The Angel of Death spoke to Jesse with a deep baritone that seemed to grate on his bones. This was, of course, a dream. Jesse remembered being shot, and riding on a boat with the reaper on some river in the afterlife. But Jesse knew he was rejected by death, a fact which the reaper never failed to mock him for. Whether he was an instrument for the reaper to carry out his will, or simply a dancing monkey for the reaper's own amusement, Jesse did not know. What he did know, was he had been shot in places that killed, but he was not dead.

Jesse's eyes flicked open to a gray sky, in an alleyway. Things seemed off immediately. The buildings which surrounded him were...pristine. They were cracked and weathered, but not crumbling. Where was he? He then noticed giant metal creatures which carried people, and realized he had seen the corpses of such things before. Where he was from, people knew the rusted carapaces of these things once ran, but nobody could be bothered to fix them. He was in another territory, perhaps The Texes, or a place like it. The neighborhood he was in wasn't particularly friendly, but it wasn't as bad as he was used to. He wondered the impoverished and sketchy neighborhood.

Teo let out a contented sigh as he flipped through the pages of his book, a rather modern tome that discussed the ideas of various philosophers who had emerged in recent times. An odd subject perhaps, as generally the philosophers themselves were the ones actively sharing their views and not some third-party writing, but he digressed. It was still an interesting read nonetheless, and a relatively quick one at that, as the tome was naught more that a mere two hundred pages long. Feeling a tad peckish however, Teo interrupted his study for but a moment to take another bite of his quiche, when the world around him underwent a sudden shift.

Where before he had been sitting in a quaint little café, now he found himself sitting in the middle of a busy sidewalk, his book and snack gone. Dusting his hands against his coat as he got to his feet, Teo examined his surroundings carefully, a look of confusion plastered across his face.

Where the hell am I?

Spying a newspaper stand nearby, Teo approached it, the thought still lingering in his mind. A few minutes later and he'd figured out where he was. Or at least the name of the place anyway, but even then one very pressing question remained...

How?

Deciding he wouldn't get any answers by just standing around and twidling his thumbs, he set off down the bustling walk and deeper into the city of Moonlight Falls.

Before
Valon hadn't seen his gnome friend in quite awhile and wanted to meet him again. Sadly, he didn't really know how to get to Gnome Island. He remembered after a certain experience that he passed out in his own town and the he woke up there, but that was about it.

He decided to go on a walk instead in hopes he would just run into the island. His gnome friend was actually getting ready come meet him at the same time.

---

After
Instead of ending up where he intended, Valon found himself somewhere else. It looked like a city/town, but didn't feel like his own. Did I take a wrong turn or something?

Unknown found himself in the same place, but cause he was used to living on island with huts, the city looked foreign to him.

It had been an average day in Mobius and Miles Prower or "Tails" as people always called him; was hard at work repairing his biplane, the sun was beating down hard today and to stay cool the young kitsune had a fan blowing in his direction at the mouth of his garage although it was doing little to relief Tails of the summer heat as the fan was simply circulating warm air.

Heaving an exasperated sigh Tails wiped the wrench he held with an oil stained cloth in one hand before tucking both in their respective places on his toolbelt, after surveying his handiwork Tails determined that he wasn't satisfied with his repairs but the heat was just too unbearable to work in. The stepladder creaked as the little fox descended the steps and onto the black asphalt, he began to walk over to the mouth of the garage when something strange occurred...

---

In the blink of an eye his garage was gone, in it's place he stood on a busy sidewalk and still moving forward the little kitsune bumped into a man with amethyst colored eyes. Startled he stumbled backwards falling on his rear visibly confused and frightened looking "I'm sorry." Tails squeakily apologized as he stood up and took a tentative step away from the tall man with amethyst eyes, the yellow fox fidgeted nervously with his toolbelt and had a nervous expression on his face.

@ZAVAZggg

The city was unlike the ruins of Denver that Jesse was familiar with. It was beyond anything he imagined Denver could have ever been. Could this be what the Old World was like? No, this was better. This world wouldn’t collapse. Nobody in their right mind would allow that.

The mechanical beasts people called “car” were not reserved for a noble few, but allowed to seemingly anyone. And the buildings of brick and concrete were full of people. It was more people in one place Jesse had ever seen. There were cafes and pubs where Jesse was from, but they were built from poorly cut wood planks and scrap metal, and few and far between. Here, the smell of cooking food was almost everywhere, and didn’t have any rancid scent at all. Some of the people were large and round, and Jesse had only seen such large people a few times in his life before. He didn’t even have words for it.

