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

[stringmods]

⊙

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

[xochipilli_cursed]

[Option 1]
Well, this is new. Considering he doesn't know where he is or what he's up against, it's time to blend in as quickly as possible. Jeans and a t-shirt don't fit in with this theme, so maybe a bit of fur will. Finding a nice, out of the way spot to shape change.

The coyote is making its way around town, looking from building to building and doing some people watching. It doesn't seem afraid of people and is making its way like everything is normal. Perfectly normal. Nothing to worry about. Unless you fear small wolves or like ugly dog like animals.



[Option 2]
Aaron has found a suitable outfit for the occasion. Meanwhile, one of the locals is wondering how they lost articles of clothing in such a small hotel room. The 18 year old is now walking around in his human form.

He's wearing trousers, chaps, a button up tunic and a cowboy hat. His belt has a holster holding a large knife with a leather wrapped handle instead of a gun. His boots don't have spurs, and he's sort of disappointed by that. There are also frays and markings where he cut out and removed gears or steampunk accessories from the outfit.

Aaron grins and waves to people as he walks down the streets and checks out the different saloons. This all seems pretty hilarious to him.

((OOC: Pick an option or feel free catch him changing forms to or from a coyote.))

[element_wizard]

"Bit of a riot, innit?" Alec says falling in step with the coyote.

He doesn't look like he belongs. He's not bothering to try and look like he belongs. He's just sashaying about and randomly talking to people. Hello Aaron, random person.

[xochipilli_cursed]

The coyote looks up at the fellow talking to him and then looks back around the town. The one thing Aaron did not expect while looking like a coyote was to be talked to. For now, he keeps up his pace though feels a bit on edge. Sadly, like this, he isn't much of a talker. Also, he sort of wishes he got the whole recognize things by scent thing down, but he's still new to this gig.

[element_wizard]

Alec, if he's trying to smell him, doesn't smell like anything in particular. Instead his smell is constantly shifting, like it can't make up its mind what he is. He really should get his act together.

"I can understand you, if you wish to ... I don't even know how a coyote talks..."

[xochipilli_cursed]

Oh no, that's not helpful at all. Well, this is awkward. The man keeps talking at him too. How do you even talk coyote? So Aaron makes some unintelligible barking noises at Alec. Aaron only knows a few of the basics himself so holding a convo is going to be tough.

[element_wizard]

He also smells like a great deal of power. It just radiates off of him like a garbage dump.

"This really isn't working is it?" He taps his chin lightly and curses his mun for being unclear in their typing. When they said coyote they meant for him to be in human form. Ah well. "Let's try something else. Why do you get some clothes and I'll meet you over there in ... half hour? The conversation might be better."

[xochipilli_cursed]

((Oops!))

If the coyote could give this guy a look of suspicion, this is one. Aaron trots off, making sure the stranger isn't following, before heading off on his own. He will come back around, after a bit. Dressed in his best 'local cowboy' outfit, he makes his way over. Aaron leans against the wall and tips his hat down to shade his eyes. Clearing his throat, he tries to act cowboy nonchalant. "So, you wanted to talk?"

[element_wizard]

((Pfft. I was unclear. My bad.))

"Yeahup." He's gotten his hands on something on a stick. He's not really sure what it is, but he's eating. "Do you have any idea what this is? I've never been able to figure out food on a stick." He frowns and takes a bite.

Has Alec's attention wandered off so that he's completely forgotten why he wanted to talk to the other guy? Yup.

[xochipilli_cursed]

Aaron glances up for just a moment and he has to smile. "It looks to be meat."

Because what else do you cook on a stick? Also, Aaron's not picky enough about food to be discerning enough to figure out what sort of meat it might be. If he had to guess? "Maybe it's prairie dog."

That's what you had in the old west, right? Coyotes and prairie dogs.

[element_wizard]

"Could be. Wouldn't know. Never had prairie dog," Alec says with a shrug. He'll eat anything at least once.

"I've never met a were-coyote before." That's right. That's why he wanted to talk to the guy.

He wouldn't know what they had in the old west. Alec's knowledge is basically gleaned from popular culture.

[Option 2, if you don't mind nighttime happening]

[angryyoungvamp]

He may get a wave back from somebody he didn't expect - namely the man with what looks to be a sword on his hip instead of a gun. Maugris figures someone walking around waving at people expects to be waved back at.

The knife gets a look more than the outfit. Everybody who came here from Hinoto-Ri got a local outfit, after all, and of course so do the actual locals. But carrying a knife like that surprises him a little unless this guy's another Visitor. So he'll just wander over. "You're taking this a lot better than some people."

((OOC: Hi, I'm the guy with the oWoD vampire. This is that guy. Feel free to have Aaron notice if that's a thing he can do. /knows jack-all about Werewolf))

Nightime is fine, Aaron's too wired for a good nights sleep

[xochipilli_cursed]

Hey, friendly types are always welcome in Aaron's book. He smiles to the stranger and debates on attempting a southern drawl or a raspy Clint Eastwood impression. After seeing the sword, though, he decides to try playing it straight instead. "Yeah, I'm still debating on what just happened."

Nodding to the sword this stranger has on his hip, "Also, I didn't know cowboys used swords."

