voidtreckermods: (voidtrain)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] middleofsomewhere2022-02-20 06:09 am

No Place Like Home: The Return


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.


subcircuits: (the empathetic man)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2022-05-09 01:46 am (UTC)(link)
"I know," Devero says again. He squirms a little, trying to open enough space between them to cradle Koumyou's face, if he can. If Koumyou will let him.

(If Koumyou doesn't, Devero just wraps hiss arms around him again and resumes cradling his Sanzo close.)

Would he be as sanguine about Koumyou's sacrifice as he seems right now, if Koumyou's death had truly been permanent? No, of course not; Koumyou had felt all of his despair and grief during the retrieval.

But Koumyou's death wasn't permanent. His tether to the train had held. Koumyou had saved him from having to experience dying, had saved Buttercup as well, and now they're back on the train. For Devero's forward-focused, resilient heart, that's all that matters.

If the priest does look up, he'll find Devero's dark eyes looking intently into his. "--And I forgive you, my love. Thank you for protecting us."
its_dad_sanzo: (fucking sad)

[personal profile] its_dad_sanzo 2022-05-09 07:59 am (UTC)(link)
Koumyou allows the space; it's getting a little suffocating down here anyway, and he's finding it's harder to ignore that sort of thing now. For some strange reason.

He gazes up at Devero, his expression utterly shattered and vulnerable, his eyes glassy from all the crying. At Devero's words, he lets those eyes slip shut.

"I... would marry you every single day of existence itself, if I could," he whispers, "I... I don't want to be apart, at all."

Get ready to be CLUNG to for a good long while, Devero.

"I love you so much. And... and hearing it in return as I went was... it did make it a little less horrible, in a way."

More horrible, in other ways.

At least the last time Ukoku had accidentally killed him, it had been pretty fast. He'd barely heard all the screaming from Kouryuu before everything had gone dark. This time had not been fast at all.
Edited 2022-05-09 08:00 (UTC)
subcircuits: (when the world falls down)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2022-05-09 08:34 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh," he breathes, taking in the sheer fragile vulnerability on his Sanzo's face. He bends his head the tiny amount necessary to brush his lips over one closed eyelid, then the other.

"I don't want to be apart either," he says. "When I thought that-- when I wasn't sure if your tether had held--" He can't articulate it, not really. That yawning chasm of grief and uncertainty had swallowed everything by the time Koumyou had found him.

"I am so, so grateful that it did," he says instead, his voice rough. He brushes a strand of pale, damp hair away from Koumyou's face and leans in to kiss him again, this time between his eyes.
its_dad_sanzo: (a sad dad)

[personal profile] its_dad_sanzo 2022-05-09 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Koumyou leaves his eyes closed, and relaxes, too tired and wrung out. There's no smiling, but at least he's melted into place by Devero's easy affection.

"I didn't think it would hold. Between the situation, and the Muten being involved... either one could have meant it wouldn't. With both..."

But if anyone had to die permanently of the three of them, the math had been simple to Koumyou Sanzo. He couldn't watch it happen again, and... besides, he'd already died before.
subcircuits: (verge of panic)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2022-05-10 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
"I worried about that too," Devero admits. His voice is very quiet, as if maybe he's afraid that saying out loud will make it happen retroactively. "I was r-really-- really worried."

His eyes are half-closed and fill suddenly with hot tears as the weight of that fear looms close to him again. He inhales shakily and bends his head again, until his forehead thunks into Koumyou's. "But you're here. Vice and virtue, you're still here."
its_dad_sanzo: (a very damaged man)

[personal profile] its_dad_sanzo 2022-05-10 08:30 am (UTC)(link)
"We're both here," Koumyou agrees, just as quietly, and presses right back up against Devero's forehead in return, "we're both alive. Together."

The relief is so profound it's looped back around to terror all over again. Because this is good, and it can't last. Any second now, something will change.

"I'm so terrified," Koumyou admits in a ragged whisper, "I just need you to be safe."

Safe from Ukoku, safe from Valdana, safe from the whims of fate that say that love is always death.