It had been an average day in Mobius and Miles Prower or "Tails" as people always called him; was hard at work repairing his biplane, the sun was beating down hard today and to stay cool the young kitsune had a fan blowing in his direction at the mouth of his garage although it was doing little to relief Tails of the summer heat as the fan was simply circulating warm air.

Heaving an exasperated sigh Tails wiped the wrench he held with an oil stained cloth in one hand before tucking both in their respective places on his toolbelt, after surveying his handiwork Tails determined that he wasn't satisfied with his repairs but the heat was just too unbearable to work in. The stepladder creaked as the little fox descended the steps and onto the black asphalt, he began to walk over to the mouth of the garage when something strange occurred...

---

In the blink of an eye his garage was gone, in it's place he stood on a busy sidewalk and still moving forward the little kitsune bumped into a man with amethyst colored eyes. Startled he stumbled backwards falling on his rear visibly confused and frightened looking "I'm sorry." Tails squeakily apologized as he stood up and took a tentative step away from the tall man with amethyst eyes, the yellow fox fidgeted nervously with his toolbelt and had a nervous expression on his face.

@ZAVAZggg

"Don't worry about it," Teo said, looking down at him briefly before looking away, as though he hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary.

"Say..."

He turned his attention on Tails fully, eyes narrowing somewhat.

"You don't seem like you're from around here. Well that's good because neither am I and I could honestly use some help. Do you... uh, do you happen to remember how you got here by any chance?"

<Snipped quote by Dark Cloud>

"Don't worry about it," Teo said, looking down at him briefly before looking away, as though he hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary.

"Say..."

He turned his attention on Tails fully, eyes narrowing somewhat.

"You don't seem like you're from around here. Well that's good because neither am I and I could honestly use some help. Do you... uh, do you happen to remember how you got here by any chance?"

"I was just finishing work in my garage when suddenly I appeared here," Tails told the tall man sounding less nervous "That's all I know honestly mister." it was the truth, Tails had no idea how he ended up on the bustling sidewalk instead of his garage.

<Snipped quote by ZAVAZggg>

"I was just finishing work in my garage when suddenly I appeared here," Tails told the tall man sounding less nervous "That's all I know honestly mister." it was the truth, Tails had no idea how he ended up on the bustling sidewalk instead of his garage.

"I see."

Teo shoved his hands into his pockets and stared off into the distance, his expression pensive.

"Well, I must confess that I arrived here in much the same way, although I was doing some afternoon reading when I ended up here. A shame too. Didn't even get to finish my quiche."

His face fell as he pondered the taste of a food he could no longer have, before quickly shaking himself out of it with a grumble and a grunt.

"No use mourning a food long since lost. Oh and by the way..."

He returned his attention to Tails.

"What are you? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

<Snipped quote by Dark Cloud>

"I see."

Teo shoved his hands into his pockets and stared off into the distance, his expression pensive.

"Well, I must confess that I arrived here in much the same way, although I was doing some afternoon reading when I ended up here. A shame too. Didn't even get to finish my quiche."

His face fell as he pondered the taste of a food he could no longer have, before quickly shaking himself out of it with a grumble and a grunt.

"No use mourning a food long since lost. Oh and by the way..."

He returned his attention to Tails.

"What are you? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"I'm a fox...Well technically I'm a kitsune," Tails giggled childishly at his vague explanation but at the very least he was starting to become less guarded in the stranger's presence "My name is Miles mister," he reached a gloved hand forward for the man to shake "But you can call me Tails." Tails smiled sweetly while looking up at the stranger as he introduced himself.

<Snipped quote by ZAVAZggg>

"I'm a fox...Well technically I'm a kitsune," Tails giggled childishly at his vague explanation but at the very least he was starting to become less guarded in the stranger's presence "My name is Miles mister," he reached a gloved hand forward for the man to shake "But you can call me Tails." Tails smiled sweetly while looking up at the stranger as he introduced himself.

Teo took his hand, giving it a brief shake.

"Teo," he said simply.

"I've done it...I really have done it!" Exclaimed Frug as his little legs tried to push him up and down in what looked like a walrus trying to jump.
"You guys, come quick, you are never gonna believe me, but I have conquered the age old question."
He nods his tiny head from side to side with a huge grin on his face.
"Y'all didn't believe I could do it, you all laughed at me, but I told you I can build anything, and not only I have I built something....I built the something that stands above all the other things I have built ever."
Frug clasps his hands together in excitement, "would you guys hurry up and ....." but his words were cut off in mid sentence, when he heard that humming sound.
Slowly, he turned his head towards the sound and saw an enormous black hole.
"Uh-oh, I did it again."
Before he could turn and run, he was whisked away into the netherness of the black void.
Moments later, Frug opened his eyes, then shut them quick, he opened and closed them several times, before it donned on him, he was no longer in his laboratory.
"What did I do this time?"

