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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I – Layer One
Idia’s actually torn between being interested in this all. The scientist in him is curious to see what is going on. The rest of him doesn’t care, however he also doesn’t want to leave his stuff on the Train only for it to head away without him. So… he’s taking part. He’s a little sad he won’t be able to see what is going on by watching the train head into the storm, but is used to that by now.

He’s less used to this whole weird color change! Well… kind of, he’s used to his hair changing color, but no one is supposed to know about that! Well… Jingyi found out, BUT STILL, Idia doesn’t want that known. So having his hair, and everything else around him changing as they go through that first layer… it’s a time for anxiety at first, until he realizes everyone was going through this.

His computer that is forever with him is now golden, it being his most prized possession, as well as his headphones around his neck; his team hoodie taking on a slightly more warmish tone, like fire or autumn leaves, a comfort he can hide within for his main issue; his pink fire hair. It’s so embarrassing! Thus the pink. The more Idia doesn’t want people to see it, hiding within his hood, the more likely it is to stay pink.

II – Layer Two
Idia had tried to hide, tried to stay away from others to get away from this layer… but that itch was impossible to ignore for too long before he has to accept this was happening.

However, it can still be under his rules. “No, no! Nothing personal! Don’t even think about it! Ask me about anything else! Tech equations! Fav band! Favorite manga! I can talk about those! Don’t you dare ask for anything else!” Let him ramble on about those! Idia still doesn’t like it, but it’s less bad than if someone tries to ask him anything he deems too personal, and really, that was a lot of things with Idia.

III – Layer Three
The thing is… Idia’s been pretty honest for the most. Since getting here he’s been told over and over again he should make friends here, that connections were important. But you know what, “I don’t care about you.” Really. Honestly.

“What’s the point in making connections? Eventually someone is going to leave, so why bother? I would add ‘or die’ to that, but the train won’t even allow us to do that.”

IV – Layer Four
Even with saying that all, even with Idia’s honesty that he doesn’t care about others, at all, he’s still making little trinkets. They’re small, made of little bits and pieces, but also personalized. And light up! Really, they basically a fancy keychain light, but with an Idia flare to it all; highly detailed painted decorations on them to represent the people he gives them to.

He doesn’t care about you, but yeah, he likes you enough to make something still. Caring and liking are two very different things.

V – Eye of the Storm
…Idia hates everything which had happened. He should had stayed behind. It was all so embarrassing.

But he doesn’t have long to dwell on that, not with that imposing, overbearing, crushing sense of fear. It’s not the first time he’s felt this, something that freezes you in your place, makes it so you can’t move, just shut down and do nothing. And right now that invite, no matter what else it may be, is better than staying in this terror. It’s how Idia finds himself staring out at that Void, but also not the Void. It so much more. His brain wants to make sense of it, to try and figure out a point of focus and break it down and work it out. But it can’t.

Is this what Overblot feels like? To be completely and totally lost within something that has the feeling of no end to it?

Not that it matters in a moment, the train thrown around and parts straining and breaking. No time to go looking at whatever was out there, they need to get through whatever was doing this to the train; Idia snapping into action, a hand going one way to use magic to shove a water pipe back closed enough to keep most of the water flowing and off the floor, his other hand lit throwing out fire around the cabin to keep it lit despite the darkness. “Watch out! Keep your head down and watch your feet!”

VI – Wildcard

Kaiba's heart lurches when he hears that. He's so familiar with the feeling Idia's expressing. He's felt it himself so many times. The pain is undeniably part of him now. But there's another feeling bubbling to the surface, and that's what he ends up voicing.

"You're right. It hurts. It feels pointless. I want to stop caring. But...I can't," he ends up admitting. His voice is uncharacteristically quiet. "I still care. I take what I can and I deal with it. Whatever you think."

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."

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."

There was a difference between not wanting connections, but also recognizing them when they were gone. At least for a while. Idia tries not to cling too long to those who had left already. To recognize they were gone... then move on. Pretty quickly in fact. It's only until he would want something from said person who left that he would get annoyed about it, such as losing access to Kaiba's systems and programs that helped since Idia didn't have his main computer here. Those would be a shame to lose.

"Kind of pointless without someone to play against, isn't it?" Hm, maybe other Ignihyde dorm members would like it, Idia's sure a few of them have to be into deck building games. Oh, wait, no... they don't remember him anymore, right? His body was taken back home, he saw that with that brief time the train had tried to return them home. Yeah... he's already been forgotten about, so it was pointless.

Before Idia scoffs, "As if any of us have any say on that. We're just thrown around as... whatever or whoever did this to us as they want to." Then a sigh and shake of his head, "I can't believe I like it here better than back in my world. Other than Ortho not being here. And missing out on the manga I was into. And my games. All my daily logs ins are so behind now. What a waste."

"You can teach others once you have the rulebook," Kaiba insists. He went to all that trouble to write it out and type it up for a reason...

