DEC. TEST DRIVE

[rubycitymods]

It's that time again!



G'day, Ruby City!

Thinking of apping a character but not sure they'll fit in the city walls?

Have no fear, a meme for you is here.

Directions:

• Post with your character with their name and canon on top!


• Choose a location and prompt or wait for someone else to tag.


• If you'd like, leave contact info for people to get in contact for plotting and other such shenans.


• Tag around! Make friends. Don't be afraid to chat OOC while tagging.

Locations:

1. Train Station: New arrival, or waiting to welcome people? Either way, the train comes in, but you still can't ride it out.


2. Cathedral: Looking for redemption? Just doing a little sight-seeing? Or just getting a little shelter?


3. The Clocktower: You can see the whole city from here!


4. The Black Stallion Saloon: You were told the burgers were great here-- but maybe you just came for the beer.


5. The Library: You came to do a little research, but it looks like all of the information's just out of your reach. Though, you can always find a way to pass the time here.


6. The Coffee Joint: A lovely place to have a chat and a bite to eat.


7. Le Cafe Anglais: A Parisian-British fusion that's as charming as it sounds and serves the best tea around.

Scenarios

1. Just walked in: You intended to get here, and you made your way in; but now someone's caught your eye and you'd like to have a chat.


2. Been here all day: You've been sitting around minding the time. Maybe you didn't notice them at first or maybe you were just working up the courage to talk-- either way, they know you're here and you know it too.


3. Bad weather: You're here because you've gotten rained in. This wasn't your choice, but at least it's dry-- right?


4. Wild card: Got something better in mind? Well screw these prompts, try it out yourself!

Have fun, guys!

Comments

Kanaya Maryam | Homestuck | 6,2

[sylphauxiliatrix]

[So. Here she is, trapped in a city she's never heard of surrounded by nobody she knows. Still, there must be a reason she was brought here, and it stands to reason that at least one of her friends might have been brought here too. With it raining on and off out there though, Kanaya decides that she's better off staying put rather than searching the city. This coffee shop seems like a fairly popular spot, and it seems like they don't mind if she stays in this corner all day, hoping that she might recognize someone when they come in.]

[After a while though, she starts to wonder if her time might be better spent talking to anybody who might give her more information about this place. As the shop fills up, there's very few seats left, so if there's anybody looking for a spot she'll wave them over to offer the other side of her booth. Maybe they can pay her back with some conversation.]

[princessinchief]

*So after a while, Parasoul just gives up on the stupid library. It's been of absolutely no help, so she might as well turn her attentions elsewhere . . . say towards getting the lay of the land and trying to size up the locals.*

*That, and a little caffeine would be nice. So, destination: coffee shop!*

*It turns out to be rather crowded, but that suits her purposes just fine. She gets her order and zeroes in on an empty seat at a table occupied by a young woman with horns.*

Would you mind if I joined you?

[sylphauxiliatrix]

*Kanaya smiles, and gestures at the empty side of the booth*

Please do, I don't mind at all. In fact, I was hoping I would be able to sit with someone. I'm new here... and not entirely sure where 'here' really is.

[princessinchief]

Ah, you and me both. *Parasoul smiles a bit, slipping into the other side of the booth.* I'm afraid I don't know any more than you at the moment, though not for a want of trying.

[sylphauxiliatrix]

I take it you never heard of 'Ruby City' until you got off the rail bound vehicle either, then. I don't know how they did this. Last thing I remember before arriving...

*She was in a forest surrounded by two different types of fire, near two god-dogs chasing a god-cat, distracted by the near-murder of one of her friends by the arrival of an imperial battleship carrying Betty Crocker...*

There was a lot going on, but nothing that could possibly suggest that I would soon be arriving in a city like this. In fact, most of the circumstances at the time hinted rather strongly that I wouldn't be leaving in any way.

[princessinchief]

Our experiences sound disturbingly similar. As you surmised, I'd never heard of Ruby City prior to coming here--nor do I have any idea how I ended up on the train that brought me here. I was also in the middle of other things.

*Not quite as crazy as what Kanaya had been up to--just hunting an undead maid with her elite military squad. She's pretty miffed at the interruption.*

[sylphauxiliatrix]

*To be fair, a skeleton vacuum cleaner /scythe wielding insane maid empowered by a trio of dark gods would be every bit as crazy as some of the antagonists Kanaya was facing. But that's the worries of the past. Figuring out how this place works, and perhaps gaining a friend or ally, that's what she should be worried about.*

My name is Kanaya, by the way. As we're both in the same situation, I think it would serve us well if we worked together.

[princessinchief]

*Parasoul smiles, nodding.*

Agreed. I'm Parasoul, First Princess of the Canopy Kingdom . . . ah, though it occurs to me there's a distinct possibility that doesn't actually mean anything here. But, at any rate, I look forward to working with you, Kanaya.