<Snipped quote by Dark Cloud>

Teo took his hand, giving it a brief shake.

"Teo," he said simply.

"Nice to meet you Teo," tilting his head slightly Tails frowned "Well rather it should be nice if the circumstances weren't so strange I guess." he simply shrugged conclusively after shaking Teo's hand.

<Snipped quote by ZAVAZggg>

"Nice to meet you Teo," tilting his head slightly Tails frowned "Well rather it should be nice if the circumstances weren't so strange I guess." he simply shrugged conclusively after shaking Teo's hand.

"Nonsense. These are hardly the strangest of circumstances one could face, though I will admit that it isn't everyday one finds themselves transported somewhere else out of the blue..."

Teo glanced around as he assumed a more relaxed stance, his eyes scanning the crowds aimlessly.

"I think," he began at long last. "That we should ask around town. See if anyone else has heard of any incidents where people spontaneously disappear from one location and appear in another. What do you say, Tails?"

Jesse turned into an alleyway. While the city was magnificent to Jesse, he couldn’t tell with all the amazing things he was seeing that this was actually a rough area. He decided to lean against a wall and close his eyes to make sure he wouldn’t reawaken in the apocalyptic hellhole he knew. When he opened his eyes, a gun was trained on his face.

“Don’t mind us.” Said the gunman “We just gotta check you for valuables.
“What’s with the axes?” Another guy asked “You the Dragonborn?”

Jesse scolded himself on the inside for letting his guard down, but it was these thieves that were in trouble. Even though one already had a gun to his head, Jesse drew and shot a bullet through the gunman’s head before he knew what was happening. Then while the other guy was staring jaw-dropped and shocked at what just happened, Jesse cleanly chopped his arm off. The now one armed man immediately started running. He ran out of the alley and through the city streets, hemorrhaging blood and screaming in agony and terror, drawing attention from most of the people around.

‘Damn’ Jesse thought’Got away.’ He looked down at the corpse of the man he just killed. It seemed muggers existed here as well. Knowing gunshots drew attention, he decided to try and escape deeper into the alley.

<Snipped quote by Dark Cloud>

"Nonsense. These are hardly the strangest of circumstances one could face, though I will admit that it isn't everyday one finds themselves transported somewhere else out of the blue..."

Teo glanced around as he assumed a more relaxed stance, his eyes scanning the crowds aimlessly.

"I think," he began at long last. "That we should ask around town. See if anyone else has heard of any incidents where people spontaneously disappear from one location and appear in another. What do you say, Tails?"

"Good thinking Teo," Tails nodded "Oh but I have a question!" walking besides Teo, the yellow kitsune looked up at his new friend with an inquisitorial expression "What's a quiche?" he asked looking curious.

<Snipped quote by ZAVAZggg>

"Good thinking Teo," Tails nodded "Oh but I have a question!" walking besides Teo, the yellow kitsune looked up at his new friend with an inquisitorial expression "What's a quiche?" he asked

"It's a pastry, a tart technically, filled with savory custard and pieces of cheese, meat, seafood, or vegetables," he explained as they went. "Quite good I must sa-"

Teo stopped dead in his tracks, having heard a loud bang ring out from somewhere nearby. Looking about as to the source of the noise, for he assumed it to be a gunshot judging from the sound, his eyes were eventually drawn to an alleyway approximately twenty feet ahead. A man was currently fleeing, and though Tails wouldn't have noticed it, with a gun in his hand. What he was sure, and honestly worried, the kid would notice was the fact that the man was also missing an arm and bleeding quite profusely. Brow furrowing, Teo ran after the injured man, motioning for Tails to stay a healthy distance back in case things got ugly.

"Hey! Hey wait!"

Teo raised his hands as he slowed his approach, to show that he meant no harm, as the man had turned his gun on him before promptly stumbling and falling to the ground. His stump of an arm was still gushing blood, and the man was quickly turning pale.

"Listen, why don't you put that away so I can get you some help okay? And keep your arm elevated for a bit, I think I have something that might be able to stop the bleeding."

Reaching into his coat, Teo pulled out what appeared to be a metallic clamp, the end of which was ringed with tiny nozzles.

Jesus, is that all? I was expecting a tourniquet, not this!

He looked back at the man, who was worsening by the second.

