[ WEEK ONE – ARRIVAL ]

[sheriffexe]

ARRIVAL

It's a surprisingly quiet ride. The passenger cart is nothing more than wood and a bit of cotton to cushion the seats but for some reason, even as the train hurtles along down the track, the cart remains silent. It only starts filling with noise when the passengers begin to stir. There isn't any indication on how you got here. No grogginess, no injuries -- in fact, those who arrive with injuries might find them healed up completely (of course there are others who won't be so lucky) -- but in one blink and the next, you are here, on this train. Maybe you're even sitting next to a friend. Maybe a stranger. Won't be any time to talk either, the train suddenly slowing down with enough of a jerk to throw its passengers back into their seats. A few seconds later, it comes to a complete stop and with a whistle, the doors open and a voice calls from outside. It's male, with a slight mechanical twang behind it and anyone who looks out the window towards the station can just about spot the portly man out on the platform. "You might as well come on out, folks. You won't be getting any answers on the train." Once everyone is out on the platform, the man stands before them taking an assessing look at each person. There is something very off about him, though he looks human enough -- but his eyes are too white, his skin too dry, and his hair is doesn't shine quite right. He is dressed in a flannel shirt, suspenders, and jeans, a cowboy hat atop his head and a badge pinned to his shirt that reads "Sheriff". After a moment, he gives a gruff nod and speaks again. "Howdy. Real happy to see all of you. Explanations will come... Sunday morning, yeah. Give y'all a bit of time to meet each other. Settle in. Keys are on the table over there, hat and pistol in your room. Don't, er... Don't shoot each other right away but if you do, my office is over there. Go get some dinner, sun's about to set. Wouldn't want any coyote trouble." And that seems to be... it. The Sheriff tips his hat and turns to head to the building with the large "Sheriff" sign on the front. There is a table nearby, keys neatly laid out for everyone with nametags attached to each one. An owl hoots in the distance and a breeze passes through the group. It's quiet again. Welcome to game start! Characters will find their items in their hotel rooms and anyone who goes to visit the Sheriff after he leaves will find the station empty. On top of that, rulebooks will not be available to find until later. The Sheriff might be forcing it a little but it seems like the intent here really is to get everyone to interact with each other. If there are any questions, PM or hit up the plurk at robowest!

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Comments

[uraniumnumnum]

arrival

[ oblivion was waiting for him. the seconds dragged on yet slipped through his fingers; he was a spark inside a great machine, waiting to be snuffed out and disappear into eternity --

Or he thought he was. Instead, here he is. On a train. The very action of "opening his eyes" and the sensation of grogginess itself is bizarre to someone who's lived his entire life in the bodiless void of cyberspace, and he knows something is wrong immediately upon regaining consciousness. A consciousness he wasn't expecting to regain at all. Not once had he ever even entertained the concept of an afterlife. Thus, he can only arrive at one conclusion: something has gone terribly wrong, and his data has been copied into another vehicle.

Ash's first instinct is to panic, with things so far out of his control and understanding, but he's tired enough from the war, the loss of his "last Galerians," and those memories of Rion that he manages to resist that impulse. He gains awareness of his new body; he flexes the fingers, scans its specifications and capabilities. He looks at the people around him, who are unfamiliar, and whose attire he can trace back to multiple time periods far in the past. He walks off and gets on the platform with the rest of them. He listens to the stupid human male speak. He is calm.

He is about to burst.

As soon as that man walks away, he's quick to sling an arm out to whoever is nearest to him, attempting to pull them into a chokehold - as if he's taking a hostage. ]

Tell me what the hell is going on. Now. Who did this to me?!

[ his voice is a hissing snarl, full of smoldering rage - but not without a tinge of fear, too. ]

[tightly]

[ Chane's almost caught off guard by the chokehold; how not? It hadn't been telegraphed in the slightest. Still, her peripheral vision just catches the movement before he has an arm hooked around her throat, and she ducks out of the way. The effortless grace with which she moves is almost ghostly.

As for the question, well. No answer and no voice to give it leaves her in a bit of a bind. She could just walk away, she knows - but doesn't, for some reason.

Lips pressing together, Chane shakes her head. ]

[uraniumnumnum]

[ he's not exactly an experienced fighter - he's not even used to having a physical body. It's not surprising that someone like Chane can slip away from him. Still, it does little to quell his rising anger, and her lack of response only incites him further. His posture is stiff as he draws back from her, but his face wrinkles into a scowl. ]

Not answering? Do you think you can play games with me? What ridiculous nonsense. If you don't tell me what you've done to me, then I will make you tell me. Why was I brought back into this awful existence?!

[tightly]

[ Once again, she shakes her head, spreading her hands in an effort to make him understand. What he's supposed to take from that is anyone's guess, but what she's trying to indicate is not having an answer for him.

They did all arrive together, after all. ]

[uraniumnumnum]

[ why isn't she responding? In his state of anger, he takes it as an insult rather than a problem on her end, and his fists ball together with a mechanical creak. ]

I'm not going to play charades with you, human bitch. I'll wring an answer out of that skinny neck of yours if you force me. Don't think that I'm weakened just because I'm in this body.

[tightly]

[ Had Chane been more given to any sort of self-expression, she might have laughed. As it is, her brows knit in mild consternation. "Human bitch" is rude, but she's certainly heard worse, and it's not as if this young man's opinion has any relevance to her existence. Dismissing any threat, palpable or otherwise, she starts to turn away. ]

[uraniumnumnum]

Don't you walk away from me!

