Sky Cities (Harambe)

[Deleted]

(The original thread, for those interested.)

NAME:

Artyom Ryba Belic





HT (Height):

5'10''





WT (Weight):

182 lbs





HAIR (Color):

Dark-brown





EYES (Color):

Grey-Green





SEX:

Male





AGE:

19





PHOTOGRAPH (Description): A moderately broad face, adorned by prominent cheekbones and an equally prominent nose. Dark, curled hair and somewhat tanned skin indicate mixed Greek-Bulgarian blood. Height and weight are rather average for a Slav.



Where you're headed: Egonsburg



Pocket Contents: Knife, Wallet with лв 200 (Bulgarian lev), I.D., presumably now-archaic driver's license, and family photo (bearing a happy-looking image of a rosy-colored Bulgarian man and an obviously Pontian-Greek wife with a boy, probably Artyom).


You board the transport blimp, which seems to be manned by plenty of armed guards. There is no system of regulation or investigation in these skies, just men with guns that may or may not know how to use them. When the rest of the passengers board, the guard closest to the entry door shuts and locks it. The intercom turns on, and a man begins speaking.



"Welcome to the Sky Transport. My name is Felix, and I'll be your captain for the next day or so as we take a flight to Egonsburg. Take a seat, relax, and enjoy the ride."



The intercom cuts back out as you take your seat, and you can feel as the blimp begins to lift up off the platform. Higher and farther you go, as the platform and people on it grow smaller and smaller, until the only thing you can see is the city you left in the distance, and the brooding miasma below. This miasma is dark, and disturbing, but you can't put your finger on why that is, or even where it comes from, and the others aboard the blimp don't seem to be paying it any mind, so you quickly dismiss it from your mind.



The trip is slow, and uneventful. You entertain yourself in anyway you can, whether by sleeping, reading, or watching the skies, but there isn't much to the skies today, so you don't stick to that for long. You do notice a few merchant ships being harassed by pirates, but aside from that, the sky between you Egonsburg are calm and peaceful. Eventually, you spot the city in the distance. It's no industry capital, but it has a certain quaint charm about it, with lots of Renaissance looking buildings and beautiful architecture looking as if it was ripped straight out of Vienna itself. The blimp docks down on a platform, and a guard open the door, allowing you, along with the rest of the passengers, to disembark.

[forced meme (harambe)]

Artyom stood from the seat, slipping past the man who'd sat beside him who was grabbing his luggage. He moved down the aisle, which was slowly emptying, until he reached the opening of the blimp- and from here, we went out to the city. He knew he should feel safe, perhaps relieved that he'd escaped the genocide of his species. Still, Belic only felt a mixture of anxiety and regret. His hand went to his wallet and squeezed it as he looked around the retrofitted old city with squinting eyes. "Where are you, Chicho?"

[Deleted]

You step out into the old, cobblestone streets of Egonsberg. Despite being made entirely in the past decade, the whole city looks like like it's a town from the medieval ages, preserved and sent into the sky. It gives off a friendly kind of feel, like even as an outsider, you could walk up to a stranger and ask them to lunch, and they'd agree without a second thought.

[forced meme (harambe)]

Arty was hardly in the mood to talk to anyone, let alone have lunch with them. To him, opportunities to socialize seemed more like opportunities to embarrass himself or sulk in a corner somewhere. Ironically, he was looking to meet someone- but a certain person in particular.

Where is Uncle Niko? he wondered, looking around desperate for any sign of a familiar face. Instead, he found only alien visages- however friendly- which imposed their curiosity onto him, however silent they were in word or expression. Fortunately, he remembered the last thing his uncle had said over the phone-

Things are less organized with the refugees than they are with flights on the surface, plemennik. If I can't find you, come to my studio at the address on the message I sent you.

Artyom had the address committed to memory, but he didn't know a damn thing about where it was. Either he would find a map or he'd have to talk to someone he didn't know. Bozhe, I hope I find a map.


With this, the young half-breed took his first few steps and looked around.

[Deleted]

You can't find a map sticking out anywhere, but you do see an inquiry booth not too far from where you got off the blimp. They might have what you want.

[forced meme (harambe)]

As he noticed the booth, Arty groaned. Guess this is a compromise, he figured as he approached the booth.

[Deleted]

A young, perky looking man with fine, blond hair stands behind the booth. He looks eager to serve.

"Greetings! How can I be of assistance today?" He asks

[forced meme (harambe)]

He's almost feminine, Arty mused. "I'm looking for an address- my Uncle, Niko Belic, he's an artist working on... what was the street? Han Kubrat? His studio is there."

[Deleted]

The boy holds his index finger up before ducking down and procuring something from inside the booth. He comes back up a few seconds later, and unrolls a map between you and him.

"You're here right now." the boy says, pointing to a docking bay near the edge of the city "And the street you're looking for is here, near the artsy part of town." the boy moves his finger over to a street, which doesn't appear to be that far of a walk. The boy produces a red marker from his pocket, and begins drawing a line through the city streets on the map that leads from your location to the street.

"Take this map and follow the path I drew, and you should be there in no time."

[forced meme (harambe)]

"Blagodarya," Arty told the man, offering a polite smile in gratitude before pulling the map up. It didn't take long for him to find the next street he needed to follow, and soon enough the boy was off on his way.

He had never understood how all these people could stand to live right next to so many of one another. Mamka, I hate cities. Couldn't Chicho have been a hermit? Belic thought ruefully as he bumped into someone and shot them a scowl. He was all for politeness, but never would he take it so far as to be a pushover.

Try not to get into any fights, sin. You're enough trouble on your own without others adding onto it. His father's words echoed in his mind and his heart stung.

