middleofsomewhere | Into the Unknown Part Two

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Into the Unknown Part Two

On day twenty-five of the month of Symphony, everyone is gathered together, at least everyone who follows the request for a meeting to be held.

One of the head scientists - named Till - stands before the group, a look of excitement on their face.

"We have found something, an anomaly in the void. We are not sure what it is exactly, but there is a lot of activity coming from its coordinates. More penitently, initial investigations have picked up readings that are constant with a void storm.

I believe from your own reports you have experienced void storms before, and you know they can be dangerous, but always fleeting, never lasting more than a few days. However, this storm seems to be static. It has not moved or changed since we first detected it.

We understand there may be people who do not want to venture into this storm, and we understand. The loops we have added to your tethers will allow you to stay on the base long enough for those investigating to return. You may experience some discomfort and disorientation during the time your craft is away, but it should only be mild and temporary.

For those investigating, we know little of what you will face. Every storm is different, and this one is already stranger than anything we have come across before."

The scientists stick around to reassure people and help them make their decisions. Those going to investigate are told to report to their craft in the morning.

INTO THE UNKNOWN: PART 2

SYMPHONY 26-29 ~ OOC POST ~ QUESTIONS ~ FIRST PART

JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN

Those willing to go will leave on the Voidtrecker Express first thing the next day, with only warnings and well-wishes to be careful to go with them. There is an estimate for how long it'll take them to reach the anomaly, about half a day's travel by the train's clock, give or take. But there's no telling the true time it'll take, nor the effects of the void that will be waiting for them. Keeping away from the windows or putting up blinds is advised as a precaution, just in case, and to monitor each other's health.

"Warning: Approaching Voidstorm, please take precautions." The train warns as they arrive on the edges, all the usual train precautions have been taken, the lab cart has been shut down, the ovens in the kitchen are disconnected. The train begins to shake as it enters the first layer.

LAYER ONE: CHANGING SHADES
They first experience changes by sight - literally. Around them, objects start emitting an aura that's unique to each passenger, colouring it to match their mood towards that particular thing. Coffee machines? Amazing, paint that gold. A boring book? Ugh, the entire thing is turning grey.

It's a small effect at the start, yet objects aren't the only things being affected - so are the people on board. Their own moods are changing their hair colour, eyes, and skin, shifting more rapidly than the furniture's paint job. And as time goes on, passengers will be able to affect one another's colouration and aura, giving away how they may feel about that person at that moment, if their feelings are strong enough. Never noticed how fondly one feels about you? Now you do.

LAYER TWO: LOOSE LIPS
Going into the next layer, there's an itch that starts to gnaw at everyone - an itch to talk. To friends, to strangers, to anyone; you have a need to chatter, and it has to get out. Attempting to isolate yourself only makes the need worse, and you won't be able to sleep it away. It doesn't matter if you don't know what to talk about - you'll find something.

A good chat will subdue the need for a while, but it will eventually return. So while listening to others talk might help keep it at bay, it won't forever.

LAYER THREE: CONFESSION - I THINK YOU'RE OK
The changes become stronger, and with them the urges. Passengers will feel compelled to tell those they know their feelings for them, whether it's as simple as finding them okay, to having stronger inclinations of friendship, dislike, or even love.

These urges can be held back on for a time, but it's easy for it to slip out; and many may still be suffering from the previous layer, where they get the sudden need to talk.

LAYER FOUR: A CAKE FOR MY BELOVED
Talking is simply not good enough in this layer: actions speak louder than words. You want to create ways of expressing your desires, regardless of how creative you actually are. Building a shrine to your loved ones, challenging rivals to duels. You can't stay idle, and your hands and brain need to be at work! What can you manage on this train?

EYE OF THE STORM

Finally, all of it stops. The colours, the emotions, the compulsion of dramatics; their minds go from being caught in the storm to completely calm (or, as calm as they ever are). It is much like waking from a dream, or going from one very noisy overwhelming place to complete silence.

