounters with D-Class. None of them knew father and were dismissive of Maribel if not disdainful and cruel.
Upon hearing Olheim's indecisive report she considers their options. With a car of armed and unruly D-Class coming from one of two directions she has Kuzmo, an uncertain priest, and the several hundred eyes of William available to provide her with any intelligence he spied. Her odds are pretty good by SCP standards. Announcing her plans to the group she provides her plan and inferences.
  The D-Class coming our way likely escaped their armed escort given the restricted firearms they possess. I neglected to read their profiles before this mission but they are likely coming to town to loot any valuables and fuel. And since they were cleaning trash on the road while we were heading into town, they are coming through the same road we entered town on.   Referencing her team's arrival into town shortly after their trucks engine exploded due to a small surgically planted explosive.

  Kuzmo, Maribel, and I will head down the road we arrived in town on.   She announces feeling some renewed confidence knowing she had the King Lizard and her sister by accompanying her.
  If you can send some extra eyes down the other end we are bound to intercept the escaped D-Class before they can meet Fink.   She tells William.
  It would also be very helpful if we could take one of your "townsfolk" with us so you can tell us if we need to head back into town.   She motions to the closest farmer nearby.
  If there isn't enough space in the vehicle just a head will suffice.   She declares taking note of Kuzmo's immense arms reach had already plucked several heads from the shoulders of the William's meat puppets.

 
 Spoiler: OOC details and plan 
 The idea is for the team members at the church to retrace their steps and go down the road they came into town on. I think the team came into town on road 399 going West. So Dr. Hagerty is saying the D-Class escapees are coming from the East. Also it would be helpful to have a magical walkie talkie to keep contact with William and the rest of the team protecting Lillie.
 
 Spoiler: The road map 
 
 

 
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo tilted his head in both confusion and slight annoyance. "  Wait..... if this is just an armed 'D-Class' whose risking the success of the mission here...... then why don't we just put him down? Why don't  I  go out and cut him down? I could use the exercise still..... and the meal.....  "

Perhaps he was missing some crucial detail here, or maybe a craving for death and flesh took his sense of perceptive, but there was seemingly no point in not just sending the hulking lizard after the gunman. he could rush to him, engage and then neutralize faster than anyone else here. Maybe even the ones with guns, in a way.
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

William replies to Fink,   "I haven't seen anyone that looks like a prisoner yet."  

As James readies himself with shotgun and listens, he thinks maybe he can hear faint noises that might be gunfire in the distance, but can't really be sure.. and it's also hard to tell what direction it's coming from, if any. But James does know that according to plan, his subbordinates and the D-class were supposed to be coming into SCP-1031 from the west side. Chances are they would arrive in town coming that way.

Though this info is complicated when William says,   "The priest says they could be coming from either the west or the east."   He points southward.   "There is a shelter down that way. Over at .. at the Pauls' place. Yeah. Or at least, it woulda been their place. Anyway, we'd need to cross through the center of town. Might be risky. Those hooligans may even be on the way now. Wrong place and wrong time and all that..."   He seems lost in thought, worried, not sure what to do.

Meanwhile, Thomas and King hang out in the kitchen. At the very least, Lily seems happier to be playing with and feeding King. It's a somewhat heartwarming sight for the immortal SCP man, if you ignore the fact that the cat was a sentient, mindreading sonofagun, the girl might not technically be real/human, the woman was a recently reanimated corpse that recovered from a fatal headshot, and everyone here was pretty much trapped in some guy's personal hell...


 Confrontation at the Church 

The William puppet seems to agree with Dr. Hagerty's assessment.   "Yeah, I figure they would come and try to rob and loot stuff. It would probably be easiest just to give them what they want so they could leave. But then again.. they can't leave. Not yet anyway..."   He grumbles to himself and curses under his breath.

  "Not a bad idea. I could station bodies around to let you know what's going on. Or..  I could stop them myself.."   Though perhaps he was having some doubts considering how much trouble Kuzmo gave him.   "I definitely can stop them. It's just a matter of how fast. Unintended outcomes. Who knows? One stray bullet could..."  
  "Er, I'm sorry. Maribel??"   He looks around again, quite bewildered.

Reverend Olheim clears his throat,  "Ahem, I do not mean to cause objection. But it may be best for you to consider this 'Maribel' as no more than the doctor's imaginary friend. Or a personality quirk." 

When Kuzmo interjects, the William puppet just shrugs.   "If you can put 'em down, that's fine and dandy to me. That's one less thing putting my girl at risk."  

Looking at you both in turn, he asks,   "So what's your plan? You both still wanting to borrow a vehicle first? Or is lizard man going to run off on his own?"  
 
 Spoiler: ooc 
FYI: your team rode into Blumber  heading west . The D-class were to also head into the outskirts of Blumber  heading east .

In other words, if you do want to intercept the D-class in the way you expect them to be arriving into town, you would want to be on the west side of town.  Retracing your steps puts you on the east side of town.
 

 Viva la Resistance! 

Cecily's scavenging instincts kick in as she decides to loot the body of the incapacitated guard of protective gear. Honestly not a bad idea, only it may or may not fit particularly well. It would definitely take time not only to remove the gear from him, but then to fiddle with the straps, resize stuff, slip it on, and secure it. If only there was a supply cache nearby that just had lots of weapons and armor already....

Benjamin's clever ruse succeeds at first. Why on earth the idiot would toss Tater the keys if they were already in the truck they belonged to and intended to drive might have been Tater's first question, but that was promptly answered before he could even spit out a derisive heckle as the brain-tinkered thug charged at him. Quick as lightning, Benjamin grabbed the barrel of the gun and aimed it away. It fired several times. His other hand went for Tater's throat, clamping down on the redneck's windpipe and jugular.

While Benjamin does indeed get the jump on his unsuspecting prey, this scuffle is far from over. See, this ain't Tater's first rodeo; he  also  knows how to fight dirty.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Improvised Weapon, Move-by-action, Grabbing Finesse, All-out-attack
 


A swift kick to the groin loosens up Benjamin's grip enough for Tater to weasel his neck out of the vice grip, only for him to  headbutt  in retaliation. Carrying that momentum, he swings the butt of the rifle up and smashes it into the side of Benjamin's face!  Ouch...

Tater has managed to break free of Benjamin's hold and do a little number on him, though he does not quite have the proper grip and orientation to pump the traitorous inmate full of lead.
Ameraaaaaa
King decides to read the little girl's mind along with the rest of the people here including William himself if possible. Just outta boredom. He keeps on eating as well.
MrAbdiel
Benjamin endures the pummeling of his nuts and noggin with hissing, spitting, vicious inarticulate commentary about  teaching lessons  and  making you pay for that.   He's been kneed in the nards enough times that he has the muscle memory to start twisting away when the blow comes - that robs it of enough of its power that he doesn't black out from the total scrambling of his eggs, but instead has to fight through the spears of whitehot pain stabbing up into his brainstem.  Tater was slipperier than Benjamin had credited - but he still had a hand on the gun, barking away its ammo into the sky; and as long as he held the gun, he held  Tater , who would not relinquish that advantage.

But Benjamin had fought and overwhelmed slippery characters before.  Tilting his face away from Tater, knowing a second headbutt or stocksmack is lightly to follow, he tightens his neck and surrenders his cheek to the blow instead of his temple, and uses his free arm to jackhammer his meaty fist into Tater's ribs.

No one's slippery, when it hurts to breathe.

 
 Spoiler: OOC: 
Abandoning the blood choke offensive, and trying to land hits to instead use the alternate effect:  Mangle  to  Weaken  Tater's  Fighting .

Improved Grab, Fast Grab, Choke Hold, and Improved Hold add up to the ability to lay a free grab attempt on with the attack and start choking with it (normal, base line choke; not my Bloodchoke power with his faster and more effective) when hits land.  Not too much else to do but fight like the dickens, and then be lauded with praise for singlehandedly saving these guards and D-Teamers.  You know, the ones that weren't already killed.
 
Metastachydium
To her credit, Cecily's neither dumb nor frightened enough not to figure out that her current plan is less than ideal once she begins implementing it; however, while the car might hold easier bounty to get hold of, it's also where Benjamin and Tater went. And if that's not enough of an incentive to  not  take that route, the clang of a body hitting the truck's side, closely followed by much hissing and  gunfire , all clear signs that close cooperation between those too, unsupervised by someone with a bigger gun is working out just as hot as could be expected.

Cecily seizes up for a moment and putting all her willpower to the past of steadying her hands, hurriedly alters her strategy and shooting a pleading if confused look at Hank and Chris, sets out to try and locate the guard's sidearm instead. If it's no bigger than a 9 mm thing, she  might  be able to  pretend  she can actually use it.
Esprit15
James looks out to the east and west, turning his head to try and perceive a difference in loudness and gauge a direction. He frowns. Too far away, the sound was bouncing off of everything.   ”Muster some of the townsfolk to check out what’s happening west. If you spot any of them, treat them like you would an escaped criminal who just murdered their guard, because that’s what they are. If you don’t see anyone, then that means they’re coming from the east.”  

He turns and looks William dead in the eyes.   “William. I will do everything in my power to make sure your girl makes it through today safely. But you have to be a man of decision. Can you protect Lily while she is at this house? If you cannot, then we  have  to move her, even if it’s dangerous to do so.”   James bites the inside of his cheek slightly. He hated when people couldn’t just decide things. Stone was bad at sticking to decisions, look where that got him.   “If she can stay quiet, I can probably sneak her there myself pretty quickly, if that helps.”  
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo answers directly to William. "  I did intend to deal with this man myself, yes. Your horde of meat puppets might be scary for some people but I wonder about it's ability to actually  kill . Least someone whose armed.  " He held his Falcata in hand and flourished it for emphasis. "  Don't worry though Willy, I will pick up where you cannot and protect Lily. I don't want to see sucha  sweet little girl get hurt after all. Or at least I will.....  "

He the looked to the Doctor and frowned. "  ....If you could radio James and confirm that is what we want to do. I don't want to rush out there, solve the problem, then get [REDACTED] at for taking the initiative for solving a problem.  " He then looked the William. "  Though you could to now that I think about it. Being in multiple places at the same time as you are. Surely one of you could, seeing as they didn't give me a communing device.  "
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 Kuzmo tilted his head in both confusion and slight annoyance. "  Wait..... if this is just an armed 'D-Class' whose risking the success of the mission here...... then why don't we just put him down? Why don't  I  go out and cut him down? I could use the exercise still..... and the meal.....  " 
 

Dr. Hagerty presses the bridge of her glasses, a nervous tick she exhibited when faced with the reminder of her authority over the lives of others in the lab or the field. She acknowledges Kuzmo's straightforward deduction. The convicts had escaped their guards likely killing them in the process and were a clear and present danger to the team. None of them were her father and if they were smart they would drop their weapons after Kuzmo dropkicked their hijacked vehicle off the road.  Relenting her hesitation Dr. Hagerty gives Kuzmo the freedom to charge and assail the approaching D-Class.
  You are right Kuzmo. They are risking the mission and could continue cycle another year. You are free to engage and cut down the approaching D-Class. But any escapees who surrender will be captured for further questioning. If you can outrun a car I will be following you going Westwards with one of William's "neighbors".  

 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  Confrontation at the Church 

The William puppet seems to agree with Dr. Hagerty's assessment.   "Yeah, I figure they would come and try to rob and loot stuff. It would probably be easiest just to give them what they want so they could leave. But then again.. they can't leave. Not yet anyway..."   He grumbles to himself and curses under his breath.

  "Not a bad idea. I could station bodies around to let you know what's going on. Or..  I could stop them myself.."   Though perhaps he was having some doubts considering how much trouble Kuzmo gave him.   "I definitely can stop them. It's just a matter of how fast. Unintended outcomes. Who knows? One stray bullet could..."  
  "Er, I'm sorry. Maribel??"   He looks around again, quite bewildered.

Reverend Olheim clears his throat,  "Ahem, I do not mean to cause objection. But it may be best for you to consider this 'Maribel' as no more than the doctor's imaginary friend. Or a personality quirk."  
 

The doctors left hand quivers and balls into a white knuckled fist as her right hand restrains it. She barks at Olheim berating the theologian.
  After everything Mirabel has put up in this demented town she has done more in a day than you have in decades father.  
She turns away from Olheim grabbing the shoulder of one of William's townsfolk paying no mind to any of the crusty dried blood caking the puppet.

She asks William to lead her to a suitable vehicle hoping to begin the goal of pursuing the D-Class. She wanted to plunge herself into her work to not have to humor any of the charades from people who wanted something they couldn't have. William's sweet child, Olheim's peace of mind, some escaped convicts' road to freedom. They had given up their friends and family and paid the price. None of them had Maribel beside them or Jaylen waiting for them.
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

William nods.   "I think I can do better than that. The doctor.. the lady with that lizard man, she has some idea about utilizing vehicles. As for me, I think I have my own ideas as well. Bit of a road block into town wouldn't hurt, I figure."  

Looking at James, he says,   "I should be able to keep her safe. Just about as good as anywhere else, I s'pose. Far more risk moving her than whatever we gain from it. We'll keep her here then. You'll do what you can, and .. I'll do what I can."  

After a pause and tilt of his head, he adds,   "Your lizard man seems pretty intent on going out there and putting a stop to them himself. I reckon he'll be leaving to hunt them down any moment now, unless you want me to tell him otherwise."  

Nothing much interesting happening with Thomas in the kitchen.

King tries reading some minds, out of boredom.

 
 Spoiler: Ameraaaaaaaaaa 
Lily, about as typical as always. Also bored, but a little scared. Some confusion, sprinkled with optimism. Nothing noteworthy to speak of.

The lady masquerading as Lily's mother is again devoid of thought it seems, with those unsettling tendrils of presence behind them. Only it's much stronger.

Actually, that source is William himself. The real deal.. you can sense his mind and the familiarity. You can even glimpse some confusing mishmash of surface thoughts. Scrutinizing details of various buildings in town. At some point, you think you see some flickers of an out-of-place scene. Someone getting into a car.

William's mind seems quite busy and confusing, and maybe it all makes sense in the context of defending the town and Lily. Though there is one nagging thought you keep reading:  'What am I going to do with them?' 
 

 Confrontation at the Church 

The puppet William agrees.   "Right. I'll let them know you're going out there to try to put down the prisoners yourself. In the mean time..."  

As they all exit the church, there's a faint rumbling as an old car pulls up.

  "I've got a few more vehicles I could make use of. You want to take this one? I will start making a blockade on the roads."  
 Viva la Resistance! 

With his neck briefly out of its vice grip, tater growls and yells,  "What're you doin' you stupid son of a b***h?! I'll kill you! I'll kill your family!!" 

A few more shots fire from the rifle. Benjamin can feel the barrel recoiling with heat in his hand as he pummels the death row convict in the gut. The wiry man practically croaks as the wind is knocked out of him, and he swings wildly, trying to put you in a hold of his own. For now it seems you're in a bit of a stalemate.

Cecily, meanwhile, decided to change up her strategy and go for the guard's firearm instead. The gun easily comes out of the holders after a some velcro is pulled loose, and its weight may suggest it's already loaded. And it probably is. What good is a gun without bullets?

The ruckus of Tater and Benjamin fighting have gotten the attention of everyone else by now. They look between each other, wondering if they should try to step in or take a side. Seems like Hank has it in his mind to intervene as he begins running over.
Ameraaaaaa
King notices Williams thoughts. Intrigued, king decides to pursue it further. He needs to know what's going on in Williams head.

King puts full effort into reading Williams mind. And basically closes his eyes a nearly sleeps to put full concentration into it.
JeenLeen
5404 looks towards outside with a hint of worry, wondering what the Task Force Leader and the god-like old guy are discussing.

He turns to Lily.  Poor girl, being raised by her grandfather like this.  "Raised" literally from the dead and being parented.  Even her friends just being puppets.  He's glad his little sis isn't part of this SCP stuff.
" Lily, what sort of games do you and the other kids like to play? "
MrAbdiel
Benjamin continues to wrestle.  It's life or death now; nothing else for it.  As Tater roars and threatens, Benjamin hisses our his own threads in a lower recital; almost a mantra of malicious promises, both men's wicked assurances lost on the other.

 "I told you I'd give you something to complain about.  I told you it'd cost you yer teeth, you dumb bastard; you're not getting me killed with your stupid plans and you're not killing me and I'll feel you this damn gun I swear to every saint, I'll..." 
Metastachydium
The little success might not do wonders for Cecily's self-confidence, but it doesn't hurt either. She grips the gun inboth hands and rises to a knee, resting the thing on it, her head still down and pulled back quite comically. Then, however, as she puts some effort, both mental and physical, into making sure her index finger taps on the trigger guard rather than the trigger, a concerning thought occurs to her all of a sudden.   Chris?   she looks up sideways at the only fellow convict remaining in her immediate vicinity.   Um… Do you know where's the, uh… The  safety  thing on this?  
Esprit15
James nods.   "He's been helpful. Let him feed on the traitors, but if any surrender, accept it. Idiots might just be along for the ride, and some of them have useful tech embedded in them. Hate to see it go to waste."   After all, if Kuzmo got at them, such tech would be destroyed and unrecoverable. He looks back into the house.   "Thomas!"  

He heads into the living room with the two.   "Kuzmo is hunting rogue D-Classes. We're going to stand guard here and keep Lily safe in case any of them get by. Moving is too much of a risk."   James looks at the area around the house. His worst fear was that they would bring a truck and hit it and make the whole thing collapse.   "You're patrolling around the house with me. William will take care of the inside of the house."  
hand ax ranger
With the endorsement of all, including James who was the technical leader here, Kuzmo left the church and headed out towards where the trucks were without further comment. Falcata in hand and drooling at the prospect of fresh man-flesh he scoured for where the shots and yelling were coming from with the intent of dealing with he gunman. At the great speed he could run and the range of his leaps, he would be on them sooner than later.

But no matter what, the gunman was goign to be slain and eaten.
JeenLeen
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 He heads into the living room with the two.   "Kuzmo is hunting rogue D-Classes. We're going to stand guard here and keep Lily safe in case any of them get by. Moving is too much of a risk."   James looks at the area around the house. His worst fear was that they would bring a truck and hit it and make the whole thing collapse.   "You're patrolling around the house with me. William will take care of the inside of the house."   
 

5404 gets up from his chair, giving a smile to Lily then getting up and nodding to Fink.  He decides to let Fink or William decide how to spin answering questions if Lily overheard anything.
He pats King on his head and says in a playful tone, " Keep an eye on things, okay, kitty? "

So... getting shot or stabbed by D-class.  Urgh, that brings back annoying memories of some early "testing".
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 Kuzmo left the church and headed out towards where the trucks were without further comment. Falcata in hand and drooling at the prospect of fresh man-flesh he scoured for where the shots and yelling were coming from with the intent of dealing with he gunman. At the great speed he could run and the range of his leaps, he would be on them sooner than later. 
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 
Storming out of the vicinity of Father Olheim Dr. Hagerty quickly appraises and accepts William's best vehicle. Buckling herself in beside Maribel and one of William's puppets she follows Kuzmo as best she can in the antique car. The kingly lizard tears across the landscape like a bloodthirsty bowling ball intent on hurting someone.

She consoles her gentle sister as the church lights recede into pinpoints.
  Don't worry about him Maribel. We've been in worse jams before and he's trying the bridge the gap in his understanding using only the premises he was taught a century ago. Once we're done here we'll be one step closer to finding Dad.  
 
 Spoiler: Car assumptions 
I'm assuming the cars offered by William are old timey cars similar to the ones he encountered before getting supernatural powers. Also I'm assuming it's still dark outside.
 
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

While King has more opportunity to be near William, reading further into his mind is a confusing mess, like seeing through the eyes of dozens of people all at once. There's various viewpoints of the town from different perspectives, some more on the outskirts now gathering at the roads, and a very small number riding some old-fashioned cars. The experience is almost nauseating and gives you a headache. But perhaps in due time, you can filter it out and get at the juicy info you really want.

Lily looks up at Thomas, from petting King, and says,  "Oh, we play all sorts of games. Tag, hide and go seek, pin the tail on the donkey. We like to play with balls and these metal rings, making them roll along the ground with a stick..."  she tries to smile, but doesn't seem all that comfortable at the moment.

Soon James comes back in the house yelling for 'Thomas'. He discusses some plans in the living room. At about that time there's a loud 'thunk' and the brief sound of cracking wood. With James's combat experience, he realizes..  did someone just take a shot at the house??


 On the Road Again 

Dr. Hagerty rides shotgun in an antique car, sputtering along behind Kuzmo as he eagerly charges ahead. Briefly, you hear some gunshots. In fact, you think they came from the direction you were going, but you may not be entirely sure. Kuzmo, however, is very sure the gunfire came from the direction he was heading.

It's still quite foggy out here with hardly even fifty feet of visibility. Though it has not exactly gotten dark yet.

(It will take a bit of time to get to the D-class, but  you are not there yet ).


 Viva la Resistance! 

Benjamin and Tater continue to wrestle. The gun goes off a few more times until it seems that Tater has given up trying to use it to shoot a hole in your head, and instead resolves to simply kick your ass. He kicks viciously at you and throws some punches, intent on gouging your eyes, but because he's winded and in pain (weakened fighting) he only manages to give you some nasty bruises on your shins.

At about this time, the big meaty hands of Hank begin to interpose, one hand on the rifle and another on the most violent of the two.  "Whoa now! There ain't no reason to kill each other! What's going on!?" 

Chris and Marianne are relatively near Cecily. Upon meek request, he approaches and takes the gun carefully. Along the sides of the gun is a little toggle switch that slides forward and backwards.  "I think this is it,"  he says, pointing at the switch, then nervously looking around.

Only thing is, you aren't sure if the safety is on or off at the moment.
Ameraaaaaa
King paws at the girl then proceeds to run upstairs do to the shot he hears. Hopefully the girl get's the message to run as well. What a crappy way to die this would be, king thinks to himself.
JeenLeen
Not quite sure what the sound is, but pretty sure it's something unexpected and knowing that something unexpected might injure or kill Lily, he runs back to the girl.

 
 Spoiler 
Would I have a medkit on me?  I forget who got to get supplies from the car.
 
Metastachydium
 Thanks.  Cecily half-whispers, trying to smile at the man. It comes out quite nervous and forced. Staying low and pointing the gun  mostly  away from the others, still visible to her, she accordingly leaves the pleasantries at that – and toggles the switch immediately. What kind of moron would holster a gun with the safety off (or is it on? Cecily isn't quite sure what the correct terminology really is here)? But then, what kind of moron would come in here with these jackasses in tow with a gun that can't quite fire? She removes her left from the gun and presses her cold, sweaty palm against her nape. This is  hard .

Granted, the moment she actually  tries  to fire this thing, the jig will be all up. But proper intimidation would take an instrument that is  actually dangerous . This really  is  hard.
Esprit15
James draws his gun and runs to a window near the wall that got hit, bracing himself just next to the glass.   ”Take her upstairs  now! ”   he shouts. If gunfire doesn’t continue, he peaks out the window to assess the scene.
hand ax ranger
The hulking lizard rushed towards the sounds of the conflict. He could smell blood in the wind and it lead him on towards the intended goal of corralling these wayward prisoners. Falcata in hand he scans for them so as to start cutting down the trouble makers to quell the rebellion and provide for his own needs.

For now his hunger was real.
MrAbdiel
Benjamin growls as the two-man brawl becomes a three-man brawl; continually trying to reach around Hank's form to grab, restrain, gouge, twist, and break Tater.  Exasperated, he grunts out his reasoning to Hank, and others in earshot, trying to win them over.

 "No reason?! - Hank you bloody-... He's gone nuts and shot the guards!  We either put him down now or - agh!"   He pauses, leaning away from Tater's gouging fingers; forced to bite at the hand to deflect the worst of it and then able to finish his arguement:  "...or the spooks will put us through the woodchipper!  He thinks we're going to Mexico like we're dodging cops, but these ain't COPS, man, these ain't COPS! We gotta-" 

If Benjamin has more plan than that, it's cut off by a slug to the chin from Tater; who has proven just as tenacious, and stupid, as he.
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  On the Road Again 

Dr. Hagerty rides shotgun in an antique car, sputtering along behind Kuzmo as he eagerly charges ahead. Briefly, you hear some gunshots. In fact, you think they came from the direction you were going, but you may not be entirely sure. Kuzmo, however, is very sure the gunfire came from the direction he was heading.

It's still quite foggy out here with hardly even fifty feet of visibility. Though it has not exactly gotten dark yet. 
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty
 
Dr. Hagerty's full attention is now devoted to the horizon as she hears the faint noise of distant gunshots. Her senses weren't as refined or encompassing as Kuzmo's but even if the gun were silenced then the shooter would have difficulty even seeing the car through the thick fog. Dr. Hagerty's gaze trying to see any silhouettes or lights on the horizon to no avail. Her sister in turn ducks and quivers hoping to conceal herself from any attacker.
  We're getting close the D-Class, Kuzmo has a lead, and he has better senses than any of us. Follow Kuzmo.    Dr. Hagerty orders restraining any signs of anxiety in her voice.
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

King, the smart cat he is, runs upstairs, trying to lure Lily up there as well. This aligns with James's immediate instinct to command that she goes upstairs too. Thomas quickly returns as well, ready to be a human shield.

...

Though as you wait a while, nothing much else seems to happen. Just a single bullet which slammed into the house. But luckily, it didn't seem to hit anyone?

William informs you,   "Definitely gunshots from the west. Some miles to the west. But of course,  it figures  they would manage to land here."   He shakes his head.   "We've got to put those escapees down, before they stir up any more trouble."  

Lily catches some wind of this conversation and asks,  "What do you mean escapees? Like, from.. jail? Are there some bad men out there?" 
 On the Road Again 

Still incredibly foggy, but at least the road is mostly straight. You don't see anything as of yet nor do you hear any more gunshots. But as for Kuzmo, he can just barely hear the faint sounds of voices up ahead, and the smell of blood grows stronger!

(Still not there yet, sorry!)


 Viva la Resistance! 

Hank tries his best to calm the two brawlers down and interpose, though at some danger to himself. While Benjamin at least isn't fighting him, Tater starts snarling and clawing at Hank too.

 "Hey! Hey!! He's got a point!!"  Hank yells.  "I don't think these guys are cops, maybe not even feds! Remember what they said! They'll find us if we try to escape!" 

Tater, the one who was all into this conspiracy theory crap the most finally has to concede.  "Yeah?? Well everyone says that. This jackass jumped me, and he's gonna pay for that! Ain't no room for traitors!!" 

Hank says, rather sternly,  "We ain't killing no one else tonight. Not unless we have to. Got it?"  He looks Benjamin and Tater in the eyes.

Cecily plays around with her gun a bit and toggles the safety. But she's still not really sure if it's on or off.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
You can try firing the gun to see if it's on or off.

Or we can leave it up to chance later!  I'll make use of the dice thread to determine the result.

1 = safety on.  2 = off (the gun fires).
 
Ameraaaaaa
Ok. King has done his job of comforting the girl. Time to hide upstairs. King hides under lily's bed and then decides to just wait till the coast is clear. In the mean time he'll reminisce about the past to pass the time.
Metastachydium
After some more fidgeting and sweating, Cecily gives up on figuring out her brand new line of "defense": the voices past the car calming down help immensely with reducing the urgency. She even ventures over to back of the car, so as to sneak a peek. And lo behold, Hank seems to have indeed made peace ( a temporary semblance of   peace, she reminds herself; that's Benjamin and Tater over there). Cecily is, in fact, so emboldened that she even darts out of hiding to quickly scoop up what she recognizes as the car keys before scampering back into cover.   So, um,   she speaks up cautiously.   if we're not killing anyone right now… Or, um, make that  ever ;   she goes on.   could we just, like, get the **** out of here at last?  
Esprit15
  ”Yep, some folks who should be behind bars but for some reason ain’t. Thomas, outside. Wanna find out what the hell’s going on here.”  
MrAbdiel
Benjamin continues to strain in the weird, equilibrated pause in the brawl; trying to harm Tater, trying not to harm Hank; while Tater tried to harm both, and Hank tried to harm neither.  He has enough semblance of mind to grunt out:

 "Nowhere to run - the guards!  They're dying..." 

It's not a particularly compassionate or articulate plea, but it's there for understanding for anyone with intuition sharper than Tater's.  Benjamin's position is that running is folly; they do themselves the best service disabling Tater, taking credit for it and demonstrating by not running that they were not part of the mutiny, and offering their best efforts to save the lives of any of the guards who were still breathing.  In Benjamin's mind, before him lay two paths. To the right lay a path back to prison - but with a more sympathetic guard rotation and precious merit points towards release.  To the left lay a short flight across the American countryside and, if they were lucky, maybe a week of fearful hiding before being shot in the back of the head by some SCP Wetworks Hunter-killer in a basement in San Luis.  To him, the decision was obvious.
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 

The dr. rests her eyes after fruitlessly scanning the foggy horizon for any human figures who could have fire the gun earlier. The only option now was to trust Kuzmo and follow him at a safe distance.
Now the next step left was to ponder and plan what to do once Kuzmo found the D-Class runaways. He might tear them apart before the car caught up to him. He was certainly capable of it. But what if some of they surrendered, a betrayed one another ratting out others in the hopes of leniency? What if some circumvented Kuzmo and attacked the car? Then they would need every advantage available.

Turning to sister Dr. Hagerty gently asks.
  Maribel can you come close? I want to apply some exterior gene therapy on you so none of the escapees can remember you later. You know how unreliable selective memory wipes. Always leaving repressed fragments that unearthed later on. I know you have a knack for evading notice in combat, but I don't want to take any chances. It'll wear off in about twenty-four hours as usual.  

Hearing her sister's response, the doctor gets to work unfastening miniscule syringes and needles. She works much like a sister braiding her siblings' hair. Going through the consistent movements to form a pattern over her sister's head while deciding which features to weave to fashion a style or look.
  Some collagen cell disruption and stimulation to change the contour and texture of the face. Edit the melanin transport cells to change hair color and skin tone. Now to just change the hair follicle shape to change hair texture. And done.  
She pronounces satisfied with the cosmetic session.

Dr. Hagert considers applying the changes to herself but decides not to.  A sizeable chunk of SCP already knew her face already and her authority could become leverage if any of the D-Class escapees decided to betray one another .
Focusing on the road ahead Dr. Hagerty anticipates the unruly escapees she will soon confront. The antique car she rides continues to pursue Kuzmo through fog while being driven by a puppet with a freshly remodeled face.
JeenLeen
To Lily's question, 5404 adds, " Don't worry.  We've had more than just a little training, and we'll do everything in our power to protect you. "  He then gives a nod towards Fink and heads outside to get a better sense of what is going on.

Thank goodness that errant bullet didn't strike Lily.  Based on William's response, he guesses that bad luck leads to the girl's death somehow most years.
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

Lily nods with some comprehension. Very vague comprehension, but all the same, an acknowledgement that these people were dangerous. King hides under the bed... pretending to be an ordinary cat quite well.

Outside the home, the village appears more like a ghost town than ever, even with vestiges of people milling about. The air is murky, the wind is still, the sky seems as though it is darkening slowly. But it is quiet. Too quiet.


 Stop Right There Criminal Scum 

Cecily meekly sneaks in, near the scuffle that was dying down, and grabs the keys. Her suggestion is met with extreme annoyance from Tater,  "That's what we was gonna do till this motherf***cker grabbed my gun and started trying to choke me!"  Still thoroughly peeved, Tater's arm swings wide around Hank trying to thwap Benjamin upside the head.

Hank sighs, like an exasperated parent trying to break up two siblings from fighting.  "Yeah, Ben. You got a point, but attacking Tater ain't no way of making it. Alright, look. You wanna get out of here, that's fine. And maybe some people don't want to run.."  Hank casts a sideways look at Benjamin.  "Well, I say, just leave em, and we go our separate ways. But if we want to go someplace, maybe we better figure out where we are first? And suppose you get caught anyway, some dead men on your hands won't be taken lightly..." 

Tater scoffs and says,  "I done worse than shoot a few pigs." 

At about this moment, they can hear the rumbling of a car motor coming down the road...

 
 Spoiler: Metastachydium and MrAbdiel 
Cecily and Benjamin also just barely hear the heavy thudding of one set of feet.
 


Kuzmo leads the charge against the insurrection. He can sense that there are 5 standing humanoids in the distance, and four prone ones lying on the ground. They are all relatively around a large object (presumably a SCP transportation vehicle). The distinct scent of fresh blood is in the air. He hungers and salivates at the thought of fresh human meat.

Kuzmo cannot explain it, but his hunger is stronger than it has ever been before. The anticipation is unbearable, the craving is searing. A part of him simply wants to rend everything apart that moves and delight in their succulent flesh (or at least, anyone in an orange jumpsuit).

 
 Spoiler: hand ax ranger 
So if it isn't obvious, something may be compelling Kuzmo to be acting more bloodthirsty and barbaric than normal. We'll do a Victory Point thing, where if you act on these instincts and go along with it, you gain a point. BUT, I will say this and nothing more: there are likely bad consequences if you do.
 


Dr. Hagerty continues riding along in the vehicle a little ways behind Kuzmo. She still can't see anything in the fog, and her driver looks over at her strangely and with concern as she seemingly babbles to herself and pantomimes in the air.

[old car] -Kuzmo - - - - - - [TRUCK]

Dr. Hagerty is in "old car". About 15 feet ahead is Kuzmo. Then about 60 feet ahead is the truck. 5-10 feet beside that is Hank, Benjamin, and Tater, and just after that is Cecily.

Turn order shall be Kuzmo, Dr. Hagerty, Cecily, Tater, Hank, Benjamin

((Also, Kuzmo gets a surprise round))
JeenLeen
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 The air is murky, the wind is still, the sky seems as though it is darkening slowly. But it is quiet. Too quiet. 
 

5404 whispers to William, not too quietly for Fink to hear, but just seeming fitting to the quiet, " Hey, are you doing something to the air or wind?  Or just the sky and that mist? "

 
 Spoiler 
I'm assuming William is still with us.  If he's not, then ask a body nearby.  Is the sky darkening normally or does that seem abnormal too?
 


Other than that, he looks around and tries to stand ready to jump if anything comes towards the house or Lily.
Esprit15
James simply waits in a low-ready position, listening carefully for more signs of conflict.
Ameraaaaaa
King tries to relax himself by thinking of his past. Like how he met a man named louie during the french revolution. He remembered thinking about how strange his clothes were. Everyone around king wore much more dirty clothes. King assumed he was a different breed of human thus the change of "fur". Oh the follys of youth. Turns out humans wore clothes because they can't even handle the temperature. How they were the the top species still amazed king given all their flaws.

Anyways young kitty king remembered seeing louie laughing at him due to being a dirty street cat before going back to eating his cake.

King made sure to watch the beheading. Jerk.
Metastachydium
As her sensitive, paranoid ears pick up the approaching sounds, Cecily grows more agitated, if at all possible. She purses her lips, shifting left – maybe she could just zip past these three? But Tater's gun points that way. So, right then. Go around. But that's time and more time and she's already wasting time doing what? Trying to predict how those morons will act in the next four freakin' seconds?   ****.   she hisses, darting around the  comparatively  safe side of the truck, tearing the passenger side front door open to scramble towards the driver's seat. Just her and the road? Sounds like a disaster. Plus… What about Hank? She inhales sharply.   Time's, like, up.   she calls out loud.   Who's coming? Apart from  them , I mean.   she thumbs towards the road ahead, little sense as that might make, seeing how nobody's watching her gesticulate at the moment. Not that things like that get to enter Cecily's mind right now. They  are  coming. Whoever they are.
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo rushed towards the freed prisoners and wasted no time. Rushing from the fog he assessed who was the most deserving of the violence. When one said something about "shooting pigs" that grabbed his attention.

To the ones he was assaulting it a large, fiery reptile wielding ancient weaponry and armor would emerge from the smoke and give a screeching sort of roar. At incredible speed for such a massive thing he was upon Tatar's back and hacked into him as the blade went through his right shoulder and into his chest, intentionally missing his heart. With a delighted laugh he wrenched free the blade and looked around at the rest.

"  Stand down. On your knees, piggies, before I take you too.  "

Not waiting any longer, and coincidentally adding to the aesthetic, he sticks he long tongue out and laps the blood off his forward curved sword with all the expression of enjoying a ice-cream cone on a hot day.

"  Mmmm...this one's quite the spicy bastard.....  "
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 Kuzmo rushed towards the freed prisoners and wasted no time. 
 

