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

[mtsilver_conquor]

A wry grin crawls onto her face at the voice behind her, though there's no reaction otherwise. It makes sense and it's what she'd be done if she had a twin and were in the pair's place. It's good tactics.

"Sure," she says with a nod, willing enough to go with them at least for now, as she takes a few seconds to study their faces so she doesn't mix either up. "Smart tactics, by the by."

[textelepathy]

They laugh in stereo at her, clearly feeling very clever and pleased with themselves over it. Liri slings an arm over her shoulder companionably, saying, "Why think you kindly, miks."

Kubu gestures and starts down a paved pathway. "If you'll come with us?"

[mtsilver_conquor]

There's a blink at the address before a memory finally clicks into place as she goes along with them. "Oh. Right. It's 'Miss'. We're going somewhere it's safe to talk, I hope?"

And give them proof she knows Devero, but she's not mentioning that out loud.

She really doesn't wanna accidentally mess up Devero's world, ok ok. More than that, Eva's still somewhat on edge, as if she's decidedly unused to the lack of people around.

[textelepathy]

"Miss, got it," Liri says, and "'Course we are," Kubu says.

They don't pass anyone else on the path, don't even see anyone else until the path intersects with the main plaza. Liri halts with her under the canopy of on of the trees.

"Hang on a sec," they say in exact unison. Stepping forward, they each reach up with a hand to touch their visor lightly, scanning the space ahead of them. They are intense and silent for several long moments before one turns and takes her arm, pulling her out onto the stone cobbles.

"We've got 30 seconds," they hiss out of the corner of their mouth. "Let's hustle."

[mtsilver_conquor]

Eva doesn't even question why they're stoping, not when her mind's already likening this to back home, out in the wilds. Just because she can't see something doesn't mean shit.

And, it's not her world.

"Right," Eva breaths, more than says as she follows them, easily keeping pace as they move towards safety. "Get us there safe please, I'll follow your leads."

And she will, clearly used to moving when people move, and that's how it'll be until they are somewhere safe.

(going back to Dev's journal so i don't keep losing track of this thread lol)

[subcircuits]

The safe place they lead her to is a-- loading bay? The twins crouch down behind a waste receptacle, sandwiching her between them, one abjuring her to be quiet while the other touches their Interface and squints intensely through it.

A minute or so later, the human-sized door beside the bigger loading bay entrance opens. As thick-set woman with dusty skin and sandy hair leans out and looks around, the twins pull Eva back up and after them to the door.

"You found one?" she asks, her eyes on Eva.

"Sure did," Liri says, slim chest puffing up. Kubu continues, "Brycan, this is Eva. Eva, Brycan."

's all good!

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Pleasure to meet you, miks Brycan," there's a question at the end of the title; Eva's trying at least, to remain on the right foot here, even if it sounds so wrong not to add a '-san' after the name.

Like she's being disrespectful somehow, but. Otherworld,s not hers, and these people deserve answers as to what os going on.

"Right. You'll want proof I'm friends with him first, yea? Roro, if you please." The Rotomi zips up from her pocket to hover at her shoulder, screen already displaying the folder Devero's photos had been sorted into. "Tech from my world; Devero-san thought it an Interface at first. Keep it within a metre of me, otherwise it cuts out."

[subcircuits]

Liri immediately reaches out to grab Roro, eyes alight behind their visor, but Brycan grabs their hand and stops them dead. "Not here," she says. "Let's go meet up with the Doc, first. C'mon."

She leads the way into the building, hauling Liri along by the hand for the first few meters. Kubu gestures for Eva to enter ahead of them and makes sure to shut the door and restore the security systems they'd interrupted to disguise the group's arrival.

Brycan leads them into the hospital, winding through corridors and passing through electronic doors that only open for her credentials. A ride up a couple of floors on a lift, another couple of corridors and corners, before arriving at an unremarkable door in an unremarkable hall.

"Here we are." The door unlocks in response to her emID, as all the others have so far, but when this one opens it's very thick, as are the walls it's set into.

"A dead room?" one of the twins asks uncertainly.

[mtsilver_conquor]

Even though she knows better, knows she'd be stuck, it's second nature for Eva to keep track -as best she can, anyway- of where she's going.

The dead room is a surprise, but given all the tech they have, it's not hard to figure out a reason for it. (Or, the grimmer, darker part of her mind says, used to trap someone if they need to Disappear. She takes that thought and puts it into a box, for now. She'll deal with that if it comes up.)

She glances at the twin with a crooked smile. "Probably the safest place to talk given the sound and or signal dampening tech I assume is in the walls."

[subcircuits]

"Bingo," Brycan says. She raises an eyebrow. "Y' don't have to come in if you don't want to."

It's the other twin that says, "Hell no, we ain't missing this." The first nods in agreement and they both push into the room. Brycan holds the door open and gestures for Eva to enter.

Inside is a doctor's exam room, albeit a very sleek one with slim, minimalistic fixtures and equipment. Two women wait inside: one, broad-shouldered with deep black skin and bright red hair, perches on a stool beside a counter; the other, grizzled and wiry and from the Asiatics, sits on the exam table with a prosthetic leg folded beneath her and a prosthetic arm on the same side propping her up where she leans.

They both watch Eva enter with shrewd eyes.

[mtsilver_conquor]

Eva gives a small nod as she steps into the room, a cloak of quiet, understated confidence about her. A will of steel shows in her eyes, blanketed by kindness and the genuine desire to help. There's also curiosity there, a sort of 'huh that's really cool tech and I want to pick your brains over it, but not right now'.

Focus.

"Right. Roro, if you please?" The Rotomi's screen flickers to life, once again displaying the photo folder as it overs in front of Eva with a small 'bbzzt'. "Tech from my world, and proof of what I say; keep it within a metre of me, or it'll cut out. Security thing. Otherwise, I'll do my best to answer questions."

[subcircuits]

Her nod is returned from one, then the other, neither woman missing the aura that she exudes. The Black woman reaches a hand up towards the drone-- well, what she perceives as a drone, of course-- then stands to take Roro into her hands. (The twins crowd close around her, wanting to see.)

The woman with the prosthetics sits upright. "You involved with this 'multidimensional thing' we been hearing about?" she asks. Her voice is clipped and gruff, rough with the age that shows in her lined face and salt-and-pepper hair.

[mtsilver_conquor]

"I am, yes," Eva says, keeping half an eye on Roro, who hovers so everyone can see the photos-, trusting the rotom-driven AI won't allow them to see anything other than that folder. Not without verbal confirmation at least.

Focus; think of it like reporting to one of the Matriarchs of the Seafolk who do trade with the 'Tree. "I was in the first group to be yanked from my world -got proof of that, too- when the VoidTrecker Express started this all up; that was roughly 16 months train time- thirty days per train month. I don't know what is going on with this; the train was supposed to allow those who wanted it, to go home."

A sigh as she rakes a hand through her hair. "Not... whatever's happened."

[subcircuits]

There's no mistaking that the photos in the folder are of Dev, and the woman in front of them, and-- colorful animals? (The twins are a lot more interesting in that aspect of things than Natily.)

"Wait, wait," Chihyoon says, waving her bio hand. "What's this about a train?"