Honk honk 1: Chenventure beginnings

[spinningorange]

[Action A, Morning, 458 Stone Street, housemates only] (Housemates be warned, you now have a fluffy new resident to feed! This double-tailed black cat is currently in the backyard, walking in circles as if she were uneasy, which she very much is at this point. Waking up in a tiny, cramped little house that was far from her cozy kotatsu. This was

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Action A

[nanocerancowboy]

[Have a CAST poking his head out the back porch door at the sound of talking.]

Can I help ya'll?

[He's obviously looking for a person as the source of the soliloquy, considering that he glances at Chen's cat form once in his scan of the backyard, but seems to disregard her.]

Re: Action A

[spinningorange]

(Something doesn't seem quite right when meeting a person COMPLETELY OUT OF METAL. Shiny things have a habit of getting Chen's attention, but she wondered what manner of spellcard allowed one to become so metallic. The swaying tails and the eyes looking up at him juuuuust might suggest a little interest. That or the shy pawing of his ankles.)

Unya?

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat looks down to see the cat pawing at his ankle. ... Since when did they get a cat? Is it a stray?]

Well, now. Howdy there, lil' fella.

[Carefully, Gat stoops down and takes a knee so he can get a closer look at the cat. He holds out a hand in an offer to pet it.]

Where'd you come from?

[spinningorange]

(THE SHINY METAL MAN MOVED! And had a neat accent; that was a plus. In quick little steps, Chen approaches his opened hand.) Mayohiga, in the land of Gensokyo. This is the outside world, isn't it? I've never seen a metal person like you before and Gensokyo doesn't have metal people.

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat gently pets the cat. He pauses slightly when Chen talks, though, drawing his head back as if he were saying "Say what?" without actually saying it. Doesn't dissuade him from treating the cat like any other person. Well, at least apart from petting her.]

Well, I ain't never heard of Gensokyo or Mayohiga, so I ain't sure what th' "outside world's" s'posed to be in relation to them.

But I reckon this wouldn't be it, anyway. This town's more like a closed-off prison that kidnaps folks from all different kinds of worlds.

[spinningorange]

(The petting was nice. They may have been from a metallic man, but pets were pets. Still, other worlds? Were there really ones beyond even the outside world? Well, lest she forget who she's talking to, Chen shouldn't throw that idea away so soon.)

But why go around stealing people? Does the one in charge want to build a collection or something? If they wanted rare items, they could have asked lady Yukari; she finds weird things all the time.

So if everyone is from a different world, then what's yours like? Does it have a lot of metal people like you?

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat shakes his head slightly.]

I ain't sure. Nobody who's been held captive 'round these parts seems to know. An' th' folks runnin' this town ain't tellin'.

[The tone in his voice darkens slightly.]

They sure like tormentin' those they kidnap, though.

[There's a beat, before Gat's voice resumes its more friendly tone, and he answers Chen's other question.]

I ain't from th' same planet this town's supposedly on. I was livin' in th' Gurhal System. Both me an' th' "wife" of th' household come from there.

[He didn't bother making airquotes with his free hand, but the tone of his voice conveys them all the same. Briefly, Gat looks back over his shoulder at the inside of the house, as if to indicate where Dakki likely is right now.]

Anyhow, I ain't quite made'a metal-I'm a synthetic android, meanin' my body's designed to mimic th' same functions of a human's. But yeah, there's more folks like me back in th' Gurhal System. We're called CASTs.

[spinningorange]

Sounds like I won't like those running the town, then.

(The thought of living beyond the sky was quite intimidating for the cat. Sure, there were those who lived on the moon, but even that was pretty radical to her. The wide-eyed look on her face confirmed as much.)

CASTs...the kind of magic to make human-like dolls like that must be beyond even the seven-colored puppeteer!

(Don't worry Gat, Chen normally gets confused over large concepts such as robotics and artificial intelligence. She barely understands the idea of responsibility, after all.)

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat chuckles a bit. He isn't all that offended, though he still feels the need to correct Chen.]

I ain't so much a doll, mind you. Might be easier to think of me as a human who ain't made outta th' same kind of flesh an' bone as most creatures.

[He tilts his head in a way that manages to look thoughtful.]

If you're a talkin' cat, you oughta have a name of your own, I reckon. What should I call ya?

[spinningorange]

So you're human...but better? If you're man-made, then...are CASTs all like Hisou Tensoku? Big and strong and human-like, but not human? I can scratch humans, but I would hurt myself if I scratched Hisou Tensoku.

(She looked down at her paws to confirm...Yeah, these would barely nick skin. She'd sooner enjoy a bath before getting anywhere past that armor. Chen shrugged; strength was never her forte, anyway.)

I'm Chen. Do you have a name too, or can I call you Hisou Otouto?

(As smart as Chen was(not), she had her own way of making sense of things...even if it was completely wrong.)

[nanocerancowboy]

[There's a pause in Gat's actions. One might imagine him blinking, if he were still human.]

Well, without knowin' what Hisou Tensoku or a-Hisou Otouto is, I can't say for sure. CASTs come in jus' about every size that humans do, though.

[He shrugs his shoulders slightly.]

Anyhow, my name's Falk Gatt. Though most folks jus' call me "Gat."

[spinningorange]

Gat...that's a lot simpler. Alright, Gat it is.

So Gat, what's this town like? Everything seems so very strange and uncomfortable.

[nanocerancowboy]

I reckon not many folks would feel comfortable in this town. 'Specially given what it does to people. Everyone who's brought here gets put into houses like this one. They're given family roles to play out based on who an' what they are. Like they've lived here all their lives.

[At that moment, the one remaining drone in the household walks by-a pink-haired teenage human girl. She's wearing typical Fifties clothes.]

"Hi, Dad!"

[Gat turns and looks back up at the teenager.]

Howdy, Euphemia-

"Aww, it's Chen!"

[The drone girl stoops down and reaches out to pet Chen, talking in a lovey-dovey voice.]

"Who's a good kitty? You are! Yes, you are!"

[spinningorange]

So someone wants to play the world's largest game of house? This someone's a creep, no doubt.

(Speaking of creep, the house's drone seemed to take notice of Chen and Gat speaking, especially Chen. There was something eerie about her, something that couldn't quite be explained, but easily felt. It was the most uncomfortable petting session she had to endure, but she endured. If one looked closely, one could see a hint of a glare looking up at the drone girl.)

Gat, what's wrong with her? She seems so...lifeless and dull.

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat picks up on how much the drone is bothering Chen, even before the cat speaks up. Chen's question just makes the drone giggle, though.]

"Aww! She's so cute when she meows like that!"

[Gat turns to the droned Euphemia and gently puts a hand on her shoulder, to get her attention.]

Hon, I think your mother an' sister might need some help with makin' supper. Why don't you go check up on 'em?

[The drone's vapid, pleasant expression never leaves her face. She gives Gat an eager nod.]

"Okay, Dad!"

[The drone stands up and heads for the kitchen, leaving the two by themselves once more. Gat turns to look back to Chen.]

That right there? That was what th' folks 'round here call a "drone." People who've been brainwashed by th' town into thinkin' they've always lived here.

[His voice takes a slightly darker tone, as if remembering something unpleasant.]

From what I've seen an' heard, th' town's always had a group of folks like that. But th' town also does it to people that it kidnaps. That girl's one of th' latter cases.

[spinningorange]

(A great sigh of relief follows the drone's exit; it was very unpleasant, but thanks to Gat, she now knew why.)

Brainwashed? This town can turn people into...that? I don't want to be a drone! Nyaaaa!