  Damnable lizard.  
Dr. Hagerty's pulse quickens rapidly as she sees Kuzmo leap forwards loudly cracking through the stalks of corn. As the antique car follows Kuzmo, treading carefully over the flattened vegetation she consider her plan. Now was the time to quickly resolve the issue. Though likely outnumbered by escaped D-Class the escapees would probably fold if they knew what was good for them. Though they probably wouldn't feel the oppressive aura of authority from a scientist.

Activating her flashlight Dr. Hagerty resolves to her best emulation Sgt. Fink hoping to blind the escapees before noticing the less than intimidating scientist issuing their arrest. The veins above temples bulge as her sister joins in issuing her commands.
   SCP authorities! Do attempt to move you are surrounded! On the ground! Any movement will be taken as resistance.   
 
 Spoiler: In game actions 
 Since the D-Class still are not entirely visible from the car Dr. Hagerty will attempt to intimidate and scare the escaped D-Class into complying. I don't know if we roll or not to determine the effectiveness of our actions. I noticed Kuzmo didn't roll. Did him being compelled by Victory Point bloodlust factor in to not rolling? Otherwise it's a  (1d20+8)[ 25 ] 
 
MrAbdiel
It all happens very fast.  Suddenly, Tater is spit in a sword that sprouts from his chest almost close enough to take out Benjamin's eye, and the brawler reels back and releases his grip. The scaled monstrosity lords grotesquely over the scene, and elsewhere he hears a voice demanding surrender.  In times like this, it serves Benjamin well to be as dim as he is.  The fact that he is being threatened, and the navigation required to escape that alive, takes up his entire mental capacity; the fact that the primary threat seems to be the love child of Patrick Bateman and Smaug simply doesn't have room to register.  Benjamin is a step back, with his hands up and open at shoulder height, his head tucked back inoffensively.  He shouts back:

 "WOAH woah, hey, hey, hey, take it easy, take it easy, same team, same team, we're doing it, we're doing it - hey mixed signals, okay?  Not move, On Knees, On Ground - pick one, okay?  Any one of them, pick your favorite!" 
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 
   On you knees!   
She barks at the frantic voice in the fog.
She steps forward into the field now hearing a subdued gurgling and finally seeing a limp body slumped at Kuzmo's feet. Fear wells in Dr. Hagerty as her heart threatens to somersault in her chest. She reaches for her belt steadying her hands enough to grasp a restraining grenade.
MrAbdiel
 "Okay, okay, hey, take it easy!  Same team!  We're doing it, we're doing it!"
 
Benjamin's assurances come constantly and consistently in the category of obedience, though his actual descent to his knees is coming slowly.  He's ready to surrender, but not ready to die; and as he tentatively lowers his posture, he is looking for some sign from the murder-lizard - the nature of which he will have to puzzle out later - that this gesture is corresponding to a proportionate diminishing of his monstrous, incredibly hostile presence.

 
 Spoiler: OOC: 
That is to say, Benjamin is ready to go to his knees to surrender as long as it doesn't look like Kuzmo is looking to lunge the moment that his guard - irrelevant though it might be - is down.
 
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

William looks sideways at Thomas and says,   "No. What's done is done now.. But the sun is still going down."  

Other than that, it's still very quiet out. No more gunshots as of yet!


 Stop Right There Criminal Scum 

As Cecily hears the rumbling of a vehicle approaching and heavy footsteps, she scrambles into the safety of the truck cabin, completely unaware of how actually unsafe she still is.

The massive form of Kuzmo charges into view, a terrifying amalgam: half man, half lizard, half god. He bears down upon the surprised Tater, who without control of the rifle, can only turn and scream in horror as his torso is practically bisected, his scream turned into a disturbing wet gurgle that subsides in short order. The man's limbs flail about and eyes begin rolling back into his head. He'll be brain dead in about thirty seconds.

Kuzmo issues his orders and licks his blade. Benjamin rambles a lot in an exchange with the feminine voice of authority that is Dr. Hagerty. She approaches, her silhouette becoming visible though the fog, as well as the old car slowly approaching behind her, driven by a third unknown.

Hank is not one to tempt fate nor rebel against the SCP Foundation.. at least not when confronted with such a danger like this. He is down on his knees with hands in the air. He glances nervously up to the cabin of the truck, where he knows Cecily ran into. Kuzmo knows someone is in there, too.  "Some guards were shot. Might want to check on them. At least I can say, it wasn't us. This guy you killed was the one who did it." 

Marianne and Chris are further back, beyond the rear of the truck. They haven't complied with the orders given, as the extra distance and commotion of screaming and rambling made it hard to tell what was going on. They peer through the fog, scared and bewildered at what they see, or think they see, frozen like a deer looking into headlights.
Esprit15
James remains tense for several seconds, but slowly eases. It seems like the danger, for now, is passed.   ”What’s going on over there, William?”  
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 James remains tense for several seconds, but slowly eases. It seems like the danger, for now, is passed.   ”What’s going on over there, William?”   
 

William says,   "Your friend Kuzmo just ran up and killed someone. He and your.. 'mother' are ordering them to surrender."   As the man speaks, he seems to be peering off far, far into the distance at nothing in particular.

  "Speaking of which, who is she, exactly? She doesn't seem the combative sort."  
Ameraaaaaa
King notices there's no more gun fire. Has the ruffian been dealt with.  Good.

King leisurely strolls downstairs. And sits back on the the little girls lap.
JeenLeen
5404 looks deferentially towards Fink to answer.  No reason to get a reprimand when ('if' a small part of him he's trying to ignore says) they get back to base.
hand ax ranger
While the squabbling went on he reached down and took the tip of his falcata and slid it into Tater's spine. with a light thwack on the handle and a flick of the tip he severed his neck to speed up the process and put an end to most of his victim's pain. I was brutal.... and yet surgical.

As Hank reported on the situation the monstrosity before them start cutting chunks of meat off their former enemy. Though he was trying to stay on task the smell called to him far too loudly to resist for long, putting a raw chunk into his mouth and eating it with the ease. He let's his head drift back and savors the taste as if he had bitten into a tasty burger, licking the 'juices' off his lips with his long tongue. "  Oh..... sweet taste of just slain flesh..... how I've missed you.....Now if only I could cook you over a flame.  "

The morbid moment aside he looked at both escapees and filled his hand with these small bits. Hank with get a nod from him and he looked around. "  It'd seem so. Just keep yourselves behaved and no one else needs to get hurt. On that note....  " He then put a a hand on Benjamin's head!

However, the only thing that happened to him was a hazy red energy covering him, what few cuts and bruises he's suffered mending themselves as the eldritch being passed him by just as quickly as he had acknowledged them. He goes from point to point, moving again at a speed and coordination his massive body would suggest against, checking the wounded as he found them.
Esprit15
  ”She’s not. She’s a coworker. Scientist. You could say that she’s in charge during peace, I’m in charge during conflict. And if you’re wondering who the non-present person she’s always referring to is, I have no idea.”   James doesn’t look away from the direction of the fighting, but he lowers his gun and relaxes at least.   “Well hopefully that resolves that. Anhtbing else around town we should be worried about?  
Metastachydium
The last sound Cecily hears clearly enough from the outside through the truck's door and the throbbing of the blood in her own ears is the wet, horrible noise of Tater expiring. She's never heard such a sound before, but its nature is unmistakeable regardless. The world goes dark for a split second as the giant lizard thing tastes the blood. The pounding inside her head that muffles all sounds from outside intensifies. And yet – and  yet  for the first time in forever, Cecily Branting barely trembles. If there's a lizard outside (making the strangely harmless fog, the strangely harmless bugs, the strangely harmless guards confessing they plotted her death seem memories from a warm, soft world to fondly cherish), there's a lizard inside as well, waking up once more below the prisoner's cortex. And this time, the lizard brain has wonderful assets at its disposal: a gun; a car; and the sure, firm hands of a chemist.

The tremors are no more. Though cold and sore, as the monstrosity outside begins its feast, Cecily's body twists about with acrobatic ease. The pistol shifts into her left that finds the wheel as she lands herself sitting in the driver's seat, feet on the pedals. The key in her right soundlessly sinks into its slot. It turns. The handbrake is tackled. The gas pedal sinks down and down and down as she presses it. It feels good. As good as anything can still feel. Cecily twists the wheel aggressively as the truck surges forward. The balance must break. The rear end of the car swings out wildly, going for the orange lizard thing, to slam into it with more force than the lizard should be able to swing itself. Cecily feels the capacity for a wonderful precision in herself now. She knows she won't hit Hank or Chris or Marianne, not even ****ing Benjamin. She barely checks what happens. She'll have to slip past the other car, but it's idling now. She'll brave the corn if she must. She'll find the road. She knows that.

What will happen next? It's far out in the future. All she's aware of, if faintly, is that if there's a good time to scream it is this. So she screams. And floors the accelerator. Intent on zipping forward – and away.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Alright. Mechanics and rambling-free intentions incoming:
–TL;DR: Cecily starts the car, tries to slam its rear end into Kuzmo as hard as possible and drive away screaming;
–Sleight of Hand, for some reason, includes contorting the body into weitrd positions in this system; C. happens to have Skill Mastery in that, so if applicable, she'll just take 10 for a  23  to get into the driver's seat with a single motion;
–if Technology helps with starting a vehicle fast and efficiently, she Skill Mastery takes 10 for that too, getting a  20 ;
–I'll roll for Stealth and Vehicles in the dice thread, but if neccessary, she'll sacrifice her Victory Point to succesfully complete the maneuver (i.e. hit Kuzmo but no one else and go around the other car AT SPEED).
 
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
  So she screams. And floors the accelerator. Intent on zipping forward Â– and away. 
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 
The shrill scream brings Maribelle to vault to concealment in the fields and breaks Dr. Hagerty out of the razor thin margin between fight and flight. She swiftly concludes the stabbed man was now well beyond saving, and not every escapee would go quietly.
 Times like these make you wish you had subdermal explosives in for those who wouldn't take the reasonable course of action.  
She immediately barks to King hoping to avert the worst possibility.
  Someone's not coming quietly. Let them leave if you have to. Just keep them away from Lily!  
 
 Spoiler: Turn plans 
 I believe Tater, Hank, and Benjamin still have their turns available. Unless they are passing their turns as part of a surrender. Right now, my plan is just to either stop the car somehow and apprehending Cecily or let Cecily go if she heads away from town if capture isn't possible. For stopping the car maybe Kuzmo can knock over or maybe foam from a grenade can be stuck to a wheel and make it unable to rotate.
 
WindStruck
 Stop Right There Criminal Scum 

Well. Tater is just deader than a door nail now.

As Kuzmo delights in his succulent flesh, the sudden revving of the truck's engine and tires peeling away shocks him out of the carnal pleasure. The truck begins turning, boxes and supplies beginning to spill out onto the road behind it. Its rear end begins swinging toward Benjamin, and Hank and Kuzmo! But mostly Kuzmo...

Hank was still there on his knees, beginning to look sick at what he was witnessing, with a lizard man butchering up a human being and eating the raw flesh. As the back of the truck swings by, he goes from sitting there on his knees to falling a bit to his side and rolling to completely avoid it.

Chris and Marianne are still in their pretty much confused and paralyzed state. They can't clearly see what has happened to Tater, but could kind of infer it. And then the truck suddenly accelerating and beginning to drop things has startled them once again.

Suddenly, it feels like something hits the truck! Cecily has floored the truck engine and veered off into the corn, but it feels as though a large force has slammed into the truck and threatens to knock it on its side!

There's no witnesses as to this source of power, but Dr. Hagerty and Kuzmo could hazard a guess.
Ameraaaaaa
King walks over to where William is talking with the others.

 "so what're you idiots up to." 
Esprit15
James looks down to the cat.   "Wondering what the hell was going on over there. Sounds like the D-classes either surrendered or were killed. Don't really know which, and am caring less and less the more I hear of their antics. Hopefully the doc and Kuzmo have their heads on swivels though if they did accept surrenders. Can't trust those bastards."   He reaches down and picks the cat up by the scruff.   "And speaking of runaways, you went on your own little unscheduled walkabout. I  can  lock you in a car and just leave you there if you would rather be an untrustworthy little git for the rest of this excursion. Or recommend you not be deployed without a cat leash."   King can see that James is definitely leaning toward the latter action if the cat doesn't have anything to say for itself, and is quite amused at the idea of King futilely struggling against such a simple restraint.
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 James looks down to the cat.   "Wondering what the hell was going on over there. Sounds like the D-classes either surrendered or were killed. Don't really know which, and am caring less and less the more I hear of their antics. Hopefully the doc and Kuzmo have their heads on swivels though if they did accept surrenders. Can't trust those bastards."   He reaches down and picks the cat up by the scruff.   "And speaking of runaways, you went on your own little unscheduled walkabout. I  can  lock you in a car and just leave you there if you would rather be an untrustworthy little git for the rest of this excursion. Or recommend you not be deployed without a cat leash."   King can see that James is definitely leaning toward the latter action if the cat doesn't have anything to say for itself, and is quite amused at the idea of King futilely struggling against such a simple restraint. 
 

 
"I was running for my own safety. Can you blame me. What am i gonna do? Paw at the zombies? I came back didn’t i. After i thought the coast was clear of course. You should really trust your own teammate y'know. And wipe the smirk off your face. Yes i might not be able to escape a cat leash. But I'm still gonna be alive 1000s of years after you are gone. To me your nothing more then a temporary nuisance. A human life span at most is about 100 years. I've been around since the french revolution. I've seen the greatest thinkers, warriors, and artists in person. And they all die the same. I've seen kingdoms rise and fall and I've been through both world wars. Ultimately you, your colleagues and the entire scp foundation are lucky to be footnotes in history. So pay respect to your elder, boy."
 

King says with a casual dismissive tone as if he knows you'll be lucky if he even remembers your name in a few 100 years.
MrAbdiel
Benjamin flinches and dives away from the truck - a movement that is somewhat excessive, given the speed of it; and then watches in dumb alarm as it hares off into the corn.

The handful of braincells rattling around between his temples confer.  There are armed agents here following up on the rebellion, and in record time.  They seemed willing to be very violent about it.  Tater was dead, by a [redacted by Blatant Denial] that didn't seem at all interested in being gentle.

Benjamin's primary objective in life is to continue living, and ideally, to continue living in progressively better conditions.  The fact that he is in prison, and not just in prison but  horrible eldritch field trip prison , would communicate to a sane person he is not meeting his ambition.  He is not a smart man, or a man with much restraint.

He is a man with persistence, and the ability to suspend the kind of basic logic processes that leave other people too scared to act in sensibly frightening scenarios.  It is for this reason that Benjamin springs to his feet an begins a staggering run after the truck even as it crashes into some unseen force ahead.

  "It's okay!  It's okay!"   He yells, holding up an arresting upright palm to the squad of science commandoes and the flesh eating primordial demigod, as if he had any authority to halt them that was not  sheer assumption. 
  "It's okay, she's just scared, I'll talk her down, I'll talk her down!  She's my friend, it's okay!"  

This is, very generously, a half truth.  It is  not okay .  Cecily is in abject panic.  Benjamin is not particularly skilled at talking people down.  And she definitely does not consider her his friend; though he seems to think that she does.  His assumption, and his running after the truck, is the kind of action that might earn a class D lack-luck like himself a bullet in the back of the head for even trying.  But he certainly seems to  think , for whatever it's worth, that he is on the same team as everyone else, and that he is capable, and that it is obvious that he is trustworthy.

Even if protocol might be to put him and Cecily down with lethal force, perhaps mercy, or even curiosity as to how it will all play out might council restraint.
Esprit15
James stares back.   ”Bold words from someone who poops in a box.”  

He doesn’t continue to speak though. Instead, the thoughts play through his head, as he thinks about the report he will create when he gets back to the foundation.  A bored James sits at a desk, typing under the flickering glow of a fluorescent light. The puke yellow carpet on the floor seems uglier than King remembers it being. Maybe James also hated how it looked and that shaped the memory. The mental camera zooms in on the email.

 To: Roberta Curtis;
CC: Kalispell Hagerty;  Security Review ;
BCC:  AAR ;
Subject: Mission Notes Regarding SCP 777

Subject is unfit for external use. Containment procedures should be updated to include no longer leaving the facility due to consistent, incorrigible insubordinate behavior and multiple attempts to escape that were only halted by cooperation from SCP staff and other SCPs present. Due to limited utility of SCP 777, recommend accelerating research into source of SCP 777’s unaging nature. Recommend further research into biology of SCP 777 to create suitable replacement for activities that require cooperation from the subject.

Thank you,
James Fink
Task Force Leader, External Operations
Phone: (212) 664-7665 

The military man reads over the internal email, corrects the signature to include only relevant after action report information, reads the email condemning King to a life of medical experiments, and hits send. He then tabs over to read an article about the new season of...  and the mental image fades.

  “You’ve lived longer than I have, King. I’m well acquainted with your file. I know what you’re capable of,”   and what you are  not.  You flee because you fear death, like any normal being. Any  mortal  being. And this  boy  has the power to make four white walls the last thing you ever see. So I think it behooves you to remember the words I gave you all a few days ago when you were selected for this mission. I’m a bureaucrat as much as I am a soldier. I can kill you with a gun, my hands, or an email.   “Please keep this information in mind.”  

James looks to the rest of their company.   ”What are you worried about when the sun goes down, Will?”  
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 James stares back.   ”Bold words from someone who poops in a box.”  

He doesn’t continue to speak though. Instead, the thoughts play through his head, as he thinks about the report he will create when he gets back to the foundation.  A bored James sits at a desk, typing under the flickering glow of a fluorescent light. The puke yellow carpet on the floor seems uglier than King remembers it being. Maybe James also hated how it looked and that shaped the memory. The mental camera zooms in on the email.
 To: Roberta Curtis;
CC: Kalispell Hagerty;  Security Review ;
BCC:  AAR ;
Subject: Mission Notes Regarding SCP 777

Subject is unfit for external use. Containment procedures should be updated to include no longer leaving the facility due to consistent, incorrigible insubordinate behavior and multiple attempts to escape that were only halted by cooperation from SCP staff and other SCPs present. Due to limited utility of SCP 777, recommend accelerating research into source of SCP 777’s unaging nature. Recommend further research into biology of SCP 777 to create suitable replacement for activities that require cooperation from the subject.

Thank you,
James Fink
Task Force Leader, External Operations
Phone: (212) 664-7665  The military man reads over the internal email, corrects the signature to include only relevant after action report information, reads the email condemning King to a life of medical experiments, and hits send. He then tabs over to read an article about the new season of...  and the mental age fades.

  “You’ve lived longer than I have, King. I’m well acquainted with your file. I know what you’re capable of,”   and what you are  not.  You flee because you fear death, like any normal being. Any  mortal  being. And this  boy  has the power to make four white walls the last thing you ever see. So I think it behooves you to remember the words I gave you all a few days ago when you were selected for this mission. I’m a bureaucrat as much as I am a soldier. I can kill you with a gun, my hands, or an email.   “Please keep this information in mind.”  

James looks to the rest of their company.   ”What are you worried about when the sun goes down, Will?”   
 

King gives james a scowl, having read james mind.

 "touché.  Like i said. Your a nuisance. For now you hold power over me. That i can't deny. I'll play ball. 

Mentally king was planning revenge for the disrespect he was just given.  Threatening me!  king thinks. As soon as the opportunity strikes king will show why that's a mistake. King can imagine it already. James needs vital information to survive a death trap. Or naybe he needs king to get back up. King will look at James. Smile. And throw his words right back at him.  "any mortal being fears death"  and king will walk away. The last thing james would hear in this imagined scenario?  "respect your elders."  the fact this won’t be immediate is disappointing. But king is use to waiting.
Metastachydium
Grinding her teeth in frustration and covered from head to toe in the thin, cold sweat of primal fear, Cecily continues to try and press her advance (which is to say, retreat, really), wrestling with the wheel in an all but mindless defiance. She's got to get out of here. Find the road. Get on the road. Use the road. And, preferably,  not  die of a heart attack before she could achieve that. And… She  should really  put the seatbelt on, one of these seconds.
JeenLeen
5404 slumps against the wall, now that it seems like the main risk to Lily is probably averted.  He listens with mild interest to Fink and the cat bickering, thoughts mostly on how sad Lily's life might be even if she survives and is stuck here ruled by her grandfather and his puppets.  Probably okay for a girl who has only really lived a year, but longterm?  Would the SCP care enough to try to save her eventually?   With a sigh he acknowledges they'll just write her off as expendable.  She's almost an SCP herself afterall.

Does any of this actually matter?

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
very fine if King picks up on any of that
 
hand ax ranger
There Kuzmo was, being a good boy and just enjoying his meaty snack and keeping the peace, when some [REDACTED] had to try and hit him with a entire truck!

Once he heard the engine it took him a second to process, but as it move and swung towards him he let out a high pitched scream of moronic surprise as he is smacked by the force of the skidding rear-end, though reacting fast enough to transfer the momentum into rolling away like a tumbleweed made of fat, angry lizard into the surrounding corn.

"  Woop-woop-woop-woop-wooop!  " He stated. "  Who just hit me with a auto-wagon!?  
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

William turns his head briefly to James and King and snaps,   "Will you two be quiet! We've got another problem now. Someone's started up one of your vehicles and they are coming towards us as we speak!"  
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 There Kuzmo was, being a good boy and just enjoying his meaty snack and keeping the peace, when some [REDACTED] had to try and hit him with a entire truck!

Once he heard the engine it took him a second to process, but as it move and swung towards him he let out a high pitched scream of moronic surprise as he is smacked by the force of the skidding rear-end, though reacting fast enough to transfer the momentum into rolling away like a tumbleweed made of fat, angry lizard into the surrounding corn.

"  Woop-woop-woop-woop-wooop!  " He stated. "  Who just hit me with a auto-wagon!?   
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 
Dr. Hagerty responds with her panic now eased from Kuzmo's comical rolling. Rolling akin to a toddler being knocked off their feet by a naive Labrador's happily wagging tail. Though the further smeared blood caking his chest was still immensely off-putting.
  One of the D-Class who was concealed herself from our initial sighting it would seem. She went off road and drove full speed into the fields, we can't leave it up to chance where she might be heading. Thankfully some of the escapees are compliant.  
Dr. Hagerty nods toward Benjamin now acknowledging the pleading man.
  If you do want leniency then come, we'll find room for you in the car.  

Dr. Hagerty slides a hand to her belt preparing a grenade in case Benajamin doesn't comply.

 
 Spoiler: Current plans 

Benjamin wanting to comply so he receives a lighter sentence is a believable plan. Also having him to convince Cecily to give up would be a reason to take him along. If he doesn't fully comply Hagerty is just going to foam him up and have Kuzmo put him in the car trunk. Since the car would be considered an antique by modern standards, I imagine the trunk would look something like the one pictured below. Hagerty might be tempted to put Benjamin in the trunk if there aren't enough seats to seat her, the driver, Benjamin, and Maribelle.
 
 Spoiler: Old style car trunk 
 
 

 
Esprit15
James tosses King to William and readies his gun again.   ”Protect Lily and the stupid cat!”   He aims the shotgun in the direction of the earlier fighting, ready to bark out orders, fire, or roll, depending on what the situation called for.
Ameraaaaaa
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 James tosses King to William and readies his gun again.   ”Protect Lilyajd the stupid cat!”   He aims the shotgun in the direction of the earlier fighting, ready to bark out orders, fire, or roll, depending on what the situation called for. 
 

 "I'm not stupid! Stupid!" 

King then sighs at his situation.
MrAbdiel
Benjamin is only able to get as close as he can due to Cecily's erratic driving and apparent collision with something.  As the maternal woman, speaking with some authority, calls out to validate his hopes that complience will be met with reward, he offers a thumbs up on the run.

Of course, he continues to run toward the escaping vehicle.  But, having shouted incoherantly about his intention to convince the driver to surrender, the convict is unreasonably assured he will not suffer for his hubris.  With a final leap, he manages to wrap one hand around the handle of the truck's rear left door, with the other pawing about on the other side into a less-than-perfect groove for grip, which will have to do for the moment.  His prison issue velcro shoes bounce and skip as the toes skid along the passing flattened corn.

 "Hey!  Heeey!"   He bellows, intending Cecily to hear and take note of him.  He's intermittantly visable to her as the door swings out and presents him to her driver's side mirror, before it swings back and he vanishes again behind the truck; battered and slammed into the other violently flapping door for his trouble.  He'd feel this effort in the days to come - but then, he was already planning to feel Tater's reprisal attacks, so what's a few bruises more?

 "Hey!  Stoooop!" 
JeenLeen
5404 looks towards the direction and runs forward a few feet.

" William, can't you just force field it to stop or something?  Or... urgh, dang, I hate this... like throw me into the grill if you can't stop the car.  Maybe my body will jam up the tires or something. "

He sees something of his little sister in Lily, and he'd do what he has to to protect.
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 
  "Force field?? What in - look I tried to stop it, but it was just too big and not enough time. How about I just..."  

After a moment, the ground begins to rumble, as something happens, but you can't see what it is. It almost felt like a mini earth quake.


 Stop Right There Criminal Scum 

Benjamin desperately clings to the back of the truck even as the arms begin to flap around and batter him. Cecily manages to keep the truck upright and works it pointing back toward the road, where she haphazardly must make another dangerous turn to quickly turn back onto the road. On both occasions, Benjamin is also sometimes getting slapped by stalks of corn.

Neither of them feel the slight rumbling of the ground in their panicked and jostled state, though as for the others.. they certainly did.

Hank approaches the car, hands still up and says,  "There's a town up ahead, isn't there? Listen, we've got to get to the church if you can, although.."  His head turns back toward where the others (Chris, Marianne, downed guard) were.  "Maybe you also want to help the others out?" 
Metastachydium
As she finally finds the time to fasten that seatbelt, Cecily pauses her screaming long enough for Benjamin's voice to reach her.  Stop.  He wants her to  stop . It all makes sense, suddenly. It brings back another few words, from the same man, words she only half-heard and barely processed before, when the lizard and the other car turned up.  Same side.  It was Benjamin who tackled Tater. It must have been him who removed the car keys.  Same side.  The whole thing was a ruse. The grenade, too. She should have known. Benjamin's not half as dumb as he looks. He was buying  those  time – and he's doing the same now.   No-no-no, no  way , you're not  getting  me eaten, get  off ,   she screams back, the volume and pitch of her voice rising steadily.   get the  ****  OFF!  She even has the presence to tap the wheel with the gun in her gun hand, which makes her vaguely proud of herself, at some level. A twitchy finger twitches close by the trigger, for emphasis.
JeenLeen
As the ground rumbles, 5404 feels a moment of panic, then starts to head inside towards the upstairs room and Lily.
As he moves, he quickly says,  "Fink, I'm checking on Lily." 

My corpse probably can't jam up a car anyway.
Esprit15
  ”Rodger.”   James remains alert.
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by MrAbdiel 
 Benjamin is only able to get as close as he can due to Cecily's erratic driving and apparent collision with something.  As the maternal woman, speaking with some authority, calls out to validate his hopes that complience will be met with reward, he offers a thumbs up on the run.

Of course, he continues to run toward the escaping vehicle.  But, having shouted incoherantly about his intention to convince the driver to surrender, the convict is unreasonably assured he will not suffer for his hubris.  With a final leap, he manages to wrap one hand around the handle of the truck's rear left door, with the other pawing about on the other side into a less-than-perfect groove for grip, which will have to do for the moment.  His prison issue velcro shoes bounce and skip as the toes skid along the passing flattened corn.

 "Hey!  Heeey!"   He bellows, intending Cecily to hear and take note of him.  He's intermittantly visable to her as the door swings out and presents him to her driver's side mirror, before it swings back and he vanishes again behind the truck; battered and slammed into the other violently flapping door for his trouble.  He'd feel this effort in the days to come - but then, he was already planning to feel Tater's reprisal attacks, so what's a few bruises more?

 "Hey!  Stoooop!"  
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 

Dr. Hagerty stares dumbfoundedly as Benjamin launches himself careening towards the escapee's vehicle. While she had anticipated exuberant bootlicking from a desperate man at his wit's end, it now seemed he may never have had it to begin with.
 Who could have known the cooperative D-Class had the abilities of an Olympic athlete? The senior guards tasked with restraining him most likely. But they probably dead. 

Jumping back into the antique car she anxiously shouts.
  Quick after them. We can't let them get to Lily!  
To Kuzmo, Maribelle and her puppeteered chafeur.

Straining her eyes, she tries to find any advantageous details regarding the escapee and their vehicle. A broken window, exposed wheels or engine, sight to the driver anything that could stop the escaped convicts.
 
 Spoiler: Current Plans 
 Since the situation has now changed unexpectedly the plan has changed. Right now Hagerty is looking for either exposed wheels or engines or metal objects on the trucks driver or passengers. The plan is to jam exposed wheels or engines with foam or for Hagerty use her magnetic watch to interfere with the driver.
An example of interference would be pulling a metal bracelet on the driver's wrist to make them steer their car into a large tree.
 
MrAbdiel
Benjamin thrashes around on the door of the truck; losing his grip with one hand and comically dangling and skipping on the road at the price of a little gravel rash, before pulling himself a little more up.  When Cecily calls back, his expression visible in the mirror looks... hurt, maybe?  Or confused.  Perhaps he is as dumb as he looks, after all.  He's hurt, for sure - bug-bit, split lipped; eyes red and squinty from Tater trying to thumb them from his skull.  But hurt emotionally - maybe, if he's capable of that.  Still, he does not let go - shouting back, instead:

 "You know, I've saved your life THREE TIMES today, and you've been ...Really, really rude!  Tater got  ett  because he tried to do what you are doing RIGHT NOW, dummy!  Stop the truck, I can smooth this out!  I can-" 

That's all the pitch he gets as the door swings back around, slapping him bodily into the other loading door of the truck and busting his nose.   "Pnnngah!"   Those three occasions are obvious to him - scooping Cecily into the truck when she was paralyzed with fear and curled up as the bugs swarmed in; disarming the grenade with a skillset he didn't know he had but now took entirely for granted; and stopping crazy-ass Tater from loading them into the truck and taking them on his lunatic excursion... a move which, Benjamin feels rather vindicated about now, would have led to them being immediately run down and killed by the dinosaur hitman.  Whether these events seem as obvious to Cecily as they do to Benjamin remains to be seen; but in as much as she is able to detect sincerity in her terrified state, he is either sincere or extremely good at appearing sincere.
Metastachydium
Cecily barely pays attention to Benjamin's rant, let alone his facial expression. But even so, she can tell how little sense his story makes. Unless the Lizard Thing from Hell is a ****ing telepath, all it knew and saw was that poor asshat Tater wrestling with this  other  asshat. Why kill Tater, then? And  only  Tater? Cecily kind of feels sorry for  that  creep now. There really  is  a conspiracy going, and right now, it doesn't take a raving lunatic to figure out Benjamin Hillcrest, if that's his real name anyhow, is in on it. When he simply ran off to cling to her damn back like a hard tick, the whole frakshow marshalled up against them did  jack  to stop him.

And here lies the issue: she's got to get rid of Benjamin. But  thinking  about him diverts enough of her attention from actually  staying alive  while driving through a slasher flick hellscape as is. She tries to shake him off by wiggling the truck's rear end some further or going offroad  again  or braking, she gets slowed down. That's just physics. She used to be good at physics. And his cowardice? It's all feigned. He jumped Tater. He jumped  her  with a moving car between them. She can't afford having her bluff called (did she even check if the pistol was  loaded ? She can't quite remember). Not that she really has better options.   I SAID  GET THE **** OFF , ARE YOU DEAF?!   she screeches at the mirror, slamming her gun more forcefully against the wheel. New sweat breaks over the old. The car accelerates further. The gears shift. There's a town somewhere ahead. Maybe she should get a hostage? Her stomach grows small and cold at the thought. She'll figure it out, somehow. It's going to work out. Or she's done for.
Ameraaaaaa
 "earthquakes huh. Neat trick William.
Where did you learn your magic anyhow.  king makes sure to read his mind during this.
MrAbdiel
 "...What?!"
 
Confirming either that he is deaf, or stupid, or some combination, Benjamin clings to the vehicle and confronts the fact that, despite how sure he was a moment ago, Cecily isn't ready to listen to him.

Immediately, he devotes most of his brainpower to constructing the way he intends to describe this later - as something he had suspected and was sadly confirmed, rather than something that so completely flummoxed him.  The remainder of his braincells, huddling together against the lonely dark of his skull, put their effort toward resolving his current predicament.  If she wouldn't be talked down, he'd have to take her down.  After all, he'd already made the claim he'd 'talk her down', and tacitly taken responsibility for her.  And the first step to solving this problem  was to stop flapping around on this bloody door.

Wheezing with exertion, Benjamin strives to pull himself up, up the side of the moving vehicle, onto the roof of the truck so he can begin shimmying perilously forward toward the cab, and its driver.
hand ax ranger
Despite being flung, Kuzmo is quick to jump to his feet and start dashing after the truck in question. He knew he couldn't outrun it..... but he also had incredible endurance. It wasn't a matter or overtaking it, but a matter of keeping track with it. Much like the cavemen of both worlds history running down game.
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

Thomas goes back in the house to check on Lily, and not a moment too soon! Inside, a few items have been displaced: paintings, dishes, other decorations. The house creaks and groan ominously. Lily is kind of scared again. At about this time, there's a sudden snap and crash as the  entire house  feels like it has practically turned on its side. Well, partially. It's only about 15 or 20 degrees, but it's enough to throw anyone off their balance and make more things fall.

Outside, James and King would notice that the ruckus behind them seems to have been caused by some sort of sink hole or something that formed, along what was before an imperceptible fault line. The house, foundation and all, has fallen into it partially and leans heavily into it. Part of the corner looks particularly unstable - exacerbated when William had struck the side of the house in contempt.


 Too Quick, Too Crazy 

Cecily barrels down the road in her stolen SCP truck, hardly able to even see in front of her. She's driving dangerously fast.. fast enough that Kuzmo cannot catch her, but merely only keep up. Normally, her speed might be normal for a road like this, however, the fog gives her a clear visibility out to about 20 feet, and an overall visibility of like 50 feet  max .

 It probably isn't a good idea to be driving fast in these conditions. You never know what might be in the road...  a broken down car, a sharp turn, an animal, a child? 

Without the erratic weaving of the truck and relatively stable road conditions, the back doors of the truck stop swinging so vigorously and Benjamin can just slowly start to make his way up, though he's only really got a tentative grip on the roof right now. Thankfully, at least he can stop the doors from hitting him more by reaching out to stop them with his legs.. oh but if he did that, there goes his footholds.

Kuzmo races behind the truck, and Dr. Hagerty is chauffeured by the mysterious and all-powerful (or maybe not) lord of this realm. The car swiftly makes a U-turn, leaving behind all the other prisoners and guards, so that they can also give chase to the mad woman who hijacked one of their trucks. Soon they begin catching up to Kuzmo.
Esprit15
James swears loudly and rushes to a window.   ”What the hell!? Everyone alright in there?”  
 
 Spoiler 
Is the door on the down side of the sinkhole, and is there anything unusual about the sinkhole?
 
JeenLeen
Moving with unexpected speed for his frame, and no regard for anything falling to hit him, 5404 runs forward to grab Lily then rushes out the nearest exit using his body to shield Lily from any fragments of wood or glass.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Leaping 1, Speed 1.
I see I don't actually have Athletics, but... well, with his regen, I don't care if he tears a muscle or hits something on the way to her.  Could Interpose technically let him get closer to her to protect her from debris?

For a moment I thought Fast Grab might help, but then remembered that activates upon a punch, so... not really ^_^
 
Ameraaaaaa
 "well this house clearly isn't stable. I think William should sue whoever built it.   king says smugly.
Metastachydium
Cecily is in straits no less dire than Benjamin herself and she knows it. That spineless, treacherous oaf shows no intention whatsoever to comply with her demands and she must outspeed a rampaging monster while seeing barely farther than her own nose in this endtime, scary movie mist floating all about. Some fatalistic voice from a hitherto silent corner of her brain is urging her to accelerate  further  anyhow  , but the idea makes her tremble some more fiercely each time: it evokes, again and again, the same succession of images. The face behind the glass and then the fire. She's not  supposed to  be here. None of this was  supposed to  be. And yet.

The dread certainty she'll somehow manage to dig herself even deeper rises to the fore; but she should  somehow  **** up something else this time. The first order of business, at any rate, is getting rid of the stowaway, rather than frying her own brain. Pressing her clattering teeth close together, she gets a firm grip of the wheel with her right, and presses the barrel of the gun against the inside of the roof above her own seat. She rolls her shoulder, once, twice, and then  pulls the trigger .