A second passes, and then another, and then... there's a feeling. Fear, terror - even those who normally have no ability to feel the emotions of others can feel it, emanating from the train itself.

With it comes an invitation. Hard to describe, but a tugging at their mind. They can push it away no problem, but if they accept...

They are looking out. The familiar colours of the Void are all around them, but they can't turn to look. Ahead is a hole where space should be, nothingness curving and spiralling out from a point deep within that wound in reality, tearing and tugging at the unfortunate observer. The chaotic nimbus at the edge of their vision spins inwards to meet it, and vanishes at the edge of the hole. A void within the Void. And within that terrifying chaotic darkness there are shapes.

The train rocks as energy rushes past it, tossing the craft from side to side. It spins, lurching out of control, the connection snapping as everyone is thrown back into their own awareness as the train starts vibrating to at full speed.

But the tell-tale signs of movement isn't there, and a creaking of metal can be heard. The train shakes more as the view outside the windows shows them inching forward towards where the hole had been, and parts of the roof start to bend inward, water pipes burst and the electricity fails in multiple carriages.

Until there's a rush, a shaking and twisting, and the void flashes violently in the windows. The ever distant choral singing becomes a roar as a kaleidoscope of colours fills the interior of the train itself.

Then there is stillness. It calms, and there is no storm, no terrifying darkness. Just the void, as it ever is, ever changing.

OOC NOTES

NOTES: They will be in the storm for three days, each layer takes about half a day.

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Carrying Crescent Rose’ll do that. But, now that I have you in my arms, what should I do now?

"Force stuff? Yeah, I bet that's a headache and a half," Jake agrees softly. He leans against the wall to try to get a hold on his spinning head, and then looks over at her.

"But...man. You're a super awesome pilot. I've gotta try harder in lessons if we're going to be going into stuff like this."

Layers I and II

Elidibus can't hide from this voidstorm. He might have resisted it more than the average, but he couldn't resist it fully and it became more sensible not to. There was much he could talk about, interesting pieces of history, beasts and creatures he has seen. Wisdom to impart, both ancient knowledge and things he saw and thought about on the missions he has experienced, the train he's lived on for these past months.

It is all tame things, usually started by his quiet approach, sitting down and starting a quiet statement.

"Did you know...."

"One time..."

And for a time, his reserved manner lessens, he seems more invested imparting the information. For those who have never had a glimpse of it, they may see a certain level of investment in what he has to say, or who he's trying to impart it upon than was ever seen before.

It is certain that those he is only passing familiar with- maybe a name or brief chat once upon a time- would probably get something ordinary. Well, 'ordinary' might still talk about dragons arriving to his world. But not personal. Others, may be more (or less, depending on how you look at it) lucky and get something a little more personal.

Layer III.

But then there's the passage through the third layer of the storm. And that is where feelings are more involved. How Elidibus might regard this or that person he encounters. Slips of the tongue and most of them he's no less pleased to lose control and speak of than the recipient may be to have him approach and speak.

But well, there's probably going to be a few positive things said, which would not get said another time.

Still later, there is a very busy Elidibus, with busy hands. Find him in the kitchen but only briefly. The Ascian comes from a time and race that breathed concepts into being. The train has little free aether to play with and he'd hardly go so far as to commandeer truly personal possessions. But... cabin locks don't stop him. And there's plenty of sheets, sundries, random items, chairs, pillows and many, many other things that are considered fair game.

People may find presents waiting for them, crafted through creation magic and lift on their individual bed. A person Elidibus regards well, or may wish to pay back for something or another of an earlier time. Or perhaps he just had some excess crafty fix to burn.

[OOC: Feel free to put up a prompt if you like, but also I want to try something for this thread as a lot of Elidibus's responses would be specific for different types of people. If you want a tag, please reply to this thread with the following:

I will respond to the reply with a tag/info on what's found.]

"To some extent I have grown accustomed to life on the train," Elidibus tells the one who listens. Or seems to listen. Mort is a most interesting... entity? Manifestation? A private connection that surpasses his ability to ken direct understanding of nuanced squeaks and gestures. A pity but at least he's been a good listener.

