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

[bondsofsuffering]

Well, yes. But that's because we hadn't returned to Japan yet; he'll probably find some other place to be once he lets me meet you.

[melodyoflogic]

If my brother doesn't want to be found, he won't be.

[As annoying as it was.]

[bondsofsuffering]

Naturally. He is God, after all.

[melodyoflogic]

[God or not, predictable or not, he could still be annoyed his brother probably wasn't even considering visiting his sister.]

Compared to you, I only just got the rundown on everything from Rutherford and Kirie Tsuchiya a week ago.

[bondsofsuffering]

So it was Kirie-chan who approached you?

[Well, that's more or less expected too, really. She was one of the few who was able to maintain even the slightest contact with Kiyotaka.]

But in that case, it's no wonder I didn't visit you in the hospital.

[Getting caught by her would have been... troublesome.]

[melodyoflogic]

She is pretty scary, isn't she?

[He glances around, wondering how far they were from the place Hizumi was leading them to.]

1/2

[bondsofsuffering]

You have no idea! Sometimes she looks at me and keeps talking about how I need to get myself killed--

There's only so much I can deal with, you know-?

2/2

[bondsofsuffering]

[And, as if there were absolutely nothing strange about what he says, he brightens suddenly.]

Ah-- there it is. It's at the end of the street, but it should be nicer there. The Crimson Cactus... kind of a weird name, isn't it?

Re: 2/2

[melodyoflogic]

And she still thinks I should have killed Kanone Hilbert.

[He switches topics just as Hizumi does, glancing in the same direction.]

That and everything else here. Let's just hope the food is good.

[bondsofsuffering]

When I took a look earlier, it was definitely cleaner than that other one. Even if the food isn't great, at least it shouldn't make you sick?

[melodyoflogic]

[Not exactly to his tastes, but--]

I can't exactly complain about that. I am freeloading.

[bondsofsuffering]

Technically speaking, we both are. Some people from Hinoto-Ri came here so they could help, but I was just dragged into it by mistake.

[Though meeting Ayumu does make up for a lot of his annoyance at that.]

But they should cut us some slack.

[melodyoflogic]

Think they'll feed us?

[He certainly hoped so... he could try to offer his services in the kitchen if they wanted to barter, but he wasn't planning on starving for however long he was stuck here.]

[bondsofsuffering]

It's not like they know I came here on accident. And if they called us over here to help get rid of you without violence, they probably don't want you to be killed or anything, either.

[Seriously, have you seen the claws on some of these residents?]

It'll work out!

[melodyoflogic]

That's true. [He'd seen them giving out clothes, too.]

The locals seem pretty generous to begin with.

[bondsofsuffering]

Right? Although that could be because this is just a temporary problem.

[melodyoflogic]

Probably. They'll only have to support us until we leave.

[He muses a bit to himself, before venturing a question.]

Tell me more about this Hinoto-Ri place.

[bondsofsuffering]

How to describe it... It's definitely a Japanese city, even if the locals aren't entirely sure where in the world it is. As strange as it sounds, no one's entirely sure what happened in the past, except that most of the world was apparently wiped out and no one can remember why.

For now, everyone is operating under the idea that Hinoto-Ri is one of the few livable places left, but some things don't quite add up... Even though the entire city is protected by a bubble, there shouldn't be enough resources for it to support itself. But somehow, there's always fresh meat and vegetables, not to mention supplies for all of the electronics.

[melodyoflogic]

...Sounds a bit shifty, if you ask me. Like something out of a novel. [Then again, considering everything they were involved in.....]

Did you end up there like I ended up here?

[bondsofsuffering]

Well, it's probably somewhat similar... But it's not exactly the same, either.

Have you heard of someone named "Philemon"?

[melodyoflogic]

Can't say I have.

[He shakes his head minutely.]

[bondsofsuffering]

He's supposedly a spirit guide to Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology. There's a lot more to his research, but there's one main one you'll find is important in Hinoto-Ri.

It's called "Persona" - you know, like how you take on different personas, or personalities, when you deal with different people or situations?

[melodyoflogic]

Persona? [He knew the term, but--]

What's that have to do with this Hinoto-Ri place? Philemon too, for that matter.

[bondsofsuffering]

Philemon is the one who invites Visitors through a dream. If you can pass the test and remember your own identity even when he's summoned you to the collective unconscious, he brings you to Hinoto-Ri with a power called Persona. They explain it as summoning a part of you to defend yourself, but...

Well, it's probably just easier to show.

[He concentrates briefly, and a spinning blue tarot card appears in front of him before shattering, giving way to a chipper creature.]

What the hee-ho's goin' on here?

...As you can see, even if they're a part of yourself, they're capable of speech. They're especially helpful to have around, since Hinoto-Ri also has a large demon population.

1/??

[melodyoflogic]

[Visiting people through dreams? 'Collective unconscious'? Why would they need to--

A tarot card?

....]