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Clarifications well in advance: C. is  not  trying to hit anyone or anything, least of all Benjamin. She just wants to scare him off with a gunshot and is  hoping  that if she braces the gun like that, it's less likely to tear her arm off. It goes without saying that she has  no idea whatsoever  what she's doing, so do take that into account.
 
hand ax ranger
As Kuzmo manged to just keep behind the truck he grew unamused. But then he looked back and say the Car with the doctor whizzing towards the chase. He thought for a moment then decided on a course of action.

He slowed down. Enough to let the car catch up with him and then did something that might surprise it's occupants. He carefully climbed on top, spreading his weight carefully on the roof of the car!

"  Drive me closer! I want to hit it with my sword!  " He waved his man hewing Falcata on the air for emphasis
MrAbdiel
A bullet whizzes by.  A second later, his brain registers the gunshot sound that had accompanied it.

 This girl's gone mad - she can't shoot her way out of this any more than Tater could! 

The idea that she was trying to hit him, or trying to scare him, does not penetrate his mind.  He is fully convicted of his narrative - he is going to save her, from herself, and from the monsters; and when he does, everyone will stand up and clap.

But behind him now is another speeding car - being ridden by the big guy with the sword who, now that he thinks about it, looks foreign.  No time to think about that now - his fingers and toes were aching, and the slow dawning reality of the many dangers - death by falling, death by lizard king, death by automobile impact, death by bullet - began to unionize and press their collective grievances against his stubborn, idiot determination.
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 "  Drive me closer! I want to hit it with my sword!  " He waved his man hewing Falcata on the air for emphasis 
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty
 
  Try taking out the wheels.  
Dr. Hagerty shouts above the roaring engines and gunfire. Leaning towards the blank eyed driver she grasps the pant leg of his trousers and steadily begins rotating the steering wheel. Accelerating and sending the old vehicle towards the speeding armored car with the fugitive.   Better to fill in for William, humans only had two halves of a brain to multi-task with. Though William certainly was beyond human thresholds it was best to not test his limits at the moment.  
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

Thomas grabs Lily and jumps out the window in a protective formation with her. At first she had gasped with a start as the house violently shifted, then she screamed as she was suddenly grabbed and whisked away. But at the end of it, Thomas is precariously laying backside on the roof with a few shards of glass in his back while the young girl remains relatively unscathed in his arms.

Given the pitch of the roof and short distance to the edge, maybe that wasn't quite the best idea, but no one is falling off the roof for the time being.

  "****..."   William whirls around, cursing under his breath. When Thomas jumps out the window with his screaming granddaughter in tow he cries,   "Lily!!"  
  "Toss her down gently, and I'll catch her!"  
 Too Quick, Too Crazy 

Cecily tries to fire her warning shot, but finds that the gun actually has its safety on. Good to know. The road and mists continue onward, as far as she can see. Which honestly isn't much.

Benjamin managed to climb on the top of the truck and slowly makes his way toward the front, though their vehicle seems to be harried by pursuers.

William drives the car with a rather blank expression, mind clearly occupied somewhere else. Dr. Hagerty's touch on his leg turn of the wheel seems to gather his attention somewhat. However, instead of speeding up and getting closer to the truck, he starts to slow the car down. Rather absentmindedly, the puppet says,   "Now that I think about it, I'm not worried about the truck making it into town. We should go back and check on the others before they run off and cause trouble too.  

Why the lack of concern for the truck speeding through the fog?

As Cecily speeds forward, she thinks she sees something, maybe like a mirage of a shadow in front of her or something. Before her mind can even process what she  thinks  she might have seen, her vehicle approaches  very quickly , and the horrifying truth is apparent:

The road is simply.. gone? Well, no it's not actually gone. But what IS there is a chasm, perhaps thirty feet across, and what probably was the road ahead sits on the other end of that chasm roughly ten feet higher than it should be. She's about to drive off (and into) a cliff!
Metastachydium
Poor Cecily only has the time to squueze a  very  quick and equally loud gasp in before she  has to  act. A proper scream would take far too long, and who knows? The chasm might be deep enough to allow for her to channel her inner Wilhelm if it comes to that. Instead, she contents herself with hurriedly jerking the wheel to the left (that this might have the added benefit of possibly throwing Benjamin off, if the gun didn't, for reasons obvious enough, doesn't, again, get around to cross her mind) – and engaging the hand brake. That, plus the actual brake. For good measure.
MrAbdiel
Jeez Louise, this girl seems to want to die - can't she see the drop coming up? In a second she's going to drive both of them into it and he's gonna die  except he won't, because there's plenty of time to act for survivability as long as he acts decisively and succinctly.  In one second at the most, Cecily will stop fumbling with the gun and realize her error, at which point she will instinctively activate the truck's breaks.  At that point, it will be too late to act; Benjamin knows he will be airborne and soaring, breaking his bones on the cliff on the other side and falling to die in the pit below.  He fires to his feet.  The truck is bouncing and moving, and he cannot maintain his balance for long; but that point is moot.  He has three, perhaps four steps to mitigate his fall.  Instinct is screaming at his muscles to use those steps to pivot and run backward and away from the approaching doom; but to do so would be fatal - the second any part of him hit the ground, it would whipcrack the rest of him into the road and blast his brains out the split top of his skull.  Instead, he surrendered his goals of helping Cecily to her dogged demand to die, and took three big, wobbling strides forward on the top of the truck and off to the right shoulder of the road, tucking his limbs in so he doesn't  snap them off when he starts to roll; boy would he look stupid then.  And the big guy would eat him for sure,  though that carnivorous stalker, seemingly some otherworldly or out-of-time warrior-beast dragooned into service as an enforcer rather than being made into a lab rat... he wasn't their concern for now.   Tumbling through the air waiting for impact as the wheels of the truck lock up a fraction of a second after his launch, Benjamin reassures himself he has made no wrong decisions.  He's done everything he could do with the crap sandwich tossed onto his plate.  They'll see that, when they review his performance.  For now, there was only the immediate problem - controlled deceleration, bleeding off the truck's imparted speed into lateral rolling through the long grass at the side of the road.  He'd have to sacrifice his wrist to angle himself correctly - the downward fall needed to be propelled into a forward roll as smoothly as possible, and the likely resulting fracture would heal in time.  It would certainly heal better than becoming a smear against a canyon wall. 
JeenLeen
5404 is less and less trusting of the grandfather's abilities.  " My legs can handle it; trust me.  Just be ready to... I don't know, pocket me with some air or something if needed... "

Whispering some words of comfort (It'll be okay), 5404 jumps down to the ground.  He prepares to grimace as he expects his leg bones to break then remend.
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 However, instead of speeding up and getting closer to the truck, he starts to slow the car down. Rather absentmindedly, the puppet says,   "Now that I think about it, I'm not worried about the truck making it into town. We should go back and check on the others before they run off and cause trouble too.  

Why the lack of concern for the truck speeding through the fog? 
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 

Dr. Hagerty quizzically arches an eyebrow as she buries a twinge of annoyance.
As she releases the steering wheel and the driver's trousers she looks to Kuzmo.
  Change of plans Kuzmo. William can probably pop our escapees head off at this distance. We have to take care of the others left in the field. Though I wouldn't be surprised if they've left the area by now.  

She responds trying to keep a lid on her frustration to the man with such ill-defined capabilities.
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

Thomas isn't all that wrong to want to rely on his own strengths and capabilities rather than this dubious figure that failed to keep his granddaughter alive year after year. So after some soft and kind words, he tries to leap down from the roof (about a 14 foot drop) sacrificing the well being of his own legs for the safety of an innocent.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Go ahead and have a victory point, on the house!
 


He could  probably  make the jump on his own with little injury, but the added weight and rigidity of his fall would certainly make things end badly. However, a massive upward gust of wind seems to help, albeit maybe only slightly.

The two of you land with quite a bit of dust in your eyes. Lily looks a bit worse for wear, scared and tussled and squished, and Thomas has a throbbing pain in his legs, as he may have just practically snapped one knee and twisted his other ankle badly. But thankfully, his regenerative abilities should kick in, and he'll be standing within a minute.

 "W-what's happening??"  Lily cries. Her "mom" rushes out of the leaning house, both for a bit of safety, and also to console her daughter.

  "It's just one bad thing after another, hun. A rotten string of bad luck. But don't you worry about it. We can fix it up and figure out someplace you can stay. Maybe with one of your little friends?"  
 Too Quick, Too Crazy 

Turning the truck wheel hard to the left, Cecily also proceeds to slam on the breaks and attempts to fumble with the hand breaks as momentum is violently pulling at her towards the passenger side of the truck. She happens to nail the driving maneuver remarkably well, and the sudden breaking and turning nearly causes the truck to just about flip over on its side.. but it doesn't.

Unfortunately, that's because she still ran out of road, and so rather than flip on its side due to a sheer change in momentum, it drives off the cliff at an angle,  falling  onto its side, and taking everything with it. There's a massive crash like the sound of city dumpsters tumbling and colliding. The truck lands on one corner and starts rolling. The cabin is crushed and the air bags go off, smothering Cecily. The violent jerking and shaking seems to go on and she blacks out...

Benjamin, on the other hand, manages to just barely clear the chasm, launching himself as if the truck was an atlatl. There's a bit of an advantage because he actually stood a few feet higher than the ground being jumped to.. but admittedly, the mad woman driving at unsafe speeds helped a lot too (Fun fact: apparently 50 mph = 73 feet/second).

Benjamin's main concern of course is trying to  slow down  and mitigate impact. He smartly aims for the corn, and it does a remarkable (if not painful) job of cushioning his landing. He sprains his wrist, maybe unnecessarily, but when all is said and done, he seemingly wakes up in the middle of a corn field, in his own minature crop circle, in a daze and wondering what happened and where he is. He's also got a number of lacerations but otherwise seems mostly okay. After a brief moment of confusion, it comes back to him. On top of a moving truck, a chasm/cliff up ahead... did he jump??

Dr. Hagerty and Kuzmo are left behind. William still follows with the car, but he continues slowing down. From the sounds up ahead it's obvious something bad happened. You're now close enough to realize what that is. Apparently the D-class you were chasing just drove into a ravine.

  "Well that's two down,"   William says, as he begins to turn around the car and stops.   "One of you want to check the bodies while we go back?"  
Metastachydium
 
 Spoiler: The Currently Unknown Fate of a Certain Fugitive 

Deep down, strapped to her seat in the car in a hole in the ground, Cecily Branting sleeps. As the airbag gently deflates away from her face, it betrays no emotion, not even fear. She hasn't slept for a long while, even though she would. She would sleep, much, long and dreamlessly as she sleeps now. Perhaps she'd be happy to know that she reached this blissfully numb, dreamless oblivion – through force that intervened in ways outside her control, of course, but with no chemical aid needed or neccessary. But she's not aware. Her head hangs at an angle, inert. Blood is dripping from her nose, methodically. That is the only sound, and she doesn't hear it. Deep down, strapped to her seat in the car in a hole in the ground, Cecily Branting sleeps.
 
JeenLeen
Looking to Fink, then hesitantly back to William, 5404 offers, " Sir, I know it's scary right here.  But we don't really know what's been going on each year.  There's not a lot of unknowns left right about here.  The bad guys are far away now.  How about we cloister with Lily here, and uh her mom, and make sure they're safe.  That earthquake might've upset something elsewhere. "

Looking to the house and thinking of gas or electric, he adds, " Let's move a few more feet away from the house, just in case, um, something wiring got loose or something. "
Esprit15
That… actually was a good point.   “William, what  is  the limit of what you’re capable of? Because if we’re going to be on the same side here, we need to know what to be able to expect and not expect.”  
MrAbdiel
Benjamin emerges from his corn-crater; tottering on his feet; holding his wrist; his D-Class issue prison duds torn, and twisted awkwardly on his body.  He stands swaying at the edge of the corn for a moment, blinking, before walking to the edge of the cliff - the elevated edge it seems, somehow!

For a while, all the stupidity is knocked out of him; and he can do not much more than gaze down into the pit to piece together the last few blacked out moments.

 "...Shoulda listened, girly.  Just tryin' to help you." 
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Dr. Hagerty and Kuzmo are left behind. William still follows with the car, but he continues slowing down. From the sounds up ahead it's obvious something bad happened. You're now close enough to realize what that is. Apparently the D-class you were chasing just drove into a ravine.

  "Well that's two down,"   William says, as he begins to turn around the car and stops.   "One of you want to check the bodies while we go back?"   
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 
  I can give an autopsy William. If their brains weren't to concussed from the fall, I might be able to gleam some details about their unsupervised antics. I will need to borrow some ice from town later William, I believe you can oblige. Kuzmo I need your unparalleled athleticism to quickly retrieve the bodies.  
Perhaps some useful information could be scavenged from the delinquent brains of the escapees. It was a shame the helpful one had fallen into the chasm even if he seemed to be paste gobbler. Any vestiges that could be scraped from him ought to be somewhat pleasant.
  Let's go Maribelle. I need a surgical assistant at my side. 
The doctor ***** her head as if she had heard a demure response politely expressing hesitance.
  Don't worry about it. Brains lack nerve endings; they won't feel a thing.  
 
 Spoiler: Question 
 When it comes to "checking the while we go back". Does "we" include the person checking the bodies or does William plan on splitting the party?
 
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo looked to the doctor and scowled. "  Yes, but I am more than capable of helping you with the brain extr-  " He the stopped and a face of confusion and terror comes over his face.

 
 Spoiler: Realizaions 
He just now realized that all hos his physician-surgeon knowledge is just....  gone . A haunting feeling seeing as that, outside of being a killer, that was his first trade! Is this amnesia or did something  Steal his knowledge !?
 


Without further thought he went down there and started collecting the bodies. or whatever was left of them.
MrAbdiel
Benjamin, incredibly, remains a remarkably cooperative body to collect.  He gives a  pained, lefthanded wave to Kuzmo, from the top of the far side of the canyon; apparently with no desire to flee.

 "She drove right off the edge, the dummy -" 

This insight is unlikely to prove helpful, but Benjamin offers it anyway.

 "...But if she's okay, don't hurt her, alright?  She's just a dummy.  She was just scared, back there.  It's been rough, okay?  Rough day.  She's soft, not good with rough days; got brave at the wrong moment, but she's smart, even if she's dumb.  Okay?" 

Kuzmo will have to make of this, and Benjamin's apparent lack of revulsion to the saurian demigod's form, what he will.
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

William looks to Thomas with an acquiescing nod of agreement.   "Suppose it'll be hard to tell if any other building was affected. We could give it some time and see if anything else happens."  

And to James he says,   "This ain't the best time or place to be discussing this... Here, let me point out a place that you can check is safe."  

If he can get a conversation with James out of earshot of Lily, he says,   "I don't have a straight answer for you. Sometimes feels like I could do just about anything, if I put my mind do it. But seems I'm always struggling to balance time and precision. And of course, it's hard to change or stop something you don't know about."  
 Crash Report! 

The man gives Dr. Hagerty a strange look.   "Uh. Doctor. With all due respect, I don't think autopsies and tinkering around in people's brains is a priority right now. I'm more concerned with rounding up and stopping these criminals, as opposed to figuring out what bug crawled up their ass that made criminals be criminals."  

He puts the car into gear to drive forward and releases the break.   "Now shall we get back to make sure the others behave? Or do you want to wait for your 'friend' first?"  

Kuzmo wastes no time heading down to collect bodies, though he's quickly greeted by a cooperative Benjamin standing at the opposite side of the ravine. It's easily a 30 foot wide, 10 foot foot high jump from where Kuzmo stands. That D-Class doesn't seem to be going anywhere, so down to check on the truck...

About thirty feet down, the truck lies in a misty, dusty, smoky mess. It's overall shape and form looks mostly intact, though the front driving cabin looks particularly banged up. The airbags have gone off, and the truck tires have stopped spinning a while ago. A few more boxes, supplies, guns litter the floor of this ravine. After a brief climb down and prying off the doors, Kuzmo finds the wilted, bloodied, and unconscious form of Cecily hanging sideways behind the wheel.
Esprit15
  “Vibes based magic. Got it,”   James says with some resignation in his voice.   “So what can you do  now  with regard to these holes? Where are they coming from? Are they magic or not? Has this ever happened before?”  
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 

Dr. Hagerty now alone with William replies.
  Don't we worry can afford to invest some time retrieving the bodies. The remaining escapees would be escaping on foot if they are in any shape to flee. We will intercept any runaways heading to town.   
Tactfully proposing her plan to William while attempting to assuage the fears of someone who had plenty to anxiously worry about tonight.
  Even if we don't have time for an autopsy a quick look at their uniforms could give us some clues on how they might act or know what skills they know.
Is the situation still stable by the house?  
JeenLeen
5404 tries to stay close to Lily in case anything amiss happens.
Let Fink and William talk out a plan.
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

William squints at James and grunts, squatting down to touch the earth.   "Well, I reckon when I, uh.. raised the town up a bit so those fugitives couldn't get here, that might have done something..."  

He points westward and says,   "There's a big ravine that way now, just about spans the entire area. I made it when I couldn't knock over the truck."  

The man closes his eyes for a while and grunts again after a while.   "Damn, I can't.. this will take too long."  
Esprit15
  “Yeah, that would do  something  like this alright…”   James says, pinching the bridge of his nose.   “Okay. What’s the situation with the other group? How many more of the prisoners are still out and about?”  

James sighs. They had enough info probably to go back to HQ and report enough for a more prepared team to come in. Will would be upset if Lily died, but that was… gah, no, still too many unknowns. He couldn’t in good conscience call anything until they knew the source of Will’s powers. Which  probably  had something to do with his connection to Lily. The whole situation was like a man going through his own personal purgatory.
.
.
.
James turns to the anomalous man.   “Will. Did anything else unusual happen the day that Lily died? Falling stars, weird goings on in town, something the Father said in the church that struck you wrong? Are there any gaps in  your  memory from that day?”  
hand ax ranger
Mostly stuck in his own head Kuzmo collected the not-yet-dead body of the crazy [REDACTED] bringing it back up to the top of the ravine within a short amount to time. The other one would also get a hand up seeign as while he was  relatively  unharmed he still needed the help.

Upon getting them both out he render aid to Benjamin, but not yet Cecily
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 

As William's driver begins to vacantly stare off into space Dr. Hagerty whistles to herself. The expedition had gone off the rails and now the taskforce was applying therapeutic support to a demigod to avert an annual prophesized tragedy. A success here demanded a promotion. Hopefully one that would grant higher SCP clearances instead of a high salaried off ramp out of SCP.

Kuzmo's large silhouette interrupts Dr. Hagerty's career planning as she notices the slumped figure in his grasp. The figure was limply sagged in his grip but seemed to have all of its limbs intact. A good indicator that the brain was intact and still attached. Otherwise Kuzmo would have just recovered the severed heads.

  Good job Kuzmo! We don't have any time for an autopsy the moment. We have some more fugitives to catch. With three of them downed we only have one or two remaining.  
MrAbdiel
Benjamin emerges from Kuzmo's intimidating silhouette.  He is scuffed and bloodied; his hair spiked up on one side from where he slide and lay in the corn; his prisoner duds covered in dust and grass stains and speckles of blood.  He holds one hand to his body, gingerly; but the other arm he lays on the roof of the car by Dr. Hagerty's window, where the vehicle idles.

 "Alright... Alright I'm here.  What's the situation, ma'am?" 
 What a question. 
JeenLeen
5404 continues to stick close to Lily.
He hazards a question, " Lily, I know it's been scary, but are you feeling okay? "
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by MrAbdiel 
 Benjamin emerges from Kuzmo's intimidating silhouette.  He is scuffed and bloodied; his hair spiked up on one side from where he slide and lay in the corn; his prisoner duds covered in dust and grass stains and speckles of blood.  He holds one hand to his body, gingerly; but the other arm he lays on the roof of the car by Dr. Hagerty's window, where the vehicle idles.

 "Alright... Alright I'm here.  What's the situation, ma'am?" 
 What a question.  
 

 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 
  Oh  huhu . Oh jeez. Is anything broken?  
Dr. Hagerty blurts out upon seeing Benjamin scuffed but miraculously still standing.

Considering best phrasing for what would happen next.  Couldn't exactly tell him they were continuing the lethal manhunt. Try and accentuate the positives. There was still a chance everyone still alive got would get to walk away happily.  
  We are on our way back to where we met you and your friends. We're going to go look for any that may still be out there. Don't want to leave them lost in the corn fields now do we?  
She responds with gently with a hint of assertiveness. Like a schoolteacher attempting to convince one of her students to release the toad he had brought into the classroom to save it from drowning in the creek.

Once out of earshot of Benjamin Dr. Haggerty whispers to Kuzmo.
  We are heading back to the area where we made first contact with the D-Class. Before we get there I'll distract our survivor for a bit. But I need you to get rid of the man you bisected.  
WindStruck
 Operation  Home Defense 
  "Two prisoners just drove off into a cliff. Probably dead. Three more we left behind; we should really go back and make sure they stay in line,"   William says.

 
 Spoiler: Esprit15 
Probably a good time to point out that you knew of eight D class being brought here. But 2 + 3 = ?
 


William overall has a distracted look, being literally dozens of places at once. James's question has the man looking over in perturbed thought.   "I'm not sure. I don't recall anything like a shooting star, but maybe I just wouldn't have thought it significant and remembered.. No government officials came by,  not many visitors as far as I am aware. They weren't here long..."  
  "Just what are you getting at?"   he asks James. Then he adds,   "Oh. Those two prisoners aren't dead. One's unconscious and banged up pretty badly. The other is is.. somehow more or less okay. Lucky son of a gun. Or maybe smarter than he looks."   William shakes his head.

Lily nods to Thomas and shivers, though she appears almost on the verge of tears.  "Can we go somewhere?"  she asks softly.


 Crash Report! 

Kuzmo brought both the unconscious body of Cecily back to the good doctor, and also helped Benjamin get back, though it was a slow process. After applying some divine healing, Benjamin was in much better shape, though perhaps a little off in the head.

Addressing Benjamin he says,   "Alright. You two in the back. Just lay her in there or .."  
  "Lizard Man, you can continue running. Shouldn't take long to get back. They had better still be there.."   he mutters. As he drives, he's keeping an eye on Benjamin in the mirrors of the car.
MrAbdiel
Benjamin is a model passenger.  He's even smiling, as if imagining some rewarding future!
Esprit15
James nods as William recounts the goings on with the D Class. As the man gets prickly at being questioned, James softens his voice a little.   “Just trying to figure out what is actually going on here. It’s kind of part of what we do. It might also help us help you.”  

He looks like he’s about to move when the thought strikes him.   “Wait, you said two and three. There were eight prisoners originally. Where are the other three?”  
WindStruck
  "Other three? Oh! Well your lizard friend ripped apart one of 'em. Dead as a door nail. But the other two..?"  

His gaze hardens and he grunts,   "Damn. I don't know."  
Esprit15
  "Alright. Let the others know to keep an eye out for them then. Probably trying to make a break for it."  
Metastachydium
For a change (and the time being, at least), Cecily is as much a model citizen as Benjamin, though for a different reason, the reason being, of course, that she can't quite decide to do otherwise presently. Her body registers all the shaking and the little surges of pain as her, so to say,  battle-damaged  form is lovingly handled by the unsubtle giant lizard person and then all the rattling of the old car as it travels the poorly maintained road, but it is in no shape to react. It is as wise as well as only a lump of tissues can be: this is no time to wake the troubled mind up, and so, Cecily's jittery intellect loiters on somewhere in the empty darkness within, all deaf, all dumb. Only her nose bleeds on, straight onto the upholstery. It will be a pain, perhaps, to clean that thing afterwards – if a human has to do it. But then, that might not be the case…
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 
  Remain cooperative and we will get out of here none worse for wear.  Just need to have everyone survive the night.   
Dr. Hagerty wearily concludes her advice to Benjamin and Cecily. Both looked compliant though Benjamin's enthusiasm was more welcome than Cecily's resignation. It was understandable enough. Feeling the car shift slightly as Cecily is laid in the trunk the doctor begins scanning the fields hoping the others were as compliant as Benjamin.
MrAbdiel
 "Right, right.  'Course.  Well - Cecily won't be much trouble, she's out like a light there, and she'll be sore and sorry when she wakes - but really, she's just a fraidy cat.  The other guys are alright - Tater was the only unhinged one, and he, uh..." 

Benjamin pauses.  For a moment, he has to prevent himself from thinking too hard; in the way someone has to concentrate not to bring up unsettling food in the gut.  If he doesn't think about it, it's not so bad.
 
"He won't be a problem.  But, uh... Hank was pretty keen on getting to the church, in town.  He said so a bunch of times - was sure that was the answer to his prayers.  So if they're not where we left them - boy, I hope the guards are alright; I saved their lives once already today - I expect they'll be hoofing it towards town." 
JeenLeen
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Lily nods to Thomas and shivers, though she appears almost on the verge of tears.  "Can we go somewhere?"  she asks softly. 
 

5404 kneels down near Lily and puts a comforting hand on her shoulder.
" I'm sorry, Lily, but we don't know how that quake might've impacted the rest.  I think it's best we stay here, but I hope it won't be too much longer ."  He glances to the William/mom-puppet, not quite able to bring himself to ask that puppet to hug its daughter.

He doesn't quite notice the tears forming in the corners of his eyes, nor how much this reminds him of his little sis.
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
   "Lizard Man, you can continue running. Shouldn't take long to get back. They had better still be there.."   he mutters. As he drives, he's keeping an eye on Benjamin in the mirrors of the car. 
 

Kuzmo stuck his tongue out at him in a face of contemplation before reacting to them all. "  Okie dokie, I'll round up the rest of the sheepies.  " He said with a chuckle. He then started running that direction. He thinks for a moment about mending the flesh of Ben but then the car took off and he decided he'll render aid later.

For now he was going back to check on the D-class and his meal. He was still hungry.
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty  
Dr. Hagerty sees Kuzmo's slight irritation before tabling his annoyance and completing the retrieval of the escapees.
[COLOR="brown"] I'll see you later Kuzmo. Be ready for small arms any escapees salvaged from the van. [COLOR]
The doctor warmly reminds Kuzmo.

With Kuzmo trotting away and the old engine humming across the open road the doctor relaxes. Automobiles just weren't around as back at the community with dad and Maribel. Motion sickness was prevalent in the first years at SCP. Though both sisters grew comfortable being uncomfortable after resolving to never share another sick bag ever again.

Catching Maribels shy gaze at Benjamin she asks the surprising compliant man.
[COLOR="brown"] Thank you for complying and trying to keep your fellow escapees out of trouble. I'm sure they'll be glad once this mission is complete. By the way are any of you friends? Do they owe you any favors? We think wouldn't be surprised if you bailed any of your ... 'compatriots' before. [COLOR]
MrAbdiel
 "Friends?  Well..."  Benjamin thinks.  For a moment, he almost thinks clearly; but the fad passes.

 "Cecily and Cheryl, I try to look out for - I'm kind of like a big brother to 'em."   This is... limited in truth, but rich in conviction.

 "Hank's alright.  Well meaning, hopeful.  Tater was the only real stinker, and he..." 
 He was cut in half by a lizard man. 
 "...He's not a problem.  Besides that, they're all alright.  Even the guards - jeez, I hope they're alright.  Tater shot 'em up good." 
Metastachydium
 
 Originally Posted by MrAbdiel 
  "Cecily and Cheryl, I try to look out for - I'm kind of like a big brother to 'em."  
 

(The limp, almost unfeeling body back in the trunk twitches slightly, as if in pain. A coincidence, perhaps.)
WindStruck
 Operation Home Defense 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   "Alright. Let the others know to keep an eye out for them then. Probably trying to make a break for it."   
 


 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 5404 kneels down near Lily and puts a comforting hand on her shoulder.
" I'm sorry, Lily, but we don't know how that quake might've impacted the rest.  I think it's best we stay here, but I hope it won't be too much longer ."  He glances to the William/mom-puppet, not quite able to bring himself to ask that puppet to hug its daughter.

He doesn't quite notice the tears forming in the corners of his eyes, nor how much this reminds him of his little sis. 
 

  "Will do,"   William says. Seems you're both on alert and trying to contemplate the next move.

Though finally Lily's "mother" seems to notice her distress. She kneels down and says,  "Sweetie, it's alright. Hey, I know. Let's see if we can ask a neighbor how their house is." 

The woman stands up and calls out,   "Hey!"   but only for show. Another unbloodied figure in the mist begins to wander up. One of the neighbors, maybe. They call out to each other and talk about a small earthquake and the stability of their house. The other acts surprised and runs off.

 "Some of the others will be checking their homes now, looking for cracks and such. They'll see if you can come inside." 
 Crash Report! 

It's another short drive back to where you were. Back with the whole truck fiasco, and Tater and the guards.   "They say there's two of your convicts missing,"   the driver says.   "Two unaccounted for, besides the ones we know of."  

When you return, one guard is sitting up on the road wearily, somewhat complacent of the situation given three seemingly cooperative D-class around him and being unarmed. The other three are still lying on the ground, still out cold or just dead.
JeenLeen
 
 Spoiler: yay... 

Super split the party time!  Or not.
 


Turning to Fink, 5404 asks, " Sir, permis- " then pauses as he realizes he's supposed to be acting like family buddies, not a superior and underling.   "Uh, it okay if I go with Lily to the other house?  Just to help keep things safe, or we all go there?" 
Esprit15
  "We'll all go. No reason to split up further."  
MrAbdiel
With unilateral action and confidence that he is completely trusted, Benjamin jumps, then limps, out of the car to the survivors.

 "Aw, cripes.  You guys...  Okay?" 

He gets about checking the downed guards.  One of them is so riddled with bullets there's almost no hope there at all - but perhaps some others are just battered, and flesh wounded.

Some might interpret Benjamin's actions as virtuous - these are, after all, the men who were hounding him and shouting at him earlier for having the temerity to eat corn, and to save them from a grenade malfunction.  They have judged him not for his actions, but only for the colour of his jumpsuit which indicates his many previous criminal actions.

Indeed, it's possible that Benjamin's actions  are  noble; but his moral centre is too feeble to understand them that way, and inside his head this is all part of his plan to be rewarded and taken seriously by his handlers.  Some co-mingling of empathy for the fellow man, and hardbrowed self interest, exists here.  Which is the sock puppet, and which is the hand, is for the scholars to debate.
Plaids
 Dr. Kalispell Hagerty 
 The commute  
The candid unguarded response from Benjamin is welcome and refreshing in this anomalous hamlet. Dr. Hagerty tried to refrain from divulging too much or getting to attached with co-workers in other departments, but the discussion was just too rejuvenating.

  Well hopefully we can find Cheryl somewhere in these fields and share some corn.
I understand how worried you are. I've been an older sibling for quite a while now. Maribel says the gap in our ages is negligible, but we know I'm still the older sister.  
 The crash site 
Seeing more survivors milling about provides relief to the anxious doctor. Dr. Hagerty speaks to the guard providing a curt status report. His uniform is scuffed and blood while a few armored pads are left askew, but he seems fine.
  Good to see you are still available. My team I have brought back two escapees. The other two known as "Cheryl" and "Hank" are heading towards town. One of the escapees suffered an incapacitating injury while the other suffered minor injury, we leave them your care. My team will be heading towards town to retrieve the remaining two.  
hand ax ranger
As things progress Kuzmo will begin corralling all the survivor and making them stay put, by threat of severe limb breakage. He moves his victim's body away though still doesn't stop eating it as he waited for the good doctor and Ben to arrive.

Once they do Kuzmo will tower over Benjamin and stare him down. He shot forward his bloody and onto Benjamin's injured body, channeling a blood red haze......

..... and then Benjamin will feel his injuries starts reversing. Not gone, per see, but lessened by what seemed to be a healing magic.

"  I put people together same I take them apart. Remember that.  "
MrAbdiel
 "Sure, sure - of course.  Thanks." 

In fact, Benjamin will forget this was said at all.  Having experienced life squirming around powerful, violent people, he has mastered a form of self delusion to maintain his egoism: the ability to agree with superiors and even display obsequiousness that his pride would never survive, if it was not flushed completely from his brain by the dumping of the buffer of his short term memory later.

He nods in agreement - about the remembering this, and all - and watches his wrist as he can feel the pain bleed out of it and its function return.  This obvious magic, like the presence of the man-eating lizard prince itself, is filed away in his mind in the folder marked 'Please Shred'.

It's at that point he realizes that he has no idea what Dr. Hagerty is talking about, referring to a sister as if she were present when there is no one there to correspond. He turns as if to respond to that remark, but it's several minutes ago by the time he puzzles out this inconsistency; and instead turns his efforts to checking on the other prisoners, the guards, and fruitlessly looking around the immediate area for the escapees before he is herded along for the trip into town.
Plaids
 Dr Hagerty 
Having concluded her brief with the shaken guard Dr. Hagerty's attention is brought to her driver. With his vacant stare, tangled hair and face conspicuously speckled with blood. She abruptly pulls her glasses placing them on her driver diminishing his absent stare. Nudging him along she enjoys a moment of relief as the guard minimizes in the distance.

Dr. Hagerty smirks as the   Alright everyone stay alert. We are close to completing whatever ordeal William has hoisted upon him and our work will be done here. Kuzmo, I don't want our escapee even touching a hair on Lily's head. 

Dr. Hagerty smirks as the spent embers of lights in town come into view. The doctor smirks as the mystery of this pocket dimension and the ordeals of its Sisyphean master promises to unravel.
 I don't know if William and Lily will be accompanying you back to base. But either way we will all be one step closer to where we need to be.  
WindStruck
 Crash Report! 

As it turns out, there's a lot of living bodies here currently. Three SCP guards are actually still alive, and Kuzmo is able to heal them up. The D-Classes, Chris, Marianne, and Hank are there as well, also being pretty cooperative.

Hank even offers an apology.  "Sorry about before. That Tater was really unhinged. I figured if I didn't step in to do something, he'd be shooting you next, or hitting us with stray bullets,"  he says to the guard he had choked out. There's not much response to be given, but Dr. Hagerty keeps the situation under control, not intent on punishing any more D-Class unnecessarily. At least, not for now.

Tater is still dead, and tastes almost as good as he did 10 minutes ago. Like a nice cookie warmed up in a microwave for a few seconds, but not quite like a cookie that was just pulled out of the oven. The other two D-class, Tom and Cheryl, are still nowhere to be seen. They've been missing ever since that crazy insect swarm attacked. Even though you call out for them, no one comes forward.

You spend a brief amount of time carefully gathering up some supplies: a few guns and grenades, and some first aid items.. it's all so randomly scattered around and foggy that you couldn't possibly find everything, nor could you even fit it all in the car's trunk.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Declare another minor item if you want to.
 


Cecily's unconscious body is kept in the back seat of the car, while William still drives and Dr. Hagerty rides in the passenger seat. Everyone else is force marched along the road just behind the car, with a speed that is slowed down considerably, seeing as the humans don't have the same speed and stamina as Kuzmo. But eventually after about 15 minutes of traveling, you come upon the ravine that suddenly stops the road.

At this point, everyone has to climb down the side of the ravine then back up an extra ten feet. And there's some trouble regarding what to do with Cecily. Was someone going to have to carry her over their shoulder as they climbed?

But the old man pulls a trick out of his sleeve.   "Stay inside,"   the man says. The car begins to float, and slowly it climbs and makes its way to the other side, set down on the road again. If Dr. Hagerty does decide to stay in the car, it feels like a rickety ride on a ferris wheel or tram, almost: slightly wobbly and the velocity isn't smooth, but all in all you make it to the other side in one piece.

William continues driving once everyone has climbed across the ravine, and a few short minutes later, he stops in front of a house...


 Operation Home Defense 

After some minutes of waiting outside, a "neighbor" comes up and says their house seems pretty safe. In fact, as an aside, William secretly confirms this with James and Thomas, as he claims he tried shaking it a few times, and nothing was moving after the fact.

It turns out to be another quaint little house, similar to Lily's, though it's not painted blue, but rather, beige and rustic browns. It also has a nice fence and garden/yard out front. Or at least, it might seem nice, if the weather wasn't so chilly and gloomy, and the plants just didn't look so dead.

 "What happened to your garden??"  Lily asks.

The neighbor woman looks at Lily for a moment, mouth slightly ajar, and then says,  "Oh.. it was just Billy. He wanted to help fertilize the yard, but he accidentally used the weed killer instead. Silly boy. He hasn't got a lick of sense!"  she teases.

