No Place Like Home: Outside

[voidtreckermods]

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NO PLACE LIKE HOME: OUTSIDE

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HOME SWEET HOME

You find yourself not on a wide station platform, in the clothes you last remember, holding what you were when you went through the glas door. There's no longer a train behind you, no sound of its whistle, with no other passengers around you in similar style of clothing to your own.

You're somewhere familiar, or just - the last place you remember being before your life became tethered to the Voidtrecker Express. A field, a city, a kingdom, or perhaps even a space station. You should be nowhere, yet you find yourself somewhere, despite all odds.

People - if there are people - don't at first notice you; but attract enough attention to yourself, and that will all change. Friends, family - are they near, a phonecall away? It's either everything you wanted or everything you imagined (for good or worse), and it could seem unbelievably real. But it is real - you're off the train, back somewhere you know.

Finally - the journey is over...

---

...If only.
You're moving away from where you arrived, for whatever reason. Who wouldn't? You may be far from home, have business elsewhere, or want to go sightseeing. It's time to return to - and live - your life, and that doesn't include sticking to one place.

But you'll find that when you reach a point, the world becomes...foggy. A fog that you hadn't seen in the distance before it appears, and when you walk through it, you'll find yourself in a place some have already found themselves in.

Because for some passengers, there was nowhere for them to return, and so the barriers lead only to fog, and then straight back onto the platform. The Voidtrecker Express may be stationed, or there may be a blanket of fog where it should be; sometimes, it can be caught trying to leave the station, only to come back a few minutes later. The doors are shut tight, and the windows are obscured, showing nothing inside.

Those who came from somewhere can go back, should they go through the turnstiles again. And if they want, they can take people along with them, too...

---

But sometimes, they go to a world no one knows. They go through the barriers into nothing, a black emptiness. Not space, for those that know space, and it doesn't seem to be the void either. But it is a void, devoid of anything at all. Just a darkness so complete they will not be able to see anything at all, they will only know their companion is there through touch and sound. How they are breathing, how they are living at all, is a mystery; one probably answered only by the SCA on their wrist.

Being there brings an unease deep down inside them. This place is not natural, not somewhere that they should exist in. Not a place that should exist at all. Luckily they are never there for more than a few moments before they return once more to the station, fog covering them like a safety blanket.

A DIFFERENT CORNER: LOCATIONS

In the first couple of days (whatever that means, when time doesn't match up between most places), the only way to move to another's tethered location is by them leading another there. But after that, individuals will show up in other locations when they reach close to the distance limit. Indeed as time goes on everything gets a lot less stable. They may know their five miles perfectly but still one step to another leads them back to the platform. Attempting to return to their world leads them somewhere else entirely.

And there's quite a few places to end up.

---

SETTLEMENTS

• Buddhist Temple, China ( Koumyou Sanzo | TL )
  
• Rebel Camp, Lothal ( Hera Syndulla | TL )
  
• Homestead, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA ( Nell Ingram TL )
  
• Capsule Corp ( Trunks | TL )
  
• School Grounds, College ( Idia Shroud | TL )
  
• City Ruins, beach ( Najaran | TL )
  
• Hakkei Palace, Tai ( Taiki | TL )
  
• Gusu Lan, mountain sect (China) ( Lan Jingyi | TL)
  
• Lotus Pier, riverside, China ( Jiang Cheng | TL )
  
• The Endless Abyss, Hell ( Shen Qingqiu | TL )
  
• Hyrule Castle Town ( Zelda | TL )
  
• Haven Palace ( TL )

COMMUNITIES

• Spaceport ( Yondu | TL)
  
• Mobile Station Base ( Kiyoiri )
  
• Arkwood, Town (Ryo | TL )
  
• Techstead, Town ( Devero | TL )
  
• Tatsumi Port Island ( Ken Amada )
  
• Mor Dhona / Town, Mountain, Lakes ( K'zeka Tai | TL )
  
• Hyrule Field & Lon Lon Ranch ( Link | TL )
  
• Ishigami Village, Japan ( Senku Ishigami | TL )
  