[sylphauxiliatrix]

I doubt your title will carry much weight, but it's good to know where you come from. Not that I've ever heard of it, but I think that's to be suspected. I'm from the planet Alternia.

*Not that it would mean anything to Parasoul, either!*

I haven't been here long. From what I can tell, we can't leave by the trains. I climbed the clocktower to get another vantage point, and all I gained from it is that this is a fairly large, self contained city. There's a wall surrounding it, and nothing but nature in sight.

[princessinchief]

*The name doesn't ring a bell, especially, but her eyes do light up a bit.*

An alien . . . ! Intriguing. I wish it were a better time to quiz you about your home, but we have far more pressing things to deal with. And yes, I began to suspect my title meant nothing here when I realized our captors weren't particularly attempting to limit my movements. If this was a politically-motivated kidnapping, they would want to keep me confined . . .

But at any rate--I haven't been here long myself; a few hours, at most. I spent most of that time in the library, trying to see what I could learn about this city. Unfortunately, there's absolutely no relevant information to be found there; no maps, no histories, no atlases. Almost all of the books are fiction. Some of them I recognized, which I found a little curious.

*She may have spent a little time flipping through a couple of Annie: Girl of the Stars extended universe novels. But only a little!!*

[sylphauxiliatrix]

Yes, an alien. The term is relative though, after all you're an alien to me. I suppose I'm not really surprised that the library doesn't have any relevant information. For now I'm assuming that our arrival here was at the will of some actor, and not a natural process. If that's the case, then they must have some reason for bringing us here, and that carries with it an invested interest in keeping us from leaving.

[princessinchief]

A good point. For that matter, we may well both be aliens here. And agreed--I find it hard to imagine that trains are part of any natural process. I suppose, then, we should start with motivations. What could possibly be the point behind all of this?

[sylphauxiliatrix]

From what little evidence we've gathered so far I can't think of anything specific. Their intentions may be revealed soon enough, it's not as if we're going anywhere. I can think of some possibilities, but nothing concrete. They have to get something out of our being here, but I have no idea what that might be.

*Aggravating, for sure. It seems like the best thing to do for now is sit and wait for their captors to reveal themselves, but doing nothing just seems unacceptable.*

[princessinchief]

The city does seem a bit . . . empty. I mean, the popularity of this place aside, the streets are quiet, there was hardly anybody in the library . . . perhaps this is all an overly aggressive repopulation effort.

*Even she thinks that sounds silly, but yeah, she's sort of drawing a blank on anything more likely.*

[sylphauxiliatrix]

Or someone's insane way of building a model town, or some sort of sociological experiment. Still, you'd think it would be easier to steal people from one place rather than all over. We can't really rely on our captors tipping their hand.

*Well, this is certainly nice though. They might be trapped in some strange creepy city, but it's been a while since Kanaya's been able to have a good conversation with someone. Her last good conversation partner stopped being so good at logically working out problems like this once she started to consistently partake of alcoholic beverages.*

[princessinchief]

Not to mention people adept at protecting themselves, a category I certainly fall under. Then again, it's possible that logical conceptions of "easy" and "difficult" don't apply to the person or people behind this. The fact that we both suddenly found ourselves on trains without any idea as to how we got there suggests a disturbing level of capability.

*Parasoul would quite agree; it's nice to have a good, logical exchange with someone, even if it's about a terrible situation. And man, as architect of her kingdom's campaigns against drug and alcohol abuse among youth, she would have so many lectures for Rose . . .*

bluh... exams slowing be down...

[sylphauxiliatrix]

A category I would fit as well. The ability to transpose an individual from one world to another is impressive, but not something I'm unfamiliar with. Whatever entity did so may not even be here with us. If we were brought here remotely, then it stand that they may have done so remotely as well. If they're in a third universe, bringing us to a place without any such technology, then they wouldn't even have to worry about how capable their captives are, in a combative sense. In fact, combat experience may be desirable, if there are dangerous elements here and our captors intend for their prisoners to survive.

*She really hopes that this isn't some sort of colosseum situation...*

*And should it turn out that Rose is here, Kan would certainly welcome some help with such lectures. It took her almost a year but she's really starting to see that it's actually a problem.*

all good, they'll do that

[princessinchief]

. . . Entirely true. So far they haven't been pressuring us into anything like that, which is good, but the night is young, so to speak.

I'll be intensely disappointed if that turns out to be their motive. Using such power for something so utterly trivial and disruptive . . .

*Because geez, the goddesses of her world would never just fuck with people like that!*

[sylphauxiliatrix]

I've seen too many petty and thoughtless individuals come into too much power for their own good to rule it out.

I'm glad to have met you though. I can only help any other captives we meet are as thoughtful about the situation.

[princessinchief]

I've dealt with too many petty and thoughtless individuals in power. I'm bracing myself for disappointment, believe me.

But likewise, yes, I'm also quite pleased to have met you, Kanaya.