The woman looks at you all and says,  "You're the strangers from out of town that got stuck here, arentcha? Well the more the merrier. I've just put on a stew and it'll be a while." 

You're all invited in, of course, and it's probably a good idea to do so because Lily is also heading inside. She runs off to the kitchen with "Billy" to play a card game, and you're invited to sit in their sitting room to wait if you want. But seeing as protecting Lily is your number one priority at the moment, you might elect to also go to the kitchen. It's not like you need to convince any of the other adults here, seeing as they're all William, and there's a number of things you could do, like join the card game for more fun, or show the kids (or, only the one real kid) a new card game, or something else.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Feel free to choose to do anything else, if you'd rather.
 


Nothing much else seems to happen during this time, but after about 15-20 minutes of waiting around in this neighbor's house, William suddenly stands and says,   "They're here."   He beckons you outside to the front of the house.

A car has pulled up in front of the house, accompanied by three armed men in SCP gear, and four people clad in bright orange jump suits. Oh. And there's also a large lizard of a man.


 Together at Last! 

The driver of the car cuts off the engine and steps out of the vehicle. He glances around and takes a few steps towards the house, but he waits. No need for him to actually go inside.

With Dr. Hagerty, James, and Thomas all in one place, he says,   "Alright, we've got just about everyone here. But I don't like the idea of having all these convicts hanging around so close. I think we should keep them somewhere else. One of the barns maybe.."  

He glances at Kuzmo and blinks.   "And you! Kuzmo, wasn't it? Can you..  not  be a lizard? You're going to scare Lily to death."  

It seems you're able to have a nice productive conversation out here. Or at least, for a while...

But Cecily wakes up in a panic, stricken by a terrible nightmare.
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 As it turns out, there's a lot of living bodies here currently. Three SCP guards are actually still alive, and Kuzmo is able to heal them up. The D-Classes, Chris, Marianne, and Hank are there as well, also being pretty cooperative. 
 

With the injured out of the way he scanned to be sure nothing else was about to go down, or anyone else was goign to do something stupid


 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
  Dr Hagerty 
Dr. Hagerty smirks as the   Alright everyone stay alert. We are close to completing whatever ordeal William has hoisted upon him and our work will be done here. Kuzmo, I don't want our escapee even touching a hair on Lily's head.  
 

"  Certainly. I would want no harm to befall such a sweet little girl.  " He replied sincerely, though perhaps giving mixed signals as he held the right arm of the past-tense Tater and chewing on it.


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Tater is still dead, and tastes almost as good as he did 10 minutes ago. Like a nice cookie warmed up in a microwave for a few seconds, but not quite like a cookie that was just pulled out of the oven. The other two D-class, Tom and Cheryl, are still nowhere to be seen. They've been missing ever since that crazy insect swarm attacked. Even though you call out for them, no one comes forward.

You spend a brief amount of time carefully gathering up some supplies: a few guns and grenades, and some first aid items.. it's all so randomly scattered around and foggy that you couldn't possibly find everything, nor could you even fit it all in the car's trunk. 
 

All human flesh tasted sweet to his tongue. Course, it just so happened to be humans had a sweeter taste than most meats, but to him it was also a matter of need and palate. The freshness of the kill now faded Tater was still plenty able to provide for Kuzmo's needs but he'd be lying of he said the opportunity for fresher meat wasn't something he'd jump at.....

....which lead him to analyze the situation with the missing persons. He pondered the likelihood of their escape in the chaos and decided that of things went well else perhaps their team leader would assign him to track down the escapees.

All the same he dug through the trucks and found more first aid kits, which should be helpful should they need them. It did make him miss his surgery kit of old however. He even had the good hooks.


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 A car has pulled up in front of the house, accompanied by three armed men in SCP gear, and four people clad in bright orange jump suits. Oh. And there's also a large lizard of a man. 
 

As he entered the town once more he waved at all the people..... which might have been a bad idea in his current appearance. then again he had already killed most of these people at least once by now, so that ship had already crashed on the rocks.


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  The driver of the car cuts off the engine and steps out of the vehicle. He glances around and takes a few steps towards the house, but he waits. No need for him to actually go inside.

With Dr. Hagerty, James, and Thomas all in one place, he says,   "Alright, we've got just about everyone here. But I don't like the idea of having all these convicts hanging around so close. I think we should keep them somewhere else. One of the barns maybe.."   
 

Kuzmo looked over all the D-class holding Tater's eyes in front of his own. "  It's fine. I'll keep eyes on them. Hahaha!  " The monstrous mystic laughed heartily at his grim humor. "  No but a barn might be a good idea then.  "


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 He glances at Kuzmo and blinks.   "And you! Kuzmo, wasn't it? Can you..  not  be a lizard? You're going to scare Lily to death."   
 

Flickering his tongue at him, eye props still present, he stopped his shenanigans and used the ring he had to resume a more human (albeit still massive) size. He then popped one of the orbs into his mouth like a grape and nodded "  Right, let's not horrifiy her too much  "


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  It seems you're able to have a nice productive conversation out here. Or at least, for a while...

But Cecily wakes up in a panic, stricken by a terrible nightmare. 
 

"  Oh speaking of scared!  " He then fished around for an adequate bonking stick.
MrAbdiel
Benjamin continues valiantly suppressing any kind of acknowledgement of the lizard-man adjacent him; and furthermore, manages to smirk at little at the comment about  convicts .  From the outside, it might seem like a wry look of amusement for the title.  In truth, he simply assumes he is not included in the disparriagement.  He doesn't trust most of these  convicts  either.

But when Cecily rouses, he hustles over to where she lies.   "Hey!  Hey, it's alright, don't move.  It's all okay.  Everything's alright now." 

This is not true.  Most things are not alright.  But his big cabbage of a face is at least a familiar sight to ground her in the world.
Metastachydium
Sore as she is, Cecily wakes with a start, bumping her head into the canopy. Unfortunately, this does little to deter her from getting, perhaps,  more  agitated. By the time Benjamin arrives, she's already halfway worming herself over the back of the front seats. How exactly she ended up in a  different  car is not something she's currently capable of thinking too much about, nor does she want to. None of that makes her flight reflex any weaker.

Benjamin's words reach her before the sight of his face does.   Nothing… NOTHING'S ALRIGHT! IT'S ALL RATS WITH RATS FOR LEGS AND…   she screeches, but at that point, Benjamin's finally recognized. Cecily stops squirming for a moment to stare instead.   How are you  alive ?   she asks as bluntly as only someone just woken from a nightmare can, before things click together. It's Benjamin.  That  Benjamin. He's one of them. She turns away, taking in some air, sharply. They got her.   They are going to  eat  me.   she concludes, paler yet than before. That's… Not really something she has ready contingencies for. Sagging, she just lets her body comically hang from the seat's back. The wheel's too far and what's she going to do with it anyway? Drive into another hole?    Please just make it quick.    she squeals in utter defeat.
Esprit15
James walks briskly over to the the orange clad Benjamin and rips him from the vehicle door.   “Heartfelt reunion’s over, D-Class.”   The soldier shoves him to the ground and aims his shotgun at Ben’s face, prepared to shoot him if either prisoner moved too quickly for his liking. As the man speaks, his voice remains firm, level, and free from shouting.   “You each have five seconds to explain why I shouldn’t execute you now and feed you to the lizard. You all had one job to do and next thing I know several of my subordinates are dead because chuckle**** and dingle**** here are trying to pull a mutiny.”  
 
 Spoiler 
Aim action, Benjamin
 
MrAbdiel
 "Hey, hey, it's okay; I talked to them, and we're cool now.  It's -wuh!" 

Benjamin's effort to soothe the panicking Cecily is cut short by James manhandling him to the ground.  Benjamin is a beefy boy; under most circumstances he could not be tossed around this way, even by such a professional tosser.  But so consumed in his own narrative of cooperation is he that he simply cannot fathom the hostility that comes, and it flopped onto his back with all the grace of an inverted turtle.  Leaning on his elbows, he peers up (not for the first time) into the barrel of a shotgun.  The answer he gives takes considerably longer than five seconds; but at least it's, perhaps, entertaining to listen to.

 "Hey, hey, take it easy, cowboy, okay?  You're scarin' the girl there.  We're on your side, okay?  Trying to do the right thing.  There was one guy who flipped his lid and pulled his mutiny, and it wasn't me he caught napping and snatched up a gun from, okay?  Ask your lizard friend - he's the one who killed Tater while I was trying my very best to choke his lights out, because Tater was  stupid.   Tater didn't have a second braincell to rub against the first and consider that you guys have predator drones and magic lizards and all kinds of things.  But I know, so I'm the one that tried to shut him down.  Hell, ask the other guys - they know I goddamn saved their lives today.  Twice, even.  Once from the grenade, and again by getting to Tater and wrestling him for the gun.  Would have got him, too, if your people hadn't shown up - but the point is, everyone in a uniform would be on the side of the road with lead poisoning or blown to chipped beef if not for me.  And Cecily didn't do nothin', she just drove away because she was scared on account of the fact the fact that your guy is really scary.  Is that more than five seconds?  Probably. Gonna blow my head off, or what?" 
Metastachydium
One would think simply getting shot could strike any former would-be fugitive pleading for a quick death as a prospect preferable to getting butchered and eaten  without  that courtesy. Cecily's no such former would-be fugitive, however. Still, before she could present, with wide, deer-in-the-headlight eyes, her own stirring dissertation on the subject (probably consisting of, in the most part, a muttered, teary pleasedon'tkillme), Benjamin intervenes.
For her part, Cecily is left speechless and her brain proves no greater asset in handling the situation than her speech organs: while a part of it is trying to figure out if this is just another act, another is trying to convince her that this is a very good time to fall unconscious again. In the end, for lack of any better idea, she goes for an attempt to deliver her subdued   Please don't   kill me; but she gets no farther than halfway into that before, given the stress and its awkward position, her stomach gives in and she simply pukes on the driver's seat.
Esprit15
James listens to the D Class’s story, looking occasionally to Kuzmo for confirmation of the man’s story. When Benjamin’s story is finished, James doesn’t speak, opting to give the man some more time to sweat. He did not particularly  like  the D-Class, not the least because it was how he entered the foundation. If they were half as terrible as he saw himself, then cannon fodder grunts was an appropriate penance for their crimes.

  Still-   And at that moment, Cecily begins coughing her guts out.

  “Damnit all… someone get the woman some water to wash her mouth out.”   He gives Ben a kick to the shoulder.   “Your story bought you another hour. On your feet. Prove you’re not a traitor, and I’ll even put in a good word that you helped stop a mutiny.”   He slings the shotgun and begins to help Cecily out of the truck to the house.
WindStruck
One of the guards confirms Benjamin's story.  "He  did  disarm a grenade that was about to explode. And as for that mutiny..." 

The other SCP staff steps forward, who was apparently the leader of their little group, under James.  "Sir, if I may be frank, this whole operation has been a **** show. Four men to guard eight unrestrained prisoners is a recipe for disaster. Two  were lost when that swarm of locusts attacked. One ran off into the corn fields when we were distracted by that SCP driving out. Then he snuck back somehow and killed Robins, who was attempting to assess our supplies."  
  "Would have never happened if this moron wasn't playing 'heroics' f***ing around with grenades and running his mouth all the time,"   he says, coldly pointing at Benjamin.

  "I think there was some reason for bringing the D-Class here, for some form of controlled experimentation, but we are clearly past that point and in survival mode. They're too much of a liability."  
hand ax ranger
When James looked to him for confirmation he nodded. "  I was not there for the whole thing, but what I did see and hear does cooperate with his version of things.  "

When others start talking about cuttign the D-class "loose" He thought then shrugged. "  On the whole? I think some of them might still be of use. Perhaps just the woman then.....she is a liability for sure.  "
Esprit15
  “Be that as it may, if we’re not being told about whatever experiment is going on, it would be less than ideal to dispose of them out of convenience. For the time being, we are out of survival mode and are regrouping. Do not let them out if your sight, but only get rid of them if it’s a matter of them running off or life and death. Am I clear?”  
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo nodded to James and then looked over Benjamin. "  Alright let's have you stick with me. You got a survivor's sprit and I vibe with it. Pus, I think next to me is the safest place for you.  " He reached over and pat his head.
JeenLeen
5404 decides to watch Lily by joining in on the card game.  If anything breaks or explodes near the girl, he'd be ready to try to save her.

If he can overhear anything outside, he listens in.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Ask William about locusts?
 
MrAbdiel
Benjamin frowns and bats at the scaly hand after a moment of the patting proceeds; but given the difference in scale between them, it's hard for this show of displeasure not to come off as fruitless, and puglike.   "Nyeh!" 
Plaids
 Dr. Haggerty 

The doctor wastes no time with gawking at Cecily. The delusions and hysteria weren't unexpected, even hardened criminals cracked a when exposure to the anomalous. Regretting her decision to salvage a grappling hook instead of any anesthesia she makes do with what she has left. Authority and placebo, unbottling some water and mixing some white clay outside of Cecily's line of sight she murmurs comfortingly.    The doctor is in , I've got just the prescription and the nurse to keep you company.    She gestures to Maribel doing her best not gag herself.

Seeing Benjamin forcefully restrained but given a reprieve by Fink she warns him as his attention focus turns to Cecily.
  I acknowledge that security is your domain Fink. But I can attest to the D-Class' cooperation. Which won't continue if without her.   She points to the weakened Cecily.  If you remove one then you will likely have to deal with the other and lose a lead we have one the remaining escapees.  She hoped her intervention didn't betray too much sympathy.
Metastachydium
Once removed from the car the interior bits of which begin developing… Something of a  smell , Cecily, her nervous tremors sometimes difficult to distinguish from the frantic but deliberate attempts to remove the bits of bile from her own hair takes  marginally  better to the voices arguing that sparing her  might  be the way to go for now. Doing her best not to look at (or rather, for) the lizard thing (wherever did it go, she has to wonder, and why does the big, scary man has its voice?), she does the third most questionably efficient thing one can do in her current predicament. Begging. For her life.   I can be useful.   she affirms with little conviction.   There's Cheryl and Thomas and the guards… They barely knew us apart!   she babbles on –   And… And I've seen these t-things, with the rats, and Hank… It might be important! L-logic would… B-because we has the insects and the fog and…   – but the words just seem to elude her.   I can be useful! Just please don't eat me!  
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
    I can be useful! Just please don't eat me!   
 

Kuzmo looked to both James and the other, more official doctor and raised an eyebrow. "  ehhh?  " He then tapped the top of his falcata, awaiting an answer.
Esprit15
James shakes his head.   "To be determined."  
Plaids
 Dr. Haggerty
 
 Rats and insects you say. Did they come out of nowhere as you approached town?   She asks Cecily. Knowing if William could control the local animal along with his mastery of the townsfolk and the weather would be good to know. Animals going haywire was a textbook example of anomalous activity and she didn't need any more anomalies in this town.
Metastachydium
  Yes. Yes, they did. Lots of insects, of all sorts. It made no  sense , but they were everywhere and that's how we lost Cheryl and Thomas.   Cecily nods all too fast and all too many times, her eyes darting about between the big man with the lizard's voice, the gun person and the woman who… Apparently doesn't want to kill her and has no immediately visible means on her to do so which is good?   And there were the birds before that. They came out of the corn all at once and it was creepy. As if, I don't know, something  scared  them, but that was before that and they didn't attack. They didn't attack  us , I mean. I don't know where they went.   she clarifies, jabbering on.   The rats might… Not be real? I… ****.   Sorry.   I only saw them while…   the still softly trembling hands make vague gestures.   While  out , technically, but they fit the  pattern  and Hank knew about the town and some church with a priest and the guards said that's there so maybe they are real, but maybe they are not rats. …am I making any sense?   she does her best to explain, suddenly not so sure this is actually  increasing  her chances of survival.
MrAbdiel
 "Hey, take a breath, okay?  You're gonna freak yourself out again, jeez."   Benjamin offers this extremely mild rebuke - as if the circumstances were not doing the freaking, but Cecily herself - before turning and asking generally to the room full of handers and superiors whom he is treating now as allies and advisors.

 "Can we get this girl like a warm wet towel or something, for pete's sake? C'mon.  C'maaaaaaan." 
Metastachydium
As if this were the cue and reminder she was waiting on, Cecily begins quietly hyperventillating in the background.
WindStruck
Hank takes the opportunity when he and a church is mentioned to say,  "That's right, sir! Er, ma'am."  He nods quickly and agreeably to all those present.  "You might not believe me, but I heard a voice. It said we need to find the most devout man. Is there a priest or a reverend around here?" 

The man who was driving the car says,   "Now hold on just a minute! You been hearing voices?? And what's this about insects? Did that happen somewhere around here?"  
 "They're telling the truth,"  says King the cat, suddenly breaking his silence and swishing his tail with boredom.

William scowls down at King briefly and then asks,   "What did this voice sound like? And what exactly did it say?"  

Hank looks a bit uncomfortable and explains,  "Well.. it's kind of like, if you were to think to yourself, or read something, but... not like my voice or anything I imagined. It just came to me spontaneously. I think it was male? It said.. something like, ' The town ahead is in peril, a sad plaything of the devil. The most devout man, my humble servant, reconcile the damned, deliver the fervent. ' " 
 "Seriously? If you humans actually believe that your God talks like Dr. Seuss, then I've lost all respect for you and your silly religion. Not like I had any to begin with." 

However, King's derisive smugness is contrasted with William, who seems to be growing more perturbed, more irate by the second.   "What are you saying?? A plaything of the devil..!?"   The man searches for words, for actions. You aren't sure if he's about to hurl threats and insults, browbeat more information out of Hank, or make his head explode.

But what you do happen to notice is the faint smell of smoke in the air. Looking around, you suddenly notice a faint orange glow on the horizon. Then, in the distance, you hear the church bells ringing vigorously, not like the usual countdown of the hour, but more like a frantic call for alarm. The distant chimes are soon drown out by the sound of screaming from inside the house.

 
 Spoiler: hand axe ranger 
You now notice numerous small moving bodies scattered about the area, converging upon the house you pulled up to. Several are already inside.
 

 
 Spoiler: MrAbdiel 
Out of the corner of your eye, you notice what appears to be a very small animal slinking along the base of the home's walls before dashing inside.
 


He gasps and says,    "Lily!"   
Esprit15
James swears and runs in to the building.
WindStruck
 Full House! 

Thomas plays cards with the kids. Well, one genuine kid (probably) and one puppet kid in any case. But with three players instead of two, it's potentially a lot more fun! It seems you are playing old maid. The boy, Billy, chooses a card from Lily's outstretched hand. She smiles, the grin growing wider every time he's about to change his selection. Finally, he picks a card. Lily cackles, albeit innocently and childlike as one expects, and says,  "Now you're the old maid!" 

The boy says with a wry grin back,  "Not yet."  He offers his three cards to Thomas. A one in three chance Thomas gets the Old Maid.

And then there's a bit of a scampering sound. You look down and see a rat. But not just any rat. Something is off about it. It looks half chewed up and like it should be dead.

Lily also looks down at the source of the noise and screams. She jumps off her chair and cowers in a corner of the kitchen. The rat hisses and lunges at her!

As Thomas moves to protect Lily, he notices a few more rat-sized shapes on the floor, moving beneath his feet.
JeenLeen
As the game progresses, 5404 is enjoying the game of cards.  It's weird to think the other kid is really some puppet half-consciously controlled by her undead (?) god (?) grandpa, but playing with Lily brings up sad yet pleasant memories of back home.  Maybe he should ask if there's any kid SCPs at his facility he could play with?  Though maybe that'd just upset him more to know there are kid SCPs imprisoned near him.

Then the rat-thing.
Either William is working actively against himself, or there's some third entity at play beyond the Grandpa and the Priest.  As the rat lunges at Lily, 5404 deftly moves to intercept, letting it attack him.  He then proceeds to try to slam it to the ground and hope that breaks the body enough that it can no longer function.

More rats.
Dang.
"William, help guard Lily.  Send the others to help."
He then prepares to attack at the rats as best he can, ready to intercept if any try to hit Lily.

 
 Spoiler: OOC Tactics 
Using Interpose each round to try to protect Lily, and attacking them in the meantime.  I don't think I can use my normal action to actively protect her, but if I can, do that instead of attck.
 
WindStruck
Thomas takes a nasty rat bite on his thigh. As more rats run into the kitchen, he takes another hit for Lily. Another rat scurries around, seeming to look for an opening, and yet a fourth rat squeaks and leaps at the frightened girl, biting her on the shoulder. She screams again, arms raised up to try to protect her neck and face.

One of the women in the house seems to activate, the motherly "neighbor". She grabs a broom and squishes a rat with it. However, the bugger seems quite resilient, and squirms out from beneath the bristles, now with a crooked leg to match its missing tail and torn ears.
JeenLeen
Seeing that some of the rats are getting by and getting to Lily, 5404 runs to the girl to grab her then move as fast as he can out of the building.  Hopefully the "neighbors" will distract them enough that he can outrun the rats.  He pointedly ignores the sealing rat-bites on his skin, as well as the muscles and ligaments tearing from his run.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Not sure if I'd get another turn before the rest of the team arrives, but the idea is to use Leaping 1/Speed 1 to get to Lily, grab her, then try to keep moving out of the room.
I realize that my feats don't really work for non-combat grabbing, but hoping that between Fast Grab and Improved Hold I can keep a gripe on her.

Feel free to save this for his planned action if I'm out of order to post before the others chime in.
 
WindStruck
As James runs into the house, he sees Thomas frantically emerging from the kitchen, carrying Lily and being harried by a small swarm of rats. There are five (or six?) now in pursuit, circling underneath him and leaping for a delicious target just out of their reach. Behind, one adult female hobbles after them, trying to smack the rats with a broom. It would be a comical sight, if not for the bits of blood that can be seen leaking from Thomas's legs and the poor girl's shoulder, as well as the grotesque physiology of the rats.

The two grown men seem as though they are about to collide.
Plaids
Dr. Haggerty

The information came crashing down unlike a melodious thesis or monotonous report. This revelation was discomforting, inevitable when working with SCP. As the half the party dashes to the house several facts materialize.  The animals weren't from William  and  the convicts were spurred here by someone else other than William. 
But who could it be? The only other person in town was the father but he had been patient. With a willingness to plead and appeal to virtue. He couldn't be the perpetrator.
The ominous mystery remaining were the words  " The town ahead is in peril, a sad plaything of the devil. The most  devout man , my  humble servant , reconcile the damned,  deliver the fervent ." 

Snapping her attention to the remaining party she says.
  Olheim, is involved in this. Kuzmo, King, the time for subtly is over be prepared to make someone catatonic. Kuz  
 
 Spoiler: OOC Plans 
Seems like the priest is involved given the church bells, fire, and short poem. If time is a serious concern I wouldn't mind splitting the party and having the vermin smashers catch up. If the party doesn't split up the doctor is going to pull out a scalpel and start cutting up some rats. If they are pouring in a from a hole then she is going to try and plug it with some foam.
 
MrAbdiel
The walnuts are whirring.  The almonds are activated.  All the furious power of Benjamin's mind comes to bear as his eyes see a furred form sneak into the building.

 "Hey, what was someone saying about rats?  What's the point of having the cat if -" 

This, of course, comes far too late.  The rats have violently announced themselves; and their poor targets come streaming out of the doorway with their verminous pursuers.

 "Aw, jeez!  Get outta here, you rat bastards!" 

He stomps at one of the critters with his prison issue loafers, shuffling back and staying near to Cecily.  He's  adopted  her, now, for better or worse; and while he doesn't know her well enough to genuinely care for her welfare in a laudable way, the compelling power of  sunk cost  is kinship's counterfeit cousin.

 
 Spoiler: OOC: 
Benjamin will interpose if any of the rats go for Cecily, or...  Well, any of the women or girls present, honestly.  He's oldschool like that.  A  real  man should know how to shave, how to build a campfire, and how to tank a zombie rat swarm.
 
Metastachydium
Panic is contagious and Cecily is already halfway there when the shouting and running about starts. So join in she does, to the best of her ability. Her first instinct tells her to climb under the car; but her  second  instinct counters that she probably shouldn't get herself shot trying to climb under the car, and that asking for permission to do so would feel  stupid , even for her. And  then  the rats (with rats for legs!) arrive to settle the issue: the ground is  not  a good place.

That leaves her with two options, ultimately. But stealing  another  car to speed away has little appeal after what happened the last time she tried that. And so, she does the newly obvious thing: clamber onto the car's roof and scream a lot.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Does either of those require a roll?
 
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo was standing around awaiting the occurrence fo something, then he senses many tiny things moving all around them. Slow to react to the scene he soon draws his falcata in the presence of this horde of rats and starts slaying them once they start appearing. One by one, started impaling them on his blade and then flinging them at nearby walls, showing all the regard of an angry man using a trash skewer. He also starts crushing some under foot as he moves to avoid their nibbling.

"  Eh! [REDACTED] Ill-vermin! I thought I could at least be free of you lot here!  "


 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
 Snapping her attention to the remaining party she says.
  Olheim, is involved in this. Kuzmo, King, the time for subtly is over be prepared to make someone catatonic. Kuz (?)   
 

"  Right, so should I whip my lizard back out now?  " He joked, though regrets it when he remembers there's a little girl here. Then disregards it when he remembers it's just a  puppet  of a little girl.
JeenLeen
5404 tries to dodge out of the way, skirting to the left to let the Task Force Leader by.  (Or at least attempting to; if they collide, he moves as possible to soak the damage.)
" Rat-thing monsters inside, sir. " he says, panic overriding any sense of alias.

 
 Spoiler 

 (1d20)[ 7 ]  in case you need a Dexterity roll or something, or an Unarmed Combat to try to fall gracefully?  Figure combat training might incorporate falls and such.  Eh, or whatever or ignore it.
 
Esprit15
James similarly tries to duck out of Thomas’s way and make his way out the door. Once the path is clear of SCPs and children, he turns and fires his gun at the rats.   “Will! A safe place for your kid would be swell right around now!”  
WindStruck
Dr. Hagerty pulls a scalpel from her pockets and starts trying to skewer some rats. They are, unfortunately, quite small and fast, and it is quite difficult to hit any with an even tinier blade that is designed for precision cutting, not fighting.

Benjamin tries to stomp a rat and succeeds, but once again, what might kill an ordinary rat only seems to slow down or cripple these demonic and/or undead things.

Cecily panics and screams bloody murder from the top of the car. Not the most effective one here, but possibly the most rational.

Kuzmo draws his falcata and begins slicing and dicing. He manages to cleave two in half before missing another rat that dodges out of the way.

Thomas manages to not collide with James and continues running outside with Lily in his arms, the quick rats attempting to circle around him and nipping at his heels and leaping for a dangling child every so often.

James likewise avoids tripping Thomas up. He turns to fire several rounds at the swarming rats. They're pretty small and very quick, but he manages to hit one, which practically explodes into pulpy, rotten gore.

The three SCP guards seem torn on what to do. They aren't aware of the situation in the town regarding Lily and William, but they are trained soldiers that have seen a lot of crazy things. One barks,   "Keep an eye on the D-Class!"   He is reluctant to open fire on the rats, given poor positioning and angle with friendlies nearby, but he does manage to punt a rat all the way to a neighboring house.

Marianne shrieks and screams, backing away from the scene, though thankfully the rats don't seem to be interested in gnawing on her juicy flesh today. Lily cries and wails, in pain and scared to death, and her little eardrums practically blown out by the sounds of gunfire. Chris is even more confused and flabbergasted. Hank ineffectually kicks at some rats and says,  "There's a fire! There's a fire in the distance!" 
  "Goddamnit! Nowhere's safe!"   the woman with a broom says, much like William, pretty much breaking character, but Lily probably doesn't notice.   "Maybe if we can get her in the car!"  

With a mighty swing and a plume of dust and a tremor, the woman slams the broom into a rat so hard that it bursts into splinters and creates a small crater in the ground, lined with rotten rodent paste.

A number of rats are dealt with, and yet it seems more keep coming. They scurry in from across the street and from the fields behind the house, and one even seems to burrow up from the ground, inexplicably. It's a chaotic scene filled with yelling, and screaming, squeaking and squelching, thumping and gunfire. The horizon still glows orange, ever so slowly filling the murky skies above with the same hue.
Esprit15
  “Will! What the  ****  is going on!?”   James roars as he loads more shotgun shells and fires again.
 
 Spoiler 
If it matters he’s opting for standard shot rather than slugs. They’re “only” rats and hitting seems more important than piercing any carapace.
 
MrAbdiel
Benjamin is creative and useful in certain pinches - but he both doesn't know about, and is probably incapable of understanding, the William/Lily situation.  But he does hear  'maybe if we get her in the car' , and intuits  her  to mean the child; and turns to the rear door of the car nearby, pulls it open ever so slightly, and makes eye contact with Thomas carrying the girl.    "Hey, c'mon, chuck her in, I'll slam it after!"  
 
 Spoiler: OOC: 
Benjamin is preparing to coordinate some door open/close action for swift, rat-free child sequestration.  He'll wait for Thomas to get to him, open it for him to put Lily inside or dive inside himself, and slam it behind them right away to keep the girl away from the rats.
 
Metastachydium
Just above her fellow D-lister, Cecily pauses in her frantic screaming, in the meantime, for two reasons. On the one hand (and this she's ready to accept as comparatively good news), the rats (that, while unreasonably gross-looking, even for rats, would seem to only have one head each, after all) are apparently far less interested in her, specifically, than the bug swarm was. On the other hand, the VIP enters the scene. And it's a girl. Soon to be placed in a car. She can basically feel her stomach grow terribly small as she grabs the edge of the roof and tries to bury her face into the metal.
JeenLeen
Not quite with the time to question how reasonable it is to trust D-class, 5404 takes a running leap into the car, positioning himself so that his back hits the inside and takes any damage, hopefully leaving Lily relatively unharmed from the impact and hopefully safe from the rodent-things.

 
 Spoiler 
In case not clear, Speed + Leap to move quickly into the open door.  Trying to angle the jump so he absorbs hitting any car parts inside and his body cushions Lily.
 
hand ax ranger
After the initial skewer and fling plan seemed not to be effective Kuzmo turned to just slashing at them one by one while stomping around. He gave a savage growl as he cut away at them.

However, as he did he was keeping track of who they did, and did not, go after. If hoe could discern if this was a focused attack or a mere violent horde he could act accordingly. Perhaps they could be made to focus on something else.... the thought as he looked towards the screaming, useless woman onto of the truck....
Esprit15
Once Lily is in the car, James breaks away from the swarm. He stops outside the car and shouts to the SCP guards.   “Everyone who can fit, into the car! Double up, get in the trunk, lie on the floor - I don’t care which!”   The officer’s voice is as loud as the gunfire from moments before.

He frowns. It was going to be a tight fit between the D class and all the guards. No room for him, and definitely no room for him to fire at anything that came up on them.   “Kuzmo! You ain’t killing ‘em all, we’re getting out of here! Carry me, we’ll follow the car! D-class girl! Your file said you’re a skilled driver? Driver’s seat,  now!  William! Passenger seat! Guide her wherever you think is safest!”  
Metastachydium
Baffling as the order is, it  finally  appeals to something Cecily does, in fact, have: the intention of and the expertise in running away  fast .   Yes, Sir!  I can be useful, Sir!    she presses out of her lungs in one breath, after the shortest beat in the recorded history of beats, slipping nimbly off the top of the car and then into it, securing the seat belt, tackling the hand brake, turning the ignition key and ignoring the mess she just sat into with one fluid back and forth motion, letting the engine idle until further notice, which is to say, a license to get out of the accursed plague of rats.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   “Will! What the  ****  is going on!?”   James roars as he loads more shotgun shells and fires again. 
 

  "I don't know! This is worse than the dogs!"   William yells.

Benjamin hatches a plan to get the girl in the car safely. With a bit of coordination, agility, speed, and a bit more self-sacrifice, Thomas launches himself and Lily into the car, right before Benjamin slams the door shut again. Rats leap and claw at the vehicle trying to get inside, seemingly ignoring everyone else except Thomas and Lily.

James barks some orders, which on the surface seem sound at first, except...

  "Wait!!"   William cries.

As Cecily quickly attempts to open the car door and clamber into the driver's seat, several rats manage to swiftly leap inside. They immediately begin attempting to bite and claw at Lily. Thomas interposes himself and blocks most of the attempts, but some get through.

 "Aaiiiiiiieeeeee!!" 
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15;25831357[COLOR="#B22222" 
   “Kuzmo! You ain’t killing ‘em all, we’re getting out of here! Carry me, we’ll follow the car!”   
 

Kuzmo sheathed his blade and moved to pluck up his fellow warrior. "  It's thinning their numbers ain't it!?  "

Lifting James onto his shoulder he moved to follow the car when...


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 James barks some orders, which on the surface seem sound at first, except...

  "Wait!!"   William cries.

As Cecily quickly attempts to open the car door and clamber into the driver's seat, several rats manage to swiftly leap inside. They immediately begin attempting to bite and claw at Lily. Thomas interposes himself and blocks most of the attempts, but some get through.

 "Aaiiiiiiieeeeee!!"  
 

"  Ah great depths!  " He moved in to kick the door closed to stop for flow of rats quickly, useless woman be damned, to keep the child safe. "  She was safe with it closed!  
JeenLeen
Taking a few seconds to catch his breath and look over Lily, 5404 is happy to get a moment's reprieve.

And then... door.  Rats.
Within the first few moments of panick, an idea forms.  A horrible idea, but... maybe.
Thomas plunges his left hand into a particularly nasty bite in his right arm.  The skin hasn't healed all the way yet.  With his supernal strength, he pulls as hard as he can, trying to rip open his arm in hopes the raw meat and blood will distract the rat-things.

A distant thought, almost laughing in a detached way beyond the horror of what's happening arises:  Foundation can pay Lily's therapy bills, right, if we survive this? 
 
 Spoiler 
I got an action point for some RP earlier.  Using it to... increase my damage roll or decrease my Fortitude save, whichever makes sense?  Not sure how M&amp;M handles attacking yourself.
 
Plaids
 Dr. Haggerty
 
Seeing everyone cram themselves into the car Haggerty winces as notices the cars rears bumper easing towards the ground. Turning to Kuzmo she makes her proposal for evacuating the biblical waves of rats.
 Kuzmo, the squishy VIPs are in the vehicle. I need your help to extricate them from this situation. 
She presents a grappling attached to a dull chain.
  With all those people inside they are going to need all the help they can get. I'll push and grab the rear you can be in the front. Try ease into it a little. We need the axle intact if we want to go anywhere.  
Glancing at William she hopes that the rats are only fixated on Lily who is now secured in the car. He could summon more flesh automatons if needed.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
 With everyone piled in the car I'm a little worried it would get a slow start or experience mechanical issues. My first idea is to push and pull it to give it some extra starting velocity. If someone else needs help getting in the car and they aren't in too much trouble then Haggerty is going to help them reach the car.
 
MrAbdiel
With a few members now sealed in the car with a minimal addition of some rats, Benjamin slaps his hand twice on the bonnet in a broadly appreciated shorthand for  good to go .

Only at that point does it dawn on him that he has condemned himself to travel on foot, with all these blood rats around - and in his prison loafers, no less!

 
 Spoiler: OOC: 
The Church, right? We're going back to the church?  Or have I misunderstood?
 
hand ax ranger
The hulking man-thing nodded to the doctor, setting James down and grabbing the chain to help get it moving. "  Just be careful they don't ram me if it starts!  "

He hoisted the chain over his shoulder and started slowly walking forward (Relative to his usual speed) letting the vehicle be pulled behind him. With his sword hand he still kept swinging at the rat swarm as he passed.
Plaids
 Dr. Haggerty 

She nods her acknowledgement and approval to Kuzmo.
  Let's grab our priest and leave while we are ahead. With any luck rat lord is stuck to this place. 
She begins pushing the rear of the car towards horizon harshly illuminated by the burning church. Tapping the frames of her glasses the polarized lenses as the group approaches the Olheim's home. She wouldn't need her flashlight for this encounter.

OOC: I assume the group consensus is heading towards the church and grab the priest before hightailing out of town.
WindStruck
In a stunning act of unnecessary heroic self-sacrifice, Thomas somehow manages to rip open his whole arm and make blood gush everywhere. Lily is screaming bloody murder at the top of her lungs, due to her own pain and fear and not entirely sure if the rats just tore up Thomas's arm too. If this was some kind of sick magic trick, it would be terrifying to any child. The rats in car seem only slightly confused, as they slip around on the slickened upholstery, still trying to bite and claw at Lily.

