middleofsomewhere | Fissures of Time: Start

Fissures of Time: Start

"Good Morning Voidtreckers, today is day eight of the month of Poi."
The voice echoes through the train as passengers wake up in their beds. Not long afterwards their SCA’s glow with the colour of the void and a holographic image appears...

FISSURES OF TIME: START

... BASE CAMP

THE VOIDTRECKER EXPRESS LANDS CLOSE TO A GIANT OF A FORTRESS SAT ATOP A HILL, A RIVER BORDERING THE WAY TO A NEARBY TOWN. 'Please head to the location marked on your map,' the Voidtrecker Express speaks through the intercoms before opening the doors out.

Passing the threashold, Voidtreckers are welcomed to a mild heat, accompanied by a passing spring breeze; the grass underfoot is a healthy wheat-yellow, with a few unfamiliar flowers dotted about. Checking their maps, they'll see they're at the very far southwest, and their their destination is the fortress - or temple - a small walk from way they are. They'll know they're heading the right direction when two figures dressed in their own military gear meet them halfway, neither human.

'Voidtreckers?' One greets with a nod, then jerks their head to the fortress. 'Follow us. We'll tell you and give you what you need; get you ready for the week you're in for.'

Voidtreckers that follow are led into spacious halls, a Grecian-like architecture with columns carved into flowering patterns, statues of idols lining the walls. There's a faint murmur of activity, but they don't see too many people before they're led into a nearby room filled with containers that close in the space. Even as they enter, a holographic map floats visibly mid-air like the one on their SCAs.

The two people go to either side of it, and it's the one from earlier that speaks again.

'This is Kolokifi's domain- most of it, anyway. Down here where we are is Eilifi's land. Another god, but a history lesson isn't what you need unless you ask for it. All up this way-' the person makes a circular motion in front of the map, leaving a visible mark on it. '--is where time distortions will be happening. The easy explan' of them is that points in the past get pulled into the present - echoes of them. Fragments, moments - Time here got well and screwed up, and tries to bring up points in the past to the present.

'Now, some have a problem with getting rid of the slips of the people that come through, so I'm going to get into that now. Thing is, if they can stick around? They will, but most of them can't. All of this is just Time trying to make a copy of the past appear, so thinking you can leave the distortions alone make everyone whole? Isn't going to work as well as you think. It just makes more problems, and that isn't pretty.' They snort. 'They're gonna fight and sound like people 'cause they are - real unfortunate, unlucky sods. If you're gonna have problems with it, don't deal with them. Leave 'em to whoever with you can, or send a signal for us on the maps. Double tap the area and then get out. There's no point gettin' trauma on top of what's already on your plate.'

Finally they nod to the various containers around.

'But don't worry, it isn't all sad shit. You've got fields to deal with too, open spaces. Boring work, but it's what we're here for. So if you're going, let's get you ready. And you come back here when you need anything.'

GEARING UP. They go through the different roles required, what's best to be done, what does what. They'll be shown how to work an equaliser, how to fit and wear the eye and earpieces - with other designs available if needed - to use the remote-controlled scouting drones.

Take the time to open up an equaliser box yourself, try to work a scouting drone. There are also medical kits, with boxes containing herbal medicine 'blessed by the Spring god here - make sure you can take it,' the Ministry worker helping them warns. There's devices in all of the kits, small scanners to double-check that a medicine won't react poorly to whatever it scans. Similar technology to what the SCAs use, but more advanced.

There's no rush to leave, and the group will also be shown where some spare carts and animals for pulling are outside, for packing up supplies on.

STAYING BACK. But people don't need to go. They can stay with the Voidtrecker Express, use a few facilities in the Ministry base, or wander the immediate area, so long as they don't go beyond the river that down the hill the fortress sits on. There's the train itself that people can stick to, take pillows and their blankets outside to enjoy the fresh air.

