No Place Like Home: Outside

[voidtreckermods]

---

NO PLACE LIKE HOME: OUTSIDE

---

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

[schrodingersghost]

Danny sighs in relief as the pain fades. He rotates his shoulder to make sure it had finished healing.

"Thanks. Honestly it was some of both. The ghost hunters went after me because I'm a ghost, and the ghosts went after me because I try and keep them from causing trouble." He still couldn't figure out why the ghost hunters were blaming him for the ghost invasion. He hadn't even been in the right world for the past year.

He shakes his head. "Not that kind of hurt. I've got no problem with the equivalent of punching a few really annoying ghosts in the face. But you mentioned exorcism, and I don't know what that would do to the ghosts of my world. They're annoying, but I don't want to end them, you know?"

[gathersnomoss]

"It if helps, my sort of magic would just be the equivalent of an elemental spell, but affecting things that don't have a physical body," Zelgadis said. "So, it could be lethal, but the same way a fireball or freeze arrow spell is. A friend has a spell that let her put that sort of energy into her fists so she could punch ghosts, but I can only do that with a sword or another edged weapon."

Said friend's father apparently could punch ghosts by sheer force of will, no spell required. It was impressive and did make Zelgadis wish he could just bring in Prince Phil and Amelia to handle Danny's town, and sit back with popcorn. The mental image does actually get a smile.

[schrodingersghost]

"That should be fine," Danny says. "Ghosts throw that kind of thing at each other all the time." A pause. "And me."

[gathersnomoss]

"Maybe they need to remember that you're also a human," Zelgadis observed. "Most humans don't get magic thrown at each other all the time. Or so I've been told."

Look, he worked as a mercenary, and traveled with Lina Inverse. Zelgadis doesn't even know what normal is anymore.

[schrodingersghost]

"Most humans don't spend all their time fighting ghosts either." He shrugs. "And I can take it. I have the abilities of a ghost after all. The ghost hunters are actually worse, because they have weapons that are actually meant to hurt ghosts,"

[gathersnomoss]

"Hurt as in kill or more punch-up stuff?"

Kill wasn't the correct word for ghosts, but he's not thinking of a better one.

[schrodingersghost]

"Some of my parents inventions are designed to, and I quote, tear ghosts apart molecule by molecule or peel ghosts like an onion." Danny grimaces. "Luckily they have terrible aim."

[gathersnomoss]

"Your parents aren't supervillains, are they? Because generally speaking, even the people I know who develop combat spells aren't that detailed about the effects on their target."

Like, yes, Lina Inverse did develop the Giga Slave, but she generally summed it up by 'wholescale destruction' and 'I am never casting that again'. No need for details. (If shit was hitting the fan to that level, you were too busy getting as far away as possible and hoping Lina didn't fail to control the spell.)

"You wouldn't be the first person I've met with unfortunate relatives, so it's no reflection on you."

[schrodingersghost]

"Of course not. That would be dear Uncle Vlad, their best friend from college." Danny frowns unhappily. "They're ghost hunters. And in my world, most of the scientists and ghost hunters don't believe that ghosts are sentient. Mom's even told me that ghosts can't feel pain."

Which he knew was completely wrong. But it wasn't like anyone would listen to a kid.

[gathersnomoss]

"Ghosts from your world did use to be people, right?" Zelgadis said. You know, he's fine with callousness, but there's a difference between not giving a shit about other people and not realizing they are people. Even ignoring that made you seem like a monster, you made stupid mistakes if you didn't at least try to understand your opponent. "Are they still friends with this 'Uncle Vlad'?"

[schrodingersghost]

Danny shrugs.

"It kind of depends on the ghost? Some were, some weren't, and its super rude to ask." But he'd met enough of both kinds to know how completely wrong his parents were on that point.

And here he makes a face. "Dad still thinks they're best friends, even though Vlad barely even tries to hide how much he wants to kill him. Mom.... She was mad at him for a while, but then Vlad managed to make her think that he'd saved me.

Note to self: Commission some of Zel's 'disgusted at world' expressions for his human form.

[gathersnomoss]

Zelgadis had met a lot of people that were utterly oblivious to hostile intent that was obvious to literally everyone else. It sounded like Danny's father was high on that list. At least 'well, he saved my son's life, so I'm going to overlook the red flags' was understandable. Still irritating but not 'why are you allowed to make decisions without oversight' irritating.

"I'm aware that there's probably a lot of context between how humans and ghosts interact in your world that I'm missing, but if the only thing that was stopping the world from descending into conflict was one person, it was in a precarious situation even before you left."

[schrodingersghost]

"I'm starting to figure that out," he grumbles. "I knew I was doing a lot for the city before. But I figured that there were enough human ghost fighting teams that they could at least hold things together while I was gone. Apparently I was wrong."

He scowls.

"No wonder I never got any sleep."

[gathersnomoss]

"No kidding." He doesn't have a high opinion of Danny's world if 'a single unpaid teenager' is the lynchpin to keeping everything going.