Meanwhile the rats around the car circle and scurry under it, the pack seeming to grow even as Kuzmo cuts them down and James blasts them. Even King tries to wrestle with a rat but gives up. Everyone outside the car seems relatively safe, as rats dash near their feet, leaping, and watching, and waiting for an opening into the car.

 "I think they're after the little girl!"  Hank says.

 "No s*** Sherlock!"  King rebukes.

 "Do you think the Church could be safe?"  Hank asks.

  "The Church! With all these rats?! How could -"  
 pop  pop  pop 

Inexplicably, burnt popcorn starts to sprinkle from the orange sky and you can smell smoke.

  "What?! No.. Noooo!!"   Seems like William is really losing it.

Meanwhile... Cecily is still sitting in the driver's seat of the car, likely terrified, but at least the rats aren't attacking her. The car is still running in idle, and she can see rats swarming around the car through the side mirrors. But where to go? And how to get rid of the rats? She awaits her orders to hopefully prove herself to be useful and not be shot or gassed or.. something worse whenever they get back. If they get back.
JeenLeen
5404 focuses on trying to punch or kick at rats as his arm knits itself back together, keeping half his attention on blocking what rats he can as they attack Lily.  It isn't the first time he's fought with just one good arm, heck, he's done at least one fight  without  an arm for part of it.  Freakin' cultists with cleavers.

 Foundation can pay her therapy bills.  Lots of therapy bills.  Or remove the memories of today,  he reminds himself.

 
 Spoiler 
In other words, Attack Rat + Interpose to defend Lily each round
 
Metastachydium
While Cecily is perfectly capable of recognizing Benjamin's signal (that she's not being chewed on by dead-looking rats or a giant orange lizard helps with that, frankly), she's not quite sure what to make of it. Wincing at every scream and shotgun blast, she finally musters the courage to try and remedy that: she really,  really  doesn't want to be here, after all.   Uhm, Sir? SIR? I really need to know the  where to .  
hand ax ranger
In all the pandemonium, Kuzmo elected to stop pulling the truck (seeing as it was clearly running) and start hunting down the rats outside of it. When the truck started moving he would follow but for now he takes pressure off the truck and if James needs it pluck him back up to transport.
Plaids
 Dr. Haggerty
 
 With the car approaching high velocity the doctor grabs the front of the cars trunk while trying to kick away any masses of rats that come close to the vintage car. Taking notice of William gibbering she wonders if it would be best to sedate the poor man. But having another defenseless body to defend would be further endanger the group and his anguish didn't hint at a case of split personality.
  We're almost there. Once we arrive, we can use the fire to eradicate these anomalously resilient vermin!   She shouts over the roar of the taxed engine. 
MrAbdiel
Benjamin does all he can - which is give the occasional soccerball kick to the necro-rodents with his prison crocs, and trying not to irritate the armed officials enough to get shot!
Esprit15
With the vehicle not moving and the rats continuing to swarm, James becomes irritated.   “What’s the hold up in there, D-class?”   he demands, giving a boot to the rear of the car.   “Move. The damn. Vehicle. That’s a ****ing order! Sort out where when you’re not surrounded by goddamn rats! William! Tell her where the **** to go!”  
WindStruck
  "Go! Goo! Just get them out of the car already!!"   William screams.

He bangs on one of the back windows in frustration, and accidentally breaks it. Well, this wasn't good.

Quickly! Cecily must drive! But at least Thomas now has an easy means of tossing rats out. Assuming more don't jump in.
Metastachydium
   But…    Cecily starts, sweating all over the wheel as she receives the mighty confusing  order  from Shotgun Boss, but Longcoat settles the thing.   Okay.   she floors the pedal lets the horn blare; hopefully the rodents scare as easily as she does.   Okay. I can do that.  I can do that. I can do that…   
hand ax ranger
When he hear one of the windows break Kuzmo rushed over to the side of the vehicle, sheathed his weapon and started acting as interference. Smacking away rats, yanking them out the vehicle and throwing them as far as he could. His frustration was apparent in both his visage and his growl.

"  Well whatever we're doing, can we [REDACTED] get to already!?  " He yelled as he crushed one of the abominations in his bare hand.
WindStruck
One of the guards asks,  "What the Hell  are  we doing?? Sir? Radio contact is still out. I don't think extraction is possible." 

Popcorn continues to sprinkle from the sky occasionally. Sort of like when you can just barely feel it sprinkling, hardly any rain worth mentioning at all. Except now it's popped corn. And the smell isn't as pleasant as you would imagine. You just smell smoke, accompanied by the sky glowing orange around you.

Another says,   "If there is a fire, we should act fast. This whole village is surrounded by corn."  

You notice some glowing lights moving about in the distance approaching, which turn out to be rats.  Rats set on fire.  Their screeches are particularly painful, but they still ignore you and chase the car which is peeling away.
Esprit15
James looks out to the fields.  Crap.    “ Noted.  If extraction isn’t possible, then I guess that makes dealing with William’s BS all the more important, doesn’t it? Head to the church. I wanna talk to the preacher there. Old bastard knows more than he lets on, maybe he can shed some light on what William’s deal is.”  
JeenLeen
Car moving.  Good?  Hole?  5404 proceeds to shift from taking the time to smashing rats to tossing them out the window.

 
 Spoiler 
real life still pretty hectic.  We're all healthy, but just difficult adjustments and not much time online.  I'm starting work back next week and should be on more.
 
WindStruck
Cecily peels off in the car. Since it originally wasn't facing towards the center of town, that's where she heads, to the outskirts. It doesn't take long for the road to end into a mixture of a dirt and gravel lot, and the  shapes of a barn to the side and home ahead suddenly loom very close up through the fog. The rats thus far have had some trouble scampering after you, but as you have to take the time to either stop or wildly swing the car around, they get a moment to begin catching up.

Thomas throws some rats out of the car and manages to block the others from biting Lily anymore, though she is sobbing and wailing at the moment.

The rest of you start marching - or walking, or running - to the Church. James at least knows where it is and can easily point out the direction.

William seems to have snapped out of his madness briefly, though he still looks about with glazed eyes.   "Fine. If that's where we're going..."   The man trots toward the church with the rest of you, which may seem odd for those in the know, but yes, he does have dozens and dozens of puppets to control.   "I'll try to help your 'driving expert' make it there."  

You notice many of the villagers, of all sizes, shapes, genders, and in varying states of health or dismemberment begin moving as well, taking up positions along the road in intervals of 20-30 feet.
Esprit15
  “We did not have time for you to be going catatonic on us, William. Sometimes that means taking charge from someone else,”   James says flatly as they walks.   “If you’ve got somewhere else in mind in all ears.”  
hand ax ranger
Soon as the car is in motion Kuzmo will start running to keep up with it crushing rats underfoot as he zoomed, Unfortunately there was little he could do to interact with the people in the car but he kept vigilant of the world around, ready to act as interference in case something tried to charge them or such.
Metastachydium
Cecily, internally cursing the fog, the universe, Shotgun, Killer Lizard, Longcoat and, chief of all, herself managed to hit a lull, or, at any rate, some calmer stage of panic once the car got rolling, and that alongside the desire not to be shot in the face when everyone else inevitably catches up with her again (trying to take these two, and especially the girl did, of course, cross her mind, but the very though also made her wanna puke  again , so it was waved away with relative ease) gives her a good enough basis and incentive for getting sufficiently focused to register the obstacles ahead.   Is there a seatbelt on the kid? Put a seatbelt on the kid, Sir.   she presses out of herself (it ends up surprisingly loud, thankfully) glancing at the mirror to gouge the relative positions of her passengers. And then, a hand ready to engage the handbrake if need be, she  turns the wheel violently, intent on spinning the car around in place , keeping as much momentum as possible and wiggling the excess out of the car's rear. Stopping… Somehow sounds like an even  worse  idea.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

TOKYO DRIFT!!
 
WindStruck
Cecily wildly spins the car around, the wailing of the girl transforming into screaming. Maybe if she was in the right mindset like someone goes onto a roller coaster, it would be a scream of glee, but clearly Lily is still terrified by this ordeal. At least no more rats make it into the car.

In the distance, those in the car hear church bells ringing again, this time through the broken car window. Now as Cecily drives (aside from the lumbering form of the lizard man tailing her) she sees people standing on either side of the road, pointing the way toward the center of town.

Those heading toward the church and entering will see the pastor hurrying from the back room and slamming the door shut, locking it.

He turns to you all and says,  "There isn't much time! Hurry, help barricade the doors and windows!" 

You can see that the pews of the church have been pushed toward the sides of the building, near the windows, but they haven't been lifted/tilted up yet to block them. Perhaps a feat of strength one feeble man was unable to do alone.
Esprit15
James leaps to work right away.   "You heard the man! MOVE!"  
Metastachydium
  Holy  sh …   Cecily squeals, only swallowing the end of it upon realizing there's still a (hopefully and judging by the sounds of a panic making her own pale in comparison, perfectly alive) minor in the back.   Why does this place have to be so creepy?!   she whines, new, cold sweat breaking on her brow, and her hands clinging onto the wheel even harder than before. Still, she follows the Pointy Fingers of Impending Doom for now, if not without…  Strictly reasonable  reservations.   Sir?   she calls back to Autocannibal or Whatever It Was that He Did to His Own Arm, just to be sure.   Is this… Is this a trap?  
JeenLeen
With the rats at bay, 5404 tries to kill the last of them.  If he can manage it, he then tries to soothe Lily and get her buckled in.

To the William-pointers and the D-class's question, he says, " I... Pretty sure not.  William, that is, the villagers want to protect the girl.  She's Lily."   You know what?  Screw protocol.  Amnesics exist and Lily's probably too frantic to really understand.   "Hive mind deal is going on with the town, except Lily and the priest.  Her grandpa, William, sorta  is  the town.  I'm not sure how much he's controlling things  well , but he's trying to protect the girl.  So are we.  Follow them.  That way should lead us to the church, which is where I think the others are going. "
Metastachydium
Cecily bites her lower lip. Woe is her; Passenger 2 is  also  a crazy person. Well, that, or this place is  even worse  than it looks. It's not like she can safely take her chances given the fog, the kid and all the angry villagers she imagines would gladly torch and pitchfork her. And who know, maybe Hank was on to something? The church could be… Something?

And so, she rushes on whereever the fingers lead them.
Plaids
Dr. Haggerty
  Correct, as far as we can conclude.   Dr. Haggerty approvingly remarks to 5404 as she slithers into the car through the busted window.   Our interference seems at least be halting the yearly cycle in this place. The only one besides William who remembers past cycles is Father Olheim at the church. He is our best bet for getting a plan to get William to kick his habits.   She explains to Cecily before going to inspect Lily for any serious injuries. Without any advanced medical gear, the best she could do for the child would be simple splints, bandages, or dab of super glue if any happened to be lying around.

 
 Spoiler: Maribelle's musings 
   You know you probably didn't dumb things down enough for her you know. Potential sources of time travel or reality warping is privileged information. Why not give her the full brief now that she's on schedule for a memory wipe. Father knew there was no in betweeners or privileges at SCP. That applies to you too you know.  
 

  But 5404 did such a detailed and succinct job already Maribelle. Briefs like those save more lives you know.  
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo rushes towards the church as it seemed to be where they all were meant to head. Upon entering the place he made not of the barricading and started assisting, using his potent strength and size to place pews and other furniture in the doorways and windows for fortifications.

As he does though he attempts to ponder what he knows as a mystic that could come in handy in this case. He was the consultant on magics after all..... might as well do his job.

"  And what are we anticipatign to fight then, altar boy?  "
WindStruck
The other SCP soldiers temporarily lose their composure as they start immediately doing what James commands them to, and only as an afterthought do they keep an eye on the remaining D-class. Luckily, Hank, Marion, Chris (and assuming the good samaritan Benjamin) all also work together to start barricading the windows with pews.

Meanwhile, Cecily continues to drive through the fog. Also, somehow Dr. Hagerty wormed her way into the car before it took off. Good thinking, Dr. Hagerty, you stopped the undead rodents from getting in by temporarily blocking the window with your body.

As Cecily drives, the villagers on the left side of the road begin to no longer point forward, but to the right. And then their positions start creeping onto the road, making it clear the turn - or the destination - is soon. And then, there's a few right in front of her car with their arms held out with spread fingers. That must mean "stop", she deduces, as she accidentally runs one of them over.

However, you're at your destination now! You can see the dim light of the church inside doors, and its large stone structure. And you see familiar shapes of people - actually alive and normalish people - inside doing something. Better hurry, no time to waste. Behind you, you can hear the scampering and squeaking of countless rats.

  "And what are we anticipatign to fight then, altar boy?"    Kuzmo sneers.

Reverend Olheim looks darkly at the large brawny man and says,  "More than rats." 
Metastachydium
Still somewhat dubious of the veracity Self-Eating Crazy Person Passenger's claims may or may not have had, Cecily winces  hard  as she hits one of the (hopefully) "puppets" used by… Which one was this William, anyhow? Longcoat? Murderlizard?  Benjamin ****ing Hillcrest?  (Probably not the last one.) Slamming the brake, she brings the car to a screeching halt and among profuse tremblings, gives the windshield a thorough thousand-yard stare.  Ss…  she has to clear her throat to stay audible.   Sir? Madam? I… I think I just  killed  one of  those . And I think we're…  There ?   Where exactly, beyond "probably the church everyone's been droning on about", she doesn't know.
WindStruck
Already the preacher is rushing outside, right after Cecily pulls up. He waves frantically at the occupants in the car.

 "Quickly! Bring her in!"  he calls.
JeenLeen
5404 unbuckles Lily, then picks her up.  His arm might still hurt a little bit, but it should at least be functional.  " Hey, we're at the church.  We should be safe here ," he... well, he wants to mean it, but realizes he's probably lying.

Then, with his (slightly) superhuman speed, he does a leap from the car -- no reason to risk zombie rats or moles or something or some random sinkhole around the car -- and rushes into the building.

Wait?  Wasn't the church supposed to be on fire?  He thought that was the case, but evidently it was somewhere else.
MrAbdiel
Benjamin is almost chipper to have something straight forward to do.  He's pretty good at barricading for sieges.  He's been in two sieges before, and had to barricade both times; and he's pretty sure the rats don't have tear gas, and they don't know who his mum is to get her on the bullhorn to talk him out.

 "Not this one, you bozos!"  He wards the other D-Class from barricading one window,  "The others need some way to blood get in!" 

And once they're in, that one gets pewed up too. He doesn't pay attention to the talk between the padre and the honchos in charge of this expedition - but when he sees the distressed Lily being carried in, bloodied and crying, he tries pulling what he seems to think are funny faces for her benefit.  It's a coin toss as to whether that will make things better, or worse.
Esprit15
James finishes with the piece he’s moving when the group arrives and hops over to help the car folks in.   “How’s she doing? Any critical injuries?”   he asks 5404, looking Lily over at least cursorally.  
 Spoiler 
Treatment to ID any injuries:  (1d20+2)[ 5 ] 

Edit: Yep she’s probably fine! 😁
 
Metastachydium
(Cecily stops the engine and shuffles inside in the others' wake, continuing to stare at (and past) whatever's straight before her.)
WindStruck
Lily has a number of bites and lacerations, particularly on her arms and shoulder and legs, but otherwise, seems "okay". Ideally her wounds would need to be disinfected and treated.

The girl sniffles and looks around the church through watery eyes, confused and scared.
Esprit15
  “I’m sorry, you’re probably terrified right now. I promise it will be all over soon.”   James gets up.   “Father, you got a first aid kit we could rummage through for her?”  
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Lily has a number of bites and lacerations, particularly on her arms and shoulder and legs, but otherwise, seems "okay". Ideally her wounds would need to be disinfected and treated.

The girl sniffles and looks around the church through watery eyes, confused and scared. 
 

By his great name, Kuzmo would have none of this! He wandered over to the poor little girl and placed his hand on her shoulder. As it lingered (and possibly worrying people) soon his mystic gifts mended the few lacerations she had.

"  There, feel better now?  " He smiled softly. "  We'll keep the stinky rats out of here now. Don't worry lil Lily.  " he patted her head assuredly then resumed going about setting up the things.
Esprit15
  “Oooor that, that works too.”  
WindStruck
Thomas leaps from the car and into the church with lightning speed. Cecily and Dr. Hagerty lag behind, but there's still some time as the pastor ushers them inside, waving and closing the doors behind her. Soon the scratching of tiny claws are heard on the door as the men and prisoners begin blocking that door too. And then nibbling.

With everyone assembled, Kuzmo then miraculously closes little Lily's wounds, a look of confusion and wonder in her glassy eyes.  "Papa.. why is this happening??" 

While her grandfather kneels down and grimaces, struggling for words, the pastor slowly approaches and says,  "Oh dear Lily. We cannot hide it from you any longer. It won't make any difference after tonight anyway."  He glances at the older, bearded man in the long coat, who begins to look up, glowering.  "Nothing in this town is what it seems. You are in danger. We all are." 
 "Well then do something already!"  King barks, tail swishing impatiently.  "You're the most devout man here aren't you? Chop chop!" 

Needless to say, King suddenly talking loudly in close proximity of the girl is a bit shocking, but given her relatively young age, at least she's not prone to spells of fainting. Cecily, Benjamin, and the other D-class however...  well, they've already seen some strange things, but the fast healing of Thomas and the little girl and now a talking cat are likely to make them think they've gone crazy or are suffering from a stroke.

  "I've tried!"   William growls.   "God knows I've tried!  Nothing ever seems to go right! And it's so hard! It's like building a city out of sand with millions, billions, gajillions of parts! And then one little detail is wrong and it's all f***ed up!"  

He stands pointing an accusing finger at the pastor,   "And you, Adrian, haven't done a damn thing to help! Always dooming and glooming and saying the same s*** like it'll never work. Maybe if you actually tried she could survive the night for once!"  
 "I have tried!"  the pastor cries back.  "Look around! I've tried to guide everyone back here! I've done what I could to prepare, but I don't have control over eighty-seven bodies like you do! I am just one person, and don't have god-like powers like you!" 
 "It isn't so easy, is it??"  the pastor mocks.  "When the whole village burned down and everyone died, you couldn't believe God could be so cruel or careless. You thought you could do better, you would make a better God! But even wielding unimaginable power, you couldn't - not once! - save one little girl! And do you know what the worst part is? I had foreseen every one of your failures, I've seen your heartbreak and your little girl die in your arms in more ways than you've experienced!" 
 "You don't listen to me, William! I keep telling you something else is at play here! As long as you keep avoiding the truth, it will never end! I'm sorry, friend. It's time to give up." 

A brief lull in the argument. What is there to be done? What is there to be said?

As you contemplate, the relative silence (aside from popcorn raining, flaming rats nibbling, and little girls whimpering) is broken by glass shattering and thumping against one of the barricaded windows, followed by almost human-like moaning.
JeenLeen
" Something else is at play here?  What, pastor? ", 5404 utters.  But the question may well be drowned out by the shattering glass.  Zombies?

" William, do you... still have control of all the yous here? "
Metastachydium
Thankful that the scarier ones all focus their respective attentions elsewhere, Cecily does her best to entirely block the Priest's ramblings addressed to Longcoat (William?) from entering her mind, and quickly shambles over to Hank, apologetically tugging his sleeve.   Hank? I messed up. I'm sorry, I…   she begins. She smells like vomit and fear. But then, the moaning begins also.   Did you hear that?!   her head perks up abruptly, as she very nearly literally jumps.
hand ax ranger
With the shatterign of glass Kuzmo takes up his sword once more and faces the direction of the moaning. Whatever it was, once it forced it's way in it would have to contend with the large lizards tendency, and knack, for violence.

"  William,  I assume that one isn't yours? How many necromancers have we in this place?  "
WindStruck
William's head snaps toward the direction of that concerning sound, and eyes grow distant briefly. He says,   "Damn, it's one of your prisoners! But.. the Hell??"  
  "Definitely something wrong with them. I'll take care of it."   Eventually the thumping and moaning stops.

During this distraction, Hank speaks up and says,  "Sir, about what the cat said. I heard a voice that said we should find the most devout man. Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe it's you two that need to have your conflicts resolved?" 
JeenLeen
The D-class became zombies.  A 'most devout man'?  What is going on?

With some panick in his voice, 5404 says, " Can someone say what's going on?  Like, there's some third force that send some insect plague and zombified D-class? "
He looks mostly towards the priest and William as he says this.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Who is inside?  I get the PCs, former PC King, William, the priest, and Lily.  How many other D-class and any SCP solders NPCs inside?
 
Esprit15
James finished setting down another piece of furniture.  “Father, it would be  lovely  if you could give us a straight answer about what’s going on.  You  might get revived every time things go to hell here but we  won’t. ” 
Metastachydium
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   You  might get revived every time things go to hell here but we  won’t. ”  
 

Cecily, in the background, feels a sudden urge to contend that evidence suggests they  are  quite likely to revive. The sudden urge to just curl up and puke herself to death at the thought, however, manages to counterbalance it just well enough to have her not so much as  open  her mouth.
WindStruck
There's an ominous feeling being in the old church. You aren't here gathered as a community for prayer. Despite how relatively few of you there are, compared to the size of the gathering of the whole town, and the fact that the pews have all been pushed up against the doors and windows, it still oddly feels cramped. Claustrophobic. The spacial abundance certainly isn't the problem. It's the sense of uncertainty, unease, impending doom.

Hank takes a moment to look aside and downward at Cecily and nods. He gently extends a big hand around her arm and gives the best look of reassurance he can muster. Everything about his expression says,  'It's okay. Everything is going to be okay.'  But you know it isn't.

Almost impatiently, if not in a direly urgent manner, the pastor takes a huff, looking around at everyone and says,  " Listen.  I don't have all the power here. I don't.. I just  know things . Things that I oughtn't know, things that would be impossible to know, but I do. But William here, he has all the control." 

The scruffy bearded man glowers over with contempt.  "What? Is it not true?" 

William says nothing.

Looking around at all the questioning eyes again, he says,  "I don't know  why  William has been unable to save Lily each year. I don't know  why  it always happens on Halloween. But I do know.. I have always seen that the attempts ended in failure. At least, until, tonight. Today, especially this evening, things have been awfully muddy. Unclear." 

Then he sighs.  "But I still don't think it matters. The collapse has already begun. Ever since the fog rolled in, you - we've been cut off from the rest of the world. And once that has happened..."  The pastor looks over at William.  "Were you ever going to tell them?" 

William frowns and looks down, and away.   "I think I jumped the gun, this time,"   he says glumly.   "I thought for sure your tomfoolery would end up getting Lily killed. But seems with y'all here, maybe I had a pretty decent shot at saving her. Pissed it all away again, though."  
 "What do you mean collapse?"  King asks.

And meanwhile, Lily is at least physically okay, but she still looks confused and frightened. She's not just a dumb baby after all. She's heard every single word.

   "Look,"    William says,   "I'm sorry. I.. I had already started to tear the place down. To begin the long, drawn-out process of rebuilding anew."   He brings a hand to his forehead, as if easing some pain, and sighs.   "This whole town is fraying at the edges. And the whole cornfield's on fire too, if it matters. It's so much damn work to try to stop it and put it back together. I feel like I know what I'm doing when starting from scratch, at least. But even if I wanted to stop it, I'd be busy. Very busy. And with all the s*** that's going on, do you really think you could keep Lily safe? Next thing you know, before long, I bet this damn roof will collapse on us! And then what??"  

As if on cue, there's a slight rumbling. Not really thunder. You hear rats and things scurrying on the roof above, and see the ceiling starting to blacken in places.
Esprit15
  “5404, cover Lily’s ears and turn her away.”   James states directly into William’s eyes. There is a frightful mix of violence and deadness in those eyes, younger than William though they may be.   “I need to say some things that no child should hear said to their grandfather.”  
JeenLeen
5404 pauses, taking in what he's hearing.  He complies with Fink's orders, though he doesn't quite think about them.  It's shock.  He's felt it before, during testing, during isolation.  The fear then emotional emptiness of... going to die, and die, and die, and die.  That's going to happen, isn't it.  Gonna keep dying until the town is remade and even then...

During his partial mental shutdown, he manages to say, in that mostly-but-not-quite-neutral tone of suppressed dread one doesn't quite want to acknowledge, " I can't die.  I heal if I'm injured.  I come back if I die.  I come back if I die over and over and over again.  I  might  survive this, could deliver a message.  If I, um, even if I keep dying while you do... what you do... The Foundation could send help for next time. "
Esprit15
A vein has been bulging in James’s forehead ever since William said his piece. When he speaks, he seems to take on a sature that would put Kuzmo to shame.    “ Work?  You’re about to watch your granddaughter  die  again   after coming so far and you want to  give up  because it would be  work?  P*** off with that s*** you  f***ing  p****!”   The former officer jams a finger into the chest of William. His face was a shade of red reserved for fruit and fresh wounds.   “If you don’t get your  f***ing  act together I will  kill  you  right here  in front of your girl! I don’t give a  f***  whether this s*** is work! You know what’s  f***ing work?  Trying to keep your  cowardly  a** in gear rather than lying still as a  corpse  in a  f***ing grave!  You spent a  century  in this  purgatory  because  something  saw fit to teach you a lesson and what do you do? Wallow in  f***ing pity  like a  sad  sack of worthless  s*** ! Have fun watching her die  again  and  again  for the  rest of time  if that’s the  godd***  attitude you’re going to take! Take your Hell seriously and maybe you’ll be done the kindness of finally getting to  f***ing die , because you sure as  s***  stopped living a long time ago!”   He gives William a shove.   “As far as I’m concerned, every time you give up,  you kill her again!  That’s what guardianship  is.  That’s what leadership  is.  Their life is  your  responsibility. If it ends, that’s should be a weight on your  soul . Now  man the  f***  up  and take care of your granddaughter you  worthless sack of s***! ”   By the end, James seems to almost be looking through William, past him to a figure only he can see. Maybe a memory, maybe a hallucination. Either way, he seems frightfully serious about what he will do to William if the man doesn’t at least try.
Metastachydium
Not even Cecily lacks the observational abilities needed to notice that Hank is just being Hank and they are in a  bad  place. Her attempt to basically meld into his side in response to that, however, is quickly interrupted by Shotgun's angry rant that makes her  wince . It also lets a few things  finally  sink in, after a fashion. She stares at…  William , apparently, in wide-eyed disbelief.  Is this…  Are  you  doing this? You're g-going to ****ing  kill us  all?? You… You can't do that!   she squeals into the silence that follows the rant. And then, only then, a more personal low blow also reaches her mind.   Wait… That's… Y-you want to kill the girl too? Just…  Not here.  Please, at least not here.  
JeenLeen
5404 stares vacantly, holding Lily a little tighter at Fink's rant.
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo had been patrolling aroudn the place, window to window to door, as the conversation because dour and defeatist. Kuzmo growled in anger as we was about to beat William over the head and lay into him.

But James beat him to it, and did a  far  better job of it than the lizard king would of expected to all at once.

Standing my and listening to the verbal beat-down James was giving the would-be god Kuzmo is struck with mild awe at the intensity being shown. The whole conversation made him think back to the town he was made ruler of in his mortal life. Gurnbury, it had been called, and it was from there the cult had started and spread to the greater world. A peaceful farm town that he had transformed into a city-state of it's own alongside beloved friends and the woman who'd be his queen. Between the surprise of Jame's rant and the heart-sinking memories he found himself sitting for a moment to collect his thoughts. If they all survived this he knew what he'd do next.

Once James had enough of chewing into the pathetic waste of divinity he sprung up to his feet. "  What now then? we hold this ground against the onslaught or....  "
WindStruck
Thomas's blabbering utterances and Cecily's panicked pleading are present and heard by all technically. But their concerns are overshadowed as James explodes upon the quasi-deity.

At first William's expression is neutral, stoic.. cavalier even? It glazes over becoming blank. But at some point, after being shoved, the man finally breaks down, falling to his knees, fists clenched like claws in his face, veins bulging out as well.

  "That wasn't.."   he begins, before he tears even harder at his head.   "Goddamnit, what is wrong with me.  What is wrong with me?! "  

Lily tries to worm out of Thomas's hands, turning to find her grandfather sobbing pathetically like the lowly piece of garbage he is.  "Papa! Why are you yelling at my grandpa??"  she asks, tears forming in her eyes again.

William gets up and embraces her.   "It's okay, sweetie. I'm going to do everything I can. I will do everything I can. I promise."  

He turns to look at everyone, especially James again and repeats,   "You too, strangers. I promise. Protect her and I will do everything I can to fix this."   He stoops down to sit on the floor and begins gazing downward.

The priest speaks up again and says,  "I understand your frustration Mr. Fink. Or do you prefer Sergeant? To be fair, when William said it would be a lot of work.. he was not merely being lazy." 
 "From what I understand, in order to build an object, or anything, he must do it from scratch, bit by bit, from every atom, every sub-atomic particle and beyond. It's akin to building an impossibly large house of cards. He has described how he feels he has to stop time, to slow it down incredibly, and it still feels like eons to accomplish anything." 
 "I feel like... there may be some tools or shortcuts he could utilize to make it easier. And yet, I can't really.. explain without being able to see what he does." 

Reverend Olheim looks up, eyes twitching.  "The roof is on fire. I can see it is going to collapse there first,"  he says pointing toward somewhere slightly off center.  "Rats, crows, people not under William's control. Be ready." 
 
 Spoiler: ooc 
There is some time to prepare, so.. say what you will do before the hole in the roof happens.  Also, you could probably keep talking if you want.
 
Metastachydium
 Subatomic?  Cecily, still trembling, stares at the scene dumbly.  That's… That's not  possible  unles…  Unless morbid amounts of energy are drawn into the system from an outside source.  Which must be the case here.  Some wheels begin to turn in Cecily's head as she freezes, and then they click and lock into place.   Mr., um, William, Sir? Can you locally transmute the oxygen over the oxidized surface of the roof into nitrogen? It's a two particle difference in the structure of the nucleus; humans can do it with, uh, with a reactor and nitrogen's inert, it would smother the fire in absence of   she takes in some air swiftly before jabbering on.   something to burn. Cooling the beams might have the ambient humidity and the smoke to condense, acting as a further retardant.  
JeenLeen
5404 looks around the church to try to see if there's anything Lily could hide in and he cover her.  Like, a pitted spot in the floor where he could cover her body, or a chest or mostly-enclosed office table she could hide under and his body shield her.

He expresses this plan to Adrien, hoping he'd know of something if it's not clear.  Or maybe Kuzmo's magic could dig a ditch.

 
 Spoiler 
Kinda rushed, but hope it's okay to say I'm saying it instead of writing out text
 
JeenLeen
 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
  Subatomic?  Cecily, still trembling, stares at the scene dumbly.  That's… That's not  possible  unles…  Unless morbid amounts of energy are drawn into the system from an outside source.  Which must be the case here.  Some wheels begin to turn in Cecily's head as she freezes, and then they click and lock into place.   Mr., um, William, Sir? Can you locally transmute the oxygen over the oxidized surface of the roof into nitrogen? It's a two particle difference in the structure of the nucleus; humans can do it with, uh, with a reactor and nitrogen's inert, it would smother the fire in absence of   she takes in some air swiftly before jabbering on.   something to burn. Cooling the beams might have the ambient humidity and the smoke to condense, acting as a further retardant.   
 

His panicked looking for shelter pauses a moment at hearing the D-class's strangely scientific speech.
He nods in surprise then continues to look.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 5404 looks around the church to try to see if there's anything Lily could hide in and he cover her.  Like, a pitted spot in the floor where he could cover her body, or a chest or mostly-enclosed office table she could hide under and his body shield her.

He expresses this plan to Adrien, hoping he'd know of something if it's not clear.  Or maybe Kuzmo's magic could dig a ditch. 
 

The floor was all even, laid with smooth concrete and some dingy bits of threadbare carpet flanking either side, making a path from entrance to pulpit.

All the pews might have normally provided some cover, if they weren't all against the walls at this point.

The pulpit came to mind, but it seemed to be far too small and simple.

Around the pulpit, in the very back section of the church, the floor raised about 5 inches to a surface that was smooth wood: old and worn but well-put-together. In one of the back corners was an old organ, and a bookshelf was thrown against the door leading to the back.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Nothing that great here, unless you want to spend a victory point to fabricate a good hiding spot. Still has to be somewhat conceivable so run it by me.
 
JeenLeen
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Around the pulpit, in the very back section of the church, the floor raised about 5 inches to a surface that was smooth wood: old and worn but well-put-together. In one of the back corners was an old organ, and a bookshelf was thrown against the door leading to the back. 
 

5404 picks up Lily, whispering, " I think you'll be safe here ," and rushes towards the organ.  He places her down, then places his fingers in a small crack he sees in the metal.  Pulling it apart, he feels his muscles tear and his bones always crack, but his healing holds up enough to open a space.  Thankfully, it looks intact and secure inside.
"H ide in here.  When the monsters come, I'll guard you,"  he says as he ushers Lily inside then partially closes the space, leaving his body in the opening to stop anything that might reach and try to penetrate the organ.
Esprit15
  “Mister is fine, I’m not a sergent anymore. How’d you know I was?”   James asks as he begins to reload his shotgun.   “D-Class, one of you grab a fire extinguisher. The rest, pick up something to defend yourselves with. A plank of wood, a baseball bat, whatever you can find. Unfortunately, I still can’t lend any of you guns for what I hope are very obvious reasons.”  
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo holds his sword up, showing readiness to commit great violence. He does not much else expect bob in place, remaining linger for action.
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 [B]  Â“D-Class, one of you grab a fire extinguisher. The rest, pick up something to defend yourselves with. A plank of wood, a baseball bat, whatever you can find. Unfortunately, I still canÂ’t lend any of you guns for what I hope are very obvious reasons.Â”   
 

Dr. Hagerty
  I'll take one.   She rigidly requests a firearm in response.
  You will just be poking the swarm with toothpick if he only has pistols and rifles you know. You could scrounge up for some pesticides or cleaning agents lying around to make some mustard gas. Get the right density and it won't rise above Lillie's knees.    
  We still have chance. 5404 can protect Lillie from rats but a mistake with that.  
WindStruck
Distractedly, William looks up at Cecily for a moment and says,   "Girl, I don't understand a word of what you just said. Now please, let me concentrate, so hopefully the village doesn't eventually collapse in on itself."   As he sits there meditatively, it's rather obvious the man has not just sat down to give up, but rather seems to be concentrating on something far away, as if in a trance.

Prying the hollow bars of the church's organ apart, Thomas somehow manages to stuff Lily inside of a cavity within, then closes the bars partially. It would be pretty hard for anything to attack the young girl in a space like that, let alone find her.

The pastor responds to James,  "Like I said, I know things.. things that it seems I should not."  He walks to the pew, picking up two large, ornate candle sticks and hands one off to Chris, one of the D-class.

There is a small, lone fire extinguisher which Hank yanks from the wall. Marianne finds an old broom in a dusty corner. Dr. Hagerty procures a sidearm from either James or one of the other SCP guards. Two of them get out nightstick-like weapons, another still holds his automatic rifle at the ready. There's about a minute or so of intense waiting, as the wind seems to pick up outside briefly and the roof groans.

And finally, it collapses, just where the priest said it would. Two charred humanoid bodies, wearing orange jump-suits, faces burned and contorted beyond recognition fall in a heap to the floor amid flaming debris. And then the birds swoop in, beaks distorted with molting, rotted feathers, cawing madly and flying at the closest people. A few flaming rats drop in as well, still emitting pained shrieks.
JeenLeen
5404 adopts a defensive stance near Lily's hiding spot, ready to strike anything that comes near.
He eyes the creatures to try to tell if they are homing in on Lily's hiding spot -- so far the rats seemed to be actively after her instead of attacking in general.  Trying to gleam if they can sense where in the room Lily is and thus focus on her, or if they attack everyone meaning they know she's here but not where.   Do they attack William or the priest?

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Readied action to attack?  If anyone gets close enough to him that he can Interpose without leaving being near Lily, he will protect whoever is frist attacked "in range".  Well, except the lizard-dude.  He seems like he can protect himself.
 
Esprit15
James sighs at the priest’s answer.  “ Now if only you knew how to tell people things when they ask you… ”  But the ceiling caving in gives the soldier entirely new priorities to focus on. He fires quickly, focusing on anything that approaches 5404 and Lily, and then on the humanoids when his charges are safe from immediate harm.
WindStruck
Nothing seems to be making a beeline towards Lily or 5404 for now. It's very likely that they still want to hurt Lily, but also very possible they simply can't find her. At least, that is how it seems since the birds immediately attack you! The rotting crows shriek madly as they swoop in. One attacks the guard carrying his semi auto rifle.    "Sh*t!"    he says as he wasted a few rounds trying to hit it before just barely swatting it away from his face. Another crow flaps in front of a different guard and caws, intent at clawing his eyes, before being promptly bludgeoned with a night stick.