"Yet time and again, mortal life oft proves itself as foolish as what was birthed from sundered pieces on my star." Frustrated. Perhaps not with the venom he might have once possessed and certainly it doesn't apply to all the mortals- neither at home or on the train.

"An entire carriage for larger animals. With no thought as to what such beasts might experience in such constant, cramped conditions. Only their personal desireto possess such creatures at the fore. How much more from the suggestions would have been practical?"

The art car and the pool at least had some merit for providing morale boosting activity and exercise.

"They value their autonomy to the extent they would burden the train with desires that have no true worth, leaving risk of a pittance for what might be truly needed ere the Voidtrecker Express reaches the limits of even its vast stores."

Someone. Has a lot to say on a certain subject right now. Where they are found? That would likely depend on where Thanatos was, for wouldn't Mort be always nearby?

There were certain matters Elidibus did not want to talk about. Private ones. Personal. Even to the one person on the train he might be willing to do so.

But the constant, building urge to talk to someone feels like someone is beating his chest. The desperation brings a sense of near vertigo trying to hold it back. Or is that the storm? In the beginning he had urged people to use him as a listener and had talked about inconsequential things. Repetition had not worked but he had plenty of tales to tell, information to give from thousands of years. He'd listened to others. They had listened to him. Why was it getting worse?

He couldn't focus enough to teleport to his goal of reaching Emet-Selch. Someone was nearby though, he sensed them. And they were simply going to have to do. Elidibus drops down heavily into a seat nearby.

"...I fear we are near the end of our voyage." The words are dropped heavily, as if Elidibus had simply dropped a burden of stone off his shoulder and to the ground before him with a rattling thump. "When that time comes, I will need to make a choice. It... pains me to admit I am not prepared for it."

Elidibus would have put every ounce- onze by his world's reckoning- he could into securing wards and shields in his proximity and as many carriages as he could reach. What he had left to bring to bear, all he could to to protect the other passengers of the vehicle which began to buckle, shake and all but burst under the duress of the final wall. Something, anything to save them all and not just himself. The ones he knew, those he...cared for. The ones he didn't know much if anything about and even the ones that disliked or feared him.

Layered inside the carriages or around groups of people. Defenses to minimize the damage they took and ones that, had there been a breach, he could only pray would hold safe long enough to be teleported to another, intact carriage.

Then everything stops and there is calm and silence. The worst hadn't happened.

To those near him, after a moment's assurance to himself that it seems (for now) to be over, the Ascian calls out.

"Are there any injured? Pray call out if you need assistance."

Edited 2022-08-23 16:08 (UTC)

"It brings more danger than I'd like." Which is rich given that she's actively trying to overthrow the government and it's not exactly safe. "It's a wonderful gift and I'm sure it's better than not being able to see anything, but that last bit was so overwhelming with the extra information."

No, Zelgadis isn’t one to lie without a good reason, is he? Rezo stands there, his usual cool demeanor slipping bit by bit into bewilderment as his mind races.

“Why would she…” Rezo falters.

Had she truly sought to avenge him? Eris had been a dedicated assistant, and now that he thinks back, had been upset when he’d packed a bag and left Sairaag for good. He’d barely noticed, had been too consumed by the need to get away from the site of his innumerable failures to cure himself, and to find his last hope in the Philosopher’s Stone.

“She didn’t need to do anything like that,” he says.

He’d assumed that, with him gone, she would move on to her own research or a new place of employment or something. Insomuch as he’d thought about it at all. What signs had he missed while his mind was so focused on his cure?

Rezo’s grip tightens on his staff.

“What happened while I was gone?” he says, voicing a question that has been plaguing him. “How long was I in that jar?”

Oh he can definitely give pets to Fairy! He does that and smiles at Jin Ling, a smile that only grows even bigger when he starts talking about how great Fairy was.

He sees that Jin Ling is a bit embarrassed, but it's just because he's grown up and grown ups are weird about being friends, even with dogs.

