middleofsomewhere | No Place Like Home: Outside

No Place Like Home: Outside

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Aah, no, I-I-I'm not..." That's weird to say. It's weird! Then again... there's a lot of ghosts around, and a pool of blood, so... "I think?"

However any more questions on his existence is shoved aside as that name finally registers in his head, "H-H-H-H-Hades?!" Idia really struggling to get that out in his panic. "As in... the Underworld?" WHAT?! No. Nonononononono. He can't meet Hades. How can you even imagine meeting one of the Great Seven?! Idia really isn't worthy of that. He was just some student in the dorm named after Hades achievements, he's nothing special!

Also... "It's... redder than I expected." It may be a silly thing to gasp onto, but Idia needs something right now. He honestly expected the Underworld to look more like Ignihyde, all those grays and blues.

Sleep Incarnate is completely oblivious to this mortal's distress.

"And you're bluer than expected. Most shades wear green here, but then again! You're not dead yet!" Hypnos points at him with his feathered quill. "Although, that trip through the Styx should have killed you. My brother must be really losing his touch. Or you're some kind of special demigod since I thought mortals were afraid to say Lord Hades's name. Say... you're not here to fight my brother because he's back, are you?"

He looks pensive (threatening?) for all of five seconds before beaming with a large smile. "Haha. Well, there's no way you'll make it back to the surface alive. Maybe you could get in line now, and by the time you reach me again, you'll have died by one of those natural causes."

"I'm not here to fight anyone." Idia let out in a small voice, mostly a whisper, just too stunned by the fact of where he is to really consider much else that is going on. At least until he heard about needing to wait in line, and more importantly this brother Hypno mentioned. Brother being back? Underworld? Did that mean...

"Y-Your brother... is that... Thanatos? Zagerus?" Please tell Idia he had a lifeline around here somewhere to get him out of all of this!

"Huh? Zagreus is my brother? When did that happen?" Hypnos looks down the Great Hall as if that would clue him in. It was hard for even him to miss how the two had kissed and hugged right in front of him. Oh. Oh! "Thanatos got married! Was it on that train thing? If you know about Zagreus, you must be from there. And I think Mom would have forced me to wake up if I fell asleep during Thanatos's wedding here!"

The twins might have been under the assumption that Zagreus was born from Hades alone. (And the issue was never cleared up because Persephone was a forbidden topic even to godlings as young as they had been.) After all, they were born from Nyx alone. Athena sprung fully grown from Zeus alone. And, Hades didn't want anyone to know that he tried to have a kid like Zeus but didn't do it right because Zagreus was still a baby. So, the baby needed someone to be his mom. But Thanatos and Hypnos were playmates, not brothers, to the Prince, so there was only one way Hypnos could think of the sudden relation.

"Wow... the Prince of the Underworld is my brother. I'm related to royalty now! I should get them a gift!"

Poor, Idia.

Oh, not Zagerus? Then it has to be Thanatos, right? Assuming this whole 'brother being back' was to do with the train. And while it's nice to have it confirmed this was about the train, that part skipped in Idia's head for the moment with the mention of marriage. "A-ah, what? M-married?" Idia didn't even know they were dating.

WAIT! This is getting off track! "Where's Thanatos now?!" Focus, Hypnos! Thanatos has a level head! He could help Idia! ...right?

Please help him, Thanatos...

"My brother is going to be the hardest person to get something for. He's always grumpy about gifts, but if he's married, he has to get something. Or maybe I can give Zagreus something for the both of them." Hypnos goes on like this for a while longer before he realizes that Idia is asking him a question.

"Eh? Where's Thanatos? He's probably in the next hall doing parchmentwork, You know, they really should give him an office if he's just going to be doing parchmentwork from now on. Oh! Do you think we could get offices next to each other? Then we could spend more time together. We could free up the Great Hall by having the shades go there instead of waiting here! I should ask Mom about that."

Idia, run while he's distracted.

Oh, Idia hated the optimistic talkers, the ones who could just keep going, and going, and going, and not notice the person they were talking to really didn't want to hear it or even be near it. Idia's well practiced at attempts to escape it, sometimes successfully, other times... he was dragged along with them to something he didn't want to do. Parties, or get togethers, stuff with lot of people there.

It was horrible.

However it does mean he recognizes a chance when he sees it, waiting a moment until he's sure Hypnos is fully absorbed with his own thoughts before racing past him and deeper into the main hallway. He said over that way, right? Idia quickly darting in there, racing ahead but also mindful to go around any ghosts or decorations that may be in his way. Last thing he needs is to knock over anything on a pedestal... Looking this way and that way. He spots a blond guy in green, but was there signs of Zagreus or Thanatos?

Hypnos would talk and talk and talk until Lord Hades told him to get back to work, but as he sees Idia leaving, Hypnos gives a cheerful "Goodbye!" before returning to his list of shades. Whatever makes them less noticeable seems to take hold of Idia again, so unless Idia calls attention to himself in front of Achilles, nothing will happen.

However, Thanatos is at the end of the hallway, leaning over a small table and scribbling things down on parchment. He's surrounded by many scrolls, and Mort seems to be rolling some into piles on a nearby chair.

The little 'goodbye!' catched Idia off guard, but he's happy it's not followed up by Hypnos trying to stop him. He should question why he's allowed to just run off considering where he is, and the fact he clearly shouldn't be here, but Idia won't waste this chance to scurry away.

Especially with who he spotted. Please tell him it's the Thanatos from the train! Not some... weird situation where it's another form of Thanatos who had no clue what was going on. "Thanatos!" It's both a yelp and a whisper at the same time somehow, pitched high with panic as Idia rushes over with his still blood soaked shoes and clothing. Oh, and of course, "Mort!" Heeelllllppppp!!!

Thanatos turns around at his name being called--yelled really. Even Mort hops up to the top of his little pile and then skitter up to Thanatos's shoulder. "Idia? What's wrong?" He takes in Idia's appearance. "... Did you go swimming in the River Styx?"

The SCA must have kept him alive because that's generally not a good thing for a living mortal to be in.... Achilles is an exception who should not be copied.

Oh thank the gods, it was the Thanatos who knew him! Idia coming to a stop short of them both, mindful of all those scrolls and the fact that... yeah, he was leaving bloody footprints behind him. This was just all so horrible. "I donno!" He whined out, still feeling sorry for himself and so overwhelmed by everything that just happened. "Why do you even have a blood pool?!"

Then it seeming to register in his head. Oh. Oh..., a slight but steady shake starting to his form. "T-t-t-that was the S-s-s-styx?" Oh...

"I didn't even mean to come here." It's out as a very low whisper, barely audible.

"It was," Thanatos confirms. He disappears for a moment, shifting to grab a towel for Idia. He returns just as quickly and holds it out for him. The bloody footprints will be cleaned up soon enough by Dusa. (She'll probably be confused by their existence but will clean them all the same.)

"Most mortals don't plan on coming here when they do." It's a poor attempt at a joke. "Are you otherwise all right?"

There's a mumble of a 'thank you' from Idia as he takes the towel, not that he thinks it will do much with the state his clothing is in. Ugh, damnit. He slips off his hoodie and toes off his shoes, leaving them to fall to the ground. Sorry Dusa. As he wipes himself down the best he can, he actually lets out a soft 'heh' at the joke, mumbling, "I guess." To it, since Thanatos was right about that.

The question was a little difficult to answer though. "I mean... I'm in the-" Needing to pause to take it all in again. "I-i-in the Underworld..." Or he guesses. "Or a Underworld." A longer pause. "...its really red." Yes, he's still grasping onto that, it was easier than everything else that was going on. Though despite this all, "I'm glad I found you..." Idia has no clue what he would do if he hadn't found Thanatos!

Oh, also, "When did you get married?" It's the first he's heard about it.

"... What?"

Whatever else Idia was saying is promptly pushed aside and forgotten. Thanatos has heard some crazy things about what mortals think of him (or Lord Hades or Lord Ares or... Lord Eros... in place of him), but this is beyond the strangest.

"I'm not married."

Even Mort squeaks his confusion. Thanatos wouldn't get married without telling him!

Idia points back to where he had came from. "The sleepy, talkative guy, he said you and Zagreus were married." Something very clearly has gone wrong with this line of information communication.

"I didn't even know you were dating." It's kinda of mumbled out, Idia not really aware of how awkward this may be for Thanatos, too occupied with wiping himself down as much as he could. Was it bad to keep Styx on him? Was he going to just drop dead at a random time? That's not good... "Is this dangerous for me to have on me?"

"Why does Hypnos... Nngh, don't listen to him. He has no idea what he's talking about," Thanatos says very plainly. Great, he's going to have to talk with Hypnos and attempt to straighten things out and hope that it actually sinks in. He does not want to think of what chaos Hypnos may stir up from this false belief.

"Normally, the Styx waters would be harmful to mortals like you, but I think the SCA protects you here like it does on other worlds." Maybe demigods would be okay, like Achilles, made invulnerable to the parts bathed in the waters, but Thanatos wasn't completely sure. The Styx pulls upon souls, and if mortals could just swim across without issue, then Charon would be out of a job.

"Maybe." Idia mumbled in reply before giving up on trying to clean himself, it just wasn't going to work until he got a chance to shower or something, ughhh. He would question if it's physical damage or soul damage though. It would make sense it's soul damage, and their souls are.... questionable right now. Hell, so are their physical states. Maybe these bodies were made tougher than their normal ones. Or maybe some of Idia's magical shielding helped protect him too. That would need more testing to know for sure and... he really doesn't want to risk that. He has no plans to come back here.

Dropping the towel to the ground, he let out a sigh before making himself move on. "So, um... did you managed to catch up?" Idia knows Thanatos has been worried about how his world had been without him.

Thanatos isn't a scientist, so he wouldn't be able to really help. Besides, he has more important things to focus on.

"Far from it. I cannot reach the surface, so it's up to Charon and Hermes to bring the shades to the Underworld." Thanatos sighs, and Mort climbs to his shoulder to nuzzle Thanatos's cheek. "They can be fast, but the sheer number who should be dead is... unthinkable."

The work had really, really piled up since his absence.

"Oh, yeah, I guess that fog would do it, huh?" So it was happening here too, weird. The train really screwed up.

It's not the only thing screwed up though... "The fact there's no back up for you is an oversight." Look, clearly Thanatos is the best, uh, person, for the job, and in theory Death shouldn't just vanish from a world, but you know, clearly this was an issue! All good procedures should have back ups. Then again, how could they predict for Death to vanish? Was that even something to be considered in the first place? '...I guess there was no way to guess you would just vanish." If you had something you considered a foolproof system it's hard to imagine it breaking.

...you know what, screw it, he's already wet, he may as well try and get the... well, Styx off him, especially if it could be hurting him. Scrunching his eyes closed for what is to come, Idia hesitates before a wave of his finger to his computer, and a douse of water pouring over him with his water magic. Ughhh, yeah, this was equally miserable... but at least he was 'clean' now, Idia peeking an eye open and checking himself over this way and that. Then a shake of his head, more to get it off his face than his hair. "Ugghhh." He guesses this is better.

"One would think...." Thanatos says bitterly. How many times has someone on the train told him the same after finding out Death had been stopped once before? He had also asked this of his mother and Lord Hades. The work falls on him. No one else has that same aspect of his domain.

However, Thanatos's expression changes at Idia's shake of his head to rid himself of water. The gesture, the motive behind it, is so familiar in a way that is... very strange. It reminds him of Zagreus (and Cerberus if he's honest). And instead of fiery feet, Idia has hair of fire.

"You asked me about Lord Hades once," Thanatos starts. After Persephone, this is no longer such an absurd thing to possibly ask. "Are you related to him in some fashion?"

Idia's not a god, but he's no mere mortal either.

"I guess you haven't vanished before though." Idia mumbled as he considered if he could dry himself off with his fire magic... or just set something on fire. Then again, wasn't Zagreus always on fire in a way? Maybe they were used to it here.

However that consideration was instantly shook with that question, his gaze snapping up to Thanatos, "W-w-w-what do you mean?! H-how could I be related to H-Hades? He's one of the Greats!" That happened a long time ago! Sure, the Shrouds go back a long way... but... "I-I-I don't even thing he had any kids... at least I don't think so in his legend..." Seriously Thanatos, don't stress him with such questions! What's wrong with you?!

Maybe Thanatos should be grateful that Idia doesn't know about Sisyphus. It means there's a chance the Thanatos of Idia's world has never been trapped. Good for him and his world.

"The gods above didn't know Lord Hades had a son either, and you do share some similarities," Thanatos says plainly. "However, you're more likely to be the child of an Olympian than Lord Hades. As far as gods go."

"That's totally different!" Don't ask him how, Idia doesn't have the brain power to come up with a reason behind that right now, he's too freaked out that this is even a line of conversation Thanatos would even go down with him. "W-What do you even mean 'similarities'?!" Was he getting too loud? Was Achilles starting to wonder what that sound was from his position down the hall? Was Desu floating around near enough to take note? It didn't matter, Idia really didn't care about being noticed right now, far too concerned about Thanatos' clearly insane suggestion that this is even possible!

Stop talking crazy, Thanatos! Mort, stop him!

Mort thinks the crazy one right now is Idia. Thanatos makes a good point. He also sees the similarity. However, Thanatos winces a bit as Idia gets louder, but he answers the question. "The fire and how you shook off the Styx."

Achilles does look their way, but he seems more puzzled by Thanatos reacting to someone else and seeing and hearing no one.

"Would you rather have me compare you to Cerberus?" Which isn't a bad thing since even Thanatos thinks Cerberus is the goodest boy, but Idia might take offence to being compared to a three-headed dog. "Forget I said anything. It's just an observation."

He'll get a headache if he has to listen to Idia yell about how he's not related to the Lord Hades of his world.

Oh gods... he was loud then, wasn't he? Ughh, no one notice him! Please. He can't even use his hoodie to automatically hide in since he had taken it off, Idia nervously reaching for his hair instead. Then stopping as Thanatos brought that up.

"Don't talk about something you don't understand." He mumbled out softly, but steadily, one shaking hand holding tightly onto the wrist of the other. "And I don't deserve to be compared to Ceberus either." Cerberus was the ultimate security system, he was known for that for a reason. Idia couldn't compare to that.

"Fine," He finally spat out after this all, standing their silent for awhile... before his brain started back up. "...you said it was the SCA." That's what protected him, right? That explained it. Although... "What does the Styx actually do? It has something to do with souls, right?" If it had to do with souls... and maybe 'damned' ones... could blot be considered being damned? Hmmm...

You know... "Shame I can't take some with me." Idia's inner scientist taking notice to this all. It could be interesting to experiment with.

No Place Like Home: Outside

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