One crow dive bombs at James, and yet another crow shrieks and flaps and caws at Dr. Hagerty, coming awfully close and looking like it wants to gauge out her eyes.

The flaming rats seem to run around the room like chickens with their heads cut off. Hank and Marianne try to stomp them out.

Then the two charred bodies groan and they slowly begin to clamber to their feet.
JeenLeen
As they seem not to know where Lily is, 5404 moves away from her location -- no reason to draw them to her if they go after him -- and charges the flaming rats.  He knows he'll heal, so he works at doing low-kicks and stomps to try to eliminate them.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Just attacking with martial arts.  I am wearing boots, so not sure if that matters with any fire damage.
Will Interpose if helpful.
 
Metastachydium
Cecily didn't previously know this could get  worse , but it does. Rapidly. Frozen over, her right foot rapidly and uncontrollably taps an insidioud little rhythm on the floor, as do her hands on the nearest available surface which happens to be her thighs while she tries to stay out of the way of any dead looking birds that swarm past her head with repeated, erratic winces. And all that's  before  the bodies start moving. Some strange switch appears to flip over in Cecily's brain; perhaps to protect her sanity through denial? She neither knows, nor notices. Her feet thaw up and her hands rise, cautiously, defensively.    Ch- Cheryl? T-t-tom? Is that you?   she hers herself say. She inches closer. No such thing as zombies. They are merely hurt. No such thing… She  knows  these people.   Th-they have a doctor, we c-can fix this.   she tries to assure the two. To assure herself. She inches closer yet.
hand ax ranger
As the creatures started pouring in Kuzmo got to work his his blade, slashing and hacking as the lumbering dead got within range of him, thinning their numbers as a violent psychopathic lizard monster should.

"  Ok... so now what!?  "
Esprit15
James gives the bird a swipe of his gun before firing at it.   “We keep this s*** away from Will until he gives us an update!”   the man yells to Kuzmo.
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
     Ch- Cheryl? T-t-tom? Is that you?   she hers herself say. She inches closer. No such thing as zombies. They are merely hurt. No such thingÂ… She  knows  these people.   Th-they have a doctor, we c-can fix this.   she tries to assure the two. To assure herself. She inches closer yet. 
 

 Dr. Hagerty 
  Watch your head there kid.   She chides Cecily while placing a hand on the convict's shoulder. Gripping firmly intending to ground and impose authority her authority on the women entering a stupor.
  Stay low and put these on to keep your eyes in one piece.   The doctor advises as she generously offers Cecily some flash goggles. The team didn't the young woman, Cecily, to become a further burden. Hopefully she had a few tricks up her sleeve like unassuming friend, slow to the uptake but with the reflexes and athleticism of an Olympian.

Maribel:    Picking up another sentiment baby, are we? You know they can't replace father and the rest of our family right?     No, no it's for the mission.    

Dr. Haggerty moves forwards pass the scurrying rats towards toward the burned bodies showing some sign of life. Perhaps whoever they were still capable of being interrogated. Because why else would these escapees do something so conspicuous and risk returning to incarceration? Unless something else compelled them to do it.

Dr. Hagerty grips here firearm planning on clubbing any bird that gets too close. She doesn't want to risk a shot hitting bare metal and sparking further fires.
WindStruck
Cecily's suspicions may very well be correct. While the faces probably weren't recognizable anymore.. at least not in these hectic conditions, the overall shape and build of the bodies would seem like one male, one female, and quite similar to how Tom and Cheryl were... Well, probably anyway.

The charred zombies aren't responsive to Cecily's concerned murmuring. Nor can they be interrogated, as Kuzmo quickly dices their remains to pieces.

James bats the bird attacking him away with the end of his gun, but misses the shots, which score deep pits into the stone walls of the church. It's not out of the picture just yet as it comes back with vengeful persistence and puts a gash in his upper cheek!

Dr. Hagerty has about an equal amount of success trying to bat away the bird intent on pecking her eyes out, but fortunately the pastor casually walks up from behind her and gives it a good thwack with his candle stick, which seems to take it out for good.

With the combined efforts of those here, the flaming rats present are all squished and stomped out. That is, until more pour in. There's like six of them now. One rat circles around Hank, who instead of trying to put it out with the fire extinguisher, opts to keep stomping. Another rat runs over to a stack of bibles and starts rolling around in them, as if deliberately trying to set them all on fire. One rat starts harassing William, nibbling and scratching at the man and knocking his hat off, but he's unresponsive. The other three rats again run around crazily.

Something else interesting happens. The bodies Kuzmo chopped up don't stay down! Well, kind of. Instead of being attacked by two dead and burned up D-class prisoners, it seems your group is now being assaulted by: One severed arm, one pair of legs and hips, a torso with two arms and no head, a zombie with one arm and one leg, a leg flopping around, and a head that can't seem to do much except bite you if you accidentally stick your finger in its mouth.

On top of this, the pastor says,  "Look out! More ceiling is collapsing!" 
JeenLeen
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 With the combined efforts of those here, the flaming rats present are all squished and stomped out. That is, until more pour in. There's like six of them now. One rat circles around Hank, who instead of trying to put it out with the fire extinguisher, opts to keep stomping. Another rat runs over to a stack of bibles and starts rolling around in them, as if deliberately trying to set them all on fire. One rat starts harassing William, nibbling and scratching at the man and knocking his hat off, but he's unresponsive. The other three rats again run around crazily. 
 

" Hey, you with the fire extinguisher, get those books! "


 Something else interesting happens. The bodies Kuzmo chopped up don't stay down! Well, kind of. Instead of being attacked by two dead and burned up D-class prisoners, it seems your group is now being assaulted by: One severed arm, one pair of legs and hips, a torso with two arms and no head, a zombie with one arm and one leg, a leg flopping around, and a head that can't seem to do much except bite you if you accidentally stick your finger in its mouth. 

Well, strange half-human monsters are usually him.
" I'll take those, " 5404 says as he charges for the dismembered body parts.  Avoiding the head, but tries to start with a drop kick to break the leg in half, then try to do strikes and kicks to break the legs on "one pair of legs and hips".
Esprit15
James turns and aims a shot at the rat trying to set the building on fire.
Metastachydium
Being offered protective equipment, and of a sort familiar to those of what  used to  be Cecily's profession is a welcome distraction; she even misses out on people she knew (or the walking, moaning remains thereof) being casually dismembered by Lizard Guy who, in a number of ways, still manages to top the list of things she is currently terrified of, as she mutters what is the best flustered thanks to Motherly Scientist Person.

That, nevertheless, results in her regaining her awareness of the goings-on the exact moment the now much less human-shaped remains begin their  danse macabre ; and as the priest warns of  more  falling roof coming in. She's actually surprised enough to give the slithering arm an actual kick before stumbling back and almost colliding with Longcoat, in time, once more, to witness a dead rat crawling about on his head. At this, she can only stare, albeit with a sudden, unexpected realization that dead rats on Longcoat are probably really bad and wrong and she should probably just woman up and remove it, little as she may like the idea.
Plaids
  This place could come down any second. If we don't have anyone else to pick up we should take Olheim and the tyke [Lily] and get out of here.   Dr. Hagerty warns as she and Cecily continue dragging the disfigured bodies. The splitting wood echoes through the sanctified halls while the charred fabric crunches and flakes away between the warping floorboards having to accommodate the cracking church frame.

Excluding the carrion feeders, the fact this would be a sanitary undergoing was of little comfort.
hand ax ranger
As Kuzmo saw the flailing pieces start moving he breathed deeply, his sword giving a sheen of magic, then started flicking his blade at the amputated pieces. From the tip of his falcata bolts of flame shoot out and strike the limbs and bits not seem to by the others, burning them with ease.

 
 Spoiler: relevant abilities 

Fire Bolt
Takedown
 


"  Alright, so are we making a final stand here, or are we shifting to doing something?  "
MrAbdiel
Benjamin has been applying his can-do attitude to the fortification and pointedly ignoring the ranting and planning, but when Cecily begins her science-ramble, his primal instinct to coat-rail-ride for personal gain kicks in and he appears by her side just in time to be her hype man.


 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
  Subatomic?  Cecily, still trembling, stares at the scene dumbly.  That's… That's not  possible  unles…  Unless morbid amounts of energy are drawn into the system from an outside source.  Which must be the case here.  Some wheels begin to turn in Cecily's head as she freezes, and then they click and lock into place.   Mr., um, William, Sir? Can you locally transmute the oxygen over the oxidized surface of the roof into nitrogen? It's a two particle difference in the structure of the nucleus; humans can do it with, uh, with a reactor and nitrogen's inert, it would smother the fire in absence of   she takes in some air swiftly before jabbering on.   something to burn. Cooling the beams might have the ambient humidity and the smoke to condense, acting as a further retardant.   
 

 "Hey, that's just crazy enough to work!" 

Of course, he has no idea whether that's how these powers work; and for that matter, doesn't understand atomic weights. If he had been asked about the periodic table, he would have confidently assumed you were talking about that fold-away tray you could buy to eat dinner while sitting on the couch. But the moment doesn't require him to know; just to signal to everyone around that he knows, and that his knowledge is reaching down from above to validate Cecily's. But it finds no traction with the world-maker; and very soon he has other things to worry about. Having stood in line for a weapon, he ends up with nothing, and feels a little miffed. But then it hits him:

If he can do something impressive using one of the bibles as a weapon, he'll be perfectly positioned to make a joke about it being a 'good book', as if he had thought of it on the spot. And if it's going to be impressive, he'd better start working on it now.

A minute later, and he's clubbing at the horror-crows and crawling limbs with a chunky, paperback, large print copy of the New International Version (2011).

 Now that's what I call a GOOD BOOK. 
 So that's why they call it a GOOD BOOK. 
 You know what's good? This BOOK. 
 No, no, no. Come on, you can do better. 

When he hears the people who matter shouting about leaving the obvious death trap, he is flummoxed. He could take the bible with him, but it's really the whole church-and-bible scene combination that he requires for the set up.

 "Negative! The old man's working, we gotta stay here!" 

This, said with total conviction and no genuine authority to call shots whatsoever.
WindStruck
Thomas yells at Hank to try to put out the fires the pyromaniac rat is trying to set. He then proceeds to get into a fray with the zombie limbs and parts, and with some skill and effort, the charred limbs crunch and snap to sickening effect. What is left of the zombified bits in any remotely possible threat or form is then incinerated by Kuzmo, who questions if they shall make their final stand here.

As Hank runs over to put out the bibles on fire, James puts a bullet in the rat, not quite stopping its arsonist spree as it explodes into flaming bits. A bit of spray from Hank and some stomping seems to arrest a potential new blaze for now.

Meanwhile Cecily watches with morbid fascination as the rat scurrying around on William not only begins to gouge into the old man's eye, but set his hair on fire. Still no response from the creepy "god" of this realm as his body sits there passively.

Thanks to Benjamin's efforts, the final crow assailing James is bible thumped, and seems to stay down in a smoldering heap of rotten feathers.

 "There's fire everywhere now, and this building is the only one with stone walls,"  the priest says.  "Though the roof is flammable and collapsing, we can hold out longest here. Gyah!"  He does his best to pull the rat off of William, singeing his hands as he does so, and flings it against a wall.

 "Don't just stand there and gawk, woman!"  he admonishes Cecily and hands her his candlestick.  "Fight like your life depends on it!" 

One of the other rats randomly running around finally spots what it's looking for. It shrieks at the church organ, and then the other rats approach and shriek too. You'd swear their fur would be bristling if it wasn't all on fire.

Another chunk of ceiling falls, adjacent to the first hole, accompanied by a humanoid figure: one of the villagers. It lands on its feet, grins at you all and says,    "There's no escape. But what would you give if there was one?"   

The SCP guard brandishing his gun fires multiple shots into this creepy villager. It is knocked to the ground, yet much like before, this hardly even puts the zombified body down. It chuckles.    "Any other takers? Going once..."   
  Boom  

There's a thunderous sound as something massive bangs against the front door.
JeenLeen
As the rats notice Lily, 5404 screams, " NO! " and runs to put himself between the organ and the rats.  " Kuzmo, destroy those rats!  Hit me if you gotta! "

A small part of his mind, not focusing on protecting  his little sister  Lily, is thinking  burning to death burning to death NO NO PLEASE NO .

As an apparently not-William villager speaks... well, 5404's mind doesn't even process the implications.  Protect Lily.  If forsaking the mission to survive.... let the TF Lead or doctor decide that.
Metastachydium
Cecily obediently takes the candlestick with only a faint, whiny  But…  signalling that this  is  how she fights for her life. Very poorly. At that point, however, the church choir of rats begins to sing; and the roof caves in  again . With a talking zombie in tow, no less.   A way out?   Cecily raises both her eyebrows, flashing a flustered glance at Autocannibal from the Car. Didn't he tell her that all these villagers were really Longcoat or whatever? That didn't  sound  like Longcoat. And hat she's apparently not the craziest person in the room gives her little comfort.   The **** is this about?! I…   she addresses the Villager that Won't Just Die, interrupted, this time, by the thunderous sound, barely catching herself in a half-kneeling, half-crouching position from simply flopping onto the floor for cover. The door, she realizes. Something wants in. Her eyes feverishly jump from clump of objects to clump of objects, including the egress itself.

It must be reinforced. And it must be reinforced now, with whatever means available. Including the more unsavory ones, sadly. There's no telling what happens if it opens, and she doesn't want to know.   Chris, B-benjamin, help me!   she calls out, darting forward with the candlestick still comically gripped in her hand.
Esprit15
James levels his shotgun at the villager, feeding it another two shells as he glares at the burning corpse.   “What do you want, what are you offering, and why should we believe a thing by you say?”   In truth, he didn’t expect a compelling answer. And after dragging William out of his pit of pity, he wasn’t likely to just switch sides. But, he was SCP. A certain amount of healthy curiosity was required, if only to give the scientists a chance to do their work. If there’s any move for hostility from it though, he resumes fire.
WindStruck
The burning, shot up corpse, just laughs. Not a giggle, not a rowdy guffaw like he just heard a hilarious joke. It's a bit slow, sinister, relishing in your futile attempts to kill it and impending doom.

   "First to kill the girl gets a ticket out of this Hell. Special consolation prizes to the runner ups who give it a good effort."   

Reverend Olheim stomps forth, incensed, wielding his cross.  "You monster!!  Begone!! " 

Now it truly laughs as though it has heard the most funny thing in the longest times.

Most people look at each other uncertainly, as though they can't believe what they are hearing. Maybe they are even considering it. Hanks gawks at the laughing corpse and makes a sign of the cross starting from his head, to his chest, then shoulders.
Metastachydium
Something seems to…  Break  in Cecily, in the meantime. She stops dead on her tracks and looks at the thing. She begins to gag. The same scene starts playing in an endless loop in her head. A car's door, slams shut, a face, and then the fire and the screams and the sound. All the fire. She turns around, paler than ever before. And she  explodes .

The next second, she's on top of the laughing body, a foot on its belly, a knee on its arm. Her face is red. She is screaming something even she doesn't understand. And the candlestick goes down, again and again and again and again. To crush the face, all the teeth, the windpipe, the ribs, flatten the lung. Press all the air out of the being, whatever from the hell it mat be. It will never talk again. Never make another sound. There's no more method to it, the vicious, unrelenting, frenzied pounding. She will stop – when  it  stops. Not a heartbeat earlier.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Trauma: triggered! I'm spending the Victory Point, requesting a sudden adrenaline rush allowing C. to just beat the speech organs of this thing into a bloody pulp as if she weren't the wimp she is.
 
Esprit15
At around the word “prize” William pulls the trigger, aiming for the monster’s head.   “No can do. That decision is beyond my pay grade.”  
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 As the rats notice Lily, 5404 screams, " NO! " and runs to put himself between the organ and the rats.  " Kuzmo, destroy those rats!  Hit me if you gotta! " 
 

The monster man dashed over with his falcata and started to flick and slash the blade at the undead rodents, chopping them enough to destroy but preventing over penetration into the man-thing. Least, enough to not great incapacitate him. This showed the combination of his surgical precision and raw skill with the sword.

Off to the side, more demonic zombie things were trying to tempt the rest but Kuzmo gave no damns for it's offer. The child was unharmed and, by him divine will, she would  stay  that way if he was still acting.
MrAbdiel
Benjamin  does  help, when asked; muscling a smashed rafter from a collapsed section of roof over to brace the front door at a diagonal. The job's a little difficult, as the scorched wood is splattered with fire retardant foam now; but he manage just in time for Cecily to lose her mind. The mocking body receives shotgun fire from the handler and then post-rational fury from the D-Class woman in such rapid succession it's a wonder there's no friendly fire; but on the back end of it, the body's head is definitely pulp and Cecily's knuckles and definitely bloody.

Benjamin uses his prison-strength to brace the door, but strains to look over his shoulder. In the room behind, fire races across the ceiling and walls in great intruding tongues. The smashed carcasses of long dead rats and ravens shudder and jerk in their mushy piles on the ground, as the component chunks of bodies hacked up by the scaly hulk work and jive on the floor. Others array around the meditative old man and the priest, and protect the little girl from destruction.

A neuron in Benjamin's brain sputters and fires.

He begins to suspect there is something...  Unnatural ... about this town.
Plaids
Laughing corpse attempting to barter with Cecily was all the evidence needed to confirm a third party.
 Drat!  Dr. Hagerty fumed.   If you had any enemies in life you better tell us now William. Because I am not in the mood for a histrionic therapy session!  
 Thank you for refusing his offer dear.  Hagerty offering her belated praise to Cecily.
An old enemy from William's past with their own reality warping powers would be far more preferable than William manifesting a part of his own psyche to continue this Sisyphean cycle.

We are clearly dealing with someone who wants Lilly dead. We just don't know who and where they are.

The doctor pulls a grey restraining foam capsule and hucks it at a splitting beam or girder closest to Lilly.

 Good job sis. I'll add myself to the pile of bodies covering Lilly. If the worst transpires, we can always give Ol' Willy a bump on the noggin just like dad would have.  
WindStruck
Thomas rushes over to protect Lily, putting himself between the organ and the flaming rats. Kuzmo quickly lunges forth and manages to slice up two of the rodents, and Thomas catches the last, squishing it.

The D-Class boys rush over trying to brace the wooden door more. Chris and Benjamin manage to jam the rafter in a diagonal between a corner near the door and a small buttress on one of the other walls flanking the door. It's not clear how effective the strategy actually is, but more mass and objects in front of the door would help. Probably.

The entity's mocking offer and laughter is abruptly cut short by a shotgun blast to the face from James, and then repeated blunt force trauma. It was Cecily, in the church, with the candlestick. The lifeless corpse doesn't even bother to gurgle much before it clearly stops trying.

 "Alright, Seargant's made his decision,"  one of the guards says.  "If any of you even think of touching the girl, I'm putting a bullet in your head."  But for now it seems the only one even heeding this warning and not actually doing anything to oppose this third entity right at this moment is Marianne, with eyes as wide as saucers.

As Dr. Hagerty attempts to brace the structure of the church roof above Lily's hiding spot, there's another   BOOOM   as the front door takes another solid blow, cracking open in the middle and partially at the hinges. The entire structure of the church shudders, and there's some massive shape looming outside.

William blinks with his one good eye, clutching the other clawed one, clambering to his feet and cursing under his breath. He didn't seem to hear Dr. Hagerty demanding to know his enemies of the past, as he says,   "Damnit! Nothing will stay put! As soon as I put one side up the other collapses! It's not making any progress! It's..."  

Reverend Olheim grabs the man by the shoulders and shakes him.  "William! It makes sense now! The Deceiver is here and overtly intervening! This wouldn't be happening if we weren't close!" 

Hank approaches the two men, fire extinguisher at the ready and pointed at anyone or anything that moves with paranoid gusto.  "Wait a minute. Deceiver? You mean the Devil??"  There's another strange look in the rustic man's eyes as though he's come to a massive revelation.  "Oh my God. If this is His will, then what are we doing here?" 

Olheim looks over at Hank, fixated on him as if just seeing him for the first time.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Moment of preparation before a huge thing bursts through the door. Or more chatting! I think at this point, it's safe to say that words have accomplished more than bullets and swords in this scenario. Well.. and possibly, Thomas coming back to life. 😁
 
JeenLeen
5404 has had some tactical training, to help out with the Task Force teams.  Lily is secure for now, and a threat is coming from the door.

He rushes towards the door.  " I can't die.  If some thing  is coming through, let it get distracted by me while you hammer it. "  He readies himself to punch at whatever does emerge -- likely little good it'll do -- but mostly planning to find himself with a new body shortly, either as it tears him to shreds or he jumps in front of it as it tries to tear an ally to shreds.

Deceiver?  The priest interested in what some D-class is saying?
With a quick glance to the D-class, he asks,  "Do you know something?" 
Metastachydium
Violently shaking, and trying to catch her breath, Cecily stands. The world is hazy all around. The corpse is now silent, but she can still hear Shultz, in the kitchen of that Mark's Yard, his flabby hand on hers telling her it's gonna work out alright, two days before St. Louis. It didn't. This won't. It's… It's not like that matters, though. Her composure, whatever little of it she has and will ever have, is slowly returning. She did that. And she'll do this. Maybe there's many kinds of hell, with many kinds of way out. Chemical reactions always rebuild the same balance, in a different shape. Nothing is lost, nothing gained. She can balance her own hell, then. At least that, if nothing else. She darts towards the door once more, sticking her improvised weapon in a crack between floorboards.

 H-hey…  she has to clear her throat, once more. The candlestick is slippery with her own sweat.   Hey, you t-two! Help me out!   she calls upon Benjamin and Chris, once more. It's a simple matter. Breaking the door means mass, momentum or both. She cannot match that. Nor can Weird Guy from the Car. But they can use it.    I'll… I'll n-need that beam, with the jagged end, this board loose. We'll s-slip it under. L-lay it on stuff, weigh it down. Bring up something h-heavy.   she can feel her hand trembling, as much as her voice does.   M-make a spiked ditch. It runs into it, it gets hurt. Otherwise, b-basic inter…  Interdiction.   
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Using the Technology roll, if possible, to design a simple trap opposite the door: a beam with a jagged end pointing towards the Big Thing Outside; the other end slid under the floor; the middle lying on debris to stand at an appropriate angle; weighed down with further beams/beam pieces from above so that the whole thing's sturdier.
 
Plaids
Dr. Hagerty
Seeing everyone else preparing for what was about to batter down the door Dr. Hagerty makes moves to make her own contribution. She walks to the biggest victim in this whole mess and pulls out some bandages and disinfectant strewn about the floor amongst the scavenged SCP supplies.

  You've been very brave sweetie; your grandfather loves you more than anything.   she coos in the attempt to calm the child.
  Our dragon will scare away all the mean things that want to hurt you and all the other sweet things.  
Dr. Hagerty subtly taps her compact magnetic repulser activating the desired configuration.

Maribel:   Damn. I got nothing. You think whatever is coming through that door has worse night vision than what we have?  
Esprit15
James turns to the source of the banging, mentally tracking the locations of the D-Class as best he can in case one makes a run for Lily.   “Just keep focusing, William. Block this all out of your mind and remember what’s important. What you’re fighting to protect. You’ve tried running, but the only way out of this is through.”  ​
 
 Spoiler 
Not sure if he’s really suffering from “dazed, fatigued, or stunned,” but I’d like to at least try to spend a Victory Point to activate Leadership and motivate William to push through, either now or next time he begins to lose faith in himself.
 
MrAbdiel
 "Hey, c'mon, dummy!"  Benjamin chides, clapping Chris over the back of his head with his palm.  "It's basic interdiction, do ya need her to spell it out?" 

Personal intelligence broadcast successfully to the entire room, he gets about being actually helpful as directed. They don't have a lot of time; but with Benjamin and Chris leaning on the lever, they can probably pop up a few boards so that whatever barrels through the door gets an ankle-trap at the very least!
WindStruck
Thomas rushes to defend the front entrance of the church, joining Kuzmo, as Cecily manages to calm her emotions, barely, an idea forming in her head. She and the other D-class manage to completely pry up a couple adjacent floor boards, then wedge a pointy end of a fallen beam into it. Propping it up, a jagged piece of wood faced the door, ready to impale whatever it was that was about to burst through.

Dr. Hagerty wanders over to comfort Lily, soothing the nips and scratches Kuzmo missed, and likewise, James firmly tries to encourage William not to give up.

It's Hank who looked at Thomas quizzically about knowing something. No that wasn't really his forte. But the priest had a habit of knowing things which he shouldn't, or which were unexplainable. He says,  "I see it now.. I never bothered to look, because of that jumpsuit. As they say, never judge a book by its cover? You lost so much, and yet, what you did to spite yourself was both admirable and foolish. But the Lord does work in mysterious ways, and here you are now, to.. - William!" 

Olheim turns his attention to the washed up deity of this small three-person town, who was beginning to crouch down now and perhaps steel his nerves for another grueling ordeal to come.

 "We need you to trust me! Transfer my powers to him! Give yours to him as well! At the same time!" 

William is looking up at this nonsense very skeptical and cranky to say the least, and Hank looks quite flummoxed.  "Powers? What are you talking about, reverend?" 

The situation is about as confusing as it is distracting and terrifying, as with a loud crash, a hulking figure bursts into the church through all the barricades. It's an amalgam of bodies not stitched, but somehow melted together. How it works or functions is anyone's guess, but maybe that's a moot point as it is surely zombified in some way like everything else in this cursed place. You can pick out contorted limbs, bones, twisted faces, bits of clothes. As the thing charges through the door, it is impaled, and dozens of screams of varying pitch shriek out from the pulsating mass, both somehow human-like and bestial.

Those who were closest to the door setting up the trap (Chris, Benjamin, Cecily, and Marianne doing practically nothing but watching) are knocked over and prone now.
JeenLeen
5404 has braced himself for some monstrosity, but when the  thing  breaks through, he panicks a moment.  A step back.  Shivering with fear.
But no.  There's not much he can do anymore, but he can do this.

At least the D-class' weapon worked!  He runs between the prone D-class and the creature, trying to strike at a part of it with relatively few grasping limbs.  If it attacks the D-class in the meantime, he'll give top focus on protecting the one that seems the most useful, the one that had the idea of the weapon.  (Well, most useful besides the one  that they are apparently turning into a god  but his mind doesn't have time to focus on that bit of craziness at the moment.)

 
 Spoiler 

Run in to attack.  Interpose to guard Cecily if she's attacked.  If not, whoever is attacked.

I'm cool with making a D-class in the prescient god.
Be more fun to give the powers to King. 😛
 
Esprit15
James does what he does best: Violence. Shot after shot rings out as he fires slugs into the beast’s hide.   “Do what the priest says!”   he roars between shots.
Metastachydium
Cecily is somewhat too busy being stuck somewhere she doesn't want to be to pay much attention to the discussion about and around Hank going on. Her very clever plan has seen  her  trapped on the floor, between an angry, wounded, shrieking composite monstrosity and Shotgun using his shotgun to shoot (at least it's not shot that the gun shoots, but that's little comfort). Staying where she is leaves her uncomfortably close to the newcomer. She could get up  unreasonably  fast (a skill she, sadly, has had the occasion to observe before), but that seems like a good way to die so much sooner on account of being gunned down. To make matters worse, while her eyes are protected just about fine, given the goggles she received, whether dead or alive, she'll leave this place without her eardrums intact. Gunfire and them kind of racket the ball of bodies makes is a good way to lose those, as well as the ability to think very clearly.

So, for the time being, she just stays flat, shaking and trying not to scream. But at least she's not supine! Actually seeing what's going on is not something she wants to do right now.
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 The entity's mocking offer and laughter is abruptly cut short by a shotgun blast to the face from James, and then repeated blunt force trauma. It was Cecily, in the church, with the candlestick. The lifeless corpse doesn't even bother to gurgle much before it clearly stops trying. 
 


 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
     I'll… I'll n-need that beam, with the jagged end, this board loose. We'll s-slip it under. L-lay it on stuff, weigh it down. Bring up something h-heavy.   she can feel her hand trembling, as much as her voice does.   M-make a spiked ditch. It runs into it, it gets hurt. Otherwise, b-basic inter…  Interdiction.    
 

Even among the chaos Kuzmo can see as the girl he saw as dead weight suddenly jumped up and smashed in the head of the temptign figure. Then she went and used debris as a makeshift pike for whatever was ramming the door.

"  Hey!...  " He called out to her while still guarding Lily from where he was. "  ...Good work girl! maybe your not as useless as I thought.  "


 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
   You've been very brave sweetie; your grandfather loves you more than anything.   she coos in the attempt to calm the child.
  Our dragon will scare away all the mean things that want to hurt you and all the other sweet things.   
 

The hefty lizard growled and looked back at Dr. Hailey, and also Lily, as was about to snap again. However, he knew the girl was scared enough as it was so he inhales and stops himself from yelling about it.

Then, when the creature broke through the door and started causing violence, he turned to it and flung a bolt of flame at it to add to James salvo on the monsters body. "  I'm not.... a dragon.  " He mutters, flinging another. "  I slay them  "
MrAbdiel
Benjamin doesn't understand what he catches of the conversation about the apotheosis of Hank. It's probably best that way - Hank is his chief rival for  big dog  now that Tater got scalloped, and he'd certainly waste everyone's time by trying to convince them to give  him  whatever prize they were trying to give Hank.

But he's working on the plan, right now; and with a combined effort, Chris and Benjamin hoist the  Cecily Spike  into position.

 "Hey, that's pretty good. Maybe-" 

No one will ever know what he was about to suppose; Benjamin forgets immediately as the monsterous mash comes powering through the door and spits itself on the spike, battering all four of the D-Class up front to their backs as it does. It wasn't like fighting a man, or even a single towering foe; pinned this way, straining at them with a flailing mess of limbs and torsos, it was like being knocked to the ground and attacked by a dozen vicious, froth mouthed, bug-eyed killers at once.

But Benjamin had been to prison. Not just experimental science prison where the ubiquitous gun toting guards brooked no misbehaviour beyond a shouting fight at the lunch table. Benjamin had been to, and lived through,  prison  prison; where a man could say the  wrong thing  by accident and end up knocked to the ground and attacked by a dozen vicious, froth mouthed, bug-eyed killers. And Benjamin had a habit of saying the  wrong thing  on purpose. Strange as it was, if there was any part of this bizarre adventure for which fate had prepared prisoner D-44529, this was the moment.

 "AAAAHhhhhh you f**cker come on you f**ckerI'llhaveyouyoubloodybastardaaaAAAAAHHHhhhh I'llhaveyouI'llhaveyourbloodygutsforgartersmaterrR  RRAAAghghghAAHH!"
 

He fights like a maniac. Part of the splintered church door is one fist, stabbing up at eyes and throats. He takes breaks in his snarling torrent of curses only to bite off fingers, noses, and lips. He does all this while on his back, kicking, rolling, bucking, thrashing, skimming around beneath the bulk of the impaled monster like a cat under a couch.

 
 Spoiler: In the Zone 
Bizarrely, this is a situation Benjamin is strongly equipped to excel in (as much a D-Class can be).  Improved Grab ,  Improved Hold ,  Fast Grab , and  Chokehold  might all have some degree of application here as he does his best to maul the monster.  Prone fighting  certainly does.  Interpose  may permit him to protect Cecily and Marianne. And since Benjamin's fighting 'powerset' is "Prison Brawling" including  Eyegouge  and  Mangle , he might do better here than he has any right to.

I doubt he'll kill the monster with his bare hands, especially since it's probably unkillable; but hell, he'll give it a red-hot go and maybe buy more time than one dim bulb ought to.
 
Plaids
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Hank looks a bit uncomfortable and explains,  "Well.. it's kind of like, if you were to think to yourself, or read something, but... not like my voice or anything I imagined. It just came to me spontaneously. I think it was male? It said.. something like, ' The town ahead is in peril, a sad plaything of the devil. The most devout man, my humble servant, reconcile the damned, deliver the fervent. ' "  
 


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 Olheim turns his attention to the washed up deity of this small three-person town, who was beginning to crouch down now and perhaps steel his nerves for another grueling ordeal to come.

 "We need you to trust me! Transfer my powers to him! Give yours to him as well! At the same time!" 
William is looking up at this nonsense very skeptical and cranky to say the least, and Hank looks quite flummoxed.  "Powers? What are you talking about, reverend?"  
 

The two threads provided a valid argument. The need to reconcile with the damned, William, the devout man, Olheim, and a devil, William's mysterious saboteur. All provided by Hank, who lacked the knowledge and imagination to go through an elaborate fabrication while his life is on the line. The only problem was the soundness of argument. How could this unseen messenger be trusted? Even with all the time spent with SCP it is hard believing in something or someone unmeasurable, unobservable, and unaccountable. But what better option does she have?


Recounting her conclusion, she unsparingly explains to William.
  Even with all the attempts you've made to perfect your approach save Lilly something always goes wrong and you fail. It was never your execution but your strategy that was flawed. That man, Hank.  
She points to Hank, still quite flummoxed. Raising her voice to the intensity of two women with the same contempt and urgency.
    Was given a message from a messenger, someone who has seen this playout before. It went ' The town ahead is in peril, a sad plaything of the devil. The most devout man, my humble servant, reconcile the damned, deliver the fervent. '  
  Do as Olheim says and break this miserable repetitious cycle. Prove to us you have the conviction and are worthy of protecting Lilly, before Lilly realizes you've gotten comfortable doting on her for a year at a time before losing her this night and starting over. She's certainly not happy.    

Rolling intimidation  (1d20+8)[ 16 ] .
WindStruck
This is perhaps the climax of your encounter with the SCP 1031: a strange facade of a village, two bickering men, an innocent girl, and something truly evil was here. There were powers beyond comprehension. The scene is a jumbled mess.

At the fore of the church, the behemoth of an amalgamated humanoid form lurches back as lead bullets and magical fire scour its body, and it frees itself from the beam that impaled it. James pumps shell after shell into the abomination until his shotgun is empty, as do the other SCP guards shoot until their ammo clips run out. There's a brief moment taken to reload, and then Thomas is immediately on the monster, punching and kicking with his martial arts. Benjamin shouts obscenities and attacks like a madman, remaining prone as he grasps a large splinter of wood and shanks the monster repeatedly.

Despite the barrage of bullets and blows, the monster seems to further stand upright, and then...

    "Heya, pal! I'm  baaaack !"    

Benjamin, Cecily, and all the other D-Class immediately realize there is something familiar about this voice. It's distorted, deeper, and perhaps even barely human-like. And yet you can't help but pick out that Southern, redneck drawl. That maniacal, demented glee. You see one of the faces speaking in the center of the mass of flesh, and come to realize that this is none other than Ultra Mega Flesh-warped Calamity Tater!

With an inhuman giggle, it moves a massive limb to grasp at Benjamin, but Thomas puts himself in the way first! With an annoyed grunt, it flings Thomas like a rag doll, knocking over the other two SCP guards as well!

Chris clambers to his feet and is either waiting for an opportunity to strike, or more likely run, or just too petrified to do anything. Marianne screams and runs to the back of the church, grasping at the locked handle. And King, well, pretty sure King is hiding under a pew barricade somewhere like any sane cat would be doing at this point.

 
 Spoiler: Assessment for James 
This thing is huge. It barely even fit through the church doors. It's questionable what functional anatomy it has, and you are sure it's all pretty much a zombie of some sort anyway. Extremely hard to put down.

Its strength is massive and devastating. Speed and reflexes yet to be seen. You don't think any of the attacks on it so far have been very effective, aside from maybe the big spike trap. You need more firepower, and badly!
 


Further back into the church, amid smoking debris, there's some sort of conversation going on, shouting above the screams and gunfire.

  "What do you mean just give him your powers?! You can do that?!"  
 "You can if that is your desire! You must will it!" 
  "Who the Hell is this guy?! Why should I trust him or you?!"  
 "Name's Henry Crawford, sir! But I don't think-"  Hank says, as he glances nervously toward the scene at the front of the church. He flinches defensively as Thomas is thrown near his direction, then runs over to help Thomas and the other two guards up off the ground.

  "I don't give a damn about your name, and I ain't trusting no criminal!"  

James's yelling and Dr. Hagerty's insistence seems to give the demi-god being pause, and yet the stubborn old mule still clings to his power.   "I'll handle this myself!  Git, you ugly bastard! "   With a forceful gesture of William's hands, the monstrosity is flung back so hard that it takes out part of the stone walls near the door with a  CRACKOOM , and it tumbles back onto the foggy street.

