robowest | [ WEEK ONE

Entry tags:

game: start

[ WEEK ONE – ARRIVAL ]

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

Cows!

[she doesn't realize she's being mocked she just thinks he's just as excited as she is about the cows specifically. oh honey]

There are even some horses! [DEEEEEP BREATH AGAIN she's starting to pull herself together] It's kind of dry and dusty here...but it's so pretty over there! So it's a nice change of scenery!

[He needs to flee the scene. Now.]

So pretty, with the chickens and cows?

[eager nodding!!] And the flowers. [She adjusts the bundle in her arms for emphasis.] But like I said, it's pretty far away... So I wanted to make sure you knew it was there in case you ever wanted to go see it! You could completely miss it otherwise!

[... Well, he supposes it is worth checking out, albeit not for the ~*~cows~*~.]

And how far is "pretty far away"?

Um... Well, it's kind of a while. But I remember most of the way! [m...most......] And it won't take as long now that I know where I'm going this time! [this time.........

clearly her sense of time is lacking, but he's definitely this close to being roped into an hour-long hike with this overexcited pink flower child]

If you let me drop these off [adjusting her armful of flowers again] I'll show you the way!

[........ weighing his options: risk getting lost, or spend more time with this disturbingly cheerful specimen...]

You're not exactly inspiring confidence in me, you know.

Haha, I guess not... [Yuna do you think you're helping......] But if we get a little bit lost, I'm sure we'll just find something else interesting! There must be more outside the town than just one farm.

... You're very optimistic, aren't you?

[It's gross!!]

Oh, I guess so. I just think it's more likely than not that we'll find something out there!

[that's what that means, yuna]

[yeah uh]

Something besides chickens, flowers, horses, and cows, you mean?

Yeah! Or maybe a different farm! Who knows?! We don't have much to lose if we go looking, even if we do get a little lost!

[........... he supposes on the off-chance that he gets horribly lost, it's better to have someone else around, rather than wander around alone.

ugh.]

Not much to lose beyond the possibility of finding ourselves in the middle of nowhere with no food or water or any way to get back, but sure, why not?

Oh, good idea! When we go to put these [shrugging her armful of flowers again] back, we should get some snacks from the big hotel, too, while we're there!

[that's not even kind of what was said just now but all right, yuna. okay]

[... You know what, it's not worth fighting, even though he's inwardly cringing at every mention of "we" because no, it's not like this makes them friends??]

You misconstrued what I said so badly that I don't even know where to begin, but yes, yes. Do as you please...

[She is definitely choosing to take this as full approval and beaming as she heads towards the hotel, expecting him to follow.]

Hey, can I ask your name? Mine's Yuna Yuki!

[Ugggggh. He kind of wants to just leave, but he gets the feeling that they're all going to be stuck here for a while, so he'll inevitably run into her again anyway??]

And what do you need to know my name for?

[it's too late she's decided they're friends he's doomed forever]

So I have something to call you. [And she says it with such bright sincerity instead of just stating the obvious.] If you have a nickname you like better, that's okay, too.

[not!! friends!!!!

He smiles, except it's completely at odds with what he says:]

Call me by a nickname and I'll kill you.

[... And with that out of the way—]

Arisu Shinnosuke. Just Shinnosuke will do.

[He... figures he can't really get out of telling her his name...]

[he's finally done it. he's put a damper on her perk and she starts, even losing a couple flowers from her stack in the process.]

D-don't say weird stuff like that...

[except she immediately follows it up with:]

What if I call you Shinnosuke-kun?

[yuna is going to die]

[Wow. He should make death threats more often?? In fact, he's so pleased at this success that he'll even be nice and bend down to pick up the fallen flowers.

Thankfully, that's, like, at the boundaries of what's acceptable, so Yuna gets to live... for now.]

Fine, although don't mistake that for us being buddy-buddy.

[aw how sweet!! and now we're back to square one and she's just beaming again.]

Sure thing, Shinnosuke-kun! [and she doesn't even sound a little deterred. it's too late they're buddy-buddy and he's doomed.

As they come up to the hotel, she shifts her flowers, trying to get to her key.] While I put these away, will you pick out some snacks for us? And I'll meet you back down here! [A pause, and then—] Make sure you pick some desserts!

[Shit, he regrets everything now—]

... We're not having a picnic, you know.

[!!!! THIS HADN'T OCCURRED TO HER BEFORE BUT NOW IT HAS AND HER EYES ARE SHINING]

But we could! A picnic's a great idea!

[FUCK]

.. Haha, wow, you're so much of an idiot that I don't even know what to say? In what way does having a picnic when we've all been kidnapped and left us with guns and possibly expected to murder each other seem like a great idea?

[This makes Yuna pause, too, startled but not so jumpy—for all that she's been excessively stupid from the start of this conversation, she is capable of taking things seriously. But she's smiling still, soft and warm.]

Because right now, we might be at a dead end. If there are any answers for us besides what that man wanted to tell us tomorrow, they must not be inside the town for us to find. If we don't find anything hiking towards the farm, that might mean we're really alone.

We all came in on that train together, and now it's only us here. We're all confused and worried, but that's why we should stay together. Panicking is only going to make things worse. But if we cooperate, and we keep each other as comfortable as we can, we'll be ready for whatever happens tomorrow.

[She shifts her arms like she's trying to make a gesture and remembering partway through that she's carrying all this goddamn flora.]

So that's why I think a picnic's a great idea!

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