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.

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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

[deferences]

[good, good, then they can stay right where they are and perhaps figure out how they can leave this place as soon as possible? because even though sizhui doesn't get discouraged easily, he's feeling pretty on edge at the moment with all this uncomfortable atmosphere.

clearly, one might say the most helpful, by making him extra nervous. (except not really—)

he slowly tilts his head, considering, wondering if jiu's listened to himself when speaking, yet deciding he must know what he's talking about, given he says the name of wherever they are.] Nothing has ever escaped?

[foxyou]

[It's a very uncomfortable atmosphere! They're in one of the most peaceful parts of the abyss and even here the plants look weirdly cold and forbidding in the light of the too-large moon!

Also, Sizhui gets an unamused look from Jiu at that clearly inane question.]

Unless you count getting transported unwillingly from an inhospitable hell to an overcrowded one as an escape?

[On the bright side, looking unamused is a step up from looking bleak?]

[deferences]

[ordinarily, sizhui's curiosity would get the better of him and he'd go check out those bizarre-looking plants, but . . . despite jiu's prickliness, he much prefers his company to that of foreign flora. who knows what those things might do if he gets too close? at least he's aware that the most dangerous thing shen qingqiu's got up his sleeve is biting him with those pointy fox teeth.

and hey, step up or not, the response earns a look from sizhui, followed by a head-shake then the briefest nervous glance around.]

Well... I won't lie, the train is better than this in my opinion.

[foxyou]

[Jiu has opposable thumbs, you know! He has a sword, and cultivation!! Fox teeth are not his only weapon!!!

.....It's true he won't use them on Sizhui though. At least not at the moment? Also what's that look for, huh!]

Its threats are more covert, true. [Does the train have threats? Of course it does. Jiu pauses a moment before starting to walk in the opposite direction of the woods.] Either way, there's no point just standing here.

[deferences]

[of course he does, but how often has he used those, honestly? let's be real here . . .

never on sizhui, that's for sure, and he'll be doing his absolute best to make certain jiu hasn't got a reason to, either. seems like he's doing alright thus far, so he shall keep up the good work! the look, however, is because he's maybe somewhat incredulous toward jiu's attitude about all this.

‘threats?’ he wants to ask, despite having considered the same, though knowing full-well the train has also protected them too.] Ah, [sizhui starts, shaking his head then doing a neat heel-turn and following after shen qingqiu as close as possible, yet still with that respectable space between them.] Where do we go from here?

i return from the dead

[foxyou]

Whichever way looks most promising.

[Does that explain anything? Probably not. In a moment of kindness though, he decides to vaguely elaborate:] The forest that way is infested with monsters taller than you are, so unless you think you can handle a few hundred large enemies at once, the opposite direction is probably the better choice.

[He waves a sleeve in each direction as he speaks, glances over at Sizhui, then...well. He didn't actually stop walking while saying this, so.]

If we're lucky, maybe we'll end up back at that train.

as do i!! welcome back to both of us

[deferences]

[it doesn't whatsoever, but the following remark about monsters taller than he is coming at him in the hundreds explains more than enough, thank you! sizhui swallows hard, still trailing along behind jiu and completely ignoring any motion he makes toward the forest.] Perhaps one or two... maybe three, at the most, but there is no way I could handle a few hundred all at the same time.

[his attention redirects toward the other way shen qingqiu gestured, he shakes his head then tucks both arms around himself, hands clutching his elbows as they carry onward.]

Let's hope, since we don't have much of a choice here. [and the forest definitely isn't an option now that he's aware of what lurks within its depths.] There's surely someway out if I was brought in and you were returned.

welcomes by disappearing again

[foxyou]

[In retrospect it's actually more like a few thousand, but hey, who's counting? Not Jiu!

His only response to Sizhui's words is a vague noise of agreement as he continues forward - though he does make sure to keep a pace with him, not wanting to be fully alone now that company has inadvertently arrived.

The wasteland! Is mostly empty! Hopefully they won't accidently come across any 12-foot-tall snakes or anything before they find their way back to the station.]

this is 100% fair

[deferences]

[that's even more reasons for them to keep going away from the forest of death, clearly.

the mostly agreeing noise is enough for sizhui who glances around them as they keep moving forward, being on the lookout for any potential threats while they're traversing the terrain. thank goodness, jiu doesn't go too far ahead or fall behind, else it'd be somewhat difficult to protect them both if they weren't keeping pace with one another.

another good thing: knowing the qiankun pouch at his side holds his talismans, sword and guqin, just in case they do end up having to fight for their lives at some point.]