No Place Like Home: The Return

[voidtreckermods]

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NO PLACE LIKE HOME: THE RETURN

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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

[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?"

[yondu]

"No... no it's done." Because he couldn't say anything to them, any of them. He left on a good note. Knowing him? Anything he'd do would make it worse. So he'd just kept his damn mouth shut rather than spoiling it.

And it's then that he steps forward and gives what might seem like a one-armed half-hug at first. But there's a way that he clings to his fur-lined shoulder, a way his weight presses up Tobirama's side that this isn't just a fond gesture. The former Hokage is driftwood on a rough sea, and Yondu's a frigid man who's wanting badly to give up and slip under the waves. So he clings to his friend in hopes that it'll keep him from drowning in his own want.

"Get me the hell out of here."

He remembers how this went for him. The colors, the pressure of 'river', the uninvited voices and intrusive images. Memories that weren't rightfully his had been as thick as quicksand, and he'd dragged people through until he literally collapsed. In that moment, Yondu knows it's about to happen to Tobirama, and he mutters a gravelly apology to him.

[stonefvced]

Some part of him couldn't help blaming himself for not voicing his unease over the whole situation--but last he checked, Yondu wasn't one of the people who wanted to leave. Tobirama would say that hope was not foolish but ignoring signs was, and that rested on him--even if someone had made a point to suggest that those who wished so desperately to leave would not have listened.

The contact surprised him at first. The intensity of it, especially. It was felt, though. Permeating through the other man's body and to him. The need for something to grasp and find footing in whatever turmoil Yondu was currently experiencing. What that all was he had no clue, but he could anchor the man (ironic given what they were being called at the moment). With a strong grasp--allowing the weight of the other to fall onto him.

"Gladly," is his response as they begin making their trek back.

[yondu]

The crossing between universes back in Diagad had been incredibly rough. Generic one way, but the other? Just a barrage on his mind. He might have even refused to be rescued by certain people because of it, just because he didn't want them to see that part of him.

But he told Tobirama everything, spilled his secrets for the sake of fairness, and it's lucky that he did because he can count on him to save him.

Yondu's led a mostly unpleasant life, too, so when they start back the sounds of violence are abrasive. ⦕You’re the one what kilt those men
by leading ‘em down the wrong path.⦖ ⦕Don't use any of our soldiers. Use those. We don't want to waste them.⦖ ⦕He wasn't cheap.⦖

There are whistles and clicks and grunts that have the undertones of words, casual conversation that the SCA can translate even out of the fog. There are visuals of alien greenery, temperate forests and large wooden cabins set close to caves. There are stretches of beautiful stars and nebulas, purple and pink splashed by stellar explosions across depths of black. There is blue blood splashing out of an enemy's chest as he stabs them, spilling over a hand that's just almost the same color, and he's regarded with contempt by purple eyes.

It might make it easier to handle, as far as intrusive thoughts that have no place in his head, in that it's pretty alien. Some of it is, anyway.

Sometimes it's a blond boy reaching tools under a vehicle that Yondu's fixing. Or sometimes it's basking in the brilliance of a singer on stage, or sharing a drink with other crew. Stakar's voice, booming and friendly. ⦕Nice work, Yondu. Taking you on is one of the best decisions I ever made.⦖ Things that don't reek of violence, but still can be understood across cultures.

"Try not to notice all that. It's like this place knows the past is tirin' and it wants to wear you out. Even if it's someone else's past." That's how it had felt to him, anyway, and he squeezes around his back to keep them both in the here and now.