A TRAIN COMES INTO THE STATION.
You wake up on a train.
Your phone is buzzing. It's in your pocket, in your hand, on the seat next to you. It's a normal phone, and you're on a normal train car. One of the lights flickers, a little further down. The world is very quiet. It feels like you're right where you're meant to be. On the phone's surface is a white screen and the words—
WELCOME TO THE CITY. BEGIN ORIENTATION?
▶ NO
Please take a moment to complete your orientation.
Once you're finished, the subway doors slide open to let you out onto the train platform. To your right, the platform continues on and eventually ends; to the left is a set of stairs that will lead you up into the station itself. The platform is quiet, clean, empty—there's no one else around, and the only sounds you can hear are your own footsteps, your own breaths, and the occasional faraway sound of a creaking pipe or rush of air. The train you disembarked will stay there as long as you do, its doors still open, until you finally decide to venture up into this new locale.
As you make your way up the stairs to your left, you find yourself in the belly of City Hall station. The station is large, a sprawling underground mini-metropolis of corridors and storefronts. Here, you may find others like you, freshly-arrived city residents from other realms (or even your own). There is also a subway map, which will give you an idea of the layout of the neighborhood, and ticketing machines, which can currently only be used to buy tickets to a handful of stations located on lines 1, 2, and 9.
If you're hungry or in need of any kind of supplies, there are plenty of storefronts inside the subway station as well—snack stands, convenience stores, restaurants, clothing stores, a pharmacy, and a variety of empty shops that may or may not have ever been in use. Everything is unlocked, and you can take whatever you need.
Characters may stay on the train platform indefinitely, and may re-board and re-disembark from the subway as many times as they like, but the train will not depart nor will the doors close. Once they go up the stairs into the train station, they may hear the train doors closing and the train departing. Another train will not arrive, no matter how long the character waits. Only once they come up the stairs into the station itself may characters encounter their fellow newly-arrived residents and take advantage of what the city has to offer.
JUMP TO TOP ↑ | ↓ JUMP TO COMMENTS
WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
The station is located in the city center. It has three major exits that lead to areas of interest in the district, but there are several other smaller exits that lead in other directions around the neighborhood. You are welcome to use any of them, but may find the north, southwest, and east exits to be the most welcoming.
TO THE NORTH
The northern entrance to the station leads up into the sunlight and puts you out in a brickwork plaza. There's a modest building in front of you, three or four stories of stone with a welcoming facade. There's a sign above the entryway—it says City Hall. You may be tempted to explore, if you're interested in learning more about the city and how it functions, but prepare to find yourself disappointed—the folders in the records rooms are full of empty, blank sheets of paper, and the logbooks and balance sheets are similarly devoid of information.
Immediately to the southwest of City Hall, you will find a small building that houses the tourist information kiosk. It looks welcoming, with an inviting glass facade and a sign above the entryway announcing it as the "TOURIST CENTER." It's a humble building with a receptionist's desk on the back wall opposite the entrance, empty magazine shelves lining the side walls, and a few spinning brochure racks full of blank pamphlets. Anyone is welcome to peruse the tourist literature, though they won't offer much information, being primarily filled with pictures of the surrounding area—City Hall, the park, a statue garden, and the surprisingly heavily-featured cemetery. There are a few sentences sprinkled throughout about basic offerings of the city, such as apartment complexes and office buildings, as well as a few maps with the same limited scope as the larger version on the wall behind the receptionist's desk.
The main feature of the tourist center is the interactive kiosk installed dead in the center, right in the middle of a few rows of uncomfortable chairs that fill the small room. It's noticeably in the way of any would-be foot traffic through the tourist center, and something about the technology seems a little more modern than the computer behind the desk or the landline phone on the wall. The kiosk is a tall silver rectangle, about average adult height, and the upper half is a screen welcoming visitors to touch it to activate the kiosk. If you were to touch it, the screen would come to life with simple dialogue inviting visitors to ask it their questions.
However, residents should note that the kiosk is only programmed to assist with exploration within the available areas of the city. It may not be able to answer every question, and tampering with the kiosk may result in unreliable or inaccurate answers!