((OOC: Hi! Some werewolves can get a general idea of what they are dealing with. Aaron doesn't have that power and is too new to know better anyways. I listed his powers in his info for reference but just assume Aaron is out of his league.))

[angryyoungvamp]

Maugris shrugs. "I liked the outfit they handed me when I came in - the sword's mine. As far as what happened... that's actually sort of what we're here to find out, I think. You didn't come through from Hinoto-Ri, did you?"

Best to check, at least. If it turns out Aaron is actually a Hinoto-Ri Visitor there's not much point in explaining what he does know of it. Then again, Maugris kind of likes explaining.

[xochipilli_cursed]

"Nope, I'm from the US actually." Yep, Aaron is going to assume Hinoto-Ri is somewhere in Asia. Though if one of his own theories are true about this place...

"Did Hinoto-Ri have a special path that lead to here?" As Aaron emphasizes the word, he does air quotes with his fingers. Subtle is his middle name and it shows.

[angryyoungvamp]

"So'm I. Until I wound up in Hinoto-Ri I'd never been outside of the Midwest." It probably shows in his accent. Maugris doesn't think he has an accent, but then, he wouldn't, would he?

"But, uh... yeah, it did. If by 'special path' you mean 'magic artifact that opens portals'. Because apparently it's got one of those. From how it was described to us, this place does, too, and everybody else got here because it was acting up." He frowns and taps his fingers against his thigh. He's trying to remember where he heard the phrase 'Shining Trapezohedron' before.

[xochipilli_cursed]

"Oh, cool, I'm originally from Jersey. I was sort of traveling North for a bit before I ended up here." Though the rest of that, he just nods and wonders if he somehow slipped into a new realm. One he knows nothing about. That'd be most of them, actually.

"So, magic artifacts and things brought you here? I think I ended up here by accident. Or on purpose. Someone else's purpose at least." Hell, it's safe to assume Coyote tricked him into coming here for some reason. It would be consistent with Coyote's track record of screwing with Aaron.

[angryyoungvamp]

"The way the people in charge of this place tell it, their artifact acting up is what started a bunch of people ending up here. Including you, from the sound of it. I think they're asking us to try and figure out what's causing it." Good thing Maugris has Occult 5 a lot of experience with this stuff.

"Or at least a way to stop it. In my experience finding out the cause is harder." He still doesn't really know the cause of what happened to Metatropolis, something he very much regrets. "But really. Who do you know who'd have the power and a reason to toss you into another dimension? World, plane of existence, whatever you want to call it."

[xochipilli_cursed]

Which is far more than Aaron has. Armed with very little occult knowledge knowledge of the arcane and a list of terms he knows so very few details about. Still, artifacts are new. "Oh, just some jerk. Anyways, you said something about finding the cause behind an artifact acting up? Where is this artifact?"

Yeah, now he's curious. Having an actual goal in mind is nice. It seems the plan of wandering around until the point jumps out and greets him paid off. Maybe it will again in the future.

option 1

[hello_mgann]

[M'gann has spent the last few hours exploring the western town. On the outskirts of town she notices an odd coyote. The coyote seems to be something more than just a desert animal. M'gann reaches out with her mind to investigate and finds a surprisingly complex mind in the little animal.]

Hello, Mr. Coyote.

[She looks around to make sure no one else is around, before reaching out with her powers and speaking directly into the coyote's mind.]

{You're not a regular coyote are you?}

Re: option 1

[xochipilli_cursed]

[Aaron is getting used to people talking at animals. That's not new. Though the moment she talks to his mind he realizes things are different. He looks around, the back to the one who talked to him to begin with.

Yep, the coyote is staring. Aaron doesn't know much about how this works so he just thinks really hard at her.]

{How did you do that? I didn't mean what I said or thought about you I swear, honest mistake. Can I talk to you like this? This is stupid. I'm stupid. Maybe I should learn how to speak like a coyote sometime. This might have been a bad plan. Oh well, go with the flow.}

Re: option 1

[hello_mgann]

[M'gann is a bit overwhelmed by the stream of thoughts that come out of the coyote.]

{Yes you can talk to me like this. If you give me a moment I'll filter out background thoughts so I only hear what you want me to hear.}

[M'gann pauses and concentrates for a moment.]

{There, now if you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you?}

[xochipilli_cursed]

[That's good because Aaron's focus on the strange tends to be pretty jumbled. The coyote sits patiently and then tries to respond. Trying to concentrate too to make it easier for her.

How does one talk in their head?]

{Okay, is this better? I'm a nuwiacoyotejust a normal coyote. Totally just a normal coyote.}

[...]

{Okay, I'm a werecoyote. I'd lie but I'm never going to keep one story straight like this.}

[hello_mgann]

{What exactly is a werecoyote? I'm not from around here, and I'm afraid I don't know.}

[xochipilli_cursed]

[That's not helpful.]

{Half coyote, half man. I can turn into someone who stands on two legs and uses hands but still is just as furry.}

[hello_mgann]

[M'gann begins to put the pieces together in her head, unfortunately she has only heard of were-creatures one other place.]

{So you're like the creature who was really good at basketball from that movie.}