• Aether Paradise/Artificial Island/Natural Preserve ( Katsuya Jonouchi )
  
• Nautilus ( Spark/Clef TL Clef | TL Spark )
  
• The Underworld, Hades ( Zagreus and Thanatos | TL )
  
• Sanctuary ( TL )

CITIES & KINGDOMS

• Saillune City ( Zelgadis | TL )
  
• New Mantle, City ( Ruby Rose | TL )
  
• Brooklyn, New York City, USA in 2017 ( Jake Peralta | TL )
  
• Azabu-Juban District, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan ( Usagi Tsukino | TL )
  
• Hau'oli City ( Eva Iden'no | TL )
  
• Gauig City ( Little One/Buttercup | TL )
  
• Kyoto, Japan ( Masumi Sera | TL )
  
• Shinjuku, Japan ( Yosuke Otoha | TL )
  
• Kingdom, Evermore ( Roland Crane )
  
• Garlemad, Kingdom ( Zenos | TL )
  
• Kingdom of Knothole ( Mina Mongoose | TL )
  
• Domino City ( Yugi Muto | TL )
  
• Amnity Park ( Danny Fenton | TL )
  
• Garlemald ( TL )
  
• Lothal ( TL )
  
• Los Angeles ( TL )
  
• The First - Crystarium and Lakeland ( Elidibus | TL )

OOC NOTES

OOC post. Ask questions here.

LOCATION TOPLEVELS: Since it'll be easier for players to engage with settings presented by those offering them, when we see a toplevel for one of the above locations put up, we'll add it to the list! We've also included the OOC comments for settings to the side, so any questions can be left with the player, as well as extra details. Please always speak with the player first if you intend to do anything drastic to the setting!

A REMINDER: Time of log is Poi 22-25, but time within worlds can last up to a maximum of two weeks. Minimum is whatever you want it to be.

During Poi 22 and 23, characters will need to be led to a location to be able to access it. From Poi 24, people will show up in locations regardless of invitation.

The second half of the event will go up during 20th to 25th February (Poi 26-28). But as always, play around in here and do as you like!

If your character's setting isn't above, link us to it in the Questions post, along with your toplevel! We'll add it.

Comments

Platform: Meeting Up

[eternalinquiry]

Wangji stops, looking a little taken aback but calmly taking it in stride.
"Technically that was a large aspect of my work as a cultivator. It will depend if your ghosts can be affected by my spiritual weapons."

He looks at him, askance.
"May I ask why you need a ghost hunter so desperately?"

[schrodingersghost]

His shoulders slump in exhaustion as he rubs at his forehead. "Because there's a portal to an entire dimension of ghosts in my basement and they've had an entire year without me there to stop them. I don't think I'm going to be able to get things back under control by myself."

[eternalinquiry]

Okay. Lan Wangji has heard weirder, but he'd be hard pressed to remember when.

"Understood. I will assist you in any way I can, but I have to question why the portal is in your home. I know you have spiritual energy yourself, were you trying to put them to rest?"

Crisis mode has been engaged, Wangji is firmly on board.
"What are the risks to civilians?"

[schrodingersghost]

Danny groans and rubs at his forehead as if he had a headache.

"Because my parents built it there. That portal is why I have spiritual energy, as you put it. I kind of feel responsible for all the ghosts who get out of it, because it wouldn't even be open without me."

He frowns.

"Depends on the ghost. Some of them don't care one or the other about hurting humans, so the worst danger is if the humans accidentally hurt themselves running away. But some of the other ghosts will actively go after anyone in the area. Some of them even get power increases from humans. I'm going after those ones first."

[eternalinquiry]

Well. That's a lot to take in all at once. No matter, if people are in danger then Wangji will do his best.
He listens to Danny's explanation with a mounting sense of incredulity and a little concern but he puts that aside for now. Danny sounds like he knows what he's talking about and Wangji respects that.
"As you are the expert for your world, I will defer to you. What is our next step and how do we best combat the dangerous ones?"

[schrodingersghost]

Danny takes a moment to think.

