No Place Like Home: The Return

[voidtreckermods]

---

NO PLACE LIKE HOME: THE RETURN

---

a silence broken...

It's been a very difficult few days. Rocking and rolling into the void and out again. Watching their friends out of the window as they wander from world to world. Meanwhile those lost on worlds continue to wander unable to return to the train at all.

"All attempts at returning those who left have failed. This voidcraft cannot do it alone. It is lucky that unlike those that have left before them, I can still sense them.

But I cannot bring them back alone. This is perhaps too advanced for Voidtreckers, but you have done the improbable before. You say you wish to help. This is how you help."

Their SCA's light up with a message. Or rather, a series of instructions:

In the unlikely event a tether gets stranded on a liminal space platform or between their own world and the platform space, you should, in the first instance, contact the Void technicians who monitor their non-travelling self. However, in the case they cannot be reached or there is a mass displacement of tether, an anchoring procedure can be carried out.

Ideally, this will involve two fully tethered individuals to retrieve the lost tether. One should be a stationary anchor. They should be outside of their void craft, if possible, and in physical contact with it. The second should be a roaming anchor reaching to draw the tethers back. In situations of mass tether displacement the stationary anchor can hold mutiple roaming anchors but it is recommended to not exceed five. In this situation, it is recommended that anchors rotate between stationary and roaming.

To start an anchoring of this kind, those anchoring should activate their anchoring program. Those staying station should reach out to the tethers of those they plan to steady. This might cause some emotional upheaval, and they will need to stay steady, especially if connecting to more than one roaming tether. Roaming anchors then must hold the person they search for in their thoughts and move towards them. It is recommended that the lost tethers activate their emergency beacon to facilitate being found and returning but this is not a necessity.

Once the roaming anchor has found the lost tethers they must keep hold of them and guide them back towards their craft, the stationary tethers must draw them back, pulling them through.

There is an additional note at the end, in different font.

It is as Anan told you. Your minds should visualise it. Be strong Voidtreckers.

... a short-lived dream

The doors open and anyone who wishes to try this can leave onto the platform. It is empty, devoid of the figures they had seen before; and, beyond the fog, devoid of anything. But searching requires their SCAs, not a path, and as people get into teams, they can activate their anchors and begin.

For those who will roam, their minds become filled, visualising light, void, voices and chaos; their bodies feel less stable, like they might unravel if not careful. But for those who will stay, when they touch the Voidtrecker Express, they will feel more stable, grounded. The fog shifts, but the world moves around them without pulling them in.

Thinking of the person they wish to keep stable, a mental and emotional link will be established, and they will feel each other as the roaming anchor sets off to find their missing crew.

---

Outside the train...
For those that had left - either by choice or by strange happenings - they have found themselves back at their anchor point during Poi 26, regardless of where they were before. For those unfortunate enough not to have a world to return to, or those who were stuck between in the first place, they will find themselves alone, in a fog filled space where no matter how far they walk, nothing greets them.

All those in fog or back in their world receive the same message from their SCAs.

Hold fast. Press your evacuation button. Your friends come.

---

RETURNERS: FLEETING HAPPINESS

But it's likely before the message arrived, that something wrong has been noticed by those outside the void. More than the bizarre ability to travel between existences, an inability to move far from where they appear. Back at their anchor points, they may notice - in time - colours sometimes flash across the sky, streaking through clouds or making trails in a night sky. At first not much, something to be easily dismissed but it builds. People talk, wonder at what is happening.

For the colours aren't the only thing. Across worlds, in cities, kingdoms, villages, underworlds and space stations, people are dreaming. Bright colours, vivid dreams. Prophets spring from nowhere, people claim to know the future or to have seen the past. Some talk of places and worlds they could not have seen.

Perhaps at first it can be explained away, there are always such people. But more people talk, from urchin children to commanders, people dream and the colours dance.

ANCHORERS: A STEADY HAND

While the stationeries will feel grounded, they aren't blind to what's happening to their roamer. It's as if they're both linked, intimately, meshing together, and they will need to work to keep their feelings separate; hearing each other's thoughts, their feelings. Images of what the other thinks and memories shared between them.

