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

[10billionpercent]

Once they got down to business, Senku's eyes were focused on the task at hand and less at keeping up chatter, as long as Taiki didn't mind.

He flexed his fingers, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink and began carefully writing out the characters as he was instructed to.

Senku could've been an artist, if he had wanted to be. He had some talent, he clearly knew what to do with a brush, and yet his heart had taken him another way. The level of focus was intense, and something that rarely came out on board the train.

He wouldn't complain or take a break, he appreciated the pressure of time.

[longforgottenpromise]

Taiki worked hard as well and he could appreciate how good Senku was at this. He had known he would be a good choice. He was hard working and talented.

Though he hadn't seen him this focused before. It's good though, it suits how Taiki is currently working. Normally he would be a bit more aware, used to Inigo and having to remind him to take a break. But right now it feels like there is no time. Tai can't wait.

So the two of them will just work hard, until all the work is done.

[10billionpercent]

Senku could hyperfocus when he wanted to and it was nice when it coincided with what he needed to do. It was the kind of thing he did when he worked in his lab for hours on end.

When he was finished the documents requested, he set the brush down and leaned back a bit, exhaling slowly.

"Are these suitable for your purposes?" If he needed to tweak something, it would be better to know so they could do that before they were pulled away.

[longforgottenpromise]

Taiki worked hard as well, thankful for the help and glad that hopefully they could get some relief to the people of Tai. And that Senku wasn't asking questions or expecting him to talk about anything.

He took the scrolls when handed them and ready through them, nodding. "Yes. Thank you."

[10billionpercent]

"Good." Senku responded and stretched his arms a little bit above his head and glanced around. There wasn't much for him to do on his world truth be told, and he was not exactly thrilled to spend time there, but he would if he must.

It would've been fine if he hadn't been alone.

"There anything else I can do to help?" Senku figured he'd make the offer.

[longforgottenpromise]

"If you want to help me plant them you can." His voice is cautious, this is slightly more risky than just writing them and he is trying not to get any of his friends into trouble.

If Taiki got caught it would be bad but if the others got caught Asen would not hesitate to kill them, he won't be responsible for yet another death.

Still he could do with the help and they had a degree of safety as it was hard for them to be seen.

[10billionpercent]

He considered that for a moment. Sneaking around and infiltrating was more Gen's style and he hadn't had nearly as much practice at it. While he could probably manage to be quiet, in theory, he wasn't terribly quick in case trouble did arrive. If they got caught, he'd be at their mercy.

"I would." Senku responded, because that was true. "I'm probably not well suited for it, unless you need some finesse breaking into things."

[longforgottenpromise]

"That's alright, I don't want to put you in any danger." He doesn't want anyone in any danger.

"I can do it, it won't take me long."

He could move around pretty quickly, unhindered by being seen.

[10billionpercent]

"Sure. Do you want me to wait here, or try and find my way back to the platform...?" Senku asked, tilting his head a little bit.

It didn't seem fair to ask Taiki to babysit him.

[longforgottenpromise]

"If you wait here we can return to the platform together." That would be better than Senku going alone. "We can fly."

It would be quicker that way.

[10billionpercent]

"No problem." Senku responded. "I can wait here. I won't cause any trouble while you're gone."

He could stay out of sight and out of danger while Taiki finished up his business.

[longforgottenpromise]

"Thank you." He nodded, trusting him to do as he said. He knew Senku was a curious sort but he thought that the dangers here were obvious and so hopefully he would stay out of sight.

It doesn't take him long, to sneak into the correct places, replace the existing orders with these new ones. His heart was racing but he did not get caught, no one saw him and even so he was careful to stay in the shadows.

Soon he has returned to Senku. "Are you ready?"

[10billionpercent]

"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's get to safety." Senku agreed, getting up on his feet then, brushing down his clothing a bit absently.

[longforgottenpromise]

He nodded and looked around, making sure everything was put back in their proper places. He would be back he was sure, whatever was going on he planned to come as much as he could, put as much right as he could even in small ways.