Or you could be coming back this way during the mission. The Ministry base has a kitchen free to use, water, and every day fresh fruit and vegetables come in carts from the same figure, flour and oats. If someone wants, they can take some of the food, or use it to make supplies for the Voidtreckers to receive if they come back this way, or other missionaries.

How they spend their time is up to them.

... KOLOKIFI'S DOMAIN

FOR A WEEK, VOIDTRECKERS WILL BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE SAME TORN, SCARRED LAND. Despite the skies being a clearer silver-grey nearer to the Ministry base, it keeps close to a blood-red as Voidtreckers wander its terrain. Heat clings to them in the dry air, the dirt as parched as the scenery leaves the eyes.

Those with scouting droners would do well to getting used to their new toys while they travel, watching out for what lies ahead. Though just from looking at it, there's nothing but the same drained landscape. Those who can fly may be tempted to do so, to get ahead. Those with superspeed, what's the point of hanging around? But eventually, everyone will learn what happens if you simply wander around here...

WHAT ONCE WAS. Sometimes, the time distortions are innocuous - a glimpse into peaceful times, a view of the world as it once was. A step, one single move forward into a time distortion, and the world around you changes. Gone is the suffering heat and chalky environment, and the world blossoms. Wild yellow-grass sways every-which way, the sky sits with fluffy clouds against and blushed pink than the blood-red.

You can move around, explore for a little while, but up until a point, the world just stops: you run, you fly, you walk, but it makes no difference.

...It also means you can't leave. Well, good thing your SCA still works to ask for help.

These time distortions will be the simplest to deal with, only occupied by a few wild animals, maybe fish in a stream. A good place to practice with the equaliser, and to watch as the scenery fades to the stark reality of the present day.

UNEARTHED WAR. But then, peace isn't what led this land into the state it is. The skies are a lavender and red, and sometimes:

Mother Nature

'Who goes there!'

'You're no warrior of Kolokifi! Come quietly under her mercy, or suffer her judgment!'

( MOD NOTE: Play these scenarios to whatever degree you like; people can be knocked unconscious or situations can't be helped. Choose what is best for yourself or your character. )

IDYLLIC LIFE. Except, it's not a battlefield that is the hardest to deal with. There are the instances of peace, but when it comes with those more aware than just the flowers or animals - but with people.

Sometimes, they might be moved around: a pair on a picnic, or people with tents by a lake, enjoying themselves. Or, you might get asked what you're up to, asked to join them. Perhaps it's a merchant going to the next town. 'Kolokifi may be a blessed God, but you know Silifi's fields bring their best this time of year.'

They may disappear, without knowing what you were doing - or realise something is wrong, just towards the end. Steel your heart.

The hardest are the towns, sections of them, and moving around them, trying to find the best place to set up.

But if an equaliser goes off too early, doesn't get set in the best place (was it because the best place was in a river? Where a house is, with nowhere to set the equaliser?), then fractions of this settlement will start to disappear - and the civillians will notice, and the panic will be quick.

If it becomes too tough, remember: A marker can be set on the maps and a call made for another group - non-Voidtreckers - to do the job.

HEAVY HEARTS IN REST. There will be enough for four separate camps to be set out from the supplies, the tents wide and spacious to put in simple bedding for the stragglers from the time distortions that do make it out.

It's here where they should be brought. Calm them down, reassure them, until you can find someone to take them to the Ministry base. This will be some work, depending on how panicked they are, distrustful. The less care and stealth used when setting Equalisers and getting rid of time distortions, the less reason these people will have to care about what the Voidtreckers have to offer - and they're already scared.

Kids, adults, the elderly - they'll try to make their escape, and sometimes end up in new distortions.

Voidtreckers will need to coordinate well with the different camps, with where their people are going. There's only so many Equalisers, and it is good to keep moving around.

And very likely, this will be a mission heavier on the heart than the body. Speak with one another, share in the weight of this world's tragedy.

