From One City to Another [Open post event info and start]

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Who: Everyone (guests and non-guests alike)
Where: Geartopia
Summary: Event in City start!
Warnings: Cowboys and Gears
EVENT INFO: Read about it here if you're a new comer!

The Mayoress keeps her word, and the Visitors are whisked away and changed into more suitable clothing for this world, free of charge. As they step down from the portal -- a stark contrast to the last time it was used, a giant man standing easily over eight feet tall and resembling a mammoth takes out a piece of string and measures everyone for their complimentary hat, vest, goggles and boots, as a small team works nearby to adjust the sizes of the materials they already have. It's rather interesting to see them at work, cutting with iron scissors - a spiderlady using her own silken string along with a robot aide to patch things up. Before long, you are given an outfit that's been tailor-fit for you.

Hopefully you aren't too arachnophobic, she's a nice old lady.

Once that's all done, the Mayoress speaks up.

"Come with us, please!"

Robotic horses and chariots draw them into the middle of the town, as a small map is given to everyone, but it's overly simple at best.

As they arrive in the town square, a look around reveals that the people here seem to be a mixture of humans, humanoid animals that have evolved, and robots. The feeling is very Old West, but with it all kept at a simple level despite the advance technology present. Compared to Hinoto-Ri and its lights, bright city and atmosphere, Geartopia feels like it falls on the opposite end of the spectrum. There's barely anything that would make you think of a modern city.

Which is why those that don't look like they belong stand out even more than you do.

Confused people from various worlds, not meant to have landed here... but currently with no way to go home, are stuck in Geartopia, violently torn from whatever they had been doing.

"We ain't sure what happened," she tells the Visitors, shaking her head. "But the past three days have been nothin' more than a giant mess! And they keep pilin' up. We need you to help us figure out what's happenin’!"

As they continue towards the town's center, she gives a bit more explanation: Once, long ago, Geartopia was built by aliens visiting the planet that granted intelligence to some native species. That includes her kind! The giant black obsidian monoliths humming precariously outside of town are an example of that. Normally the rocks only work when they need to contact other worlds. Three days ago, they started to glow, and that's when others began to appear here. People that had not been planned for. And they were still coming in, too...

The technology the elder aliens left them allows them to contact other planets during times of distress, but otherwise, there is nothing futuristic going on - the aliens wanted it this way and for the most part, the population respects this. Most of the area is dry and arid, with very tiny grass and shrubs growing over the hill, and, strangely enough, an area from town that is densely populated by forest.

They'll need your strange and powerful manpower in the upcoming days… just like twenty years ago, when the previous mayoress had called upon great heroes for aid.

[OOC Info about Geartopia:

- Saloon and bars of all sizes. Most are comically named with an object and a color. You can find all sorts of them across town. The shadier ones can be found at the far end of the west.

- There are hotels with gear-driven pianos playing wistful tunes as you drink hard liquor made from cactus juice, honey and barley. The honey wine is especially prized and costly.

- There is also a small carnival with a steampunk and old west fair, sugar and cactus fruit pies, whole animals roasted over open pits, musicians, and a single wooden coaster. It's not much, but the food is excellent.

- Be careful, however. The cactus fruit does cause stomach aches for most people not native to this world.

- There are farms around here, if you feel like having real food and doing honest work.

- The general store has steampunk items for sale, but most of them are much too expensive for the visitors at this point. You can try to barter.

- Oh, and news travels fast. Cause problems, and the rumors will travel to the mayoress fast enough.

- Start posts with Open or Closed depending on what you want to do!

RP VISITORS NOT FROM STRINGS: Here’s your own situation: Your character showed up here anytime from the 4th to the 16th and they have no idea why. They just popped out from their own place and popped in here. HAVE FUN!]

Comments

Open!

[theimmortalhalf]

[A small silver-haired boy is cautiously inching around the carnival, ducking behind stalls that are taller than him to avoid getting caught. The last thing he wants is to be taken back to the orphanage before he gets to see everything. He's amazed by all the sights, and wants nothing more than to share them with his sister and his best friend.

But where are they? Maybe he lost them... He'll look for them first, and then they can all play together!]

Miki? Shinji? Where'd you guys go...

[hasleveledup]

[Unfortunately, in the process of sneaking around, he manages to bump into a pair of legs standing in front of the ball toss booth. Junpei struggles to find his balance and throws the ball in the wrong direction: right at the booth runner. He manages to avoid getting beaned, thankfully.]

Wh-whoa! Hey!

