No Place Like Home: The Return

[voidtreckermods]

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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

[crowneddragon]

There's a bit of stirring when he gets close the second time, blue eyes glancing lightly at his companion as the blanket gets draped across his form. He's quiet, for once, for once, even though he sends a soft smile to the stranger. Too many people on this train are too damn kind-- their care constantly surprise him.

"Thanks." It's a murmur more than a spoken word, half-covered by the dripping of rain down onto the grey stones. He straightens enough to be half-sitting instead, deep breaths seeping through his lungs. The scent is just a little too strong for him, of stones and water, but he enjoys it anyways, taking comfort in things that soothe him.

"Y' can sit with me, 'f you want." He'd never turn anyone away after all, "but 'm not much of a conversationalist right now."

Even the cadence of his words is slow; like he has all the time in the world. And maybe, right this moment, it's true-- just for, just for a rest. Or an hour. Just until he gathers himself up again. The rest will come later.

[unrecovered]

"I thought you were asleep." So much for that. Still, Wash accepts the invitation and takes a seat around the other side of the lion, resting his back against the stone and just breathing for a minute. The rain is nice. It's not the real thing, but it's close enough that he can close his eyes and forget for a minute or two.

(Being able to forget anything is a blessing nowadays. He'll take it.)

It's a bit before he speaks up. "When that blanket soaks through, I'm taking you out of here to dry off and get some actual sleep."

[crowneddragon]

There's a pause on the other side of the lion; maybe his companion fell asleep? But no-- his voice rises over the gentle lullaby of raindrops after a moment, trying to process what he's saying aloud now that he can't just shove his thoughts at someone and have them understand-- the anchoring process is... strange going in, and strange coming out of.

"Thanks. Y' don't have to; but thanks." There's a bit of a break, trying to remember the words that he himself had heard, but Esteban has a lot of trouble finding his tongue at this point, with how sluggish his mind feels after all-- after all of it.

"Worse case, 'f someone falls asleep here, the train gets them back in their bed. I hear they d'sappear in sparks of gold?" A half-remembered warning, in case Esteban himself poofs out from his current company, but he hasn't seen it himself. He imagines it's very similar to the anchoring though; that split second where the returnee approached and vanished out of thin air-- and hadn't that scared him off first, before the innate knowledge that they were safe had registered through his panic.

Come to think of it, he still doesn't know who he's talking to. He knows they're new; knows that any other day, he'd be all over them, talking animatedly but, well... He'll make an exception for now.

[unrecovered]

"I know, but that's not going to stop me. And you're welcome." This guy's probably been working his ass off making sure the rest of his teammates get back to the train safely (something Wash isn't able to do without risking a massive backslide on his part); leaving him to his own devices after all that is a dick move at best.

(Plus, sleeping in the rain? Does he want hypothermia? Because that's how you get hypothermia.)

"You know, I haven't seen it happen, but if I do I'll let you know." He's been yanked back to his own bunk, at least - evidently the train isn't about to let him or anyone else stay up all night, and the train seems to have final say on that one. It hasn't happened in the middle of the day, though - not to him, at least. "Also, what's your name?"

[crowneddragon]

Names. Esteban allows the rain to drip down into his hair again, a fraction of distraction that lingers under his skin. He takes a slow, deep breath, filling his lungs with the cool wet air, allowing it to be a comfort, a grounding source, before he answers with a bit more cheer in his voice, pulling himself together for the sake of his lingering companion.

"I'm Esteban." There's an audible smile in his voice, even if it remains soft, unwilling to disturb the peacefulness of the moment. "What 'bout you?"

He's glad. He's glad the stranger isn't lost, that as new as he had been on the train, he hadn't been expelled or rushed out by accident. Searching for someone, searching for people he didn't know well hadn't-- been his brightest idea. He wants to get to know him, wants to cheer and talk and ask all sorts of questions. But they'll have time for that. They'll have time, later.

He's still getting a little chipper just at the prospect of it, though.

[unrecovered]

Is he actually starting to feel better, or is he putting on a brave face for Washs's sake? Wash doesn't know him well enough to say; for now, he decides not to push too hard. "I'm Wash," he says instead. "It's nice to meet you." A beat. "Though we could probably save all the getting to know you stuff for when you're not trying to nap in the rain."

[crowneddragon]

"Yeah, nice t' meetcha~" The people on this train are too kind. But a little nosy. Esteban hides a snicker as he realizes he's probably the worst of them all, always fussing and caring for these people he barely knows, and, if he didn't know his own situation as well as he does, he absolutely would be like Wash and pushing and prodding to get people out of the rain. He kinda deserves that.

He wonders if he can linger for five more minutes out here, finding some peace and quiet in the drizzle, even with a new companion. But he's fairly certain that he could very well fall asleep, even despite the hard ground and harder pillow behind his back. Best follow along this time around, gathering all of his remaining strength as he sits up.

"Mind givin' me a hand?" He's not so broken that he won't be able to stand on his own, but every bit of energy he saves gives him more time to dry off and warm up before his companion gets worried, so he'll take the help if the blond is willing.

[unrecovered]

And the train just keeps bringing nosy people aboard, though Wash can at least put a pin it when the situation calls for it. "Sure." He gets to his feet and heads around the side of the statue, offering Esteban a hand up and pulling him easily to his feet. If Esteban isn't steady, he'll loop one of Esteban's arms over his shoulders and let Esteban lean against him to walk. No sense in sending him off on his own if he's only going to wind up on the floor again.

