robowest | [ WEEK ONE

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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

Not a bad idea. What's the last thing you remember doing?

[Almost idly, he snaps his fingers. Nope, nothing. He'd confirmed as much earlier, but it's still disconcerting.

He can't say he was in a 《Labyrinth》, lest this guy ask which one, as that's not something he's willing to answer.]

Camping and getting the latest news. Definitely not anything that would put me on a train to what looks like an American city across the globe, at least.

[When you're Percy Jackson sometimes you really just hope that asking repeat questions will trick the other party into revealing more information. It's been proven to work, but this guy seems to be up front enough.]

That makes two of us. [Because it's much better than explaining where he actually was.] I have a feeling none of us were doing anything that would mean we'd end up here. I don't think I've seen a city like this outside of tourist traps though.

[Way to not actually explain what you were doing, both of you guys!!]

Well, I have to say that whoever kidnapped us must've been awfully dedicated, since I was in a pretty remote area. [...] It really does look like we're in some kind of movie set, though.

Joke's on them, my acting skills are pretty bad. [But his eyes wander to get a really good look at their surroundings.] I was pretty far out of the way, too. Can't really think of what they'd want with me anyway. I'm from New York. [i.e. this old west thing is really not his forte.]

I'm from Tokyo. What part of "Japanese high schooler" seems appropriate for the Wild West?

[Although that does bring up the question of how they're even communicating right now...]

The part where whoever brought us here did a lot of research about us. Maybe this is just a fake setting? The Sheriff's supposedly coming back Sunday, for all we know we're getting on another train out of here.

[That's. Way too good of a scenario and his face makes it clear.] Also I'm pretty sure trains can't go from Tokyo to America. [So. How did that work?]

... It's roughly twelve hours by plane between the US and Japan. I really don't want to think about being drugged unconscious or something for that long.

[Not that he doesn't live life on the edge/he's never been drugged into unconsciousness, but still.]

We still don't know if we're actually in America either. [Because. You know. There's that pesky part where Percy himself also wasn't in America prior to this and this conversation would be so much easier if details were forthcoming. Oh well.] The only map I found was the one at the ticket station.

That's a charming thought. Who knows, maybe we're actually in Antarctica.

[Or not anywhere on Earth, to get especially out there.]

Australia would be my guess. They have tumbleweeds and stuff there don't they? [Who knows, Percy's never been to Australia yet.]

Think people would be willing to say where they're from if they're asked?

... Hasn't Australia been swallowed up by labyrinths?

[??? Percy, why don't you know basic recent history...]

Probably. It shouldn't be a huge secret in most cases.

What? [Okay look he only knows of one labyrinth and last time he checked Australia was fine. He'll get back to the "where are you from" thing in a second because really, what?]

... The Labyrinth Disease?

[DOESN'T THIS RING ANY BELLS]

[Just. A blank look?? WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT MAN.]

The Labyrinth's done a lot of things, but I don't know anything about a disease that swallowed Australia.

[What are you talking about, man.]

... Okay, either you've been living under a rock, or something's going on here, because there's no way you can't have heard of the Labyrinth Disease. Girls turning into labyrinths, swallowing up the world, etc.?

None of that makes any sense from the Labyrinth I know about, especially since it was never a person. [...okay, let's try something.] You said you were from Tokyo, right? Maybe your disease is only taking over the eastern half of the world.

I'm from Tokyo, but even I know Japan's not the center of the world. The disease has hit America and Europe too. It's a world-wide calamity, so like I said, you'd have to be pretty damn sheltered not to know about it.

[He's also travelled all over the world and seen these things for his own eyes, but that, he keeps to himself. The less personal details he gives, the better.]

The latest news that I mentioned earlier? It was America planning to go to war with Japan over labyrinth-related matters. Have you heard anything about that?

[None of that sounds familiar but his eyes light up at the word "Europe." That sounds a little better and actually...he's thinking again. There might be an explanation but he can't confirm without more information.]

I was a little busy back home. But maybe I've heard something about it in passing. How do girls turn into labyrinths though? Anybody figure that out? [Where's the disease coming from?]

Busy for the last ten years?

[Shinnosuke doesn't look impressed because seriously. So much of this should be common knowledge??]

Nope. A lot of it is still a mystery.

The last five, actually. [But whatever, details.] Do you know what these labyrinths look like at least?

Yes and no.

[He pauses, before elaborating, as he shrugs.]

That's a worthless question to ask, for the record. Each labyrinth can look wildly different from one another. A school, a tower, a forest, etc.—the structure varies.

... You seriously don't know any of this?

Not a clue. The labyrinth I know can change paths and everything but it was man-made. [This is bad.] So...what do you make of that?

... While there's been some human experimentation to deliberately trigger the Labyrinth Disease in subjects—which, I should add, I have nothing to do with, even as shitty of a person as I am—I'm pretty sure we're not thinking of the same thing.

The Labyrinth Disease is the worst disaster in history. You could live your life pretending it doesn't exist, sure, but there's no way you could've avoided hearing about it completely unless you were sheltered beyond belief. This is just too weird.

[Because that disclaimer isn't suspicious at all...but at least Percy has something else to worry about.]

I can assure you that we don't have anything like that where I'm from. We would have heard about it by now. I don't know how that's possible unless you're, like, from the future or something. [That apparently makes more sense than "other worlds".]

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