And then there is the search for their teammates, amongst the multiple of realities. Existences move past the roamer, threatening to lose them in the mess, but they must persevere, keep their thoughts on the individual, their stationary anchor to help them. Until finally, they appear - in a world they perhaps know, don't, the kaleidoscope colours of the void faint above their heads.

Speak to each other, keep each other focused, certain, and find who you came to save.

BOTH: HOLDING ON

Searching for individuals, the anchorers will find themselves at a character's anchor point; if they haven't moved far from here or another world, it will be easy to locate them. Now is the time to convince them to come back, and then the eventual work of doing so.

It can be in agreement, or force. Taking a hold of the person, the anchorer can pull them into the mass of chaos. Just like when they helped the guests return to their worlds from the false Diagad, all parties become battered by images, voices. Voices like sirens; 'Just stay,' the voices encourage. 'Just let go and drift into the chaos. It will be easier.'

But they must be strong, move towards their anchor and towards the craft. The crossing doesn't take too long, perhaps ten minutes each way, and once they get to the craft the person they are rescuing glows gold and vanishes. The anchors will know instinctively that they are safe on the train.

And indeed, the rescued will find themselves within the luggage carriage - exhausted, but safe.

TRAIN: AN INEVITABLE RETURN

Exhaustion is something all parties will experience, once everyone is returned to the train and the adrenaline wears off. Those who anchored will be hit with a total exhaustion, leaving them unable to do much more than eat and sleep for a few days. Those rescued won't be as bad, but if they decide to join in with the efforts, they'll too face the soul-tiring experience that other anchorers are.

There's likely to be efforts, to help soothe people over this time. And as people return to their life on the train, they will see the marks of the last few days for those who stayed behind. Broken ceramics, books out of order in the library; the ICPs in the standard coach, storage, sports and games carriages broken, and some damage to furniture.

But for the scars brought on by this event, surely, they will heal - eventually.

OOC NOTES

OOC post. Ask questions here. New second part OOC post here.

First phase of the event took place during Poi 22 to 25; the second phase takes place during Poi 26 to 28 (20-25th February).

VISITING WORLDS: While during Poi 26, it will be possible to go back to wherever they were, or other spaces. However, they will have increasing difficulty doing this, and will feel themselves getting more lost if they try world hopping too much over the next 3 (void) days. It's like something is trying to pull them back, or pull them, but into nowhere.

SCAs: The SCA's comms will not be active at this time.

Comments

Yondu Udonta | Closed and OTA

[yondu]

Emotionally Braced - Closed to Tobirama

That 'devil-may-care' attitude persists until he sees Koumyou die, and that's what slows him down. Just this dawning realization that he can't be sure what's about to happen to them, that an actual end might be in sight, and he really is living on borrowed time (though all he saw was Koumyou disappear rather than any remnant of a corpse as usually happens).

So he goes back to that little pocket of galaxy on that spaceport colony that means nothing to him and waits around there, quiet, again unnoticed. He sits by the bar and works through drinks, listens to reporters talk about recent happenings. He hears someone talking about Thanos and a dream that he'd attacked Xandar. He listens to someone else bring up a familiar name, Steve Rogers, as the subject of one of their own dreams and wondering why the hell they needed to remember that. Someone else brings up a sky full of colors.

Something was going wrong and Yondu realizes that as much as he wants to spend as much time as possible in a universe where he's wanted? Even if he's not engaging it at the moment beyond drinking? He can't. He has to go and he has to wait in the fog. His presence could be damning this place and he fully expects the Void is somehow leaking in after him.

He could use those moments to send out decent final messages, passing notes for Quill and his team to find later. But he can't think of anything good to say. He'd tried to do that with Devero, leave important messages to people he cared about, but what goddamn good did that do? More seemed to go than he managed to keep.

Maybe if he'd waited for just a little bit longer before walking away, just a few more minutes, he'd have noticed the swirl of yellow from a forming portal not too far from where he'd been sitting. He'd have seen the strong, noble form of one Stakar Ogord step through with Krugarr slithering along behind him. He would have seen them asking around, following up on the word that the ghost of Captain Udonta was haunting this place.