[crowneddragon]

"Thanks~" His grin is cheerful, even if it's not as wide or bright as he meant it to be, and Esteban gets a little confused at the open support that he gets, surprised that the stranger would go that far for him. He's not unsteady, but he is slow, and his reaction time is longer than he would like, so his companion's help is appreciated. Please don't ask about why he's so warm though, Wash. The half-elf doesn't have the braincells to explain it simply.

"Where'd'you get the blanket?" His thoughts are too blurred to make much more of a conversation, and he's a bit surprised at that, wondering if there might be a storage area nearby that people can just grab blankets from. They should grow some patches of grass in the carriage? Maybe? Oh, but the snow and inconsistent weather might make that a hard challenge. He gives up the half-formed idea, at least for now.

[unrecovered]

Look, Esteban has pointy ears, which automatically pegs him as not human. Beyond that, Wash isn't about to ask. Now is not the time.

He just tilts his head briefly at the question - it would've been a shrug, but his shoulders are occupied and he doesn't want to jostle Esteban. "A room." His, off his bed, but he figures he'll just run it through the dryer before tonight. It's not a big deal. "I'll put it back when we're done. What room is yours?" Because if Esteban wants to sleep, then he'd probably better do it in a bed.

Sorry for the delay >__<;;

[crowneddragon]

"Lower three, Cabin C." He doesn't really want to go back. Too many people, and the notion that someone might walk in at any point; he does dislike the lack of privacy the cabins leave them with. It would be nice to curl up with his wings wrapped around him, but that's a whole mess he'd rather not deal with when half-dead as he is now.

And he is very, very tired.

"We should get big, thick blankets for common use," he manages to speak at the companion next to him. He's not entirely sure that the blond actually cares about random supplies provided by the train, but he's too tired to concentrate hard on what he's saying. "Or maybe get some grass in the stone garden? t's a pity the ground's rock hard all over." It would be nice to have pockets of areas where cushy grass could make it comfortable to lie down in and rest.

"Then 'gain, I don't think I'd ever fall 'sleep in my own bed if there was that option." The realization makes him snicker lightly, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"What about you?" For all his tiredness, Esteban will never deny his curiosity at his fellow travelers, glancing at the corner of his eyes to see his companion's reaction. "Blankets or grass?" He'd ask a full question, but he figures the shorter version is nice, since he'd said-- he'd said he wasn't up for much of a conversation. (So, well, he lied. But Esteban can't help but want to make friends, even when he's totally exhausted.)

Three days is not a delay you're fine <3

[unrecovered]

"Okay, let's get you there." Unfortunately he's not a mind reader, so he has no idea that what Esteban is craving is privacy. The guy did decide to take a siesta in the middle of the garden car, after all.

He listens as Esteban talks, taking the occasional mental note and focusing on getting Esteban back to his bed. "Oh, blankets, definitely. I've done enough sleeping on the ground to last me the rest of my life." Deployment is a bitch, as it turns out. "And communal blankets for the train is a good idea, if you're not the only one who likes sleeping in public."

[crowneddragon]

There's a shake of Esteban's head as his companion mentions sleeping in public. It's not that-- it's just.

"Hate the cabins. Too small, too many people." He takes whatever wide space he can get, even if that ends up with him falling asleep in the rain. He's found there aren't many that linger in the weather carriage when there's even just a drizzle. Rain's an inconvenience for most, but it's a comfort for the half-elf.

He does get confused at the mention of preferring blankets over grass though. To Esteban, the saltgrass plains are as good as any bed, and probably twice as familiar. Falling asleep to the sway and rustle of wind through the stalks, the ethereal mirror moon overhead, full and bright, and the call of night creatures shuffling in the prairie-- the beds are too small in comparison. Static and cold and alien.

"I c'ld send the suggestion to the voting pools. Communal blankets. Or maybe get them knitted?" He knows some people on the train knit; maybe they could make a large fluffy blanket out of them? Esteban would offer to help, but he's bad at anything requiring fine dexterity.

Oof, his mind is jumping places. He really should lie down, even if the idea is distasteful.

"Where d'you go in your spare time?" It's a bit of a jump, but the half-elf does want to find his new friend again, once he's more coherent and put together. He'll thank him properly when he can, and get to know what Wash likes at the same time. Win-win.

[unrecovered]

He pauses when Esteban says that. He gets the sentiment - it's been a while since he's had sleeping quarters that small shared with that many people - but evidently just getting used it it isn't that easy for some people. "I can go see if the quiet car is open if you want." He'd imagine those booths would be in pretty high demand right about now, but there's always a chance, and he'll move faster if he's not supporting Esteban. He doesn't mind a quick scouting mission if they need one.

He puts a pin in everything else for now. They can talk once they figure out where they're going.

[crowneddragon]

Oh, oh that's not--

"Thanks~" There's a bit of a shuffling laughter through Esteban's tired ribs, something too weak to properly register as more than light chuckles, but he shakes his head despite it. Too kind-- all of the people around are just, too kind. C'mon! He can do this!

"But I really sh'ld get t' bed. Here-- Ever used a Transgate?" He's not one to use them himself, usually but the weather stone garden is so far from the sleeper carriages; and by approaching the training gym, they're actually getting up to one, now that Esteban thinks about it.

The metallic circles are easily recognizable when they approach, out of the main path and tucked into a corner. Esteban thanks Tidus again for having shown him how they work, so that he can pass on the knowledge to another person, reaching behind the gate to set it properly to the sleeper cabins before starting it up.

"Quick an' easy~" he mentions to his companion, letting the swirl of... well, he guesses it's mana that gathers in the center of the gate like this. "Cuts travel time, an' there's a few scattered 'round." But Wash... has probably already noticed that. (He's helping. Or at least, Esteban hopes he's helping.)