OOC NOTES

OOC post. Ask questions here. Let us know about shenanigans here. NPC requests here, set up a thread here. Rewards go here.

Reminder of goals: Red Team is to deal with the heavier war-time distortions, keeping Orange people setting Equalisers safe, who will also use scouting drones + other methods to locate distortions. Purple Team aids in the smaller, more scattered distortions (includes 'idyllic' distortions), and helping Blue locate misplaced people, keeping them safe. Blue also protects and moves the camps.

NPC fighters: Their skills vary, depending on what you want to come up against. But they have guns, swords, shielding; nature can be particularly vengeful, and even typhoons might be deployed. People will be rewound from where they're going to where they were; and warriors sometimes have their own quick means of healing.

Play with whatever obstacles you want! As ever you don't have to stick to the prompts we write, this is a setting where a lot of wildness can happen so feel free to write your own distortions to take down! Also, again: For anything traumatic, you can have your characters miss anything too distressing for them. There are a lot of time distortions in very ordinary settings.

Further Prompt Ideas: Click!

Blue Team:

You're dealing with a misplaced person, and how agreeable are they? Did they run off on foot? Or use the cart animal in the night? Now you're looking for them - and either with or without them, you've ended up in a time distortion.
The camp's moving, and you're setting up for the first time, packing away for the second. Are you used to the heat? The repetition?
You've got food from the train to work with for meals, but the Ministry has packed everyone a mix too. Some ration foods that you add water to, but also an orso-like pasta and types of chicken breast (at least, it tastes like chicken), cooking sauces, pita breads. Does your character know how to cook?
You just want a change of scenery, and someone in the camp is going to one of the time distortions. Maybe you go along, just to bring out some food, or just out of curiosisty.
There's nothing stopping you from using a scouting drone - actually, being in one place makes it easy. You can speak to people through the drone. How much can you help from afar?

Orange Team:

It's your job to set up Equalisers. How confusing are they to you? Do you get unlucky? Does it jam at a bad time?
You have to set up an Equaliser in a settlement. And if it wasn't bad enough, there's nowhere good to put them except in someone's backyard/right in front of a shop stall. These people aren't pleased. They're going to get suspicious!
This distortion is too big for the amount of Equalisers you and the other person have with you. Do you realise this? Even when it's a peaceful distortion, this can be tricky - you have to pack one up and move it! Or the worst happens when you set them off, and only erase half the place - and people notice.

Red Team:

Fire burns around you as war rages. The equalisers need to be set but to get them in place the fires need put out. Tricky when there are a whole bunch of soldiers currently lighting them.
Red's job is to deal with the obstacles of the more physical-demanding distortions, but that doesn't mean they're easy to find. You end up in scenic landscapes - and you're not the person with an equaliser.
Sometimes - or most of the time - the fighters are not match for your strength. But sometimes, these warriors have skills that can manage to get you defenceless, maybe even nullify your powers.
Do you care about murder? Sometimes, it's simple self-defence - they're attacking first. But not everyone in a war time distortion is an attacker - sometimes they're normal civillians caught up in the chaos. Maybe they even help you, take your side - and you know they're soon going to disappear.
Even Red Team needs a break now and then. Wandering around at random just drops you into distortions that you can find a way to deal with. Or are you seeing what you can do? Maybe there's more that can be done than just waiting on Orange Team.
But even so, there are camps moving around - you should head back to one. Or will you risk sleeping out where a distortion might hit?

Purple Team:

Whilst helping in a town based distortion so thing goes wrong. The market has vanished and people have noticed. Specifically these angry traders, heading towards your team with the intent to stop them in their tracks.
People aren't the only problem. A distortion has spooked a heard of animals and they are stampeding. This makes it very difficult to place Equalisers.
You stumble upon a couple of chatty locals in this distortion. The equalisers still need to be set without causing suspicion so someone needs to be a distraction. How do you make small talk with people you are about to erase from time?
Often it is the terrain that makes things difficult. Clear trees or rockfalls or find a route across a difficult river.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I can tell." Idia's reply is rather flat and sarcastic. No shit you're used to this, Alice... which takes you out of the 'weirdo' group and into the 'don't mess with them' group for Idia. Actually, she's still weird, so a bit of group A, a bit of group B.

