robowest | [ WEEK ONE

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So, your family drama ended in you being a kidnapped amnesiac.

[A pause, to let that sink in for both of them.]

Am I getting that right?

Yeah, something like that. [What? Every "family" has some problems.] My...aunt--[Gods that's so weird to think of Hera that way...]--sort of thought it'd be the best way to bring my friends together to help the family fix some stuff. [...yeah this whole thing is falling apart a little so he shakes his head again.] Never mind, it's complicated.

But I'm pretty sure she's not behind it this time.

[Another pause, while she takes all of that in and tries to figure out how she should be reacting.]

Damn, and I thought my family was messed up sometimes.

[Y i k e s.]

Yeah, not sure why your aunt would want to kidnap me when I've never met her.

[He'll file that away for later, too.]

Mostly because she's a terrible person, but that's not the point. The point is that maybe the Sheriff or whoever brought us here is really only after one person and the rest of us are just here for the ride. Could be why we don't remember anything.

Why would they not have just brought that one person, then?

[A pause, as she shakes her head.]

I can get bringing maybe ten or fifteen to try and not make whoever it was freak out, but isn't this many people kind of overkill?

Definitely. There were only seven of us involved back home. [His eyebrows furrow together in thought.] There's something else he said that's bothering me. The whole "don't shoot each other yet" thing.

[It's the largest thing that stood out to her, too, and it's also the last thing she wants to talk about.]

We can talk about what that yet might imply once I find the liquor cabinet.

[Natalie, no. It seems like she's joking, at least.]

[Even if she's joking, he follows up with a slight laugh.]

I'm trying to decide if it's a good or a bad thing the saloon actually has drinks in it. [He explored there already but he's a good boy and probably didn't finish the drink served to him.] The whole town's empty but stocked up. May as well take advantage of it until tomorrow.

I'll decide whether it's a good or bad thing once we get that explanation from him tomorrow.

[There's always the chance that everyone here is going to need five drinks after whatever he tells them.

But she pauses.]

Actually, scratch that, it's a good thing no matter what. Watching people get blackout drunk is hilarious.

[He sort of feels that it's going to be everybody's option after tomorrow, too, but maybe he's just naturally a little pessimistic that way.]

Something you've watched a lot? [It's not really a relevant question, but it'll help him get a gauge on who Natalie is at least.]

That's sort of a personal question, isn't it?

[The answer is absolutely yes.]

So's the question about how much stabbing's involved in a jailbreak. [Just. Pointing that out. He can probably guess the answer though and won't push on that point much more.]

You brought stabbing up out of nowhere, of course I'd be curious.

It was not out of nowhere when you asked about my dog's judging criteria.

I had no way to know your dog's judging criteria included stabbing. You can't pin this one on me.

[Sage nod.]

[...okay you know, that's totally fair. Sadly she has a point and even he can't argue that. Her sage nod is met with one of his own.]

Truce on personal questions?

Truce on personal questions.

[She hesitates.]

For now. I reserve the right to be curious if you bring up something strange and intriguing again.

[That's also fair. Percy has a lot of bullshit that mortals probably wouldn't begin to grasp if he explained it all.]

Sure, but don't be mad if I can't answer everything. [A smile. Because he knows it's probably infuriating but you know what it's for the best. There's the briefest of pauses...and he holds out a hand. You know, before they begin their "no personal questions" truce and if they're stuck here anyway.] I'm Percy.

I would ask whether you can't or whether you won't, but I think that would make this officially the shortest truce in the history of truces.

[She glances at his hand for a moment, skeptical, as though she has to consider whether she's going to return the gesture. After another moment, though, she does reach forward to shake his hand.]

Natalie.

[That wasn't so hard even if he's still not sure what to make of her. There's a firm handshake and he immediately lets go.]

Pretty sure this is where people say "nice to meet you" but. [His hand gestures to the town again.] Better conditions would be nice. But anyway, all I'm saying is there are some things people just shouldn't know.

[For safety. He'll leave it at that as he looks to where Mrs. O'Leary is several feet away and on the hunt (probably for Annabeth.) It takes a moment for him to register that while he frowns in thought.] I should catch up with her. See you tomorrow for impending doom?

[That actually makes her laugh, even if she shakes her head slightly as she does.]

Right. Impending doom. Looking forward to it.

[Fingerguns at him before he leaves.]

See you.

[ WEEK ONE – ARRIVAL ]

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