That spirit was purged by the time they arrived, and he's out among the platforms, silent and sad and spent as he checks his SCA and the message that comes across it. Hold fast. Press your evacuation button. Your friends come. The Evac button. He'd forgotten that existed. Maybe he should have tried it sooner, if he'd thought of it. Whether or not it did any good. Now he's not eager to. Now he's angry he can't just exist in a world that actually wanted him in the end.

With that patented too-hard frown and grim face, he pushes the button to summon help. Someone will come, he knows that, whether or not he feels like he deserves it or that they should. They'd come whether they cared about him or not. It's just how these people are. But then again, wouldn't he throw himself out there just the same for his crew?

For now he just stands there and waits.

Back at the Train - OTA

When he's back to the train, he's got some priorities. As much as a self-serving sadsack he can be, he does love his people, so he goes to seek them out. The ones he's claimed as children, the ones he's generally worried about, the ones he feels he really owes something to.

And then there are the ones that bothered to tether for him. Putting their heads on the line to bring him back, and even if someone wandered out into the void river for him, he knows the ones that stayed at the train paid just as big a role. So he finds them too, as soon as he can.

"They flew the Colors for me!" is one of the first things he ends up blurting out. Because it needs to be said, out loud, after all this time. He had been remembered. No idea what the hell to do with that? But he'd been remembered.

WILDCARD - OTA

OOC: As I'm not entirely sure how the tethering/anchoring process is gonna go I'm just gonna tackle some one on one threads here with a Wildcard option for any tether/anchor conversations between those involved if they don't have a top-level to use, even if they're quick action or whatever.

back at the train + wildcard variant

[wishalone]

Pulling people out of the void isn't like any kind of rescue Kyoko's done before. But she hasn't balked, hasn't slowed down, has embraced it -- well, more like she seized the opportunity with both hands. Sitting on the train has been agony. Not being able to do anything -- Being so utterly helpless when the people out there are --

She's had a lot of time to think. This has made her do a lot of thinking. But this has finally been the time of action, and Kyoko has thrown herself into it whole-heartedly.

At the moment, though, she's on a food break. She's too restless to take her meal sitting, anyway, so she's roaming the train cars while cramming her face, keeping a mental checklist of the familiar faces that've returned as she goes. But there's one that makes her stop dead in her tracks -- She swears, she even feels her heart stop. She drops her plate on the nearest flat surface and breaks into a run, dodging around people.

"Yondu? Yondu!"

[yondu]

There were moments out there where he'd nearly convinced himself that it would be better to stay. If he could figure out some way not to go, if he could be let walk right back into that world and linger until he was gone? He would. But it's a reminder of a little streak of hungry fire blazing at him that kind of world is static, and this is dynamic.

He readies himself like a man ready to take a bull head on, spreads his arms to wrap her up in that hug and squish her up against him.

"You better have been ornery, don't tell me no differ'nt." He rests his cheek against her hair, just hanging on. This blessed angel left her food to run to him.

[wishalone]

Kyoko doesn't slow down one bit. She runs right into him at full tilt, full weight, and she knows from their sparring sessions that he can take it, but even if he couldn't, she'd do it anyway.

She realizes she's trembling. She doesn't even hope that he doesn't notice. She doesn't care if he does. It's Yondu. He can do whatever he wants.

There's too much to say. There's nothing to say. He's back, he's here, he's solid and alive and safe and that's what matters.

Kyoko ends up laughing. Just -- laughing, and clutching him to her. "Yeah? And what if I do anyway? What're you gonna do, huh?"

train

[blue_ice]

Kaiba's here draped over a chair, though Yondu might have to look a little closely to register that he's conscious. He's barely moving. Someone might've pushed himself too far in his rescue attempts.

He lifts his head weakly when he hears that excitement, though.

"...had a good trip?" It's hard to read a tone other than 'tired', but...as distressing as this was, he's glad the man has something to be happy about.

[yondu]

He remembers how, after the trip to Diagad and the number of crossings he made after, he flat out lost conciousness. He'll offer more effort himself after he has some recuperation time, but he does have to admit that the discoveries? Not so bad.

"I thought I lost everyone and everything. So it wasn't so bad to find out. Someone had cared, in the end." A lot more people cared than he expected.

"So I reckon it's about as good as bein' locked out can be. You doin' alright?"