"Um," He started, very carefully moving further away from the body closest to him as Idia waved a hand to use his magic to lift the Equalizer box again. "I think I need to place this that way." Pointing off in the direction he had sent his drone earlier while he was trying to figure out the location.

There's a long pause as he finally manages to look at Alice. It would be smart to keep her as a tank while he transported and set everything up. Just... maybe not good on his mental state. He can't believe how gory that got. It was just... ugh. "Can... you come with me. For protection?" Idia's kinda scared to ask... but he needs the back up, especially during set up for the machine.

"Of course."

For all the other seems afraid of even asking that question, Alice's answer seems relatively simple. Sure, she isn't looking very happy or nice as she's saying it, but Alice's face is more or less permanently stuck like this - especially in the middle of a situation that involves fighting like this one.

But the answer is still easily said. Of course she'll come along with him. Isn't that the whole point of her being here, so she can free the way for the orange team members?

"Is it just in that general direction? I can walk ahead."

Because otherwise Idia will still have to face the warriors headon. Though walking after Alice means basically walking over a corpses path that she's created, so..

.. you know. It's also not fully ideal, is it.

No, no, he's now used to Alice being... Alice, really. It was difficult to tell her true emotions behind her words sometimes, but Idia doesn't mind that at all. He puts it down to her just not being a people person, similar to how he was.

"OK." He agreed easily enough, she seemed like she would move fast enough to help if they got flanked from the sides or behind. That... was until he realized that... yeah... those bodies. Ok, deep breath Idia... or maybe not cause, ugh, but, you can do this. Just think of it as if it's REALLY detailed VR. Though he's still going to carefully step around the bigger pools of blood and... chunks. Ughhhh.

At least he could float the Equalizer box along with him rather than having to carry it through this all.

Apparently that short agreement is all Alice needs from him. The moment he gives her that 'OK', she's already moving ahead, brandishing her weapon and taking care of basically any warrior that crosses her path, forming openings for Idia to slip through this battlefield.

She doesn't look behind her to see whether or not he's following her, but.. really, if anything, it's a sign of trust.

Because Alice sure knows idiots who would fall behind in some way, and then she certainly would look around to see if they're keeping up. But since Idia agreed to this plan, she's pretty sure he can at least follow up on it and properly follow her as she cuts down a path for them.

All the way until they're at the Equalizer spot he pointed out. "Over here?"

Alice finally lowers her weapon - this spot, thankfully, seeming to be a little more out of the way of the fighting - and wipes two fingers across her cheek, before looking at the blood on it.

"Ugh. They could at least have provided us with baths."

Because that's clearly the biggest inconvenience here, right. The inconvenience of getting dirty.

"Yeah, it's good." Certainly enough to get the job done, and quickly, Idia hopes.

Setting down the box in that location, Idia's instantly ready at work getting it set up, distracted for the moment and focusing on what he's doing that he really isn't paying attention to what Alice is saying. Or his own reply. "I can clean you up if you want." He mutters out as he sorts out the wires and cords and rest of the horrible design of this all, making sure it will open smoothly and correctly the first time and so he won't have to redo this all.

There's a faint pause after he says it. Mostly so Alice can look around and make sure there truly is no one headed their way before turning her head to look at Idia.

She wouldn't want them to get into trouble because of a careless mistake on her part, after all.

"How?" She simply asks, watching as the other sets up the device.

Alice likes to believe Idia wouldn't do something to actively harm her, especially since he's most likely well aware of what the consequences for that would be.. but on the other hand, she has no idea how he would actually go about getting her clean.