"She is really smart and it's good she is really gentle too though I bet she loves you so much, if someone hurt you she would give them what for!"

ooc: You know what... I'm having emotions anyway. Hit me.

Character Name: Hythlodaeus
Layer: 2
Avoid?: Bring it all. Let me know until you've cleared stuff so I can avoid spoilers.

He's not the only one feeling fear when he shouldn't be, nearby there is a soft whimper as she instinctively drew close to him. She doesn't even think of going into the emptiness the feeling is too intense.

Her eyes are wide even as they come back to themselves, with the train shaking and the lights flickering. She seems almost frozen, not able to shake herself out of it yet.

They've shared a sleeping space for a couple of weeks now but hadn't spoken much. She has been... Not exactly sulking, but it's wearing on her. This train, the people, a year and a half on the move. But it is is more than that, her whole sense of self is in flux. Who is she even any more?

It's a lot of for a twelve year old to think about even before the added life or death missions, world eaters and time travel. Enough to give anyone a headache.

But she sees him now and something pushes her to talk to him, she waves. "Hello. This do be being your first void storm right? We do no normally even be getting warning."

Rezo has been deeply absorbed in his writing, such that he doesn’t notice her approach until she actually speaks up. He startles, turning to face her. She may notice that he has somehow gotten a smudge of ink on his cheek, as well as having stains all over his fingers.

“Lioriley?”

Rezo quickly leans his elbow against the study desk he’s been working at, trying to casually block his writing from view. It’s not ready yet!

“How may I help you?” he asks.

"Considering where we are, I'm not sure if that's accurate."

Cassie walks slowly behind Kairi, ready to offer support with her arm if she needs it.

"You alright?"

[the two layers they'd gone through before weren't so bad; sizhui hadn't varied much from soft, almost pastel-looking colors, which conveyed his usually muted emotions quite well and he's never been one to struggle with talking, so.

this last one, however, does prove a bit more difficult, but only in the sense sizhui's afraid he'll run out of ways to show his affection for people before the effects are over. thankfully, making tiny origami animals that'll glow for an hour or two and passing them out isn't too hard, and everyone seems to like them from what he's witnessed. someone he knows, even an individual he's gifted them to before, would surely like them too, wouldn't they?

it's in the corridor near the cinema carriage where jin ling almost collides with him, he just manages twisting to the side. narrowly avoiding dropping his box of folded paper items.] Jin Ling, hey! [comes without missing a beat, his hand lifting up from the side of the box to reach inside and withdraw a bright yellow dog that he presents to his friend.] This is for you.

“Easy there,” Rezo says, because it certainly sounds as if Kaiba is having some difficulties, although he’s able to rattle off an inventory of issues for Rezo.

Lights. Not a serious problem as far as Rezo is concerned. Pipes are more of one- god knows exactly how the train’s internal plumbing works but at the very least it is going to be wet and unpleasant in several places. Hallucinations are also not great, but may not be an issue if they’re lucky.

Okay. Rezo moves slowly closer to Kaiba.

“Rather the same as you,” he says. “You didn’t hit your head, did you?”

Idia can only offer a shrug to that. "So? Why not be selfish if you want to? Even if you know it's going to hurt, if you want to do it that way, who cares what anyone else thinks?" Because really, being selfish isn't a bad thing. Putting yourself first for your own enjoyment and happiness. It's just for Idia 'happiness' was in small, bite size pieces. In little chances to escape from reality. But it never stuck around for long before the real world smacked him in the face.

"Thing is, I don't care if you vanish tomorrow, but I do enjoy your company. You're at least not as empty headed as others and actually have interesting ideas. Oh," Plus. "And I do really enjoy that card game. Shame I won't be able to take it with me. Not that I would have anyone to play it with anyway."

Fairy is happily pleased by his pets when he does give them to her. Jin Ling, looked rather flustered still. He's trying his best to keep his composure but it certainly isn't helping his case at all. He definitely can tell that Romeo can see his embarrassment as bright as day!

