epidemiology | EVENT ★ WELCOME TO PERDITION'S REST

ARRIVAL

Recruits leave Oska at midday, with about 10 minutes of final warning given from over jewelcomms. Then the white mist rises as rifts open, and Oska is left behind. When they arrive in the new world, they’ll find themselves aboard a train, specifically seated in the coach traveling compartments. The other passengers -- humanoids with muted skin tones and bright eyes -- have already been notified of their arrival, so although there will be a good deal of curious staring, particularly from children, no one is going to be very alarmed at the strange, eclectic assortment of aliens that suddenly show up on board.

It seems that, for once, recruits will enjoy a peaceful arrival. The dusty scenery flashes by placidly outside the windows, the rumble of wheels is constant and soothing, and there’s even a snack cart that makes its way around (the snacks aren’t free, though -- recruits are provided a modest sum of Qorral currency, and the locals are already interested in getting in on it).

BAD COMPANY

The first sign of trouble appears about two hours after arrival when there’s a faint BOOM and each of the train cars gives a little shudder. That would be the rear train car’s back wall being blown open. The other passengers know exactly what this means, and some lock themselves into traveling compartments while others haul out previously put away shotguns and pistols, ready to do what needs doing.

And what needs doing is to fend off the troupe of bandits that have decided that this train looks ripe for the plucking. They board from the gaping hole they blew in the last car and begin shooting their way up the length of the train, robbing as they go, but they also circle out on their horses (mechanical and only vaguely horse-shaped four-legged contraptions that easily keep pace with the train) to provide an armed and unfriendly escort. They’ll shoot through the windows if anyone looks like a troublemaker, and are old hands at ducking to the other side of their horses to use them as cover from any return fire.

The conductor and all present passengers would really appreciate a hand from any recruits who feel like stepping up. Those not quite ready to engage in a shootout can always keep the civilians locked into the compartments company. They, especially the children, might need some calming words (and the sage advice to keep away from the windows, and stop making faces at the bandits).

The bandits put up a pretty good fight, but will eventually be driven away (hopefully without having snagged too many ill-gotten goods from the hardworking citizens of Perdition’s Rest), and peace falls back over the train. The passengers will be a bit frazzled afterward, though, and no one can quite ignore that whistling sound caused by the missing back wall of the final train car. It’s a long two more hours before they reach their destination.

WELCOME TO PERDITION’S REST

A dusty wooden sign swings on rusted hinges overhead as the train pulls into the station: PERDITION'S REST. The engine finally stills with one puff of smoke, and as the passengers begin to disembark, recruits will find a small group awaits them.

The Mayor, his aide, and the sheriff are gathered just outside the train station, and once everyone is more or less off the train and conveniently gathered, the Mayor will clear his throat for attention.

"I'm guessing y'all had a long ride here, didn't you?" He addresses the crowd calmly, with the kind of voice that doesn't need to be raised much to be heard. "Heard about them bandits.They ain’t gonna trouble you here in town, but best mind your wanderin’. I'm Mayor Mordecai Jones, and Perdition's Rest welcomes your company. You'll find our businesses hospitable and our services ready. We're a quiet place, keep mostly to ourselves and don't bother none. You'll do just fine here if you abide that."

The aide waits quietly as the Mayor speaks, while the sheriff eyes the gathered bunch with a resigned wariness. She, and a few other locals who would be willing to speak up if asked, are of the opinion that they've gotten by just fine for 30 years without anyone's help, and they don't figure they need it now. But they'll tolerate the meddling, so long as everyone plays nice.

Mayor Jones's speech draws to a close with a last note that trouble can be brought to him or to Sheriff Rosamund Holladay, and he, his aide, and Sheriff Holladay break the meeting without further ceremony and head away.

Welcome to Perdition's Rest. It's recommended that you look around a little, familiarize yourself with the place, and find lodgings. It's going to be home for a while.

OOC NOTES

Welcome to Mission: Perdition's Rest! This mission will last for around three months, currently slated to end in mid-December. Depending on developments, this schedule is subject to change at our discretion.

You can view the dossier here, which contains information that is ICly known to all characters, no matter their arrival time. You can find locations here.

Please direct all questions pertaining to the mission to the dossier page to keep questions and responses in one place for easy player reference. General game questions should be directed to the FAQ.

The Bounty Board will be updated this weekend, so keep an eye out! Remember you can also request bounty missions or submit player plots at any time.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He's got his own hat settled against the back of his neck, and while he came into this store alongside his brother for the express purpose of buying clothes, it didn't mean that he expected to walk out of here with a second hat.