[theimmortalhalf]

O-Oh! Um...

[Akihiko shyly shuffles his feet and keeps his gaze down, the way he always does when he expects an adult to start scolding him. Maybe if he says sorry first, the man won't be too mad?]

I-I'm sorry, mister...

[hasleveledup]

[...Oh, it's just a little kid. Junpei smiles.]

Hey, no harm done! You apologized, so that's cool with me.

[He holds his hand out for a shake.]

[theimmortalhalf]

Ah...

[He blinks at his hand, unsure what the man wants him to do... High-five, maybe?

So Akihiko pushes his own hand forward and softly slaps the other palm. Forgive him, Junpei. He hasn't really learned manners yet. Wait until Mitsuru gets a hold of him, years later!]

I-I hafta go look for my sister... and my best friend...

[hasleveledup]

[Alright! High fives are just as good, kid! Junpei grins and offers his fist for a bump.]

Oh right! You were looking for Mi...ki and...Shinji...

[...No way. NO WAY.]

[theimmortalhalf]

[Akihiko looks a little worried now. Does he wanna punch him? But why? Did he mess up the high-five??]

Uh huh... [He nods enthusiastically, but tries to be good so he doesn't accidentally make the man angry.] Did you see 'em? I wanna show 'em the pretty lights... and all the toys and masks 'n stuff...

[redpeacoat]

[Don't look now. But...

Shinji is right behind you. He jumps out from behind a big barrel with his arms out.]

Rawr!

[theimmortalhalf]

Ahhh!!

[Akihiko jumps when he feels hands suddenly clamping down on his shoulder! Did one of the caretakers come to bring him back to the orphanage? He didn't wanna go yet!

Wait...]

Sh-Shinji! [He turns around and pouts at the other boy.] D-Don't scare me like that! It's mean! [Akihiko hits him on the arm, but at this size and age, there's not much force to it.]

[redpeacoat]

[Shinji just giggles a bit.]

Aww, c'mon Aki! There're no monsters in the daytime! Heehee!

[theimmortalhalf]

[Akihiko pouts at him in return, but then is quickly reminded of the carnival. Like most kids, he has the attention span of a goldfish.]

Look, look! [He grabs Shinji's arm and points with his other hand.] Shinji, there's so many lights here! And lotsa food too!

[He wants to get some, but. :( No money...]

[redpeacoat]

Whoa...it's like the festivals on TV...

[Maybe they have goldfish and masks somewhere. And yes, good food! The money aspect hasn't quite occurred to him yet, though.]

Let's check it out!

[theimmortalhalf]

Yeah! O-Okay!

[Even with all the excitement going on, he's still shy and skittish. He clings to Shinji's hand and pipes up in warning.] D-Don't let go, okay? I don't wanna be alone again...

[Speaking of alone...]

Wait! Wh-Where's Miki...?

[themortalhalf]

[It's the familiar names that catch his attention, make the words stand out from the rest of the talk, and draw his gaze as a boy crosses his line of sight in a flash of silver.

What?

Shinjiro's gray eyes track him quickly as he ducks around another stall, old familiarity and recognition stirring, even though the memories of the boy from that long ago are faded at best. Shinjiro's steps had been slow before, hardly in a hurry, but they quicken to a faster, more deliberate pace as starts to follow him, his voice barking out an almost-command.]

Hey, kid!

[theimmortalhalf]

Huh...?

[Heeding the call, Akihiko slows down and turns his head back... to see a tall stranger following him.

...Is he in trouble for running around, or is this man a bad guy out to hurt him?

He really isn't sure what to think... but for the time being, will stop, lighter gray eyes wide with some apprehension. He's skittish at this young age, still unsure about himself, and nowhere nearly as confident as he will become, in the future.

The man comes closer, and Akihiko wants to shrink back on instinct. Only when he conjures up a mental picture of Miki and Shinji does he find the strength to stand there and hold his ground. He has to be brave; he can't just always cry and wait for Shinji to come rescue him.

Subconsciously, Akihiko starts wringing his hands together, and it takes him a minute or two to finally look up, staring wide-eyed at the stranger.]

U-Um...

[themortalhalf]

[Well, shit.

He recoils and and shrinks back, frowning, approaching Akihiko more slowly and less aggressively. He hadn't wanted to make him nervous, but Shinjiro guesses doing what he just did was certainly asking for it. But he's been used to Aki standing his ground, and the years when he couldn't quite muster that are pretty faded. He can't remember as much as he'd like. Just days strung together and more idealistic than they probably were. He remembers some things, but—well, he remembers the following years clearer.