[Deleted]

You're fortunate enough to be in a city of people polite in their own right. At most, people will shoot back with a glare of their own, but for the most part, anyone you bump into just continues on their way or apologizes. The buildings in the city stand very close together, but don't stretch very high. You're still in one of the lower districts of the city, one that lacks skyscrapers and the like. This makes the scenery nice, but for someone who isn't too fond of people or interactions, the overwhelming friendliness can be quite the nightmare. It's hard to walk very far without another native waving at you, or telling you "hello" or "good day!" Many of their accents and languages are so thick that you can't quite make out what they're saying, but the intent is almost always clear.

[forced meme (harambe)]

Arty tried his very best to be polite back as he walked along, but his heart wasn't in it. Still, he kept a forced smile on after he realized he wasn't in the slums of Sofia and nobody here wanted to knife him. If not for the citizens of Egonsburg, then he may as well try to be nice for his pa.

Still, since when does everyone say hello to everyone else? Friendly or not, this place was weird. Nobody in Sofia, even the nicer parts, said much to a random passerby. Just get to Chicho without starting any fights, he reminded himself, picking up the pace and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

[Deleted]

This is one of the lower districts, and it's likely that half the people here know half the other people here. Advancing into any of the busier districts would likely give you the same illusion of Egonsburg being like a city you're used too, with natives that are more cold and distant, as this district gives you that Egonsburg is a city of overly friendly folks. Either way, as you progress through the city, the greetings diminish. You eventually reach the art district of Egonsburg. No signs marked it as such, but it was clear by all the murals on the sides of buildings, and chalk art on the sidewalks that you were in the right place. You pass a number of young boys painting something on the side of an old brick building, but you're unable to make out what they're painting as you walk by.

[forced meme (harambe)]

Longing and relief formed a queer mixture in Arty as he traversed the city. He didn't necessarily like people, but he almost felt... safe from the cheery, warm nature of the area he was just in. What did it matter? Artyom wasn't one for interaction. He hardly even felt disturbed by the fact that billions of lives were probably being wiped out on the surface below. Still... he was and had been for months ailed by a constant pang, a sort of pit in his gut.

He brushed it off. No time for introspection. He had to be getting close to his uncle's now.

[Deleted]

You've followed the path laid out for you accordingly, and the result is as you'd hoped. You arrive at the address you had been given; a humble two story studio apartment building, sitting in line with all the other nearly identical two story studio apartments that stretched across this particular street.

[forced meme (harambe)]

Well, here goes.


The last of Arty's family was through that door. Though it probably went without saying, he approached the studio and knocked, taking a deep breath as he did so. He hadn't seen Uncle Nico in years.

[Deleted]

(Seeing as this is your character Arty is interacting with, rather than mine, it might do you well to do the writing for this, rather than me. I don't know the story or the history behind him, so I couldn't accurately represent him, at least as far as conversation is concerned.)

The noise from the city makes it hard to hear what's going on inside, but you can make out a number of footsteps before someone unlocks and opens the door. Before you stands one who can only be assumed as your uncle.

[forced meme (harambe)]

(( Well, honestly, I hadn't planned out much about him at all; I purposely made it vague, since I figured you'd do it, since you've got all the knowledge of the setting. Still, would you prefer I handled it? I'd be more than willing to, if it's better for you. ))

[Deleted]

(I'm always up for writing characters, but I assumed you had something in mind when coming up with the concept of Uncle Nico.)
(Are there any specific details you've come up with, or shall I just take the character wherever?)

[forced meme (harambe)]

(( Nope, do as you please with him. ))

[Deleted]

"Ah, Arty." There's a distinctively somber tone in his voice, and his overall appearance screams stress. He isn't that old, but his face would tell you otherwise. His hair is beginning to gray, and his hairline is receding. His eyes are tired, and the bags under them are visible, even from a distance. His face is wrinkled, and seems to be showing age. There's a lack of color in his skin, likely from no having been outside to much, and his clothing is wrinkly and unkempt. He attempts to force a half smile, but it's not the most convincing thing.

"Come in, come in, my boy, and forgive the look of the place." Nico steps aside and motions for you to come inside.

[forced meme (harambe)]

All the anxiety and queasiness Arty felt at being in such an alien environment melted away when he saw Nico's face, as tired and aged as it looked. He quickly stepped forward and embraced his uncle. Back home, family- even the furthest cousin- was paramount. Several generations could live under the same roof. And yet, here he was, likely to be the last Belic son embracing the likely second-to-last.

"It's been too long, Chicho," he grunted, separating from Nico and taking a look around. "Well," he began languidly, stepping in, "it can't be worse than Pastbishna's in Sofia, eh?"

[Deleted]

Nico chuckles "Haha, yes, I suppose not." The weary man allows you a few steps inside, then shits the door. The inside of the apartment is, as Nico said, quite messy. Plates sit out, and dishes are due for a long awaited run through the dish washer. Papers of various origins are scattered about, and his desk in the corner is pilled high with books and notes. A messy blanket and pillow lie put on the couch, and the Tv is on. It's turned to the news, which is rather uneventful. There's a ding on the microwave.

"Oh, that's my soup. I need to take it out, but please, make yourself at home." Nico leaves you for a few minutes to go pull his soup out of the microwave

[forced meme (harambe)]

Arty seated himself casually on the first somewhat comfortable-looking furniture he could find, taking the mess in. Well, while I'm job hunting I could help Chicho by cleaning up a bit around the house... The notes, however, snagged in his mind, and took it away from cleaning and employment. "Chicho!" he called, "you working on an art project, or something?"

As he spoke, he stood and approached the desk to take a closer look.