"Pick up some thermoses from the weapons vault, then start dealing with the ghosts. If we can trap some of them in the thermoses I can send them back to the Ghost Zone."

[eternalinquiry]

Wangji nods, this teenager has obvious experience and they are on his turf. Wangji respects that.
His eyebrow does raise at one point however;
"I assume by the fact you keep it in the weapons vault the 'thermos' is not as it appears?"

He will quickly fall into step and follow Danny's lead to Ghostworks.
"Are the ghosts coming from this 'ghost zone' or is that a place you have created to put them?"

[schrodingersghost]

Danny nods.

"Its a ghost containment device. I can use it to hold ghosts until I can send them back to the zone." He pauses. "That just happens to look like a thermos."

He shakes his head. "Its like the mirror dimension to my world. My parents call it the Ghost Zone, but some of the ghosts have told me that they call it the Infinite Realms. It connects to every time and place."

[eternalinquiry]

Wangji contemplates such a device.
"Was that an intentional feature? I feel in the wrong hands someone may actually use it as a thermos. Would that render it inoperable?"

Dimensions within dimensions! How interesting, and apparently threatening.
"If it connects to every time and place, is it even connected to the train or some of the destinations?"

[schrodingersghost]

Danny waves that off. "They just tend to turn stuff sitting around the house into ghost weapons." He shrugs. "And I've never checked? I know what it is., and me and my friends are the only people who really use them."

And that make him slow down and think.

"You know, I wondered about that for the longest time. Because the Zone, it kind of looks like the void. Only green. But I've been looking for them since I first got tethered to the train, and I've never seen any portals that opened to the Zone." He pauses. "They're kind of easy to recognize. They look like swirling green holes in the sky."

As for the other thing he tried not to think about. He was already part of two different dimensions. What did it mean for him that he was now tethered to a third?

[eternalinquiry]

Wangji takes a moment to process this, matching Danny's stride whilst thinking about various household appliances.
"Does that include things such as a vacuum cleaner? Or a blender?"

He feels a little like they should check at some point or another.
"Potentially scorching ghosts may aggravate them, but as this you area of expertise I trust your judgement."

The news about the zone is more thought provoking than anticipated. He thinks about dimensions and the fact that ghosts could be anywhere, along with the train hurtling through a void.
"Swirling green holes. Something to mention if I should see one, perhaps with a figure coming out of it?"

[schrodingersghost]

"I've gotten stuck inside the vacuum cleaner one before. Luckily my sister hid the blender before they could turn it into anything." Considering just how many of his parent's inventions had targeted him.

"Hey, its always better to have more eyes." He shrugs. "Probably more the green hole part. They're kind of hard to find, even from the zone, so I don't know how many ghosts go through them."

[eternalinquiry]

"You have gotten... stuck. Inside the vacuum cleaner? Was it an exceptionally large one?" No matter how young Danny is or appears to be, he's bigger than a vacuum cleaner. The blender comment earns some briefly shut eyes and a mental equivalent of closing a door on a thought.

"Then I will do my best to assist you." He won't mind keeping himself occupied. "Does the Ghost Zone have the same nauseating effect when you look at it?"

[schrodingersghost]

"My Dad turned it into a ghost containment device and managed to catch me in it." Danny waves it off. "But it was fine, he ended up letting me go."

Danny had not quite realized that that wasn't the issue here.

He shakes his head.

"It doesn't for me? But honestly I have no clue what it feels like to someone who isn't at least part ghost."

[eternalinquiry]

"So the powers I've seen you exhibit are ghostly in nature?" Wangji is struggling a little process that. It means he could be dead? But he said 'part ghost' so perhaps his parentage is just..?
"I am relieved you did not suffer from the effects of being stuck in a vacuum cleaner."

Everyone here is special, this must be just one of them.

"Hm. Then I will keep you informed if I suffer any adverse effects. Lead the way."

[schrodingersghost]

He nods. "Yup. Up until the accident I was 100% human. Now I've got ghost powers."

He takes a quick cautious glance around, then moves on.