Safe from Koumyou, then. He isn't going to act on that final thought, there, but he can't help it from happening in his head. If Devero had a normal person to have a normal relationship with, he would be so much safer.

A thick stream of tears are leaking out of Koumyou's closed eyes again. He doesn't have the energy to sob, consciousness already a flickering, tenuous thing. The need to rest is going to assert itself one way or another.
subcircuits: (sad smile)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2022-05-11 12:56 am (UTC)(link)
Safe from Ukoku, safe from Valdana-- Koumyou's mind loops off from there, but Devero's doesn't. It stops somewhere it's stopped many, many times since Madame had found them together on Devero's world: Valdana is dead.

Valdana will never hurt him, or anyone else, ever again.

Koumyou did that for him, something he'd never had the strength to be able to do for himself. (Funny, how quickly he's forgotten that before Koumyou, he'd never been able to even acknowledge that she was hurting him, much less be able to do anything to escape her abuse.)

He brings one hand around to cradle Koumyou's cheek, thumb wiping away tears. "You keep me safe," he breathes, his voice hitching a little.
its_dad_sanzo: Burial-era (unhappy)

[personal profile] its_dad_sanzo 2022-05-11 08:13 am (UTC)(link)
And Koumyou's been braced for Devero to be disappointed, or angry, or something else with him over having murdered Valdana. He's still braced for that, even if it's taking a back seat for now to the whole dying ordeal.

"I try to," he whispers, pressing just slightly into that hand on his cheek.

And then consciousness... slips away. Between the (ongoing) emotional turmoil of his death, and all of the Anchoring, he's just tapped the fuck out right now.

At least his pulse is fine. His breathing is fine. He's only rag-dolled to the normal, albeit deep, sleeping extent where the body still avoids hurting itself and doesn't just crumple in place.
subcircuits: (verge of panic)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2022-05-11 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Yet Devero can't help but panic a little when Koumyou slips away from him like that. "Koumyou?" he asks softly, frowning down at his Sanzo. When there's no immediate response, he paps the priest's cheek and says it louder. "Koumyou?!"
its_dad_sanzo: (quietly)

[personal profile] its_dad_sanzo 2022-05-11 10:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Koumyou groans tiredly and just tries to burrow in closer to Devero again, sleep having grabbed him hard enough to not wake up from all that.
subcircuits: (unexpected joy)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2022-05-12 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
He's alive. Thank the virtues, he's alive. Devero's rising tide of fear that his tether had malfunctioned only now ebbs again, and he's able to settle down beside the priest.

He spends a few moments just petting Koumyou, running his fingers over his cheek and brow, smoothing his hair, feeling the neat, restrained edges of the sutra and the weave of the fabric of his robe. Soon enough Devero's movements slow as fatigue sinks its claws into him as well. He drapes his arm over Koumyou, tucking the priest under/against his broad chest, and sinks into a sleep just as deep.
its_dad_sanzo: fanart (on the floor)

[personal profile] its_dad_sanzo 2022-05-12 12:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Tucked in like that, even still deep asleep, Koumyou relaxes just that little bit more, a tiny smile on his lips. Even his subconscious knows who he's with.

It's days, nearly a week before Koumyou can stay awake to do anything more than mumble briefly on the bed and get up just long enough to take care of necessities. But eventually, things start to even out for him, and he wakes to find himself more alert than he's been since his second death. He's barely even groggy.

Huh. Apparently he needed that almost-coma.

"Dev-chan?"
subcircuits: (big yawn)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2022-05-12 10:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Devero does a lot of sleeping through those days as well, although his is just the exhaustion engendered by having been through An Ordeal, rather than the extreme mental fatigue of anchoring.

(He also finds himself getting a little... anxious, if he's away from the room too long, as if Koumyou might just pop out of existence if Devero's not with him. He may be awake more than Koumyou, but he spends most of that time in their room regardless.)