Well. It's been a long time since he's been a kid. Not that he doesn't miss that. Sometimes. A lot of the time.

But he has an old picture in his pocket along with his watch. And a handful of other photograph that Miki gave him. For as long as its been, he's had reminders of what they all looked like once. It's hard to mistake Aki for anyone else. Though he could be wrong.]

Sorry.

[For a lot of things. He tries to smooth out his voice, lessen the graveled-edge to his voice, because being rough to a kid was going to do wonders for his conscience.]

Your name. It's Aki—[a pause as the other half of his name unwillingly follows]—hiko, isn't it?

[theimmortalhalf]

[In that short pause, Akihiko chirps up defiantly.] Only Shinji calls me Aki!

[…He hasn’t fully learned manners yet. Even at this age, though, he feels passionate about something that seems so small and insignificant to others. Shinji calls him Aki, and Miki calls him big bro. No one else gets to be as special as those two are, to him.

But Akihiko does nod his head when the man finishes the rest of his name.] Uh huh. Um… yes, sir. [Politeness, subordination – more prominent traits in him right now. Plus, he’s hoping that if he behaves, he’ll be allowed to roam around the carnival longer. Even if he doesn’t have money for food or toys, there’s still so much he wants to see.

The boy starts shuffling his feet over the ground, hands disappearing behind his back.] …Am I in trouble? I can’t go back to the orphanage yet! Not without Shinji and Miki…

[themortalhalf]

[He smiles a little despite himself.]

I know.

[There's also that inner debate—whether to be upfront and tell him who he is or say nothing at all. He was young enough he'd probably belive him at this point. But he doesn't know if it'd be fair, or right, to tell him and make his life more complicated. But it doesn't change the fact that Shinjiro can't just leave him here.

Aki's comment does it make him wonder if there's a copy of himself and Miki here, running around somewhere. Heh. He can hardly remember those days. But if he got pulled here, he might just be alone.]

You know where your friends went?

[theimmortalhalf]

[He gasps in surprise, but looks more excited.] You know Shinji? Did ya see him? Where’d he go? Is Miki with him?

[That level of curiosity should feel familiar. Never mind the fact that children in general like to play Twenty Questions all the time.

The sight of his smile, small as it is, further relaxes the boy. He still doesn’t know if the man is scary or not, but if he knows Shinji, he can’t be too bad! Maybe it means he’ll let him stay at the carnival till later.

Akihiko shakes his head.] Uh uh… [He also sees fit to correct.] Miki’s not my friend. She’s my little sister! I hafta protect her!

[So he isn’t entirely big or strong enough to do that yet, which is why he has to rely on Shinji for now. But his day will come. Just like all of the other dreams they’ve outlined for their futures.]

u ask, i deliver

[wildcardpotential]

[Minako wasn't really there for anything in particular, but she was certainly enjoying people-watching. Her mostly aimless observations all come to a focus on a little kid who looks like he's lost someone. Maternal instincts: activate!]

Hey, little man, looking for something?

ilu <3 we should fluff some more later :3

[theimmortalhalf]

H-Huh?

[Oh, a nice-looking lady... Akihiko smiles shyly at her, and then tucks his hands behind his back. He fidgets on his feet, as he glances at her hair and dark eyes with a child's intrigue.]

U-Um, yeah... I'm looking for my little sister and my best friend...

ye <3

[wildcardpotential]

[Oh gosh, he's precious. She's crouching down to be at his level, to be less intimidating. He looks so familiar though...]

Well you shouldn't be alone! Neither should they! Do you want help?

do you feel better today? :<

[theimmortalhalf]

[That makes him a little braver, and he hesitates before stepping forward, arms still tucked away. This lady is pretty, and her smile calms him a bit more.

It's the lack of bandage over his brow, isn't it?]

Y-Yes, please... [He has manners sometimes!] My little sister's Miki, and my best friend's Shinji...

a bit ;;

[wildcardpotential]

[He seems to be trusting her, which makes her happy. This one looks like a skittish kid.

No it's more the bitty-ness. The Akihiko she knows is much... taller. And less pre-pubescent.]

Miki and... Shinji... [Hang on.]

What's your name?

More heartbreaks aww yeah

[helenchanter]

[Someone had said her--]

No way.

[But he's so...and that's not...why is it...is it...

WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH MIKI'S BRAIN. PLEASE STAND BY.]

...Aki?