"Of course she would! She's not like ordinary dogs and she saved me from almost getting--in trouble!"

Ulp! He covers his mouth again. No! He's not going to tell people personal things. He was able to swing that to something not too personal. Though, trouble was an understatement for that situation then. He swallows that thought, even if it hurts him. Fairy of course, doesn't seem to mind too much as she continues to prod Romeo for pets.

[ Jin Ling doesn't like that he's seeing so many colors. In fact, he radiated so many colors from time to time, that it was becoming hard to mute himself. He doesn't want people to read his emotions, nor does he WANT anyone to get the wrong idea.

The more people he passes, the more colors he can see, and the more attentive he is about his own. He's doing his best to suppress it, while avoiding people to the best of his abilities. Of course, that doesn't last long, especially when he almost crashes into Sizhui of all people! He reactively attempted to also catch the box of folded paper if they ended up falling.

Thankfully nothing fell, but Jin Ling immediately takes a giant step back and also more surprise at the cute origami dog that is being handed to him! His face changes colors as he turns around. ]

I--it's---very cute! I like it! [ Whatever he wanted to deny, that didn't happen. Instead, he honestly confessed how he feels about the small little origami. It reminded him of all the ones he made for Sizhui, except not dogs but tons of different rabbits. ]

Kaiba listens, and he looks surprised to hear the last words following the first ones. So he doesn't care, but...he would miss him? That stirs up a reaction in him, and he finds himself stepping forward. Not fully into his space, just a friendly conversation distance.

"I'm glad I worked with you. And...I do have a digital database of the cards and the rules, if you have something to download it to. You could print it in your world."

But he's still insistent that there's more. "I'm trying to hold on until we fix...all this mess. Someone has to."

Jake wholeheartedly agrees as he slumps down. "Yeah, I mean....I like most of you! But that was a headache. Not you, though...you're really awesome."

Why did he feel the need to clarify? He blinks in confusion a moment before continuing. "You take command so easily, and you risk things, and you take care of everyone...no matter what gets thrown at you. I admire that."

Kaiba pauses to assess his aches and pains. There's throbbing here and there, not on his skull thankfully.

"I think it's just neck and body aches from whiplash. No pain in my skull...the knee, though," he murmurs, reluctantly looking out the window. "I definitely think there was a hull breach. I saw the void in here briefly..and that brings the bizarre dreams we've had sometimes. But everything appears stable...for now, until we sleep."

Not looking forward to that. "I'll fix what I can."

Fairy deserves all the pets so he makes sure to give her them, still listening to Jin Ling as he found the places she was happiest to be petted.

"She did? I bet she was really brave! Did she save you? Did she bark really loud to get people to help?"

He tilted his head. "I once helped my old god out with a prayer because lots of pets had gone missing, but it turned out there was a big monster and they wee all trying to protect their humans!"

There's a rather flat look from Idia as she speaks, a pause, then answering, "I can't imagine a worse torture than having to live for so long. It must be hell. I mean, you know, assuming you were human, which you're clearly not, so I have no clue what kind of mental state you have." Really, how does anyone stay sane for that long, assuming she is even that.

Also, this just opens up a whole bunch of questions. Sure, they may not really interact around the train, but lets face it, the name 'Death' really does stand out, even if just hearing her talk to others or others talking about her. And he doesn't mind Thanatos, and Mort, but also, Idia easily accepts that he's a god. So Death? Goddess? Or just the concept of death manifested into a physical form? Sure, whatever.

"And fun is a luxury not all get."

[There really was a lot that was going on. The overwhelming fear. The way the train was and whatever was going on was definitely not good. But hearing to take cover Yugi wasn't exactly going to argue with it as he went to go under the nearest thing.]

Considering what we just went though I should have really expected something bad.

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Page 5 of 28

Into the Unknown Part Two

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Elidibus | OTA and Closed

Closed to Thanatos

Closed to Ryo

The End.... or the Eye (OTA)

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Re: oh romeo!!! sdkhgsghds

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fear

Layer two

OH BOY

Re: Eye

confessions;

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