[blue_ice]

Seto barely manages a smile. He's glad for him, truly.

"Over the last few days, I thought I'd lost everyone too. It wasn't a picnic. But...I'm glad we found some of you."

His face darkens a little as his thoughts shift. "Last time...I walked people close to other worlds. And we were told to find you by thinking of you, so I tried to find some of the lost ones while I was there."

He clenches a fist. "It caused this feeling of emptiness to overtake me. No light, no trace...nothing."

Back on the Train

[galactichero]

As much as he would have preferred going out to assist with the rescues, T'Challa knew that he would serve better as an anchor. He hadn't been on the train for very long, and lacked much of the connections with the other passengers. Though that didn't stop him from hoping to find one in particular.

Between finding those lost in the fog, he finds someplace quiet to meditate and clear his head. He's happy to serve as a point of calm for the others, but it can be a bit overwhelming after a while, he can see why it was recommended to alternate. Still, the meditation is enough for now, and once his mind is cleared he's ready to try again once more.

As he's about ready to head out again and look for someone else to partner up with, the familiar voice reaches his ears, and a wave of relief surges through him. Even more so at his exclamation; though he doesn't entirely have the full picture of his life in that other universe, it's enough to know that the fact that Yondu has to say that in the first place is important.

"I am glad to hear it," he finally offers, once he's able to say anything at all.

[yondu]

Rarely is Yondu enthusiastic about something, but he is about that. Getting it right, finally, was something that he needed. He hadn't needed to protect T'Challa in the same ways he protected Peter (for one thing, he could leave Peter on Earth 'cause apparently without his help his idiot crew couldn't recognize him somehow).

But he sees how exhausted T'Challa is and tempers that. "Don't do too many in a row," he tells him. "Take a break, I flat out passed out after the mission where I did too much runnin'. Keeled clean over. I don't doubt you're capable but... I dunno. Who the hell knows if some never-before-seen void worm attacks and a bunch of us are down for the count."

He might not be his Yondu, but that protectiveness and concern kicks in, almost predictably. He hadn't talked to many people about what he found out about T'challa, still wrapping his head around it (also not knowing whether it was fair to the man). But at the very least he's another Ravager, and some other version of him put forth the effort to leave a little bit of whatever decency he had with the boy.

[galactichero]

Despite knowing that this Yondu was technically different - that he had experienced different events and wasn't entirely the same person he knows - there is just something so familiar, so...endearing about the evident concern in his voice that T'Challa has to bite back a laugh. Because he doesn't mean to be laughing at him, but rather finds it interesting that, for all the differences he's seen, there are still some things that are so similar, so recognizable as part of Yondu that not even the circumstances of being from a separate universe could really change it.

"I've been resting," he assures Yondu when he can finally manages to respond. "I was just coming from a break, actually. But I am glad to see you've made it back."

It eases some of the tension in his shoulders, relieving the worry that had been building up the past few days.

Tethering for the Return

[worthallthis]

Soldat isn't the one going after Yondu. They're... not exactly pleased about that, but they couldn't find him when they looked last, and really, they're better at being the stationary anchor anyway. That doesn't mean they're not vibrating with stress and guilt that they're not out there hunting for him themselves again, though.

Unfortunately, anchoring for poor Tobirama means the guy has to deal with a few echoes of Sarge and James along with Soldat themselves, while he does the hunting. Soldat is so good at stationary anchoring because they know very clearly the distinct parts of themselves-- but those parts like to bicker. (Calm down, Jesus, you're doing good work here. YOU CAN LET SOMEBODY ELSE DO SOMETHING, FOR ONCE. Sorry, sorry. Sorry, Tobirama. Yeah, sorry, pal. We'll be quiet.)

Spoiler: they do not actually be quiet. They mostly just tell each other to be quiet, which is not actually being quiet. What that does do, though, is keep more emotions from leaking out, and keeps Soldat distracted enough from their worry that they can do their actual job and focus on keeping Tobirama grounded.

So Soldat is at the train platform when Tobirama treks back through the void with Yondu in tow. They hold very still, but they're staring hard at Yondu and have one of their chewing pendants in their mouth, a sure sign of intense emotion that Yondu would recognize.