TO THE SOUTHWEST
The western exit of the station takes you up into a city park, lush and green with a very light fog still hanging about the trees. There are lampposts on the walkways and benches where you could rest, and plenty of flora, although you can neither see nor hear any signs of animal life. You walk the paths that meander idly through the verdant grass and you feel a sense of peace, some of your unease about this place easing into a pleasant calm. The air smells fresh, like it's recently rained, and you'll find the grass ever so slightly damp should you decide to take a seat.
As you make your way deeper into the park, the trees grow denser and the smell of soil and plant life grows stronger. This is the older part of the park, very nearly a forest, with ivy climbing the trunks of the trees and plants and shrubs growing riotously around their bases. As you turn a corner, you find yourself first in the statue garden, although the statues are harder to see now, choked as they are with ivy. There are many statues, some partially obscured, some fully—very few of them still stand free of the vines and clinging roots. (It doesn't feel quite as peaceful here.) If a statue's face looks a little bit familiar, you may not want to look at it too long.
Continue down the path and you will find yourself in a graveyard, one that seems centuries old. Most of the headstones are worn away by time and covered in moss, rendering them impossible to read. The few that are free of moss are blank, or bear only suggestions of names too faint to be understood. (Was that the name of—no, it couldn't have been. Could it?) Many of the headstones stand at an angle or are toppled over completely, having been subjected to either strong winds or the roots of the trees that grow up from some of the graves, spreading branches toward the sky.
TO THE EAST
The final exit of the station, to the east, puts you out on a quiet surface street. Are you hungry? Or are you paralyzed by choice? There are plenty of restaurants, offering options of almost any food you can imagine. You could try a convenience store—it's well stocked, and the items there seem free for the taking. How about a restaurant? There's no one to take your order, but when you look in the kitchen, there's something on the stove, and it's just what you've been craving. Imagine that.
A few blocks down, you come in through the lobby of a tall building and find yourself in a corporate office. The fluorescent lights are steady and unforgiving, and the cubicles and offices are empty. There are a few pieces of paper on desks, a few folders left in organizers, but everything is perfectly blank. Despite how empty and quiet the office is, it nonetheless gives you the feeling that just a few minutes ago, this place was bustling with workers going about their daily business.
You enter another building and find yourself in the lobby of an apartment complex—finally, a place to rest. The first door you try opens easily into a completely empty living room, freshly vacuumed but without a single piece of furniture. It's a nice apartment, quiet, but with a little too much echo for your taste, maybe. Still, and perhaps oddly, you have no trouble envisioning what life here would be like.
The second door you open leads to an apartment that feels lived-in. Why does it feel lived-in? It's fully furnished with items that seem to go together perfectly, true, but the feeling is more than that—the room feels like someone was just here, maybe standing right in the kitchen only moments before you swung the door open. The air is a perfectly comfortable temperature, and it somehow smells like home despite that you've never once set foot here before. The refrigerator is stocked, and the cabinets are full of spices and flatware and kitchen utensils.
As you look around the living room, you find that there are pictures in frames on the walls and some of the flat surfaces—a seascape, a field, a shot of a city park bench. In each of the photos there's something just slightly wrong with the angle, as though the photographer were aiming for a subject that can no longer be seen.
Characters are welcome to explore the district around the City Hall subway station to their heart's content. The City Hall building itself contains several floors of offices and file rooms, but none of them contain any particularly interesting information. Nonetheless, characters may wish to team up with other newcomers and try to find some hints about the nature of the city. They can also spend a while in the park, the statue garden, or the graveyard. In the blocks surrounding the station there are plenty of options for food and housing, as well as office buildings, storefronts, and alleyways to look around. There are no workers in any of the buildings, and there does not seem to be an honor system for payment, nor any consequences for taking food from the stores or setting up camp in an apartment or office building.
JUMP TO TOP ↑ | ↓ JUMP TO COMMENTS
I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM.
Have you ever visited the ice cream parlor located in District 2? It's a pretty quirky little joint!