It was the only thing he could do. He led the way through a maze of alleys and buildings until they came to an open space, gem pillers and statues dotted around. But it was to a low wall he led Senku. Beyond them an ocean, except if Senku looked down he would see the twinkling of lights under the water.

[10billionpercent]

He did his best to keep up but something like twinkling lights under the water made him pause a little bit.

"What's that, down there?" He couldn't help but ask.

It was objectively beautiful, in his opinion, then again he enjoyed the light of stars in a night sky.

[longforgottenpromise]

"That's Tai." He said with a sad smile. "The kingdom proper. Up here we are above the sea of clouds. There's a whole world below us."

One they could not get to, in their current situation.

[10billionpercent]

"Ah, the lights make sense in that case." Senku responded, as he looked despite himself. He was thinking that he hoped it was in a better state than this place, although he actually stopped himself from saying so.

"Why is it through an ocean though?"

[longforgottenpromise]

"The ocean is the sky." He explained. "If you are on the ground looking up you see only the sky and the clouds. You can't see the top of the mountain we are on, that is because we are at the other side of the ocean."

It is strange and magical and just the way things are. "You can't get through it by swimming or flying, only by travelling up the mountains."

[10billionpercent]

"That makes no logical sense." Senku chuckled a little bit. "How curious that is. Sometime, a better time perhaps, you could tell me more about it."

He wasn't going to hold them up for very long, but he was curious to a fault.

[longforgottenpromise]

"I wish it were better times. There is a lot for you to be curious about here."

Senku would be beside himself, most of this world made no logical sense. It was normal for those who lived here of course but for a taika like Taiki, who spent so much time in another world he could see how some things were just stranger than strange.

"I can tell you about it later if you wish." There was a gust of wind, the robes Taiki was wearing fluttered to the ground and before Senku was a kirin beast.

"I'll have to fly us the distance to get us back to the platform."

[10billionpercent]

"Another time." Senku agreed with a little nod.

It was a testament to how long he'd been on the train that he didn't even blink at Taiki changing his form.

"You want me to ride you?"

[longforgottenpromise]

"If that is alright."

He bowed his head. "You can hold onto my mane. It won't be for long, just until we return to the platform."

Not long at all, considering how fast kirin could fly.

[10billionpercent]

"It's fine with me, it's your back." Senku said with a chuckle. He looked at Taiki speculatively as though he was calculating.

"You know, I've never ridden an animal? Not that I think you are one per se, but you know what I mean."

Senku planted his hands on Taiki's back and hauled himself up with a groan, but he didn't fall. That was something. It was a bit awkward maybe, he was a little clumsy with his mount. Notably, if Taiki had any sense of people's size, Senku was not terribly heavy. He looped his fingers into Taiki's mane and held on, but didn't pull.

"That alright? I have decent balance, I might not need to hold on when you're at altitude." It was hard to guess.

[longforgottenpromise]

"You haven't?" He tilted his head. Though truthfully it wasn't so strange. Sanshi was the first creature he had ever ridden on and that had been more like being carried in her arms. Keiki had been the second.

"It's okay, I sort of am an animal, even though I look human sometimes as well."

Senku was pretty light, though not as light as a kirin, more like a small human.

"That's fine, as long as you are safe."

He gave him a moment and then jumped over the small railing, for a moment he galloped, flying still but staying low, hooves trailing the water, giving Senku time to get used to things.

[10billionpercent]

"No, actually, never had the chance." He was the fearless type of person though, not afraid of trying things out.

"Okay, if I got it wrong, don't be mad at me. Eight was so mad at me. Just tell me." He chuckled.

The jump was more of a jostle and he did teeter a little bit, before he adjusted and lowered his centre of gravity as Taiki galloped. It was admittedly very cool.

"I've traveled in a lot of vehicles, just none with animals. Also, heh, I wouldn't do this with Gen. Don't even ask, he will probably say no, unless it's an emergency or something."

Even then, he wasn't entirely sure. Over a year and Gen would not get anywhere near the balloon, just in case.