It takes a few moments for all this to actually catch up in Idia's brain, he busy distracted by his work, and maybe being a bit more comfortable with Alice than others and more ready to just speak without too much concern for censoring himself. After all, she does the same, right? So that may explain why he had just said it without much thought behind what in fact it would actually require.

And now that it was catching up in his brain Alice is possibly one of the few people that got to learn when Idia blushes the tips of his hair also turn pink and flare up in their normal fiery motion more than normal. He had not thought through that offer! He had just offered it.

Ducking his head down the best he could to hide his face, Idia stammered through an answer. "I-I-I-I mean, ah, I-I-I mean, I would use water magic then fire magic." Please just take that as an answer and not ask any more follow up questions!

Oh, Idia.

If the hair hadn't been a dead giveaway - honestly, hiding his face doesn't help much when other parts of his body are just as expressive - then the way he's speaking up would have told her that he's flustered. Alice is rather sharp, after all, so she would have picked it up with even less signs.. But when Idia is showing this many signs at once, the girl is fairly sure anyone would be able to pick up on the fact that he is flustered.

Thankfully she doesn't seem to point it out to him though. Perhaps it's a small gesture of kindness on her part, not wanting to embarrass him further, or maybe there's something else on her mind.

.. Or maybe it's a little bit of both.

"I think it is better to not do that," she says.

And for some reason, Alice's own voice sounds slightly strange too. It's softer, somehow, and not as blunt or annoyed as it usually is.

It's almost as if there's something vulnerable about it. If Idia does manage to look up - considering he sure is busy looking down, both while working on the device and trying to hide his fluster - then he'll be able to see that hint of vulnerability is even reflected in Alice's eyes as well.

Strange.

".. thank you for the offer though."

She's even thanking him?! Even stranger!!

Oh gods, he had actually said that, hadn't he? He had actually said that! Offering to wash someone? That was weird, Idia! No matter how well you know them! Sure, it may be the most practical option right now... but it was weird! WTF brain?!

Pushing his hands to his face to try and will away the fact this ever happened, hearing her thanks... her thanks?!... didn't help things, his fingers curling into fists over his forehead. AHHHHHH! This was so embarrassing...

Just... let the earth open up right now, please, let him just vanish from sight.

...but it wouldn't... damnit.

Eventually... he lets out a long sigh, shoulders slumping and his hands dropping again, his voice turning back to that low, muttering tone of his. Though very much still not looking in her direction. He just can't yet. "...can we forget this ever happened?" Please don't hold this over his head, Alice, please...

"Gladly."

Because even though Idia might not consciously realise it, there was something awkward there on Alice's side for a moment as well - which is exactly why she's glad to forget about this little moment here. But then again, if he didn't realise as much, it might just seem like Alice is being a particularly benevolent goddess today, not making him suffer by holding this embarrassing moment over his head.

Instead she just momentarily pauses.

".. did you get it set up yet?"

That's why they were here in the first place, after all. To get that equaliser set up, and deal with this annoying distortion.

"G-Give me a bit more time." Yeah, he wants out of here and this awkward situation as fast as he can, so Idia works as fast as he can with the tech he's been given. Just let this be over. Then he can go and hide at camp for awhile.

Eventually as the machinery unfolded and went through its system set up, Idia sat back on his heels where he was crouched on the ground, keeping a close eye on it to make sure everything was running correctly. As the stuck in time world started to dissipate outwards from the Equalizer, Idia pushed himself back up onto his feet. "I guess we should keep an eye on it, at least until it's out of range of anyone able to throw something at it." He's not sure what would happen if it stopped half way through. Nothing good, no doubt.

Alice releases a huff.

"I suppose our job is never done."

But even though that kind of sounds like a protest, or at the very least it does sound like a complaint, Alice doesn't move. It would be so easy to just walk away, or to tag in someone else to babysit the equalizer here, but the girl doesn't do it. She stays there, shifting her hobby horse-like weapon out for a big teapot she's holding in her hands.