When you walk in, what you'll likely notice first is the colors. Everything is bright, almost oversaturated—the pink of the leather seats, the teal of the walls, the red of the menu sign hanging over the counter. By all rights it seems like these colors shouldn't go together, but somehow they do, or maybe that's just because being in an ice cream parlor puts you in a good mood. It smells like waffle cones, and overhead, there's music pumping through the speakers at just the right volume, providing some nice background noise to your decision-making process.
Wait, music?
There's a jukebox at the far end of the shop, which seems to be where the music is being chosen. As you head over, the song comes to an end and the jukebox machinery shuffles through its options before landing on a new one. The song sounds sort of familiar, doesn't it? And the longer you listen, the more the lyrics really seem to speak to you. It costs money to pick your own song, so if you happen to have some coins on you—or if you're really, really determined—you can choose the next round of tunes.
When you're done at the jukebox, you can go check out the serving area of the shop. Behind the counter you can see milkshake mixers and waffle cone makers; there are ice cream cakes in the freezers that line the wall; and when you approach the main counter you can see the tubs of ice cream in almost any flavor you can imagine.
Pick a flavor, whichever one's your favorite! Do you want it in a cone or in a bowl? There are regular cones and waffle cones, and all kinds of toppings—sprinkles, syrups, gummy candy, mini marshmallows. Decorate your ice cream however you want, the sky's the limit when it comes to choices! You can even come back for seconds if you want, or thirds. Who's going to say anything about it, after all?
But the more of your ice cream you eat, the more you start to feel… strange. Maybe you're starting to get angry, or sad, or giddy—maybe you feel romantic, or feel like you want to tell a secret to a stranger, and you're not really sure why. You also can't quite seem to stop eating your ice cream, and the more you eat, the less worried you feel about whatever's happening to your emotions. After all, why be concerned about that when you have something so delicious in front of you?
| Flavor |
Effect |
| Strawberry |
You find yourself compelled to seek out strangers and tell them a hidden truth about yourself |
| Rocky Road |
You find yourself compelled to seek out strangers and convince them of some egregious lie |
| Vanilla |
You are overwhelmed by a sense of total calm, and can only speak in aphorisms and platitudes |
| Rainbow Sherbert |
You are overwhelmed by amorous feelings towards whoever is near you and try to cuddle or kiss them |
| Chocolate |
You feel suddenly morose about something in your past and cannot stop crying until someone consoles you |
| Bubblegum |
You become uncontrollably giggly and giddy, and can only speak in rhyme |
| Caramel Ribbon |
You become angry and perhaps even violent, trying to attack anyone who comes near |
| Mint Chocolate Chip |
You suddenly have a common but exaggerated phobia (for example, a fear of heights where the step down off the curb is too much) |
When characters first enter the ice cream parlor, they may notice that there's music playing overhead! That's from the jukebox, and the lyrics of the song may sound like they're particularly apt for a character's circumstances. Players are welcome to choose their own jukebox songs for their characters—it doesn't need to have appeared in canon, but characters from modern times are welcome to recognize the music being played. (Players can also feel free not to pick a real song at all, and instead just describe the overall sound of the song and content of the lyrics!)
This is an ice cream parlor, so of course there's also ice cream to be had. Characters can serve themselves whatever flavor combination they want, but shortly thereafter will find themselves suffering certain emotional effects depending on what flavors they chose. These emotional effects, shown above, will last for roughly an hour before slowly dissipating, and their intensity depends on how much ice cream the character ate and whether they were able to recognize what was happening and stop eating. Not every flavor has an emotional effect, so players can also choose to have their character eat a normal scoop and go about their day.
JUMP TO TOP ↑ | ↓ JUMP TO COMMENTS
WILDCARD.
The city is by no means small, and there are plenty of things for you to see. There's no rush in exploring, so feel free to take your time looking around and peering into various nooks and crannies and alleyways—and don't worry, you're not very likely to find anything peering back.
If none of the above prompts appeal, feel free to check out the Locations and Maps pages and write your own freestyle prompt using one or many of the available locations.