[yondu]

Luckily there were a couple of heads involved at least, some sense of stability there even if Soldat had his moments.

Soldat probably was worried like hell. Yondu had just loosely assumed that he was fucked out here, that he wouldn't be coming back. He'd hoped that someone would be there for him in his absence, that somehow Soldat would turn out alright.

As predicted he vanishes back onto the train when he's brought in, so he has to come find Soldat after. Has to find him once he's reset or whatever the fuck this tethering mess is about. And what does he do? Try to greet him with a joke.

"Sorry I was late. Got stuck out after hours." Because he knows that he worried. "You alright?"

now that I'm done feeling really stupid...

[worthallthis]

The one thing that will in fact make Soldat take a break: needing to verify that Yondu is okay after his return, because the mun may have completely missed that people reappear in the luggage car and not on the platform, but Soldat would not have missed that by now.

They prowl through the train in search of him, and probably meet him halfway. "Jesus Christ, Yondu. You ask me that." They aren't usually good for hugs, but this really calls for one, and if they're going to hug anyone, it's Yondu.

So Yondu gets tugged into a tight hug, for at good ten seconds, before it's too much and they have to step back to just grip his shoulders and look him over, as if for injuries.

Back at the Train

[ballseeker]

Bulma... is tired. There's been a lot going on, lately, of course, with trying to bring people back to the train, going for Trunks and keeping Vegeta as a tether... she probably looks at least a little tired even as Yondu manages to find her. She's hidden away somewhere so as not to worry anyone, though she does grin as she sees him, immediately moving to open her arms for a hug of welcome.

"Yondu!" She's happy to see him again, even if it meant that this had all been one big ruse and they hadn't actually been able to go home. Of course she'd been jealous, in her own way, but mostly happy for those who could leave.

"It's good to see you back. Even though it is sad that you couldn't actually go back to something like home."

[yondu]

"I didn't talk to no one," he admits. Not anyone that counted anyway. "I looked up what people said on the news or on public shit. I didn't do nothin' else. Just tried to live in it for a little while."

That had been it. He'd just existed in this tiny pocket of universe where he knows that he was wanted but hadn't sought out a single soul because he didn't want to spoil the moment.

"I missed you and Vegeta like crazy. Don't tell 'im that. I don't want 'im thinkin' I went and got needy."

He doesn't mention yet that he saw her home. Not right yet. Maybe in a little bit. Right now he's just happy to see her, and he pulls her into a mutually offered hug, squeezing her close. It's good to see the people here that still give a rat's ass. He doesn't have his home universe, but he does have them.

[ballseeker]

"No unfinished business you wanted to complete?" Look, she can understand not wanting to talk to Peter or anything, to get his hopes up or crush him all over again for no reason. But... she knows how it can be. There were many things she was worried would've gone unsaid after Buu, and thankfully it hadn't ended up happening.

But then he goes and comments about Vegeta... and Bulma laughs heartily. Look, she knows how her husband is. In fact -

"I caught shit because I cried and made Bulla cry after the last tournament and I'm his wife." Which meant he was ridiculous, as usual. But it's all unsaid because it doesn't need to be said, really, as she squeezes Yondu in return.

"Glad to have you back. It was weirdly quiet around here without you."

Semi train, semi wildcard

[renegadeprince]

"Yeah?" Vegeta asked from lounging back in the chair in the Cinema Car, still sounding tired and more than a bit out of it from all that had happened. He's eaten, rested a bit, and was now just relaxing back with something playing on the screen. It didn't really matter what, it was mostly to just have background noise and sights while not really taking it in.

And snacks. He absolutely had made popcorn for this, how could he had not? And since it was Yondu he was open to having a drink or two at this time as well. Drinks were for celebration, and while this had been all just one giant mess, it was still a celebration to get everyone back and in one piece. "Good. I know it was important for you."

[yondu]

"You know, after the Diagad thing I watched a movie, too. Fell asleep in the theater. Took days to put myself back together."

'Days' he says, but it took longer than that. Yondu had seen a world there, one where he was happy and normal, and realized he could never have that. For a little while Yondu had wanted to disappear.