It wasn't like he needed one, right? He already had his straw hat and noone was going to bat an eye if he didn't wear one of these. He's trying on a long, brown coat when his brother suddenly goes still at his side, and he turns his head to look at him with a plain expression of confusion. Sabo had been all smiles and jokes almost entirely up to this point, but why...

His thoughts petered off when his own eyes fell upon the image Sabo is staring at. ...It's a black hat, Just like Ace's. And he feels himself freezing in that moment, too.]

Na, Sabo.

A-ah, Luffy! Were you looking at that hat too? [To not worry the little brother, Sabo was all smiles at Luffy for a few seconds... hoping he won't notice the solemn expression he had on. However, quickly realizing that this would be silly to hide from his brother, he drops his facade and directs his visual attention back at the hat.]

It reminded you of him too, huh. [His face at a frown, he tips his hat over him to not show the mourning he still had over the late brother. He still remembers the reaction after finding out the famous Fire Fist in the newspaper? That was someone he shared treasured memories with, someone important to him and Luffy. Sabo could never forget that, not after that day.]

[It would be absolutely silly to hide from him--especially given how they both knew what this sort of thing meant. ...And especially the fact that...

Ah, that's right, he hadn't...

He picks up the hat, pushing his own straw hat back to hang against his shoulders before plopping the hat atop his own head.]

Ace was here, you know.

[Ace...was here? No.. no that couldn't have been. Dead people wouldn't be able to revive..not back in their world. But here? Would it be possible?]

You're kidding me, right Luffy? Right... [This cheery facade quite in denial for only a few seconds..]

[Until he accepts the fact that .. Luffy, someone who can't lie at all, is telling the truth. His body drops at that moment to his knees. His hands on the ground, and his face covered by his bangs. But it was clear that Sabo is tearing up behind that veil. The chance to meet Ace.... gone. He was dead then, but was revived by some miracle in this world. But got sent back to the status of being dead to the world once more. What are the chances that he'd miss this? Why did no one tell him of this?

No..no he knows. He just didn't ask about it. He knew no one who was dead that came here, so he thought.. ah it just anyone who was alive getting sent to this universe. But Sabo.. he feels the missed opportunity.. the chance he could've had to meet him again.]

[He wishes he honestly could tell the other with some degree of confidence; yes, yes I'm just joking it's a terrible joke but a joke nonetheless haha! But that'd just be a lie, and it would be seen through easier than anything else.

No, he wasn't lying, and that was the worst thing about the whole ordeal. Part of him had wondered if any of his crew had already told Sabo--but the way his brother just crumples to his knees makes his heart sink in his chest.

A hand moves to try to lay against Sabo's shoulder, but it doesn't quite make it there. Instead, Luffy moves to sit on the floor next to him, quiet.]

Ban said he might just be doing other work for Alastair. He could come back at any time. [He was in denial for weeks, and part of him didn't believe he'd ever see Ace again, but... Ban's words were forever stuck in his head.]

[Tears have definitely dripped on the floor by the time Luffy has said those words. You could see the wet drops in front of the blond. No.. no...it seemed... possible if Ace was here before. It just seemed he didn't have the chance of meeting him again after so long.

He knew Luffy felt the same about Ace when he passed away. The younger got that chance and he's at least grateful for that. For Sabo though, he definitely missed the opportunity - even if it was temporary.

The amount of sadness that filled him when he had recovered his memories of their childhood resurfaced. He wanted to scream. He wanted to voice out his mourning again over a long lost childhood friend - a brother to him.

But as much as he wants to.. he's still with Luffy , and that he is here.. and alive. He holds up his tears, biting his bottom lip as he cracked out a voice to the younger man.]

I... Ban.. if Ban says he could come back, I would like to see him again too. [Believing in the younger brother's words, because it was no bluff. He was serious about his sworn brotherhood as much as Luffy was - as Ace was.]

[It seemed impossible for him, too. And he'd even gone as far as to accuse Ace of being a fake, a phony, someone playing a bad joke and for it to be just some sort of prank done on his expense.

But it had turned out to be his brother, and for the short time he was around--Luffy had spent every moment he could at the Firey man's side. Until he disappeared one day from Zeta-12 after running ahead during the mission.]

Yeah. I trust Ban a lot. He's a really great guy, so I don't think he'd lie about stuff like that. [He nods, a solid movement with his head. He's convinced he's right, and nothing will say otherwise. A hand draws across Sabo's back, and he doesn't care that they're pretty much sitting on the floor of a clothing shop. Stares be damned.]

Until then, we just gotta' do a good job and wait for him.

EVENT ★ WELCOME TO PERDITION'S REST

B you knew this was coming

no subject

no subject

1/3

2/3

3/3

no subject

no subject

no subject