Shit! Guess it'll have to do!

Running over to the man, he smacked the gun aside and slid the strange device onto his amputated limb. Tightening, seemingly of its own accord, around the stump, the nozzles raised up to pivot over the damaged flesh. Emitting what seemed to be a series of lasers of all things, the thing quickly set to work repairing the man's arm, stopping the bleeding before sealing the wound. Heaving a sigh of relief, Teo leaned back before jumping to his feet and returning to Tails, a large crowd having already gathered to watch the strange scene.

"Hey! Don't just stand there!"

He motioned to one of the onlookers standing nearby as he went, who broke from his shock induced silence with a start.

"Call an ambulance damn it!"

.........................................................

A few minutes later and Teo was standing with his hands in his pockets once more, watching as a team of first responders loaded the now unconscious man onto a stretcher, the lights bathing the area in a cobalt-crimson glow.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he said, casting a sideways glance down at Tails. He fell silent soon after, unsure of how the kid would react to the rather gruesome series of events that had played out before them. Though that didn't bother him the most. No, what really gnawed at him was who'd done it. Who could've been so sick, so demented as to have completely removed a man's arm?

He didn't know, but he was going to find out, that was for damn sure. It wouldn't be easy though, as police had arrived alongside the paramedics to cordon off the area, question witnesses, and examine the surrounding byways and side streets for clues. This, of course, was how they'd stumbled across another man slumped against a wall with a bullet hole in his head, which only escalated things further, to the point where detectives had been called and the whole situation promptly labeled a homicide.

What a mess...

Valon decided to wander a bit to see who else lost their way here. He still wanted to find his gnome friend as not knowing his name still bothered him a little.

Unknown decided to explore the city a bit since he had never been in one till now.

Frug could see smoke in the distance, perhaps that is his lab, he thought.
He looked around and found that his knapsack had made it thru the black hole, and still intact.
Just to be sure tho, he sat down and emptied the contents onto the ground.
"Alright,let's see here, twisty thingy, check, other twisty thingy, yup, spool of multi colored yarn, hammer, nails, broken level, rolled up wire...
Frug shakes a small metallic box, and begins to buzz "Ahhh, my buzz box."
"Let's see what else I have."
He continues pulling gadgets, gizmos, and other junk out of his bag.
"Oh, what's this?" He ponders as he removes a five day old tuna sandwich.
"How did you get in there?"
Frug took a bite of the moldy, stinky sandwich, "Hmmmm, just like mommy always made."
He sat there and enjoyed his little snack, but when he was done, he had nothing to wash it down with.
Frug stared at the mess that lay before him, "Maybe a little nap first, then I'll have the energy to pick all that up."

In the ruins of Denver and the surrounding territory of Culrud, Jesse was a bit above the common waster in terms of knowledge and combat ability. This was thanks to being the last member of a gang known as the Bastards. But while the Bastards were always a little more clean, studied, and nourished than a commoner, they weren't nearly as clean as most people in this year in Moonlight Falls or in the US where it resided. Wandering the alleys, Jesse could hardly by discerned from a common homeless, though not many walked around with guns and axes.

"Hey...I ain't seen you around here before." A hobo in a tattered dirty tattered jacket said to Jesse

"I am from Denver, and where is this?" Jesse said

"This is Moonlight Falls. Man, you must have been on some crazy mushrooms to not know where you are." The hobo said through a mouth with half as many teeth as it should have.

"Is this the Old World? Are men flying giant metal birds across a giant lake?" Jesse asked, to which the hobo just started laughing.

"Well at least I aint crazy." The hobo said as he walked off.

Jesse shrugged, and continued exploring the alleys and hoping to learn more of this world. Deciding after hesitation that he had traveled far enough from the site of the incident to emerge from the alley again, he did so. He found himself on a sidewalk in a somewhat friendlier part of town, with even nicer establishments and even more posh inhabitants. He couldn't help but look at some of the women. Such beautiful women weren't seen outside of a lord or aristocrat's harem. These women were perhaps even more head-turning. But Jesse's gazing around changed when he spotted someone the likes of which he had never seen. It was a gnome, but Jesse wouldn't know that.

"I'm new in town" Jesse said bluntly "Which way to the nearest pub?" Jesse asked, not sure what to expect in a place like this.

@Letmehaveone2

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Is that your pet?" A female cop asked Teo, looking at the two-tailed fox "Is that a...fox?"

@MikkishtheLeprechaun
Unknown looked up at a man who asked where the nearest pub was. "I come from an island and I don't know what a pub is." He said.