JUMP TO TOP ↑
|
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
citycenter) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
citylogs2023-08-02 12:00 am
no subject
The office, then. You can make yourself comfortable.
[There's a light squeeze from Daan's hand to Marcoh's.]
...Do you need your sandwich? [Please say no, he'll make you a new sandwich.]
no subject
But he pauses to stare at the sandwich. He remembers how hard it sometimes was to find good. Swallowing, he asks as he lifts his hands away: ]
It's a sixty second rule...
1/2
[He makes kind of an insistent tug at Marcoh's hand to lead him away from the floorsandwich. None of that!]
2/2
They do make it to Daan's office, which is really an apartment that he's converted into a merged living situation along with setting it up to see potential patients. Daan nods to Marcoh.]
Make yourself comfortable. If you're hungry, help yourself to whatever you want in here.
I'll try to answer your questions, but... here, we can talk freely.
[And he does trust Marcoh, so he isn't concerned when it's just the two of them.]
no subject
The walk through the city is a disquieting one, but much more peaceful than any walk through Prehevil. No one running out with knives or bear traps in hand. He involuntarily shudders.
Still, as they walk, he involuntarily glances towards dark, shadowed areas. He cranes his neck to try to get a better look, but he doesn't see one mouse scurrying to safety.
He frowns briefly but says nothing for the rest of the walk. Silence is preferred with him; it allows him to sort his thoughts out. He can't help but sigh every time he worries about their -- what are they? Friends? Maybe...
As soon as they enter the office, he folds his arms in front of his chest. His earlier thoughts come back to him. Doctors in any situation are worth their weight in gold. His stare turns icy cold as he fixes his gaze on Daan. ]
Well... you said you're all right, but are you sure you're not running yourself ragged?
[ Yes, his concern wasn't that people would take advantage of Daan since he rarely ever likes to think the worst of strangers without witnessing something himself; his concern was that Daan, realizing the situation he found himself in, had been wearing himself out helping others. ]
no subject
In that way, it's actually a bit comforting to know he's here now.
Once they settle in, Daan is doing the other task he's good at: mixing a drink for himself. He glances up at the question, then huffs softly.]
No more than I was in Prehevil. And, I'm fortunate enough to not be the only doctor in town this time.
...There is a slight problem if I'm looking for unique results, though. Abilities are stunted here in a way. So if, say for example, Marina were here and wanted to cast one of her skills, the results would not be as normally impressive. Fortunately, the pharmacies are will stocked, so most issues are generally easy for me to resolve unless it's a unique situation.
Not that I care to use those kinds of skills, but if I have to I will.
no subject
[ He couldn't help but frown at the idea of Daan doing just as he did back in that city. ]
Ah... really?
[ Hearing that abilities were not the same, he couldn't help but feel a rush of embarrassment. His eyes shook violently as he looks away. A complicated expression crosses his face as he lets out a small sigh.
Marcoh got the impression that if he prayed enough to one of the old gods that he could actually talk to the "vermin" in the city. To think that might not work, it left him feeling strange.
Ah, he had been cawing to crows in the park. If there were things that weren't a little more pressing, he would have covered his face in humiliation. But he focuses his thoughts instead: ]
So, what's the plan? We're not here for some murderfest again, are we?
no subject
[Huh. Maybe he should actually ask Shinobu to help more. It does occur to him he naturally has the habit of just never asking. Trust issues and habitually working alone does that to a man.
But he probably should be better about it.]
That's an excellent question. Honestly, no one knows why we're here. As a matter of fact, it seems who or whatever is responsible becomes displeased if someone is murdered. The killer in question is typically punished.
...And the person killed is revived. Not... wholly impossible, but given the circumstances and all that I know, it's still baffling.
That being said, we still don't know what's expected of us. All people have are theories and not much else. Though there is one curious thing that's happened recently: the bank became unlocked, and inside the safety deposit boxes were personal items. Which should be impossible as well.
no subject
[ Marcoh can only blink owlishly as he mulls over what Daan said. At least, the embarrassment of before fades. ]
Still... that's good, isn't it? [ That whatever brought them to this place doesn't want them to kill each other. That is, indeed, a step up from where they were. ] And it even gives them a second chance? Wow.
[ That's also benevolent, right? ] Something that is wanting to make up for the fact they brought us here? I didn't know gods like that existed. But I'm not sure how I feel about it. [ It's like -- ] Are we pets? [ Is that one of the theories going around? ]
no subject
I would almost prefer if it was people responsible. I've had enough of gods, personally. [Though granted, he knows that not everyone has had his particular unique history.] I especially don't want to be a pet of anybody's.
But the common theory is that this is some kind of widespread experiment. I'm not sure how much is derived from science or otherworldly affects. Either way, I'm not inclined to think well of whoever is responsible for having us here.
no subject
[ Once again, the back of his neck feels cold. But he's able to nod along with Daan's comment about having enough with the gods. ]
Why experiment? [ He finally uncrosses his arms and tucks his hands into his pockets. Frowning, he wonders why that is the go-to idea. His head ducks as he feels a little bad -- like he's badmouthing Karin without her being around. ] Is there a way to leave this city? Or is it just like Prehevil?
[ Marcoh had tried to just follow the tracks and leave. He hoped to get help for them all, but he just ended up back where he started. The cold feeling on his neck spread down to the rest of his body. ]
no subject
[Not Daan's proudest moment.]
Honestly, I'm not sure. Maybe most people are just more scientifically minded? Many seemed surprised when I mentioned the gods at all. I don't really see any evidence either way yet.
[Daan frowns and shakes his head. He finishes mixing his drink between sentences, and pauses to have a drink before continuing.] Leaving isn't an option. It's not unlike Prehevil, as you said: people have tried, but you just get circled back to this district.
[He pauses, then holds up his glass.] Want one, by the by?
no subject
[ Might as well ask. ]
You don't? [ Marcoh can't help but blink owlishly. Just hearing what Daan has to say of what's been going on -- it sounds more like gods messing around than science to him. But, then again, until he saw all that he did in Prehevil, he would have never thought that gods really and honestly existed. ]
Well... I guess so long as we're not trying to hurt one another... [ He trails off. ] Yeah, having one sounds like it'd be good about now. [ There is a weight pressing down on his shoulders. He can only imagine how much it has been weighing on Daan's.
Stepping in, he realizes that he's been hanging by the door through most of the conversation. It's a bad habit of his -- one that he isn't sure is going to be fixed while in another city that he can't exit. ]
no subject
[Daan sets down his own glass to get to work on Marcoh's; it's an old-fashioned, Daan's preference.] There are things I can attribute to possible gods, but maybe I just don't understand it either. [He takes out his phone and holds it up.] This? I could probably have just as easily believed it to be some kind of artifact, but I was taught it was a phone.
[Anyway! He offers the drink to Marcoh.] I realize that's a lot of information I've just been throwing at you. Sit or whatever makes you comfortable. We're not going anywhere for awhile yet, and it's just us in this flat.
no subject
That--! [ Marcoh steps forward to point at the phone in Daan's hand. He was going to say that he has an odd device like that, too. However, his eyes widen at hearing that it's a phone. ] A phone? [ Digging in his pocket, he takes out his own phone. ] Ah?
[ He looks up as soon as the offer to sit was given. His chin nods as he decides that he can pull himself away from (unconsciously) guarding the front door to take a seat. Plopping down, he picks up the glass offered and sets the phone down on the nearest surface.
Though, what is comfortable for him -- it's being a little closer to the entryway than Daan is to it once they settle in. ]
It's a lot to think about.
no subject
[He finishes his own glass, setting it down.]
I'll try to answer any other questions you might have, but if I have one thing to recommend, it's to pick a flat to stay in. There are plenty that are empty.
[There's the tiniest urge to ask Marcoh to stay with him. Maybe for the familiar face or the comfortable presence, but Daan doesn't dwell on it; he decides to brush off the idea and focus on whatever it is that would help the other man best right now. It should have nothing to do with Daan, regardless of reasons.]
no subject
he rolls the glass in his hand, staring down at the liquid. breathing in deep, his shoulders lift. his jaw bunches as he wonders yet again if everyone is all right. a second passes before he shotguns the drink.
a loud sigh follows before he sets the now-empty glass down. ]
... I don't know what to ask. [ embarrassment coats his statement. like he feels he should have some questions, but can't come up with anything. but he soon settles on what he's curious about. ] Whatever is keeping us here is relatively nice, I guess... save for some that are trying to figure out the limits of this place... everyone else has been safe and looked after?
[ he lifts his chin up at the question. ]
no subject
More or less. I have a few recurring patients, either from trauma or injuries they suffered before arriving here, so the majority of us are working together as much as we can to get through this. Nobody is starving. You can get clothes and other things from the shopping areas around here. Hell, there's even a working laundromat. Isn't that something?
[He shrugs.] ...There are a few kids around. And I mean younger than Marina or Levi, even. I don't really know what to do for them. Sure, they seem independent enough, and some of them have seen some shit, but they're here by themselves. [And that does bother him plenty.] They insist they're fine on their own so it's not like I can force any of them to do anything...
no subject
That is. But also those people seem like they're in good hands.
[ He frowns and it deepens almost immediately. No, he doesn't like the idea of kids being caught up in whatever this is. Nothing seems dangerous right now, but could this be the calm before the storm? ]
No... but maybe they'd be willing to learn some self-defense? [ If they have otherworldly powers that have been weakened, it'd be good for them to strengthen their bodies other ways. ]
no subject
[Now that does bring a faint smile to his face, which is impressive. A nod of approval is given; it'll be reassuring to know that the various kids around can have some method of self-defense.]
I'm sure a lot of them would be grateful for your teachings if you offered it. [He has plenty of confidence that Marcoh would be good and patient teacher for them after what he did to try to aid Tanaka.]
no subject
[ He can't help but grimace at the idea. Could one even be sharpened enough? Well, it's good to think about these things going forward. Maybe he could look around. If Prehevil had a wheelchair, maybe there's a scalpel around somewhere.
It does take a second but he does smile briefly at the comment. ]
Thanks. [ He nods yet again and adds: ] And maybe bring them food every so often. No kid can say no to free food they don't have to get, right? [ A small little check-in to make sure they're all right. Sure, Daan said they'd be all right, but he wouldn't want them to carry anything they don't have to, either. ]
no subject
[If nothing else, Daan will definitely know a part of how that would feel, for better or for worse. Though he's still hoping it won't come to a situation like that.]
That's true. Most of the kids here are a good bunch, but I doubt you have anything to worry about. You're a patient man.
no subject
[ It's the least that he can do. ]
Call it repaying some of the debt I owe you. [ Yeah, that's a good way to put it. And he doesn't quite know how to take that praise. It makes him feel happy, of course, but also a little guilty. No -- a lot guilty.
He swallowed back any response to say: ] Would it be too stifling if I tried to find a place nearby? You're a familiar face so it would feel comforting to be nearby. [ Also, he'd be close to help, right? If what he has is a phone, he'll be easy to get in contact with, too, right? ]
no subject
[There's a pause, then a genuinely confused look on Daan's face.] Debt...? For what, exactly? [To him, he thought much of their skills were mutually beneficial, so fairly even.]
I wouldn't mind, no. [In truth, he finds it relieving to know that Marcoh would prefer to be nearby. In turn, they'll be separate enough to have their mutual privacy. It's the ideal arrangement, Daan thinks.] Whatever is most comfortable for you.
no subject
[ He gives a nod -- and wonders if he won't become some-odd human magpie that gives occasional sharp objects to Daan with the hope the doctor could use them. Maybe, magpie isn't the right word? ]
For all your help in the city.
[ Obviously. ]
Then, I'll search for a place nearby. [ Marcoh pauses. He is still holding the phone in his other hand. Pressing his lips together, he muses aloud: ] So, how do you call me on this so I can show up if there's trouble?
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)