"Guess now ya see why I keeled over after I ran the gauntlet too many times there, huh?" Not that he figures Vegeta doubted it, but he had passed out right the hell in front of him. He passes Vegeta a glass with rum and off-brand coke in it, the soda making it more tolerable.

[renegadeprince]

A brief 'thanks' for the drink as Vegeta stayed settled in his seat, taking a glug from it before balancing it carefully on the arm of his seat. "I'm use to the physical strain of battle, however I'm surprised at the mental fatigue of this." It's a different type of exhaustion. In a way it's worse, though maybe that's just do to the fact he's not used to it.

"I'll take a battle over doing this again any day." Physical pain was easier to put up with, and ignore and get on with, than this. And didn't have that stupid requirement of sharing thoughts and feelings! Ugh...

Emotionally Braced

[stonefvced]

Time streched on for what seemed like far longer than it had truly been. Once things were secured, it was just about waiting and keeping the people calm. Sometimes distracted. His mind had been spinning with theories and questions that begged for answers but he spoke them to very few. No point in stirring up more anxiety among an already antsy crowd.

When the train finally came to alert them, he made the appropriate arrangements to be one of the people who travel out and find others. Feet stepped out, red eyes peering into a fog so thick it was almost impossible to navigate. Something here, even here, wasn't right. It only furthered his theory that staying at a platform for too long wasn't safe.

But Luckily, Tobirama was a senser. And he didn't need his eyes to find the people he sought. Instead, moving just out of the way of the doors, he crouches to the ground. A finger or two touch upon in and the path becomes clear. Though he would find, while it seemed so close, it would take him quite a bit more time to get there than expected.

Perhaps it was in part that this place, he figured, was some pocket of reality that held far less rules of physics than others. Though perhaps it was also the visions he were about to receive that stopped him dead in his tracks.

[yondu]

The fog is a lonlier feeling than earlier, he finds. Able to search people out among the stretch of it before, answering calls. Now it just feels vast and empty, and he can't tell whether it's the anticipation of being rescued or just the knowledge that it's really, firmly over for him. He left a decent legacy. Closure is oddly damning.

Nothing left to prove. He got it right. Now what does he do with himself? Besides wait in the emptiness for rescue.

He's not surprised when someone shows up, because somehow he made friends again and he knew one would come after him. Call it his tastes in Big Damn Heroes (or the train for supplying him with them). He sees the shock of white in the fog before the rest of his lanky figure, and Yondu works his way towards him.

Running his stupid mouth in greeting, he calls out a, "Sorry I lied to ya, Tobirama. Turns out you was the prettiest. You sure are a sight for sore eyes right now." Knows exactly how much that'll get on his nerves and it's just the right amount. He wants to get away from this place that he doesn't want to leave, and ain't that a pain in the ass conflict to have.

[stonefvced]

The fog was thick and all encompassing, but its not the first time he's been able unable to see. Even though Tobirama followed the thrum of that energy that's become well known to him, it took time. It felt wrong. He forged on, gripping the fur coat around him that he'd long since acquired from Osiga. Finally in what seemed like forever he hears the voice calling, see's the fin--dense haze parts around the strong blue face and heavy leathers.

The comment shifted his face into a flat unimpressed look, but he plays it up more before the vaguest smile replaces it. A hand reaches--plants itself on the other man's shoulder. Good, he is here, it is him. 'Did you see him?' Was what Tobirama wanted to ask, but instead... "Do you need more time?"

Back at the Train

[nell_of_soulwood]

Even though she was exhausted and more than a little heartbroken, Nell couldn't help but beam. "I knew it! I knew they wouldn't just forget about you!"

[yondu]

"I got real lucky." Not everyone gets to be forgiven, even in death. Not everyone gets their legacy written in the stars. He gets to take that with him. Even if he also couldn't bring himself to follow up on that forgiveness. It wasn't worth the risk of spoiling it to try and even pass on a few more words.

"You alright? Nothin' worse happen?" He comes over to put an arm around her shoulders in immediate greeting, not even hesitating about it.

[nell_of_soulwood]

She leaned into him. "I learned some things from Sister Erasmus. 'Bout my parents. And about John and Leah."

Her face was still a little bruised and cut up from the encounter he'd been there for, but otherwise she was no worse for wear physically.