"Stay there, unless you want to be caught up in this."

When a group of the warriors charges at them, Alice shoots the content of the whistling teapot in the direction of the group, pouring out boiling hot tea all over them. It makes the warriors stop in their tracks, some sinking to the ground and screaming due to the liquid burning their skin.

"Eh?" Idia asks as he turns to see they had gained attention again, then a flash back to what had happened to the others, cringing in memory of that. You know what... "Y-Yeah, I'll... be over here." This was clearly her thing, she didn't need him around.

...she really, really didn't need him around, not with how she handled those charging at them! Oh, it was... oh, Idia turning around to avoid the sight of what was happening, pulling his hoodie up tighter around his head and pressing his hands over it and his ears. Nope, nope, lets just block that out. Even then, he can still hear those screamed muffled through both the fabric and his hands. All the more reason he needed his headphones... he could had used the noise cancelling on them to pretend none of this was happening.

Just how violent was her world that she needed to be like this?!

Poor Idia. Clearly the other deserves a nice warm bath in a sound-proof room once all of this is over. Just being far away from all the noise, and people, and random over the top violence..

But unfortunately the time for that is not right now. Because the screams do keep happening, alternated by the sounds of the high-pitched whistle of Alice's tea pot cannon when she fires off another load at a new set of soldiers that have come to replace the previous ones.

All the way until the world truly seems to be unraveling at the seams. The warriors are starting to notice it too, with them growing more and more panicked. They're not even attacking Alice or Idia anymore. They're just running around in chaos, trying to find some place away from the darkness that's taking over the world, even though there's less and less ground for them to thread.

Alice can see too that things are starting to get kind of dire. It's why she steps closer towards Idia, and when it looks like a warrior on a horse is about to run over him, she quickly wraps an arm around the guy and pulls him out of the way, even if that means he is - momentarily - pressed up against her. (Sorry, dude.)

"Careful. They are getting desperate."

It's certainly enough to shock him out of his attempts at isolation, shaken by her actually touching him as much as what he was trying to block out, yet this time around Idia's able to snap out of it faster than... that. His head whipping around to what she's talking about.

Before throwing a hand out, a flare of fire circling around his skull computer before shooting out in a large fireball towards the rider, aiming more to scare the horse away than really hurt them... but if it happened, it happened. They were going to vanish in a moment anyway, so it didn't matter. They would be gone, wiped away. "As long as we stay within this area they won't be able to get to us, we just have to watch out for ranged attacks."

Easier said than done, Alice thinks when he makes that last remark - but at least it's true that they do have a lot less to worry about under those circumstances, compared to how much they'd have to worry about if they weren't protected at all.

But before Alice can even get a single word more across her lips, after surveying the situation around them for a moment, everything suddenly does vanish.

Leaving just them in the middle of the wasteland..

.. which means Alice promptly lets go of Idia. Instantly.

"Well, that distortion was vaguely unpleasant," Alice says, far too casually, as her weapon disappears from her free hand and she starts dusting off her dress.

Oh. OH! That had been happening, hadn't it? Idia taking a rather large step to the side once she let go of him, crossing over an arm to hug his other one to his side tightly. He hadn't really realized it in the moment with everything going on, but now...

That was too close.

"It... It's gone now. It doesn't matter." It was just a hiccup in time. Those were people were set in fate, they couldn't change what happened, just end it as soon as possible.

Still, it was a lot. "I'm heading back to camp." Idia needs a rest after this all...

"Alright," she simply says, letting him go.

It's not like Alice isn't planning on heading back to camp either, but she'd rather do it later, by herself - especially when she's feeling a little bit tired and dirty. It's not exactly the state she would prefer anyone to see her in for an extended amount of time, so she's more than fine with Idia heading back there first by himself.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Fissures of Time: Start

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we can wrap it up here! c: