middleofsomewhere | 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Definitely not. There's no way I could let that go, are you kidding?" Kyoko grins impishly. "What other embarrassing secrets have you been keeping all this time?"

Yeah, because that's definitely the thing to focus on right now. But it's easing something in Kyoko's chest to be able to joke around with Nozomi like this again -- like it's confirmation that she's definitely going to be okay.

And Kyoko would find plenty more - like the fact that Nozomi is a total klutz, wrecking various clubs at her old school and being kicked out of them.

And despite the embarrassment, Nozomi is also reassured by all this. Something else to look forward to and have waiting for her.

“One day I’ll find something of yours!”

"Hah, good luck. Do I look like the kind of person who does embarrassing stuff?"

It's a bad bluff, but it's one that Kyoko has to make. Has to. She's the rescuer here, she's gotta play it cool!

“You’re just lucky you’re saving me!” Nozomi said, smirking at her. “But… I owe you one.”

Kyoko shakes her head, and her words are reply to both parts of what Nozomi said. "Consider this payback for saving me before. And for keeping my Soul Gem clean." Before, when Nozomi came running and kept Kyoko from becoming a witch, even after getting saved by Yondu. "Call it even."

“Even, then…” Nozomi said. Kyoko’s get a few more memories for her trouble - Nozomi’s interactions with Hera, Kairi…

…and the two of them chasing each other with egg yolk.

There is a twinge in Kyoko's chest at that one. In her mind, it blends with the way she baited Nozomi into chasing her that day. The mix of Nozomi with Kairi, and the memories of Nozomi telling Kyoko about her crush on Mami, triggering Kyoko's own realization...

She grits her teeth and, without realizing, digs her fingers tighter into Nozomi. Stay focused. She can't lose it now. Nozomi deserves more opportunities like that, chasing and being chased and being with her crushes.

"I'll get you back to her. I promise."

Nozomi blinked hearing that before smiling at Kyoko.

“I know you will.” She said. “Because you’re Kyoko Sakura. You’re one of my best friends and I love you for that.”

Kyoko's face slowly turns a deep red, and suddenly she won't meet Nozomi's eyes. This is the second time someone's told her that L word recently. She didn't know what to do when Yondu said it, kicked herself the entire time while he's been gone, and now... now, this, and she doesn't know what to do here, either. She just knows she's been regretting, badly, having never responded properly to Yondu. Not even as a belated thing.

"W-Well..." She should say something. She should seriously say something. ... She'll think of something later. Once this is over, and they've both rested up. "Don't think this means I'm letting you off the hook about that unicorn thing." Nailed it.

Mentally, Nozomi’s certain she’s messed up something, but on the other hand, she knows that’s how she feels - Hera, Kairi and Kyoko all hold special places in her heart.

“Um… talk more once I’m safe?” Nozomi said, blushing herself.

"Uh... Yeah." Shit. This definitely means Kyoko messed up. "Listen... I know I'm not good at this kind of thing. But I came looking for you for a reason, okay?"

Oh, no, did She mess up? But, wait, what else is Kyoko saying?

“A reason? What is it?” Nozomi asked. “Whatever it is, I’m all ears!”

Oh, hell. She's going to have to actually say it. A tsundere's worst nightmare... Part of her wonders if Nozomi's doing this to her on purpose. Mami definitely would, if the mood took her.

But. After facing down the regret of having never properly replied to what Yondu had told her -- This is the kind of thing she needs to get better at. This is the best way to make sure she doesn't have that kind of regret again. Even if trying to get herself to say it feels worse than pulling teeth.

"I wasn't about to leave you out here like that." That's the first step. That's the easier thing to say. And she tries to use it to ramp herself up for the next. "What kind of friend would I be if I did?"

Nozomi said best friend, but from Kyoko, friend, out loud, is just as big.

Nozomi would both unwittingly and willingly pull such a stunt, but this one is unwilling. She was genuinely curious about Kyoko’s feelings.

Hearing them caused her to smile warmly at Kyoko.

“…Y’know, I’m glad I heard that…” she said.

No Place Like Home: The Return

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