Yet more of the church collapses!  Masses of flaming debris fall on top of Benjamin and Cecily and Chris !

 
 Spoiler: A special meme for Tater 
 

Just had to bring him back again!  lol!
 
JeenLeen
5404 feels a momentary moment of surprise.  Not so much from the harm of being flung across the room or the broken bones and organs from the hit, but more because he's far more alive than anticipated.  Urgh, he hates how it feels when his stomach and intestines rupture.

Pushing himself up from the floor, he partially comprehends the argument with William.  But he's understanding once the idiot demigod attacks the beast  and further damages the church that is protecting Lily.    And the D-class are dead now!

" William!  The church is what is protecting Lily right now.  Stop destroying everything.   You  have almost killed her a half dozen times since we've started guarded her.  Give Hank your power! "

He stands up and runs again towards the beast, sparing a glance towards Lily's shelter first.  Protect or die, that's the job.  Man, he hates his job, but it feels good to be doing something to protect.
Esprit15
Three more tally marks scratch themselves into James’s mind as the roof collapses. He futilely fires one more slug into the monster, but to no avail. Hide was too thick, form was too… weird. Hopefully at least one of the D-Class could be rescued from the debris pile. The panicky woman who came up with the spike trap didn’t deserve to die like that, at least.

  “Ain’t none of us overpowering that bastard! Best we can do is… hm…”   James looks around. Something to restrain the beast. Or deal enough damage that it couldn’t keep its form.
 
 Spoiler: Questions 
Is there a basement?

Is the floor pretty sturdy or are there some unstable spots that shouldn’t have too much weight?

Is there anything large still hanging from the ceiling?

Is the church bell still intact? If so, what’s the path to that look like?
 
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo growled in discontentment as to how this was going. He looked towards the re-generator running towards the beast and stared down the monstrosity,


 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   “Ain’t none of us overpowering that bastard! Best we can do is… hm…”   James looks around. Something to restrain the beast. Or deal enough damage that it couldn’t keep its form. 
 

"  Speak for yourself James!  " He said, though without the snarl seeing as he saw James as a fellow warriror. He then motioned him over.  "  Swap me in and I'll put him down a second time!  "

Upon confirmation he charged forward and slashed at the undead beast, engaging in bloody combat with it!
Esprit15
  “Have at it,”   James says, disengaging. The bell calls out to him as an idea, but communicating everything necessary to make that work  in front of the creature they need to lure  was liable to waste time, get someone killed, and  still  fail. So instead, he finds himself running to the car.   Please still be there, please still be there, please still be there…  
 
 Spoiler 
Running to get grenades
 
WindStruck
Thomas charges forth, a fine distraction for the behemoth that is what seems many human bodies glued together, in a monstrous form that would make Frankenstein cower in fear. With blazing speed, Kuzmo seems to appear nearby to flank it, his blade cutting deep as the monster hisses in pain.

James also rushes out of the church, toward the car they rode in on, the car that had been purposely sabotaged to make it look like it broke down. The car with high explosive grenades hidden within. But distance starts to feel all wonky as James sprints across the street. The air is smokey and stale and suffocating. His legs feel like lead weights. The building that was merely across the street and a few addresses down feels like it takes moments to reach, though in reality it only took seconds.

Upon arriving to the auto mechanic shop, James finds the fog particularly hard to see through. And as he makes his way towards the back of the vehicle to retrieve the supplies, his foot slips as he almost falls into seemingly nothingness. Looking around, through what he could barely see, it seems as though half the building is gone. Simply gone. No walls, no ceiling, no sky, no floor, no ground. Nothing. The void calls to James, inviting him to jump in. But still. If he can hold off on the suicidal thoughts, he finds his grenades.

    "You! Yoooou!"     the monster says as it grabs Kuzmo around the waist and torso with its gargantuan mitts, large enough to fully encompass the burly man and then some.

Then it grabs Thomas as well, and starts bashing your heads together like a violent child playing with dolls. It giggles maniacally.
Plaids
Dr. Hagerty

The obstinate complaints and retorts are getting infuriating. The definition of insanity griping beside her has just been replicating the same motions before just wiping the slate clean and unwilling to try something novel. Repulsing the cackling mass took the edge off for a solitary heartbeat with the gratitude the magical act engendered. But a heartbeat later the helpful D-Class were buried underneath the rubble.

  Be careful with how you throw that beast around this whole church could down on us at any minute. William, Fink just gave me an idea. You have rebuilt this town dozens of times, is there a basement shelter or even a large church bell we can keep Lilly safe from collateral damage? With her safe you can then really cut loose on these creeps.  
 
 Spoiler: Action Plan 
Try and get Lilly to safety, stuffing her in a basement or even a large metal church bell that could be bolted to the building foundation. I could roll for a search check if needed. If no safe place exists, then Hagerty will try to dig out the people trapped in the rubble.
 
Esprit15
James pauses and looks out into the void - an expanse of vantablack as dense as it was empty. He could always… leave. Take a weightless step into the hole in reality and accept whatever came after. Be free of the paperwork and the bureaucracy and the responsibility for death row inmates who didn’t deserve the deaths they would get. Names of D-Class back when he would ask them float back to his mind. Markus, Jeremy, Lyra, Artemis, Jamey, ‘James II,’ Dale, Victoria, Michelle, Michael, Vance, Austin, August, Tyra, Vincent, Deanne, Xavier, John, Joseph, Joann, Alex, ‘Other Alex,’ Andy, Drew, Luke, William, Robert, Thomas, Ricky, Dean, Wendy, Zach, Zoe, Bryan, Tyler, Grant, Brandy, Reese, John. And then the names are replaced with numbers, which just blur into an endless sequence. 5807, 8383, A002, 6273, 6655, 8373, 8374, 77882, 377, 62776… no some of those were wrong…

But… he had a responsibility left still. A duty to Cecily and 5404 and Benjamin and even King and Kuzmo. He was their commanding officer, their leader, and if he abandoned that… well, he had no regrets about what he did to his last commanding officer who abandoned their duty.
.
.
.
When James comes back to his body, there is a box of grenades in his hands. He was walking back to the church.
JeenLeen
As his head is cracked against Kuzmo's again and again, slightly but not quite completely healing between each blow, most conscious thought for tactics or concern for the others vanishes in a wash of repeated agony and flashbacks to some "testing" scenarios at the SCP Site.  The main thought being  I hate my job I have my job I hate my job I hate my job .

If he were more coherent, he's at least be pleased he seems to be keeping the Thing occupied.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Not much to do, but at least my regen is technically helping.  Maybe.  I'm just guessing at rate of damage vs. healing rate.
 
hand ax ranger
Too slow to prevent being plucked up by the Tater-beast, Kuzmo is slammed multiple times into the other re-generator. There was humor in the fact the one most able to put themselves back together were the ones being bashed against one another.

In this pain and anger, something snapped inside Kuzmo. Dropping his buckler he slammed a hand on to the Tater-creature's arm and spoke in tongues, using mystic power to inflict a curse upon the thing

 
 Spoiler: The What? 

Power Stunt: Turn Mend Flesh (Healing 3) to Curse Flesh (Weaken Strength 3 linked w/ Weaken Toughness 3). Gives him Fatigued tho, but I got a hero point left I believe.
 


Assuming he succeeded, When the power left his hand and poured int the beast it's flesh would warp and tear. Parts would harden and crack, others dribble like melted cheese, and an assortment more and the power of the flesh mystic forced foul things to occur to the otherwise unsightly beast as well as destroy it's might and resilience.
WindStruck
Metahuman and demi-human heads clash together, a cacophony of pain and sensory scrambling. But the two victims are far tougher than they would appear. Turning divine healing magic into divine blight, the monstrosity's arms seize up temporarily, its body cracking and warping and melting. Rather than the Death Tater's normal murderous glee, its many mouths bellow in confusion and rage.

Thomas takes this opportunity as the blight ripples across its body to escape from the monster's weakening grasp, and in anger, it uses both of its humongous arms to grip Kuzmo and tear the would be demigod in twain. As Kuzmo's bisected body bleeds out (before being flung against a church wall) he briefly recalls some forgotten knowledge. Ah, but alas...

James returns to the scene with a box of grenades, finding yet another of their number fallen as a falcata clatters to the ground. He has lots of firepower with him, but how will he make it all count?

Inside the church, the remaining SCP guards hold their ground, conserving their dwindling ammo as Lily waits in hiding within the church organ, and conversation, or perhaps heated debate still persists.

Addressing Dr. Hagerty, William says,   "We've been over this! I've been  trying  to keep her safe, but there's nowhere..! I mean, she's as safe as she can possibly be at this point! Which isn't saying much."  

The priest hurriedly cuts in and says,  "William, you know you can't just defend her on your own. The town, this world, it's collapsing remember. If you don't even attempt to maintain it, then..." 
  "S***. I have to go back and try to keep this place together. But if I do that..."   cue the bestial roaring outside, followed by the wet snapping of bones and something thudding against the church walls.

 "What do we do? That thing's going to kill us all!"  Hank cries.

More glass shatters and the pews are pushed over into the room. Dead human hands writhe and pull their puppet-like corpses over the ledges, vacant yet hungry looks in their eyes.

  "W-what?! NOO!!"   William's own body tenses up as it seems he's put a stop to the villager puppets for now.

 "That's three problems we have now. William, listen to me, please. I think there  is  a way to save her. And these people too! You just have to-" 
  " He just has to what? "   one of the puppets rasps, leaning in partially from a window.   " Give up again? I thought the big damn hero who bravely ran away told you not to give up. And you're so close too... "  
Plaids
 Dr. Hagerty
 
There was so much information, too much. This was an iterative narrative of gyrating failure being conveyed in a patchwork of recollections tinted by competing perspectives from people who had to have ceased being human over half a century ago. No human could ordeal through this cyclical erratic saga and retain their ephemeral humanity.

The thick thud against the church walls jolts Hagerty out of her hopeless contemplation. The sound was unlikely from the Tater-beast, not even Kuzmo would have been able to toss it against the church. It was also unlikely to be just another shambling villager given the thickness of the walls. Kuzmo and Thomas wouldn't occupy the beast much longer.


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
  "That's three problems we have now. William, listen to me, please. I think there  is  a way to save her. And these people too! You just have to-"  
 

  These people, are the same ones who were here since the first tragedy?   She fearfully asks Olheim.
  We thought they were all recreations from William. This changes everything!  

Now the groans and screeches from the shambling crowd are a distinct cry uniting into a vengeful verdict against William.


 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
   " He just has to what? "   one of the puppets rasps, leaning in partially from a window.   " Give up again? I thought the big damn hero who bravely ran away told you not to give up. And you're so close too... "   
 

Another detail. This time hinting at Olheim's past and mysterious hero who talked to him. Could this hero be the one who had relayed the prophetic speech today? This hero had urged Olheim to work and rectify this mess. Could this hero be opposing the devil tormenting this town? Could this hero be the devil tormenting this town and sabotaging William? Or was the quip that sparked this whole contemplation untrue?
Either way, the cycle needed bo broken. She redoubles her efforts trying to break the cycle.
  We are not going to last much longer and the world around is collapsing William.
Please break this miserable cycle. You are not happy; she is not happy  Dr. Hagerty points to Lilly.
Appealing to Williams protective nature and single-minded goal to save Lilly, Dr. Kalispell and Maribell Hagerty plead.
[COLOR="brown"] Someone is sabotaging you and has succeeded dozens of times. You need to do something they would never anticipate and haven't prepared. They know you well and know you will always use your powers to protect Lillie. What they never planned for was for someone else to use their powers to save Lily.
I know you don't trust Henry due to his past. But please give your powers to someone who has been protecting Lillie that you do trust. Be it Olheim, Henry, Fink, Thomas, me, or her.
Dr. Hagerty and Maribell point to Lilly, crouched and sobbing within the church organs, living as the greatest victim within this wheel of misfortune.
 
 Spoiler: If rolls are needed to convince William 
 The speech might be a bit too long to be believable, but I am ready to roll to convince William and spend any resources available. Since I don't think the party can overcome the current horde of enemies and any surprise fiends who show up.
 
Esprit15
  “****ing  **** !”   James shouts as he steps in just in time to see the lizard king ripped in half. His nose visibly crinkles in anger, but his focus remains on the task at hand.   “Everyone! Take two! Grip tightly, plunger unlocks the pin. Pin comes out, fuse lasts for five seconds once the plunger is released! Throws like a baseball! Aim for a mouth if you’re feeling lucky! You kill anyone other than that **** with it, you’re dead, that includes me! D-Class, you too! This is a special exception to any weapons restrictions you have.  Move! ”   Hopefully the beast’s guard will be down with Kuzmo deceased.
JeenLeen
Someone dead on his watch!  No.

5404 runs back to grab not one but a handful of grenades, pulling the pins as he runs to the Thing.
He made a mistake breaking free a moment ago.
Not this time.

5404 lunges into the creature, trying to embed himself into some of its flesh corrupted and softened by whatever strange magicks his fallen comrade used.
For maybe on of the first times, he isn't feeling regretful about a planned death.  To protect, to avenge, for purpose.
WindStruck
  These people, are the same ones who were here since the first tragedy?   She fearfully asks Olheim.
  We thought they were all recreations from William. This changes everything!  
 We are not going to last much longer and the world around is collapsing William.
Please break this miserable cycle. You are not happy; she is not happy  Dr. Hagerty points to Lilly.

William's attention snaps from the malicious figure goading him, wild-eyed, to the eccentric scientist gibbering at him.   Woman, what are you on?! It's all been a recreation! Every one of them! Of course I'm not happy! She's not happy! She's scared out of her goddamn mind!! Just shut your trap already!  

Somehow, inexplicably, Dr. Hagerty's mouth seems to weld shut, as if clamped in vice grips, or perhaps, as if she took a bite out of a peanut butter sandwich that was far too sticky. William regards her a moment with a few blinks, as if he didn't mean to do this, but shakes his head, deciding not to even attempt to rectify the situation.

 
 Spoiler: Dr. Hagerty 
Actually, your mouth is just kinda gone now...
 


The possessed villager laughs again, slow and diabolical, and William marches right up to him and pulls him through the window by his neck.   "What do you want from me?!"  

James reconvenes with the others, solemnly passing out grenades to everyone, with quick instructions like their lives depended on it. Because, well, it actually does.

And Thomas, the fool, gets a bunch of them and attempts to pull the pins out all at once. Charging the creature once again, it eagerly grabs a hold of Thomas and begins to crush him before it realizes something is off. In a deafening thunder and brief blinding white hot pain all over his body, Thomas is blown to smithereens by his own explosive devices, and with him, most of the hulking beast. Or at least, its arms are probably torn off?

You can barely hear the monster bellow out of its many mouths, as dust and debris fly everywhere and its massive weight once again crashes to the ground.
Esprit15
  “Hit the deck!”   The soldier ducks for cover as Thomas charges in and—   yep  , there’s the ringing in the ears.

 Look left. Look right. Is it alive? Any injured?  James grabs another grenade and moves closer. Was it dead yet?
WindStruck
It's hard to hear with your ears ringing.

But you think you still hear it shuffling.  Maybe it is scrambling to get up. Or maybe it's missing too many limbs to do so. Hard to see at the moment.
Plaids
 Dr. Hagerty  

Dr. Hagerty shrieks in disbelief and horror as her flesh melts and warps, exceeding limits of plasticity for flesh imposed by nature. William had brought a real-life metaphor, a sight reserved for science fiction and cheesy horror movies to life with a petulant flick of his wrist. He would not and now could not listen to her. She finished her scream only succeeding in vibrating her vocal cords.
   This doesn't change anything or make you correct.    She inelegantly signs back to him with her out of practice sign language before turning away and taking the backwater out of her sight.

  You did your best. Stopping histrionic tantrums just is not your forte. Maybe we should 5404. At least we could slash open his orifices and break his body back into shape if William get uppity again.  
   Good idea. But he busy fighting whatever that is outside. Stop the dead bodies from getting to her.    Hagerty concludes her signing by pointing to Lily.
Distancing herself from William she pulls a grey restraining tablet from her belt, twists the cap and lets it fly.

OOC: I think area attacks don't require an attack roll. Feels unintuitive for me so please correct me if I am misinterpreting the are attack rules.
WindStruck
Hey all! Just checking in.  I think the only person I was waiting for was James..  I know they're taking cover from explosives thrown  last round  / update, and he was trying to observe the scene afterward, though I had already quickly updated what James sees or was looking for.

In other words, what I'm saying is, Esprit can most certainly do something else before I move on.
Esprit15
At the sound of movement, James pulls the pin on the grenade and throws it at the area where he thinks the monstrosity is lying.   "Fire in the hole!"  
WindStruck
The lumbering beast, half blown open and missing limbs, struggles to move forth on atrophied legs and leaking viscera everywhere. The shambling mound bellows and growls inhumanely, until James manages to land another grenade in the gaping hole that was once its stomach. The monster is so large that it isn't blown into gory confetti (though there IS still a lot of that blow your way), but its entire chest cavity is destroyed, and it falls limp. At least, for now...  One of the guards approaches the beast with light attached to his weapon, and fires a few more rounds into one of the faces just to be sure.

Thomas reforms at the edge of the abyss, sans clothes. He gets up, stunned, dazed, and confused, and the only familiar thing he sees is the impenetrable fog. Beneath him is a crumbling road, what must have once been the main street of Blumberg. Now it's as if he's on the precipice of a cliff. More rock and asphalt gives way, tumbling down into the unknown, but there is no sound of impact. Whatever is down there must be very far or nonexistent. Some distance away, he can faintly see a light and the sound of voices and gunfire.

Inside the church, some barricaded windows give way; bodies try to crawl through as William loses control of them again. Dr. Hagerty throws her restraining foam, effectively sealing one of the windows (and a body) off. Two scp guards put some rounds in some more zombified villagers, as they keep coming.

And William is screaming at this 3rd unknown entity.   "I said what do you want from me?!"  

The possessed villager in question continues to sneer and finally says,    "I already have it."    He cackles.

 "There's no use arguing or bargaining with this fiend,"  says Olheim.  "Clearly he just wants us to suffer." 
   "Oh,  now  you don't want to bargain?"    it says.    "Don't you remember how you  wanted  this? To prove that you're so much better than the Big Guy and could do such a better job? I was rather fond of the idea."   

Hanks asks,  "Wait. You  gave  them powers?"  looking at the possessed villager incredulously. Turning to William and Olheim, he asks,  "You bargained with the devil? And that worked??" 
   "Something like that,"    it says with a smug grin.

 " We were deceived, "  Olheim says.  "Two desperate men, preyed upon in their darkest hour. We didn't know who he was at the time. At first he just seemed to be a sympathetic passerby, arriving at our village soon after the fire. If I had the chance to go back, I would have never done it, said the things I said, or agreed to anything of the sort. But I think I've already learned my lesson. The past can't be changed." 
Esprit15
James watches the two men argue back and forth with the entity.   “Damn it all, what did you give and what did you get, you two!?”  
JeenLeen
5404 puts a hand to his head as he takes in the scene, half-aware of the abyss that might even destroy or permanently encapsulate him should he fall.  As his senses recollect at this sadly familiar event of rebirth, he rapidly shuffles backwards from the edge.

He glances around quickly for another grenade or other similar projectile -- more out of his last memory of things than actually expecting to find anything useful -- then starts running with his slightly supernal speed back towards the church.  The familiar feeling of his tendons and muscles tearing then reknitting as he runs reinforces the purpose he feels.  Gotta get back and protect Lily.  Maybe he can distract the corpse-things from the outside.

And get away from the disintegrating edge of the town.  Definitely that, too.  He has a passing thought of hope that the precog got out before things started disintegrating.
Plaids
 Dr. Hagerty 

Relief fuels Hagerty as she sees James Fink, coated in a viscera and spritzed with dirt.
"You're alive! The world is collapsing, and William maintain it much longer. Tell these idiots that they need to trust Henry."
She tries to tell Fink through a sealed mouth. She begins hastily signing now remembering the futility in trying to speak.
She signs to Fink. World falling; They don't trust me. Give power to.   She concludes pointing to Henry.

There isn't much that can be done by an SCP scientist to convince William now. The best that can be done now is give James Fink some extra time to convince William to do the right thing. Those windows don't look too secure. A thin grill and some brittle glass. Just the place for a trap. Flip a table here, sharpen the legs, and grease the bottom of the body for good measure.

OOC Plan: Either have Hagerty help James Fink convince William to give his powers to Henry or make a trap by the windows.
WindStruck
Thomas quickly approaches the church, his vision obscured by the fog, and it seems at first a crowd is forming and filing in, like the opening of a Black Friday sale. But no, it's the villagers of this town.. what's left of them anyway, attempting to pile into the front door of the church now. He finds himself now near a bewildered SCP guard, with far too few bullets left to shoot them all, and flustered by the sudden appearance of a nude man who seems slightly familiar and like he's on the same team. It will be hard to get in the church now with all these throngs of people in the way.

The situation inside reaches a fevered pitch as puppeted villagers continue attempting to invade, crawling through the windows, and now beginning to pile through the broken front doors. The two guards remaining with James begin firing their rifles that way.  "Winchester!"  one cries out, as he more carefully begins trying to aim for their heads, only to be tackled by a person behind him leaping from a window. The hole in the roof continues to expand, with more debris falling down. Some of it actually falls on the invading swarm, but merely slows them down. Other parts nearly fall on Hank, William, and Olheim as they still seem to be bickering amongst themselves, having to raise their voices above the gunfire. All while Dr. Hagerty is frantically flailing her arms and manipulating her fingers at James to no avail.

William turns to James and says,   "What did we get? All the powers of God and no control over it,"   he spits.   "And what did we give? I see now, all we've been through is an endless cycle of misery!"   He flings the possessed body of the villager that was taunting him into the throngs of people, bowling them over.

Olheim says,  "The 'powers of God' but split into two. He got the omnipotence, and I got the omniscience, so to speak.."  The answer of what to actually do might seem obvious now, but he continues,  "But I've seen that merely trying to combine our powers into one is folly. I've seen many things. Still doomed to fail, or doomed to unleash an evil on this world. The divine will would never allow that." 

He places a hand on Hank's shoulder and says,  "But now it's as if a veil has been lifted. I see this man is a suitable vessel for both. Please, trust him, William. He's not really a criminal like you think. He shouldn't have been on death row. He has lost so much, like us, but remained strong. And he took the place of another so they might have a chance at redemption." 

Hank shakes his head and begins muttering,  "I still don't know if I did the right thing.  'Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness...' " 

Olheim smiles patiently, as much as anyone can in he dire scenario of fire, smoke, impending violence all around them.  "I would say, perhaps you have served your penance." 

Turning to William, he says,  "William, please. You know we are out of time. I cannot guarantee what happens to us, but at least Lily.. I know she will be safe." 

Finally, the man gives a resigned nod.  It is time to end this charade. 

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WindStruck
To all those present, your vision seems to fade. To black, to white, it's hard to say, and maybe color doesn't even matter, nor can be defined anymore. But your next experience is like waking from a dreamless sleep. The same could be said of those who died or who had fallen unconscious. Everyone wakes to an unfamiliar sight, though perhaps not all at the same time.

 
 @All Present Players 

You find yourself lying on the ground, in some sort of scrub desert. Very close by are abandoned buildings, so old, decrepit, and dry rotted that they appear as though they might be knocked over by a stiff breeze.

Taking a headcount, there seem to be:
 
 three SCP guards (the ones who were all with you at the church and alive) 
 four D-class personnel: Chris, Marianne, Benjamin, and Cecily. Hank is nowhere to be found. 
 Kuzmo, in his burly man form and all gear present 
 Dr. Hagerty, with a functioning mouth again 
 Maribel, probably. But only Dr. Hagerty can see or hear her 
 James, just his usual badass self 
 Thomas, dressed as he was when entering Blumber 
 King, aka that darn cat 
 Lily, lying near what appeared to be the old church of the town 
 no sign of William or Reverend Olheim 
 

It's early morning now and quite chilly. There is a thin mist in the air, as if there was fog lingering from the nightmare you experienced before, but it seems to be quickly dissipating. This place seems to just be a long-abandoned ghost town, like the one mentioned when people ticked off the SCP-1031 entities and got kicked out. There's an old, ill-maintained road nearby that apparently runs through what used to be this town. And it seems, for those with the proper gear and authority, communications are back online, should you attempt to reach back.

Perhaps one of those radio transmisions wakes you up.

  "..you copy? ...  I repeat, do you copy?"  
Esprit15
  “Ugh…”   James groans as reality reasserts itself around him. The sand had that early morning sensation, where it’s already warmed from the sun’s heat on the surface, but chill is detectable just beneath. It was a familiar feeling, one that he felt internally after almost every field mission. The warm relief at it all being over for a little while. The cold sense that he would never really understand what just happened. Each existing as two distinct senses, perfectly mixed in the man’s mind.

He squints in the morning sun. More survivors than expected. Good... That’s good.   “Everyone in more or less one piece?”   he calls out, before grabbing the radio and clicking it on.

  “Field Commander James Fink reporting. The original anomaly appears to have ceased all activity on our end. We have suffered several personnel losses. As stands, all dispatched SCP’s are in workable condition. Three guards and four D Class have survived. We have an additional SCP to bring in for observation, call it SCP 1031b. Answers to Lily. Our transport was swallowed up in the anomaly, requesting extraction. We don’t appear to be in any immediate danger.”  
WindStruck
  " Fink??  Oh thank God,"   the voice over the radio blurts out. A bit unexpected, and ironic, really.

  "... Ahem. Field Commander Fink. Good to hear from you."  
  "You are the first known to have returned from an SCP-1031 expansion event. We will want to debrief everyone as soon as possible. Extraction will be sent. What do your surroundings look like?"  
 "..." 
  "Is SCP-1031 neutralized, or are there any further dangers to report from it?"  
  "Is Dr. Hagerty with you as well? What are your losses?"  
Esprit15
James takes a deep breath and repeats.   “ The  original anomaly  appears to have  ceased all activity  on our end. We have suffered several personnel losses. As stands, all dispatched SCP’s are in workable condition.  Three guards and four D Class have survived.  We have an additional SCP to bring in for observation, call it SCP 1031b.  Dr. Hagerty is alive. We appear to be in an abandoned ghost town, as others have described.”  
Plaids
 Dr. Hagerty 

Dr. Hagerty groggily awakens face first on the dirt before rolling over and wiping the dust and ash from her eyes. The warm sunshine is a pleasant relief from cold darkness that had once enveloped the town and the dirt fine grainy dirt is a welcome replacement for broken glass and decaying rats.
But what's this? It's malleable, gritty, and crunchy. Dr. Hagerty spits out the dirt suffusing her mouth taking a perverse glee in ejecting the dirty microbial paradise from her mouth.

Hearing Fink on the radio she stands beside him giving her own acknowledgement and brief.
 Dr. Kalispel Hagerty here. I can confirm Fink's report. The anomalous town has become inert and is most likely permanently beyond our reach. We lost some people but everyone in Fink's squad is accounted for along with one extra. I have a sample as well ready for lab analysis too. We are awaiting extraction, over.  
Dr. Hagerty pulls out a dusty vial containing a sample corn from the town. A piece of the simulacrum that was William's obsession. Maybe this small sample could offer a clue to the expansive but unreachable pocket dimension just waiting to be met.

She palms the ear of radio, muffling any sound it may intake while make a transparent gesture requesting James Fink's attention and signaling that this was a private conversation.
  Are you comfortable with giving the title 1031b?  She swings her wing gently towards Lily as if pointing with an index finger would be incriminate the poor girl.
  I trust the best psychiatrists at SCP when they are primed to help a young girl instead of probing an anomaly. We should be careful not to push her any further.  She speaks with concern.   And SCP is very good at prodding.  

OOC Plan: More character interactions until the extraction comes.
Esprit15
James lowers his voice.   “I am aware. However, that young girl  is  am anomaly and needs to be treated as such. We can both note in our reports that until more is learned about her, she ought to be treated as a normal human child, including less invasive testing than is standard for new anomalies. But we also know very little about what she is. We have procedures for these things, Doctor. We’ve both seen things even last night that were not as they initially appeared. Eyes and sentiment cloud judgement in this job.”  
JeenLeen
5404 is dazed and taking in the change in scenery.

As the officials talk and radio in, he suppresses anger at Lily being assigned a number and, more likely than not, lifelong imprisonment.  Maybe she'll be deemed a human and freed.  To the horrors of the last day, he reminds himself that amnesiacs exist.

Once they finish talking, he simply asks, " So, uh, we won? "   He notices the one D-class who was going to become a god is gone.  " And, uh... did William and Olhelm- "  He quickly cuts off his statement and looks around, as if expecting some creature to appear and ruin everything at the question.
He half-expects a simple answer of Classified.  Now that they're out of the near-death scenario, he feels it likely that he'll be back to simple "need to know".
hand ax ranger
When he had been torn asunder he felt the presence of something leave his body. In the clarity of death he saw memories that had been looked away flash before his eyes once more before his brain finally shut down.....

.... so when he reawakened in the duty remains of a town with everyone else, he was as surprised as he was happy to be alive! He laid there and giggled to himself as he processed everything and then sat up.


 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 He squints in the morning sun. More survivors than expected. Good... That’s good.   “Everyone in more or less one piece?”   he calls out, before grabbing the radio and clicking it on. 
 

"  Yes James! I am alive!  " He flopped to his feet, weapon and shield in hand, and started dancing about from how jovial he felt at still remaining his flesh and blood. "  We did it! Or at least.... I think we did?  " He stopped his silly dancing and thought for a moment.
Plaids
 Dr. Hagerty 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 James lowers his voice.   Â“I am aware. However, that young girl  is  am anomaly and needs to be treated as such. We can both note in our reports that until more is learned about her, she ought to be treated as a normal human child, including less invasive testing than is standard for new anomalies. But we also know very little about what she is. We have procedures for these things, Doctor. WeÂ’ve both seen things even last night that were not as they initially appeared. Eyes and sentiment cloud judgement in this job.Â”   
 

Fink's job is unenviable. But he always has met the challenges and fulfilled the obligations. It is difficult for a scientist to understand how someone could continue fulfilling a job resisting the urge to grow an attachment to a subject grown through continued observation and familiarity. But Fink had risked his for the group and Lily. He could be trusted.

  I won't deny that she might have anomalous abilities or qualities and we need to take precautions with her William. I wouldn't put it past William to try giving Lily one last gift before entrusting her to us.   She acquiesces.
  Let's just try and honor the trust William placed in us.  

Dr. Hagerty notices 5404 stirring and pulling himself up from the arid soil.
  We 'won' to the highest degree given the situation. Everyone in the original dispatch team is accounted for and we even have something good come with us from the town.   She points to Lily still snoozing in the soft soil.

She squats down beside him lowering her voice and covering the sideview of her mouth as if sharing a piece of risquÃ© schoolyard gossip.
  Maribel noticed how many times you took one for the team. She's too shy to say it herself but you've really impressed her. Please let her down gently if you can't reciprocate. She didn't spend a lot of time with boys when she was growing up.  
Metastachydium
The last thing Cecily Branting remembers is that awful rumbling noise, louder yet than the Taterball's cackling, and then the sharp, unbearably sudden pain of something heavy pressing against her as she tried to roll unto her side, as her shoulder was violently twisted forward and down, ribs shattered and aomething likely pulverized most of her pelvis. She didn't have time to find much reassurance in how  that  sleep was likely to last before all went dark.

But then, she shifted, barely aware, but  somehow  aware from that darkness to another, and then into plae, gray, dusty morning light. She sits up with such a sudden speed that even vertigo's not fast enough to catch up to feel… No pain. Her bones seem intact. She still has the safety goggles, but somehow doesn't  really  smell of puke anymore. She looks around, taking a quick count. Something's missing. The town, of course, and Longcoat and Priest Person, but…  Where's Hank?  she asks, flustered, her mouth dry.

Something, however, is  not  missing. She comes to regret opening her mouth  just  the moment she's done speaking.  Probably the Lizard ? He's  not  gone. And he's doing some kind of macabre ritual dance, right there. And  she  knows too much. They are going to eat her. She doesn't want to be eaten! She doesn't want to join the Taterball either!

Hugging herself, she starts shivering quite uncontrollably and tries to turn invisible while at that.  They are going to eat her! 
JeenLeen
 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
   Maribel noticed how many times you took one for the team. She's too shy to say it herself but you've really impressed her. Please let her down gently if you can't reciprocate. She didn't spend a lot of time with boys when she was growing up.   
 

5404 doesn't respond verbally, but does nod slowly while attempting to suppress his discomfort.   So either the crazy scientist thinks her imaginary friend is "into" him, or there's an invisible SCP who is linked to a scientist truly interested in him.   The first is definitely not good for him, and the latter... well, it's too weird for him to really know what he'd think of it.
Plaids
Dr. Hagerty


 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
 She looks around, taking a quick count. Something's missing. The town, of course, and Longcoat and Priest Person, but…  Where's Hank?  she asks, flustered, her mouth dry. 
 

He received William's omnipotence and Olheim's omniscience. He is not with us now; he in a better place. Dr. Hagerty recounts to  Tater  Cecily. The doctors voice betraying a wistful sentiment for the man who had disappeared and would likely never return to this earthly dimension.


 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
 Something, however, is  not   missing. She comes to regret opening her mouth  just  the moment she's done speaking.  Probably the Lizard ? He's  not  gone. And he's doing some kind of macabre ritual dance, right there. And  she  knows too much. They are going to eat her. She doesn't want to be eaten! She doesn't want to join the Taterball either!

Hugging herself, she starts shivering quite uncontrollably and tries to turn invisible while at that.  They are going to eat her!   
 

She snaps out of her mood as  Tater   Cecily helplessly furls into the ground. The culprit is obviously the exuberantly dancing king lizard celebrating the mission's success.
  It's good to see you too Kuzmo, but please try to avoid adding to workload of the psychiatrists.  
She points to Tater now desperately attempting to envelope herself in her own limbs to hide herself from the reptilian warrior king.
MrAbdiel
 "NOW THAT'S A  DAMNED  GOOD BOOK!" 

Benjamin shouts, to project the  zinger  over the din of combat and inferno. But of course, neither were present; and of the muttered conversation and radio chatter occurring in the reconstituted aftermath of the horror, the hardworking handful of braincells inside his skull only spooled up to operative condition in the quietest, most settled moment possible. They're not in the church, now; and he doesn't have the bible in his hand either. All he can do is blink, as his brain clears its verbal buffer of his quip and tries to rationalize the situation.

He shoots to his feet, pivots on the spot for a moment, and looks blankly out at the other 'survivors'. A moment passes. He doesn't understand why he's here; why he's not dead, or on fire, or something.

But Benjamin is  very  good at rationalizing things he doesn't understand. People who don't understand things are stupid; and  he is not stupid , so he understands. That's just  obvious. 

He adjusts his posture to one that displays less concern, and ambles over to the other D-Class. Finally, he voices to them with conspiratorial quiet the thought he'd had in the church, his tone laden with profundity:

 "I'm telling you, guys. Something about this whole place seems off."  He taps his nose with his fingertip, as if to suggest he has sniffed out some carefully hidden secret with it.
JeenLeen
 
 Originally Posted by MrAbdiel 
  "NOW THAT'S A  DAMNED  GOOD BOOK!"  
 

5404 jumps as one of the D-class yells something, then is confused as he tries to process the inane statement.  It doesn't seem like he's about to attack anyone, but in case he's now Something, 5404 decides to keep an eye on him and subtly positions himself between between the D-class and where Lily is (and Dr. Hagerty, if possible).


 He adjusts his posture to one that displays less concern, and ambles over to the other D-Class. Finally, he voices to them with conspiratorial quiet the thought he'd had in the church, his tone laden with profundity:

 "I'm telling you, guys. Something about this whole place seems off."  He taps his nose with his fingertip, as if to suggest he has sniffed out some carefully hidden secret with it. 

5404 raises his eyebrows at this... well, absurdly true statement that is utterly pointless to utter.  Maybe this is just a... extra dumb D-class?
Well, better than the "yeah this guy is willing to stab the SCP to see how quickly he heals"-type D-class.  Urgh, that was not a good day.
Esprit15
James gives a nod to 5404.   “Yeah… mighty strange town, there. And if there’s a just god, we’ll never be sent back here again.”  
Metastachydium
 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
 He received William's omnipotence and Olheim's omniscience. He is not with us now; he in a better place. Dr. Hagerty recounts to  Tater  Cecily. The doctors voice betraying a wistful sentiment for the man who had disappeared and would likely never return to this earthly dimension.

