[ 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!

QUICK NAV PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS | STATUSES | PROFILES | LOCATIONS | GRAVEYARD | MAIN NAVIGATION

Comments

[insincerely]

You have to angle your mouth underneath just the right way as you bash the can. It's a very precise art, you know?

[thatsthespirit]

[. . .]

[have you ever seen someone judge a can of soup? she's judging a can of soup]

That seems unnecessary. Why not just serve it straight out of the pot, instead of sealing it in this container?

[insincerely]

[... He's kind of hoping that she's just pulling his leg right now and that she doesn't actually believe what's coming out of his mouth.]

Because cans are easier to carry than a pot, of course. It's all about business, not what's really best for customers.

[thatsthespirit]

[SHE. . . SHE TOTALLY BELIEVES HIM. I'm sorry. she has no idea how to Human sometimes]

Hm. I suppose it is more convenient for travel, but I'll take my soup fresh, right out of the pot.

It's less messy that way.

[insincerely]

[Milla, stop...]

Well, tough luck finding soup in a pot around here, unless you plan on cooking it yourself.

[thatsthespirit]

[urk]

I've never tried cooking myself, actually. I have no idea if I'd be any good at it.

[insincerely]

[...]

Try not to burn our lodgings down.

[thatsthespirit]

[she scowls, and lifts her free hand to stare at her palm]

Burning down the lodgings wouldn't be a concern if my connection to Undine hadn't been severed.

["again" goes unsaid. and she doesn't even think about the fact that this guy might not have any idea what she's talking about]

[insincerely]

[Yeah, uh.]

Your what now?

[thatsthespirit]

My connection. To Undine. The Great Spirit of Water.

[duh??? it may not have occurred to her that these people aren't from Rieze Maxia yet]

[insincerely]

[???]

Never heard of it.

[thatsthespirit]

[. . .?]

Are you from Elympios, then? I thought everyone in Rieze Maxia had heard of the Four.

[insincerely]

... Lady, you might as well be talking gibberish to me.

[thatsthespirit]

[oh. oh dear. her brows furrow]

. . . I see. You're from a different place entirely.

[strange, but she'll roll with it]

Undine is the Great Spirit of Water, one of the Four Great Spirits. Normally I'm able to summon her to help me cast water-based spirit artes, but my connection to her has been severed.

[which makes her utterly powerless, WHICH. . . sucks, but she's dealt with this before]

[insincerely]

... Okay then. So in other words, you sound like you're from some kind of fantasy story. Also, that you're useless, I assume.

[Well, he supposes he can't judge, because his own circumstances would've sounded crazy to him had he explained them to his pre-7-year-old self (and he's useless here too), but.

Of course, there's also this possibility that this woman is just some delusional lunatic, and he's not dismissing that just yet, but this entire place is weird.]

[thatsthespirit]

[HEY NOW. thankfully, while Milla has pride, she doesn't have an easily bruised ego]

Far from useless. Just a bit. . . handicapped.

[if only she had her sword, geez]

[insincerely]

Then what can you do?

[thatsthespirit]

[hns and folds her arms over her torso]

I believe I can find us a way home, although I acknowledge that I can't do it alone. It'll need the collective cooperation of everyone here.

[insincerely]

[... Ah. In response, Shinnosuke lets out a laugh.]

You seriously expect cooperation?

[thatsthespirit]

[raises an eyebrow, but is otherwise unfazed by the laugh]

I don't expect it, but I hope for it. It's within everyone's best interests, after all.

[insincerely]

Well... good luck, then. I imagine you'll need it.

[Because he's far too cynical to hope for something like that, and privately he thinks she's a moron (sorry, Milla).]

Of course, maybe people will take pity on someone who doesn't even know how to open a can.

[thatsthespirit]

[IT'S OKAY, SHE'LL SURVIVE. she's unfazed by his obviously patronizing words]

[places the can back on the shelf with a small shrug of her shoulders]

We don't have "cans" back where I come from, so of course I wouldn't know how to open it. Although it's fascinating to learn about new things, no matter what our circumstances are.

[insincerely]

How positive of you. Well, to reward your optimism before it shatters, I suppose I should tell you that everything I said earlier was a load of bullshit.

[thatsthespirit]

[oddly enough, she just smiles, amusement twinkling in her eyes]

I had a slight feeling it was. Then how do you really open a can?

[insincerely]

You need the aptly named can opener. Failing that, a knife or spoon could work if you're careful—plus some other more old-fashioned ways, but no, bashing the can against a hard surface has generally not been one of them.