He's asleep next to Koumyou on their bunk when the priest finally wakes up for real, curled on his side with his knees and an elbow poking out over the edge of the mattress. He stirs and murmurs something sleepily, rolling onto his back and cracking an eye open. "Mm?"
its_dad_sanzo: (:])

[personal profile] its_dad_sanzo 2022-05-22 08:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Koumyou levers himself upright to sit up, and smiles fondly down at Devero. "Hi."
subcircuits: (heart-hands)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2022-05-23 04:46 am (UTC)(link)
Devero face crinkles into a smile just as fond, if still muzzy with sleep. "Good morning," he says sleepily. "--Or good whatever-time-it-is-right-now."
its_dad_sanzo: (sharp glance)

[personal profile] its_dad_sanzo 2022-05-23 04:48 am (UTC)(link)
Koumyou reaches over with both hands to smooth Devero's hair back...

And then squish his face.

"I seem to be doing better. You?"
subcircuits: (go young lover)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2022-05-23 04:52 am (UTC)(link)
He laughs brightly up at him despite-- or much more likely, because of-- the smushing. "So glad to hear that," he says, raising a hand to cover Koumyou's. "It's been a few days."
its_dad_sanzo: (hello)

[personal profile] its_dad_sanzo 2022-05-23 06:25 am (UTC)(link)
"Are you doing better?" Koumyou repeats a little insistently, not removing his hands but also not smushing anymore either.

For now. Depends on the answer he gets.
subcircuits: (the empathetic man)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2022-05-25 03:47 am (UTC)(link)
Devero blinks up at him, then-- glances away. "I'm all right," he says softly. His eyes flick back. "Relieved."
its_dad_sanzo: (over there)

[personal profile] its_dad_sanzo 2022-05-25 10:27 am (UTC)(link)
"...About more than my miraculous resurrection, I hope?" Koumyou asks gently, sliding his hands away -- one back to his lap so he doesn't have to stay twisted to the side, and the other to gently card calloused fingers through Dev's bed-head.

"We haven't had the privacy to discuss the rest of it."
subcircuits: (turn your eyes)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2022-05-26 03:37 am (UTC)(link)
Devero lets his eyes close, as they so often do when Koumyou starts playing with his hair. But Koumyou's insistence makes him swallow uncertainly, and open them up again. He looks up at the priest sitting over him.

"Yeah," he says finally, softly, folding his hands across his belly. "I'm not... happy, about all of it. But I'm relieved."

That's hard for him to admit out loud, though, and he has to look away again.
its_dad_sanzo: (not smiling now)

[personal profile] its_dad_sanzo 2022-05-26 12:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Koumyou nods, and after another few strokes of fingers through hair, draws his hand back to fold with his other in his lap.

"You're not too horrified at what you've gotten engaged to, I hope?"

It's one thing to know Koumyou kills. It might be another to know he'd killed on Devero's own world, and someone he'd known.
subcircuits: (run that by me again)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2022-05-26 05:34 pm (UTC)(link)
"What?"

No, really, what? Devero's gaze snaps back to Koumyou, clearly baffled. It's his turn to shift, pushing himself upright so he can sit facing Koumyou in their narrow bed.

"Of course not," he says. "Why would that have changed?"
its_dad_sanzo: (squinting)

[personal profile] its_dad_sanzo 2022-05-27 12:01 am (UTC)(link)
"Well, it's one thing to know I will kill another human without batting an eye," Koumyou explains, "and perhaps another to know I did it on your world. To someone you knew. On the other side of one locked door."

It's Koumyou's turn to glance away, then.

"I don't think you hate me or anything, but... I can't help but wonder if that's changed us at all."

Devero is so gentle, and sweet, and in so many ways -- compared to a Sanzo -- innocent, despite his military background.
subcircuits: (wounded boy)

[personal profile] subcircuits 2022-05-27 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
"It only happened because I... I let it," Devero says heavily. "You wouldn't have had the opportunity to-- do anything to her if I hadn't brought you to my world, if I hadn't gone... fucking traipsing around town with you, if I had managed to actually get her to listen to me...!"

Devero's been doing a lot of thinking about what happened, probably unsurprisingly. And what he's concluded is that Valdana's murder at Koumyou's hands?

Was entirely his fault.

He lifts both hands to scrub his face harshly, then rake his messy hair back. "You've been clear with me for a very long time what would happen if you ever met her. The only thing that's changed is-- is now we know I'm the kind of person who'd-- who'd permit it."

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