Take a left at the Milky Way (IC) - Part II

[Yuki Akuma]

Hikari hmmms a little bit to herself. "Yuki-chama, are you powerful enough to teleport me around forty miles?"

[UglyPanda]

"I have that kind of power, but not that kind of power. Meaning that I have that level of power, but I don't have the specific ability to teleport people forty miles away. I usually just take the bus or walk or let Haruhi take me there. I don't like letting Shinobu take me places because he's a crazy driver and crazy pilot. You know, this one time, he started flying circles around a mothership just because he could. Of course, part of it was to test out the mothership's warp bubble, but he didn't have to go as far as racing it."

[Yuki Akuma]

Hikari looks rather disappointed. "Oh. Well... we need to get to the contest in about two hours I think. Plenty of time, really, but..." She pouts. It woulda been so cool to teleport there!

[UglyPanda]

"We can always get Aoi to drive us. He probably doesn't have anything better to do. But he always claims he has something better to do even though it's pretty much the same or worse. Maybe he just doesn't like doing things for other people. He'll probably be a much nicer person after his metamorphosis is finished and his body stops screwing with his hormones."

_______

As Ashley flies towards the arena, she sees a billboard

ARENA NOT PROPERLY TERRAFORMED YET
COME BACK IN AN HOUR

[androgial]

Ashley


Ashley does a fly by to make sure that it was an official billboard and not a competitor hoax. If it is official then she will set down nearby close to a tea "cafe" where they can wait calmly.

[UglyPanda]

The sign is indeed official. The area of the arena is far outside the outskirts of town. There are no cafes, but there is a greasy spoon diner serving pancakes and fried eggs.

The diner isn't particularly busy, and most of the people there appear to be locals. Blue-skinned, five-eyed locals.

[Verlaufen]

Shizune

Shizune was carried relatively quietly. Once she can, she talks with Ashley.

"Wonder why they call it Gravy Valley?'

[ninja_penguin]

Miranda

Miranda exits the hotel through the elevators, looking around and trying to get somebody's attention that was panicking earlier. "Hey, what's the motivation for your impromptu and poorly funded musical?"

[UglyPanda]

<It's the panic party! Don't try to understand it!>

Clearly they don't understand it either. Someone hands Miranda a hat and a T-shirt, both saying "Panic Party 5354 - Sponsored by Made for Maids."

5354 is apparently the year according to this planet's calendar.

[androgial]

Ashley

Ashley sets Shizune down gently then converts her mecha over to ground vehicle mode. Before climbing out dressed, she tells her mecha "good job angle, now we just have to stay alert."


outside:

"Well at least this place is close to the arena and is serving breakfast. Why didn't you wake one of us up before you left?"

[Verlaufen]

Shizune

"I guess I just wasn't thinking straight. If anything were to happen, I guess it would've been my fault. What do you think was going on in the hotel?

[androgial]

Ashley


"I would say elimination of competition before the matches start....same as yesterday. Oh yeah I entered the drown ball tourney. wonder when my fist match is?"

Ashley checks her tournament start time.

[UglyPanda]

Drownball will occur at a convenient time at night.

[androgial]

Ashley


"Oh goody. Drown ball tourney will not affect helping you as your minion in the sandwich tourney."

[Yuki Akuma]

Hikari hmmms a little bit, and she promptly calls Aoi on her commlink! Assuming he's up and awake at the moment. "Ummm... Mister Aoi? Are you there? Do you think you could give Yuki-chama and I a lift to the arena when the competition starts? We don't want to be late..."

[Siren]

Reed

Reed gets up and tries to make his way out of the building.

[UglyPanda]

Diner

The billboard has changed to read that Gravy Canyon is now finished.

______________

Hotel

Aoi, very tired and with a waffle in his mouth, approaches Reed and Hikari. "Follow me to the shuttle and we'll go."

[smuchmuch]

Aya

Aya is still conveniently already in the shuttle. She just rebooted and has no idea of what is going on except there seems to be a huge party.
She would check it out in other cicumstances but after the arena, she feels she had enough contact with a compact crowd for a full week, so she just stay in, improvising new verses for the panic song she overheard.

♫Panic Panic !
We may seem manic,
We're screwed
No way to elude
So let's just -PANIC !♫

[Siren]

Reed

Reed goes to the shuttle and sits down.

"That panic song is quite catchy."

[UglyPanda]

"Please don't remind me, I can't get it out of my freaking head."

"If anyone wants to go anywhere else today, this is your last chance to tell me."

"Next stop: Gravy Canyon!"

Gravy Canyon

A large plot of land has been painstakingly terraformed into what appears to be a desert. A number of plateaus and mountains can be seen from a distance.

The canyon itself is huge, larger than the Grand Canyon on Earth. At the bottom of the canyon is a very dark colored river, flowing swiftly and wildly.

A number of tournament officials are sitting under a large tent near the canyon.

Five men approach the tent, all wearing cowboy hats and holstered revolvers. One is wearing a duster and repeatedly plays the same few notes on his harmonica, over and over again. Another is dressed all in black and has a mischievous mustache. The third is rather scruffy-looking and is drinking sloppily from a canteen. The fourth is older than the others and wearing a poncho. Finally, the last one is wearing very thick glasses and smoking a cigar.

<Shizune & Company, Leon & Company, are you ready to compete?>

[androgial]

Ashley


Ashley stands ready keeping an eye on the opponents.

[UglyPanda]

Gravy Canyon

<I guess it's time to divulge the rules.>

<You will have the day to make a sandwich, get across the canyon, and be judged.>

<It sounds simple, but here's the catch: No electricity is allowed for this battle and you are only allowed to use the ingredients we provide for you. If we catch you doing either, you will be disqualified and the win will go to the opponent.>

<That is all. See you on the other side.>

The judges board a shuttle to head to the the other side while four camera crews stay behind. Another tent is set up, it's filled with dried and heavily salted meats, unappetizing bread, and dried beans and peppers.

The opponents load up what they can into saddlebags and attach the saddlebags to what look like very large coyotes, about the size of horses.

Shuttle

Reed, are you sure you don't want to head somewhere else? We can visit Nephim Lunar Land.

[smuchmuch]

Aya


"Er... To wich extent does the "no electricity" rules apply, exactly ?"

[UglyPanda]

Gravy Canyon

<No appliances or external equipment which uses technology.>

The judge doesn't seem to notice Aya's obvious roboticness.

[androgial]

Ashley

Ashley begins loading up ingredients and fresh water into the back of her mecha. There is seating there and first aid supplies but not much else.

[UglyPanda]

Gravy Canyon

<No electricity means no mecha. Got that?>

[Verlaufen]

Shizune

Shizune looks over the canyon, trying to locate the easiest way for people to get across to the judges.

Skill - (1d6x5)[15]

[UglyPanda]

The simplest way would be to go down the canyon, cross the river, and climb up the other side.

The fastest way would be to go over the canyon. How is something Shizune isn't sure of.

[androgial]

Ashley


"Yeah it also means we've been stripped of our weapons to defend Shizune with and she was attacked once this morning already."

Ashley non the less unloads her mecha and drops her chainsaw inside to be secured.

Whispering to shizune, "Just start making the sandwich right now. I am going to get some hang gliders so we can fly across without electricity."

[UglyPanda]

<Where do you think you're going?> the man asks Ashley.

<No electricity, not even to get from place to place.>