She snaps out of her mood as  Tater   Cecily helplessly furls into the ground. The culprit is obviously the exuberantly dancing king lizard celebrating the mission's success.
  It's good to see you too Kuzmo, but please try to avoid adding to workload of the psychiatrists.   
 


 
 Originally Posted by MrAbdiel 
 [COLOR="#8B4513"] "I'm telling you, guys. Something about this whole place seems off."  He taps his nose with his fingertip, as if to suggest he has sniffed out some carefully hidden secret with it. 
 


 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 5404 raises his eyebrows at this... well, absurdly true statement that is utterly pointless to utter.  Maybe this is just a... extra dumb D-class? 
 

Cecily, for her part, simply elescts to begin quietly sobbing in the background.
WindStruck
Perhaps it was simply misunderstanding or miscommunication, or perhaps the voice on the other end, Dr. Curtis, simply hoped to glean more information from James, however, he quite adamantly repeated nearly everything he said word for word.

Replying to both Fink's and Hagerty's report, the voice on the radio says,   "If this is true, that is excellent news. We will have to send a separate reconnaissance team to verify this, but we are hopeful."  
  "Extraction is en route. ETA nine minutes. It may be a little cramped. Over."  

As Fink and Hagerty have a private conversation debating the ethics and potential dangers of their new situation, more people rouse, one by one. Eventually all the D-class and SCP guards are standing or sitting up, shaking the cobwebs out of their heads. Very quickly, operations roughly start to fall into order, with the D-class clearly the powerless prisoner guinae pigs again, and the guards watching over them, alive and well but perhaps still trigger happy from the harrowing experience.

Thomas seems skeptical that this ordeal is truly over, though even after invoking the names of the so-called deities they encountered earlier, nothing pops out to eat everyone. Very slowly, the sun continues to climb into the sky, warming the chilly air, and the silence, albeit for perhaps the infrequent wild bird calls, seems rather ordinary.

Kuzmo dances a relatively innocent dance, but it still creeps poor Cecily out.. Thankfully there's nothing really threatening here, unless you count armed guards keeping an eye on you threatening. But Hank, alas poor Hank, the rock of stability Cecily used to cling to is gone. As if he vanished out of thin air, like the rest of that town.

Benjamin, probably by far the slowest of the bunch, wakes and makes his astute observations to the others. Chris and Marianne can only nod slowly and give each other a knowing look.

And then Lily wakes.

Perhaps Benjamin's inane shouting finally roused the young girl. She sits up and squints at the sun, rubbing her eyes. After looking around curiously, her face morphs from confusion, then to worry.  "What happened?"  she asks.  "Where is everyone? Are they okay?" 
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by Plaids 
 She snaps out of her mood as  Tater   Cecily helplessly furls into the ground. The culprit is obviously the exuberantly dancing king lizard celebrating the mission's success.
  It's good to see you too Kuzmo, but please try to avoid adding to workload of the psychiatrists.  
She points to Tater now desperately attempting to envelope herself in her own limbs to hide herself from the reptilian warrior king. 
 

"  Understood fellow doctor. Mind things are not my expertise.  " He nodded, finding a place to sit and reflect both on his survival and the memories returned to his mind.


 
 Spoiler: OOC 
and yeah! About time someone got his descriptor right. :D
 


Then Lily awoke and he smiled again. "  Lily! Yes I think we're all ok.  " He makes the effort to use the ring to hide his coal-like eyes and look like the pudgy man she knew him as before, not sure if she remembered we was in fact a large orange lizard.
Plaids
Dr. Hagerty

 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 And then Lily wakes.

Perhaps Benjamin's inane shouting finally roused the young girl. She sits up and squints at the sun, rubbing her eyes. After looking around curiously, her face morphs from confusion, then to worry.  "What happened?"  she asks.  "Where is everyone? Are they okay?"  
 

She sits down beside the girl in the soft silty soil.
  They are safe and in a better place.   She warmly relays to Lily with a well-practiced countenance.

A fair assumption given how Henry had returned everyone here in one piece, forgoing any vengeance and wrath.
JeenLeen
5404 sighs at Lily's question and hearing the half-true answers given to her.  Yeah, not that he could not better.

At the moment, he says nothing, but repeats in his mind, "Amnestics are a thing."
He usually avoids bouts of depression via video games or just being thankful he's not being repeatably killed in some test, but he has started to feel a bit sullen at Lily's upcoming imprisonment.  He tries to suppress the thought of how many times his memory has probably been wiped.

But she's alive.
And... probably free of William and whatever cycle of chaos was happening in this town.  Maybe a civilian holding cell would be better than a town that is a mockery of life and being brutally murdered each year only to remade by a pseudo-god grandpa.
Esprit15
James looks in Lily’s direction. This child, simultaneously a year old, grade school age, and older than every human here. A child who will quite possibly never again know the feeling of sunlight, never hear the voice of her mother or father or grandfather ever again. Who will not know going to school with other children, going on dates with boy and girls, finding the person she loves and marrying them, of being a mother if she so chose. She’d never have a normal job, go to the theater, party at clubs, sit in bookstores drinking overpriced coffee while deciding if she wanted to buy a book that caught her eye.

She’d know heartbreak though. She’d have that in spades.

James looks in Lily’s direction, his mouth moving mechanically as he speaks.   “Don’t you worry, Lily. Everyone’s exactly where they need to be.”   But he doesn’t look  at  SCP 1031b. He probably would  never  be able to look directly at SCP 1031b.

  “Kuzmo, please secure King. If he would ever make a break for it, it would be right now.”  
hand ax ranger
Kuzmo nodded to James and picked up the cat in one hand. "  Kitty.  "

He put all his things on his belt and held the soft feline, giving him pets and ear scratches all the while like some huge child. "  Yes little kitty stick with me. I will give you pets and jerky.....assuming I still have any.  "
WindStruck
Lily regards the answers given to her by the adults dubiously. She may be a child but she wasn't stupid. Though 'being in a better place' wasn't really a euphemism she was familiar with. She had no experience with death, with relatives dying, and yet.. actually she did, quite a lot. She just didn't know it.

The girl looks around confused.  "But where are they?"  she asks again.  "Where's my Ma and Pa? Where's the other kids, and neighbors?"  She squints up at the church or what may have been left of it after all these years.  "Where are we?" 

Then as instructed, Kuzmo grabs King, who immediately starts making a fuss.  "Heey!! Let go of me!! I wasn't going to run, I was going to try to cheer up the girl, I swear!"  King yowls. The talking, sentient cat doesn't take kindly to Kuzmo's meaty grasp and attempts at gently petting him. His claws scratch at Kuzmo's tough skin to no avail.

This immediately gets Lily's attention. The beloved cat she thought was so cute, the one that peed on her rug. The one who talked earlier. Her eyes widen.  "That wasn't a dream?" 
Esprit15
  “You had a dream? Why don’t you tell us about it?”  
WindStruck
Lily shakes her head and says,  "No, you were in it. You all were in it!" 
 "It was Halloween, and a bunch of strangers came into town with a broken down car. That was you all! Or.. some of you? And then weird things started happening, and it was foggy, and there was lightning, and our house crashed into the ground.." 

She looks fearful.  "And then there were rats, and we were driving around in a car.. Michael saved my life so many times. You hid me in the church organ and.. and..." 

Her eyes dart around wildly.
JeenLeen
5404 gives a sad smile and a tear comes to his eye at hearing Lily remark about him saving her.
What was it for, if she's just going to be here?
At least she's alive.
That's better, right?

He starts to say something once, then twice, but in the end closes his mouth.   Permission to talk, sir  almost comes out.  Some garbled mishmash of the truth almost comes out.  But what  could he say to help?  Probably better to let the insane/ghost-infected lady talk.  She's probably had some psychology training.

Maybe Lily's a normal person and they'll let her go after erasing her memories.
Screw it.  It might cost him his video game or give him a month of starvation -- no, no, don't remember that -- but in the end 5404 does add, " There was something dangerous and scary, but it's gone now. We're going somewhere safer than right here. I'll stick by you while I can. "

He's terrified of what even this minor statement might cost him, but Lily did mention he saved her.  Maybe his statement would give her more comfort than theirs.
Esprit15
James looks visibly uncomfortable at the question. As 5404 speaks up, he seems to untense and give a nod to the SCP.
hand ax ranger
The Regenerator spoke truth, and Kuzmo merely nodded. Moving over next the Lily he sat down and held King out so the little girl could also pet the kitty. "  We're all safe here now. No need to worry little one, the bad things are behind us.  " He said, a bit of pity in his voice.

Obviously Kuzmo was lying, but he felt for the child. Losing her home to smokey ruins, being taken away to a strange place where others would monitor any abilities he might have, potentially the be prodded and experimented on..... and who knows what if she had anything the SCP could use.

It mirrored his own plight as a child, when the Lady of Thorns and her band of brigands and cultists had enslaved him not long after the death of his Nana, by the hands of a psychotic mob. He recalled the  things  he was put through, the efforts the Lady had made to break him to her will...... used as a weapon and.....

He withheld a growl of anger as he remembered it all. Attempting to contain himself while around Lily who was frightened enough. Instead he continued scratching King's ears.

"  Yes, that's a good boy. Just relax and enjoy the affection.  " He said, not sure if that was a bit of projection on his part.
Metastachydium
 
 Originally Posted by JeenLeen 
 " We're going somewhere safer than right here " 
 


 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 "  We're all safe here now.  " 
 

Cecily's head rises for just the moment as she tries to process the  blatant, obvious lies  being fed to that poor thing, the corners of her lips curling downwards. A hollow, whispered    Safe?    escapes her, and she  very immediately  regrets that. They are going to  eat  her!!

The sobbing continues with a subdued mockery of renewed vigour.
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
 Cecily's head rises for just the moment as she tries to process the  blatant, obvious lies  being fed to that poor thing, the corners of her lips curling downwards. A hollow, whispered    Safe?    escapes her, and she  very immediately  regrets that. They are going to  eat  her!!

The sobbing continues with a subdued mockery of renewed vigour. 
 

Kuzmo's eyes slid to lay eyes on Cecily, and switch back to their fiery red iris color for a moment. He smiled to her as he eyed her up. No words spoken however, merely licking his lips.  Run.  He thought.  Run so I can chase you down. 

He then passed King of to Lily but remained in his spot, his eyes resuming their more human color.
MrAbdiel
 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
 Cecily's head rises for just the moment as she tries to process the  blatant, obvious lies  being fed to that poor thing, the corners of her lips curling downwards. A hollow, whispered    Safe?    escapes her, and she  very immediately  regrets that. They are going to  eat  her!!

The sobbing continues with a subdued mockery of renewed vigour. 
 

Benjamin feels bad for Lily - but she has the attention of all the bigwigs now. Besides, he can't remember what part she played in all this, and he's sure as hell not going to bring that up and give anyone an opportunity to call him ignorant. Instead, he sits down next to the sobbing Cecily. His dumb, unflappable presense is the polar inversion of her hysteria. He barely seems to be cognizant of how badly they might have died at all.

He waits for a break in her sobbing, and tries to cheer her up.

 "You crashed a truck. Heh." 
WindStruck
Eventually, extraction does come as promised. Two trucks roll in from the east, traversing the completely-neglected roads. As warned before, the accommodations are quite cramped, with many personnel having to pile into a truck and occupy all the seat belt space. Lily of course, is sat in the middle of one such seating arrangement between two adults. Dr Hagerty is squished in the middle of a different truck. The D-Class are corralled into familiar confines, hands cuffed behind their backs and watched like a hawk, and a few guard need to hang onto the outside of the truck as it drives. You are told that these conditions are only temporary, however.

You roll on through the dusty road, passing by struggling bushes and sometimes you think you see what appears to be a stunted corn stalk here and there. On the western perimeter of SCP-1031, you find several more vehicles parked outside a barricade, which has been moved aside, and meet with Dr. Curtis who curtly congratulates you on a successful mission. She asks to briefly see Lily; the poor girl is still wide-eyed and confused. After a few moments of back and forth, it appears Dr. Curtis is showing a moment of compassion as she kneels down to hug the girl. Instead, she injects something into Lily's neck, and the young girl falls limp in her arms. The D-Class are kept in the dark of everything that is going on, much like how they were brought here in the first place. Soon they are transferred to the back of a van, notably with more comfortable seating but no potentially dangerous supplies.

Dr. Curtis tells those privileged enough to not be treated like prison inmates that they will be packing up soon and heading back to Site 404. She asks Dr. Hagerty if she still has the samples she took from the town, and puts them into a cushioned case for safe keeping. She also warns that everyone present should refrain from speaking about SCP-1031 and the events that transpired, and save all their pertinent information for the debriefing, which will occur in roughly 10 hours. Give or take, due to the number of people they need to  interrogate  question.

So it's quite another long, boring, uneventful drive. Having awakened from the void this morning, oddly enough everyone feels refreshed and satiated. At least for a time. Weariness from boredom, or perhaps hyper-vigilance for those in the security field who can no longer disable that mental faculty plague you, as well as discomfort of sitting in one place for far too long. Eventually you arrive at the hidden mountain base at dusk, though those who didn't know better would think the place looked kind of like a ski resort.. perhaps with too many walls, though.

Dr. Hagerty, James Fink, and the other SCP guards are allowed to head to their rooms, or the cafeteria, or anywhere else they wished, but they had to report to Interrogation Rooms 4A or 4B for their debriefings. The D-class (Cecily, Benjamin, Chris, Marianne) were sent back to their solitary bunks and provided food, and eventually, one by one, were called in for questioning. Our illustrious SCP specimens were not immediately sent back to their normal containment rooms, but rather, briefly kept in temporary rooms, where they were brought out one by one and carefully monitored, according to their containment protocol.

King was questioned very first, and by staff that had little to no idea about SCP-1031. They asked only the vaguest of questions, expecting the psychic cat to either provide answers or make them up. Either way, the cat would not be fishing answers they already knew or were looking for out of their minds.

Thomas was brought in next, then Kuzmo. After the debriefing, you were each escorted back to your holding cells and provided sustenance.

 
 Spoiler: OOC STUFF 
So... obviously, we all know what happened.. to some extent, narratively, anyway. I could ask for you all to regurgitate the 25 pages or so of IC forum posts we went through in their own words, but that would be cumbersome and boring.

Instead, I'll assume you are asked questions, and your version of what happened, and you simply answer truthfully.

If you want to lie about some detail, or embellish parts of the story, tell me what you're lying about.

If you have any particularly novel insights, which may or may not be correct, feel free to share them.

If you have any other questions or comments, you may ask them. I cannot guarantee any answers in return.

And if there are any other parts of the story that you want to rehash again because you just loved it so much and need more trauma, feel free to RP out being questioned about a specific topic. Or maybe I could step in with some responses of my own. Hm. 🤨

If you need any further prodding or prompt, tell me in the OOC thread.
 

 
 Spoiler: Example: One SCP Guard's Debriefing 
*He goes on about how the mission started going downhill ever since that precog SCP drove off in the car*

 "And so, after D-4086 .. no, D-4196 started firing his weapon and shot your team members.. wait, how did he get there?" 
 "I don't know, ma'am." 

*He proceeds to talk about all the other strange things that happened on the mission.*
 
hand ax ranger
As soon as the trucks arrived Kuzmo frowned for a moment, his chance to feed on the troublesome girl having past, though right after he stop at ease as everyone gathered around. With his size he knew it would be tight, and almost though to ask if he should just run alongside them or at least cling to the top of the truck. When they started collecting the things of the team Kuzmo handed over everything without issue. Well... Almost everything, as he found himself incredibly hesitant to part with his chosen weapon again, it's presence having returned a feeling of self-identity that he'd had torn from him when he was first taken in by the SCP. Not enough to create bad will with his SCP peers, though, as he entrusted James of all people with it. He figured at least he would have some respect for it.

After that the ride was quiet for him as he sunk within himself and let his mind rush with the memories that had finally returned to him. As long as no one spoke to him or cause trouble he would remain in this state.

Once isolated into the temporary room he sat back and by then had pondered the comparisons between the SCP and the ones who'd made a slave of him as a youth. Here, they provided for his needs and treated him with kindness.... but in a way, were they not doing the same and the Lady of Thorns and her band of brigands? Studying him? using his as a weapon to achieve their goals?

Yet at the same time it seemed he was hear as much for the protection of the outside world as he was for the benefit of the SCP. In that very mission he didn't feel like the cause was unjust, and in a sense they  had  saved a little girl from a vicious cycle of death and rebirth. Here, within this organization, perhaps his otherwise savage existence could fit into a place of belonging. Not hateful gods, no supposed fate for destruction and damnation..... just safety and comfort within these walls. Least, as long as there were walls.....


For the debriefing he spoke the truth, or at least his interpretation of such. His dotting over the bucolic little town, the glories of battle he'd be engaged in, the moments of humor..... more akin to a man telling a story of a great hint or battle than anything scientific. Except for the medical and anatomical side, in which his language was astoundingly precise... or at least something approaching scholarly.

Speaking of which, he did report a bit about himself.

"  During the adventure I had come to realize that my knowledge of anatomy and medicine had vanished from my mind, as did the memories of those who'd been involved with it.  " He beamed as he spoke. "  as we left the ghost town however, I felt a residual power leave me and the memories of it all came back! Seems when I was brought here the magic that allowed my vibration sense had been hard-locked, with a side effect of not allowing me to recall what was locked within my brain! Now it is back!  " He smiled like a goofy child. A large, man eating lizard child.

"  Perhaps, pending a test of how much I actually recall, I will be able to obtain a title of "Doctor" here as well. Heh, that'd make Nana Proud.  "

Upon the conclusion of the debrief he would happily return to his 'lair' and enjoy the food they had provided for the large monster man.
WindStruck
 
 Originally Posted by hand ax ranger 
 As soon as the trucks arrived Kuzmo frowned for a moment, his chance to feed on the troublesome girl having past, though right after he stop at ease as everyone gathered around. With his size he knew it would be tight, and almost though to ask if he should just run alongside them or at least cling to the top of the truck. When they started collecting the things of the team Kuzmo handed over everything without issue. Well... Almost everything, as he found himself incredibly hesitant to part with his chosen weapon again, it's presence having returned a feeling of self-identity that he'd had torn from him when he was first taken in by the SCP. Not enough to create bad will with his SCP peers, though, as he entrusted James of all people with it. He figured at least he would have some respect for it.

After that the ride was quiet for him as he sunk within himself and let his mind rush with the memories that had finally returned to him. As long as no one spoke to him or cause trouble he would remain in this state.

Once isolated into the temporary room he sat back and by then had pondered the comparisons between the SCP and the ones who'd made a slave of him as a youth. Here, they provided for his needs and treated him with kindness.... but in a way, were they not doing the same and the Lady of Thorns and her band of brigands? Studying him? using his as a weapon to achieve their goals?

Yet at the same time it seemed he was hear as much for the protection of the outside world as he was for the benefit of the SCP. In that very mission he didn't feel like the cause was unjust, and in a sense they  had  saved a little girl from a vicious cycle of death and rebirth. Here, within this organization, perhaps his otherwise savage existence could fit into a place of belonging. Not hateful gods, no supposed fate for destruction and damnation..... just safety and comfort within these walls. Least, as long as there were walls.....


For the debriefing he spoke the truth, or at least his interpretation of such. His dotting over the bucolic little town, the glories of battle he'd be engaged in, the moments of humor..... more akin to a man telling a story of a great hint or battle than anything scientific. Except for the medical and anatomical side, in which his language was astoundingly precise... or at least something approaching scholarly.

Speaking of which, he did report a bit about himself.

"  During the adventure I had come to realize that my knowledge of anatomy and medicine had vanished from my mind, as did the memories of those who'd been involved with it.  " He beamed as he spoke. "  as we left the ghost town however, I felt a residual power leave me and the memories of it all came back! Seems when I was brought here the magic that allowed my vibration sense had been hard-locked, with a side effect of not allowing me to recall what was locked within my brain! Now it is back!  " He smiled like a goofy child. A large, man eating lizard child.

"  Perhaps, pending a test of how much I actually recall, I will be able to obtain a title of "Doctor" here as well. Heh, that'd make Nana Proud.  "

Upon the conclusion of the debrief he would happily return to his 'lair' and enjoy the food they had provided for the large monster man. 
 

The interviewers in the other room, beyond the mirrored surface, make note of this.   "Quite interesting,"   the voice says, also likely Dr. Curtis.   "I think, if you are amenable to the request, we can test your medical knowledge at a future date. For now, this data will be considered ancillary to the mission."  
 
 Spoiler: ooc 
You can start, rearranging your points if you'd like.
 
hand ax ranger
 
 Originally Posted by WindStruck 
 The interviewers in the other room, beyond the mirrored surface, make note of this.   "Quite interesting,"   the voice says, also likely Dr. Curtis.   "I think, if you are amenable to the request, we can test your medical knowledge at a future date. For now, this data will be considered ancillary to the mission."  
 
 Spoiler: ooc 
You can start, rearranging your points if you'd like.
 
 
 

"  Understood, and I am accepting of such tests. Bearing in mind the advance nature of your technology I am sure I will be a bit behind, but I also wouldn't discount the knowledge gained by mystic study and decades of magic study before my trade.  " He nodded.

"  Ancillary? That's not a real word. You made that up.   "  grumble grumble 
Metastachydium
  1/11 DEBRIEFING; D-CLASS ASSET NO. 38997 
(EXTRACTS FROM TRANSCRIPTION V. NO. 1/A8) 
 D-38997:  I d-don’t understand! Not a thing about it, I swear!
 Q:  That is inconsistent with other pertinent reports.
 D-38997:  Reports.
 [Subject appears confused, reason unclear.] 
 Q:  Tell us about the rats.
 D-38997:  It was… I… I don’t think those were rats, it is…
 [Subject’s attempts at making hand gestures becomes more pronounced. Occasional tremors. Subject appears to have difficulty completing the sentence.] 
 Q:  That is not relevant. Reports indicate you were aware of their presence.
 D-38997:  Yes, it was… Yes.
 Q:  Before it became apparent. How do you explain that?
 D-38997:  I saw them. I… Didn’t see them, as such. There was… I thought it was a v-vivid nightmare. I have, I have experienced such. Before. Ever since here…
 Q:  Reports indicate the anomalous entities…
 D-38997:  Anomalous…  A-nomalous entities?
 Q:  …appeared shortly thereafter. How do you explain that?
 D-38997:  I-I-I… Dreams have a c-complicated neurochemical basis, it’s, it’s linked to previously p-percieved… Perceived things, memories. Maybe I’m, I heard them, I don’t…
 Q:  While unconscious.
 D-38997:  I’m, I worked in the f-food industry. And petrochemistry, it’s… Lunch boxes and plastic bags, this is n-not, not my field!
 [Subject remains agitated. Tremors.] 
 Q:  I see.
 D-38997:  It’s not even… I had details wrong, like, l-legs and…
 Q:  Continue.
 D-38997:  I-I-I… I can’t, it w-was, it was wrong. I…
 Q:  How?
 [Subject fails to respond. Shakes head. Tremors intensify. A pause of forty-one seconds.] 
 Q:  I see. Do you have any other anomalous sensory input…
 D-38997:  Anomalous…
 [Subject is requested not to interrupt  the interviewerin strong terms. Subject is compliant.] 
 Q:  Do you have any other unusual sensory input to report?
 [Pause.] 
 Q:  D-38997.
 D-38997:  Y-yes.
 Q:  Do you have any other unusual sensory input to report?
 [Subject becomes agitated once more. Appears to be withholding information. Intensifying perspiration observed.] 
 D-38997:  I swear I d-don’t know anything, I was… I was unconscious, and I, I don’t know anything.

 ♣ 
 Q:  We understand that you destroyed a vehicle. Is that correct?
 D-38997:  How’s that, I… Yes, but…
 [Agitation intensifies further.] 
 Q:  A rather extreme reaction. What triggered it?
 D-38997:  It’s, it was the… The lizard person, it, after the bugs and… W-what is it?
 Q:  That is classified, D-38997. Was the presence of… The presence of said entity the sole cause of your actions?
 D-38997:  There was the fog and a ravine, I didn’t know there was a r-ravine, and Benjamin…
 Q:  Yes.
 D-38997:  I, I’m aware of his a-assignment, and I’m s-sorry…
 Q:  His assignment.
 [Tremors intensify. Subject becomes very defensive, tries to raise hands.] 
 D-38997:  I don’t know anything, I just, j-just got he was… He is working with, w-with your organisation.
 Q:  I see. We understand you had a rapport with [REDACTED].
 D-38997:  Do you know w-what, what has…?
 Q:  That is classified. Answer the question, D-38997.
 D-38997:  I don’t, you, it’s… Yes, I believe yes.
 Q:  Anything you wish to highlight? With special regard to your interactions during the field trip to… The field trip of yesterday.
 [Subject looks away. Silence.] 
 Q:  D-38997.
 D-38997:  He told me, he… Told me a joke about African f-fauna. The weather, there was… N-not much, no.
 Q:  I see.
 D-38997:  I think, I… I b-believe he put me in the car when the bugs.
 Q:  Was either episode accompanied by anything unusual you would like to tell us about?
 D-38997:  There were b-bugs, from an ethological p-perspective, it made no sense and previously the c-corn, it… I don’t know.
 Q:  What about the corn?
 D-38997:  I don’t know. I just… I don’t know.

 ♣ 
 Q:  You acquired a handgun.
 D-38997:  I n-never used it, it was…
 Q:  Do you have experience with firearms, D-38997?
 D-38997:  I had to, had to aks Chris… And he didn’t know! It’s not like, I’m not Levffff… 1 
 [Prolonged silence. Agitation, tremors intensify. Subject assumes defensive posture.] 
 Q:  Please elaborate.
 [Subject shakes her head. Tremors intensify further.] 
 Q:  D-38997. Please elaborate.
 [Prolonged silence.] 
 ♣ 
 Q:  How do you think this effect was produced?
 D-38997:  You mean, how…
 Q:   [REDACTED.] How do you think [REDACTED]?
 D-38997:  It’s, no, I don’t think… It would require, I don’t know, an, an understanding of, it’s… Not how humans, not how humans interact with matter. [REDACTED] appeared to h-have no or, it’s, not even a b-basic grasp of chemical processes involved. I don’t have an explanation, I’m… I’m sorry.
 Q:  As for further occurences…
 D-38997:  That… This was the last one I, the last one I d-directly observed.


 

  1 Presumably an attempt to protect the identity of A. Levine (deceased), member and [REDACTED] of GoI-729f, associated with [REDACTED]. D-38997 appears unaware of [REDACTED]. 
WindStruck
D-38997 is finally allowed to stand and is escorted out of the interrogation room. Dr. Curtis pushes the microphone far away from herself and emits a long and drawn-out sigh. She takes a sip of coffee and then a long draught of water. The male next to her, with a neatly-trimmed goatee, leans back, temples his fingers near his chin, and looks over towards Dr. Curtis.

 "She's clearly unstable. Paranoia and history of drug use. I think that explains the hallucinations she was experiencing." 
 "They may be hallucinations, or they may not be. We cannot leave any stone unturned and investigate as thoroughly as possible. Especially when it comes to this one." 
 "This one..? SCP-1031?" 
 "No.  D-38997 ."  Dr. Curtis repeated the designation with a certain amount of displeasure. She was tired of having to repeat it over and over again. The scientist elaborates,  "It is very possible that SCP-1031 might not have simply ended 'just like that'. Very rarely does an anomaly's influence completely dissipate with no repercussions. But yes, you are correct. She  is  unstable. It is not uncommon for personnel to go through shock after testing certain anomalies. So far, however, the others seem fairly calm and rational. But this one? She is a complete and utter mess." 
 "I can't disagree there. She will likely continue to behave this way until we administer Class-B amnestics." 
 "We won't be delivering amnestics. I will be recommending termination of D-38997. She is unfit for further testing and will needlessly endanger Foundation personnel and property." 
 "Oh? If you're sure.. It isn't just because of how hard it was to get information out of her?"  He checks his watch in the dim light.

Dr. Curtis shakes her head.  "I am very sure. Grabbing a gun and hijacking a vehicle in the middle of an operation? She cannot reliably comply with orders. I don't care whether it is out of maliciousness, spite, or irrational fear for her life. So we should get as much information from her as we can before she is terminated." 
 "Ah. Very well,"  he says, jotting down some notes and taking a swig of water himself.  "So, what were you thinking of having for dinner?" 
Plaids
Dr. Hagerty delivers the here samples wondering what finding could be gleamed from the small corn samples.
The ride back was uneventful with dry formalities and silence only punctuated by the elective tests Kalispell Hagerty performed on herself. A nasal swab on the smooth well-maintained roads, a radiation test, and a non-Newtonian residue test. None of the results were cause for alarm.

  Mission SCP-1031 Debrief  
Dr. Hagerty enters a windowless conference room, the shiny black panels providing the only vibrant points in an otherwise dull concrete room.
She lifts a mug sipping some coffee before placing it on a drab table. Maribel slumps over on the table only perking once Dr. Curtis arrives. Dr. Hagerty begins her debriefing with Dr. Curtis

" To begin with the important points. SCP-1031 has been neutralized but unaccountable and irretrievable. " She states bluntly before going into further detail.
" SCP-1031 was the projection of one man by the name of William who lived as a human in the early 1900's. His entire town was burnt down on Halloween night with most of the residents perishing, including his granddaughter Lily, save for Father Olheim the towns priest. William claimed to have been approached by a man who granted him the power to make facsimiles of the town and it's perished residents within a pocket dimension. "

" I believe the believe the pocket dimension was created with an extradimensional structure creating a projection onto our plane of reality " She reports with a note of uncertainty in her voice as she draws a simple diagram with a yellow plane representing reality and a blue vector representing William's powers and light blue arrow representing its projection onto reality.
 
 Spoiler: Dr. Hagerty's diagram 
 
 

 "Doesn't explain how Lily is still here though. Maybe a parting gift from "  Dr. Hagerty cuts of Maribel, preventing her from further divulging any of their theories. Not that there was a risk of that occurring.

" But the pocket dimension was unstable causing hundreds of failed attempts. Each attempt resulting in the death and rebirth of Olheim and Lily. We happened to arrive the end of a cycle and witnessed the yearly eruption of dimensional instability.   The sky burned, dark cracks in reality enveloped the town, and vermin rose to kill us. The town was created outside of God's domain.   " She recounts fearfully.
Maribel places a hand on the doctor's shoulder just as the scientist began regressing to old habits.

" As for the resolution. Olheim convinced William to somehow cede his power to D-Class [Hank] and the all traces of the town have disappeared with D-Class [Hank] unaccounted for. Commander Fink, SCP[Kuzmo], and SCP[Thomas] all performed admirably. While SCP[King] and D-Class[Cecily] had their deficiencies. "
 No need to be so hard on the gal. She just knows she isn't Thomas. Putting himself on the line going headfirst to danger and risking it all for the team.   Maribel reminisces dreamily.

Dr. Hagerty continues ignoring her sister. " As for follow-up I would recommend a historical and genealogical survey. Try to identify just who William and Father Olheim of Blumber truly are and if they have any living descendants. I would also like permission to further study Lily, observe the effects of leaving a dimension they resided in for prolonged periods of time. "
 This will so much fun. More time for us to get closer and Jaylen can socialize with another child.   Maribel speaks with enthusiasm and approval.
Esprit15
James gives a detailed account of everything that he remembers, including any lies told to further the mission and gain the cooperation of William and Lily. Of the surviving D-Class, he gives positive reviews of each - they were cooperative, obedient, and were able to be trusted for short periods of time with access to weapons in life-or-death scenarios. For these reasons he recommends none of them be retired at this time. His review of the work of each SCP is slightly more detailed. He recommends King only be allowed out of his confines for jobs within the foundation, due to an attempted escape. However, at this time he does not recommend direct punishment, nor does he believe that the cat should be informed of his penalty at this time. Kuzmo's cooperation was impeccable, and his warrior code seemed to keep him in line. He recommends future deployment so long as he is placed alongside some form of martial command structure. He seems to thrive in such an environment. 5404 was similarly cooperative, though his civilian mentality causes some risks in missions where his sense of right and wrong are challenged by the nature of any uncontained humanoid phenomena. Nevertheless, this approach can be directed by competent leadership, and so there is no reason at this time to retire him from field work.

Finally, James respectfully requests to be informed of any updates regarding Lily's condition, and once safe, suggests that she be allowed supervised interaction with 5404 - such a thing will be good for the mental stability of both SCPs.

Throughout the debrief James has his usual dissociated, monotonous tone when answering questions, his mind delicately handling every memory with gloves to avoid being stained by memories. The threats he issued, the praises he gave, they were all just... part of the mission. Words you say to get the job done. He hesitates several times when the topic of Lily comes up, but brushes it off.   "Sorry, maybe 1031b existing outside of its parent pocket universe is clouding my memory of it. Anyways..."   he says initially, but anyone perceptive to the man could tell - this mission conclusion bothered him more than most.
Metastachydium
Cecily stumbles back into her cell as if in a fever. With some difficulty, she half peels the jumpsuit off of herself, rolling it down onto her waist (it seems to be dead set on just flat out suffocating her, and she is all drenched in cold sweat) and flops down face first onto her poor excuse for a bed. Not that she expects to sleep. Quite on the contrary. With all the time she spent out last day, her body might be sore, but it isn't really tired enough. And her mind… Sweet merciful Mendeleev. It's sweating worse than her body, somehow! And now they are  going to  eat her!  
MrAbdiel
A handwritten note, taped to a thumbdrive and stuffed through the slot of the secure inbox for Project Semaphore.

- - - - - - - -

 Hayden,

I don't know why this ended up on my desk, but we talked about this the last time. I don't mind that  Semaphore  has a drone in the my catchment. I'm just a transcriptionist. I don't ask questions, I don't care; I tape the interview, I transcribe, I get my pay check and I go home. But I'm not going to do transcriptions if you're just going to flag half of it for redaction. You have one of YOUR internal guys transcribe, and redact, and send it back to me to format like all the others.

Quite frankly, it's not worth the money. It's barely worth the money to have to sit in the same room and mind the equipment while the handlers prod and coo at this smug chimpanzee of a man. D-44529 is a stone cold dumbass, and your decision to have him wrapped up in your pet project makes me question your sanity. Here are the broad strokes of the interview, all the same, so you can sleep better. Light a fire under whoever you
 assign to transcribe this; I don't like when multiple operators are relying on my work being on time.

He confirms the basic story that the operatives and the other chimps hooted out, with the notable exception that in every scene as he recounts it, the sun is shining out of his ass and warming the world with his anal benevolence and superlative skills. He talks like he's part of the guard assignment helping keep an eye on the D-Class. Claims he saved the lives of the guards that made it and that he'll "miss those brave boys" that didn't make it, which is incredibly since I'm quite sure we've never mapped these chimps with these handlers before.

He claims to have disarmed an active grenade and saved everyone's lives at one point. More likely, he took apart grenade he dived on and then pulled the pin after the fact to claim heroism.

His account of the clash with the other D-Class ('Tater') is recorded here in scintillating detail, blow for blow, like a grand Iliadic combat of grand warrior peers. This is funny, because the guard report suggests it was about twelve seconds of struggle over a gun and then some sweaty groin punching.

He keeps voicing concern for the welfare of some of the D-Class - the female ones, naturally, especially D-38997, the petrochemist. He claims to have chased the truck that she stole and ridden on its canopy trying to save her, before leaping clear at the last minute. The actions comport with other reports, though I can't imagine what he was going to do. Punch through the roof and pull her out?

The only point of interest is that there's conflicting data about fatal event. D-44529's report is that in the fight with the 'big bastard', that he was hit exactly once and knocked to the ground. Most of the other reports suggest a fatal event that was retroadjusted by one of the active SCP elements. Everyone else's memory seems intact, though, so I think we'll chalk this up to 'stone cold dumbass' rather than 'instilled amnesia'.

Likewise, he seems too stupid to really engage with the nature of the anomalies. Read D-38997's transcript if you can; she's absolutely wrecked by everything she's been through on this one. Stuttering and twitching and the full works. It's hilarious. By contrast, this bozo is refusing to let his brain register there was anything specifically unusual about the SCPs on the team, the location, or the extremely hostile post-mortal combatants.
He did lean over the table to tell the interviewer that, to quote the chimp, "I've got a bad feeling about that place."

Project  Semaphore  is about enhancing mental function, right Hayden? Get yourself another Algernon, brother. This one's not winning you any awards at the Christmas Party.

- Curtis 