[ he's clearly not taking no for an answer here. He's panicked - it's easy to tell that his anger is springing from fear and confusion. Unfortunately, it's not leading him to make the best solutions. He wants this problem fixed. He wants control. So he lunges after her, trying to grab her arm.

rip ash ]

[tightly]

[ Someone who burns as quickly as this young man can't help but telegraph his approach, which means that Chane sees it coming and is prepared to respond. As uncouth as he is being, she doesn't really want to hurt him - likely, he's confused as the rest of them, and handling it poorly. It's simply that she has no real mechanism to respond to or help him, and is thinking it's better he find someone who can calm him down. It's too bad she chose the absolute worst way to try and get that across!

He never does grab her arm. Chane maneuvers around him like water, sinking out of his reach before rising again, and strikes him square in the throat with the blade of her hand. ]

[insincerely]

[WHOA, SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE A CHILL PILL.

Shinnosuke's not in the best condition right now, but he's at least competent and on edge enough that he slips away from Ash's chokehold attempt. Trying to calm down his thudding heart, he manages an obnoxiously carefree smile.]

Oh my, aren't you violent? Now I don't feel like telling you at all.

[uraniumnumnum]

[ HE SURE DOES...

the miss causes him to stumble a little bit - ash is clearly not the most graceful in this corporeal form - but he pays it no mind, turning on Shinnosuke with wild eyes. ]

I've killed countless men greater than you for less. Do you think you'll be any different? Tell me now or I'll snap your pathetic little neck.

[ #meetcute ]

[insincerely]

[dokidoki death threats

He's just... going to take another step back...]

You really aced Persuasive Speaking 101, didn't you?

[uraniumnumnum]

I'm not interested in "persuading" a human.

[ that would clearly be a waste of his great intellect! he's rising back up to his full height, taking a stiff step forward towards the other man. ]

Answer me! Why did you bring me back?

[insincerely]

[All right, this situation is getting kind of worrying, although Shinnosuke's pretty sure that this guy is just making things worse for himself in the long run by causing a scene and openly threatening murder.]

I— [he drawls it out] —actually have no idea what you're talking about?

[uraniumnumnum]

[ LISTEN!! HE'S STRESSED OUT!! ]

You know exactly what I'm talking about. After everything I've done, humanity should despise me. Why have I been put in this body? Why did they bring me back? What's the point of this ridiculous place?!

[ though he doesn't think shinnosuke is directly to blame at all, he certianly seems to be painting him with the same brush as "them." ]

[insincerely]

[CHIIIILL.

This guy is seeming crazier and crazier by the moment??]

And you think some guy in a high school uniform is going to have your answers?

[moraled]

[He's not really scared of Ash--he's a knight, and an Inquisitor, and he's dealt with scarier things than...whatever this guy's problem is.

Ash is successful in reaching out towards Barnham, but...well, then Barnham reaches up to grasp his arm in his own hands, tightening his grasp and trying to hold him in place in turn.

A frown.]

You had best keep your threats to yourself. I am no more aware of the situation than you.

[uraniumnumnum]

[ whoops. He might notice that Ash's arm is fairly stiff and hard - he's not actually a human. That said, he doesn't really make any moves to release the man. He doesn't care what happens to himself at this point; all he wants is an answer. And peace - but that doesn't seem realistic anymore. ]

Not aware? I don't believe there's a single human alive who's not aware. What are you planning? Are you going to imprison me in this shell? That would be fitting for your kind, wouldn't it? [ his voice is a growl, more animalistic than logical at this point - quite unusual for an AI, really. ] Well, you've made a huge mistake.

[moraled]

[There's no denying that that is definitely weird.

And for Barnham, who is used to things like "blah blah blah YOU HUMANS" from the ~~witches~~ just arches an eyebrow at Ash.

What the heck.]

Regardless of your grudge against the human race, I think it is very plain to see that I, too, am in the same situation.

[Don't make him punch you.]

I must insist that you release me now.

[uraniumnumnum]

I don't think so.

[ his grudge against the human race is deep - he's built his life around it - and he's so confused and disoriented right now that he wants to feel like he has at least one thing under his control. For a computer, there's nothing worse than being faced with an illogical situation like this. ]

Don't play dumb with me. Just who do you think I am?

[alcobrawlic]

[ One doesn't get to be the youngest highest-ranking bracer or a combat instructor by having a dropped guard-- so as his arm shoots out, Sara pivots on her heel, pulling out of the way to avoid any sort of contact. ]

You did hear the part where he said "explanations will come" to all of us, right?

[uraniumnumnum]

[ yeah, he has no chance against her - not when he's in a new body that he's still working the kinks out of. One that's not of his design, no less. The miss makes him stumble, but his golden eyes stay locked on her, full of hurt and anger. Not towards her, specifically, but towards... well, everything, it seems. ]

All of you are my enemy - oh, you've made that very clear! And I'm the world's enemy! I don't know why you've brought me back, but you'll pay dearly for what you've done.

[alcobrawlic]

[ ... What is it with troubled, overly dramatic teens lately? At least one of them had only talked rather mechanically, but now this? ]

So we're your enemy because you're the world's enemy, or because we all just happen to be here and you need someone to be angry at since our instigator just left?

[ She's just going to fold her arms under her chest now, her own eyes still fixed on his. ]

[uraniumnumnum]

[ please he's like 20?? or at least he looks it...

she's hit the nail on the head, really, but having just come unexpectedly back to life after waging a war on all of humanity (and mostly winning), he's not willing to believe all the people standing here are in the same position as him. ]

It doesn't matter why you're here, you idiot. You're human, aren't you? Now explain what's happened, and I might spare your miserable life.

[alcobrawlic]

That's sweet of you, really, buuuut I know about as much as you.

I mean, beyond manners. I can tell who's got the better sense of decency here.

[uraniumnumnum]

You can take your decency and shove it up your ass.

[ thus confirming her words ]

Why should I believe that? I've arrived in a human town, riding in a human vehicle.