But he digs in with his stubbornness. "I miss my brother every day. It hurts, that he's been without me over a year..."

But at least he's determined to make it back there. "But I don't want to let go of all of you. I...like this life too. I'll steal a voidcraft myself if I have to, to find you again."

Idia scoffed, "With everything that happened while I was away the only person I'd be able to teach it to is my brother," Which... yeah, Ortho would like that. "...yeah, ok, I'll take them. Ortho would like the game." He wonders what build Ortho will go with...

And as the topic fully switches to siblings, "I would rather bring Ortho here than go back. He's the only reason I want to go back, I'd rather leave everything else behind. He would love it too, he always wanted to go on adventures." Oh, he's never really asked before, not ever wanting to get too close to others, let alone talk about siblings when Idia was so far away from his own. "What's your brother's name? How old is he?"

Kaiba usually isn't in the mood to discuss this...but he's feeling rather loose-lipped right now, and so he answers:

"I hope you can teach him someday. It'd be nice to meet him. If Mokuba can forgive me...maybe he can meet him too."

That might be confusing, so he elaborates: "Mokuba would be about sixteen now. Right before I was taken, I...left to chase someone else I'd lost. He was angry with me, afraid I wouldn't come back. He was right, but I never meant to leave for this long. And because my comatose body was somewhere unreachable, he couldn't even find that."

He frowns deeply. That still hurts. "But he's a really smart guy. Determined. Friendly. He's going to do great things...I just hope I can fix this."

"Oh," Oh, that's perfect. "Ortho's sixteen as well. Well, kinda, it's complicated. I mean, he is sixteen, but also six. But also eight, I guess in a way, but not. It's complicated." Idia repeats himself on the last part.

Before getting uncomfortable with how Kaiba continued, moving to hug his arm to his side. "...yeah, I promised Ortho I wouldn't leave him again either but..." He did, by being brought here. He ended up breaking that promise. Also... "I donno how to feel about how similar our situations are... it's weird." Like super weird, wtf? "I guess I'm at least back at my family's facility to be taken care of. I know Ortho's there watching over me. Or him. Or... I donno, whatever we are."

Kaiba lets out a slow breath. "I hope we can show them what we've been up to. That we were needed out here in some way. I don't think even I can change the past...so I'll just go back to him and apologize."

But it is weird, isn't it. He frowns a little more. "I'm sure we're not truly that much alike. Most normal people care about their brothers. It's just the decent thing to do, and I'm...relieved to hear that about him."

"I was also thinking 'cause you're at least close to catching up to me intellectually, and a gamer." Idia explains as he thinks it over. "I guess you're right about the whole 'not only one with siblings' thing, not that I've really cared to ask about others and their siblings here. I was thinking of their age, but I guess Ortho is special compared to most, so yeah, not alike." Thanks for pointing that all out, Kaiba, it gave Idia a chance to set things right, clearly thinking himself better than Kaiba when it came to intellect, and that no one could be better than Ortho.

But hey, you come close, Kaiba, that's a compliment!

Death can very much understand where that attitude comes from.She had it herself once upon a time.

So she likes to share what it took an embarrassing amount of time to learn. "I'm ten billion years old. Eventually, I figured out that either everyone could matter and no one could matter. Let me tell you, everyone mattering is a lot more fun."

It doesn't matter if she doesn't know everyone on the train, she still has room to care.

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."

"I've had a long time to get used to it." Several billion years, not to put too fine a point on it. After a while the numbers start to lose meaning. "Fun and torture... they're all just a matter of perspective and making the most of what's happening here and now."

Idia's lip curled up at that last comment. "You sound like a horror movie character with a warped understanding of what's good and not... just don't ask me to do a puzzle orb or anything." Look, Idia likes his horror movies, he's particular fond of Pumpkin Hollow and it's pumpkin headed knight, but yeah, he doesn't want to actually be part of one.

"I donno if I even want to know what something like you would consider fun. Or torture. You walk and talk like a person, but there's no way for anything to be sane after that long. Even gods can go mad." However, they can agree on one thing, "At least you get understanding the fun of the moment." That's all Idia really had. He had to make the most of what he could before it was taken from him. Well, not while on the train, but if he ever got back home... he really isn't looking forward to what is waiting for him.

"My siblings and I are more fundamental than gods, but yes, we can go mad." One of them even did. "But I like people, it really is that simple. The job got a lot easier once I decided I would do that."

The thing is, "...then why would your opinion in this matter? I mean, you're," Then waving a hand at her. It's mostly because Idia's trying to figure the words to even to start describing what Death was. Well, he knows what 'death' is, but 'Death' is just an entire different thing. Not even a case of a god like Hades, but... Death.

"You're a force of nature, I should be asking how the hell you even have a physical, humanoid, form, let alone the ability to understand emotions. Or even if you do, it doesn't mean they're even remotely similar to how mortals feel them. Can you actually even experience or understand loss like we can?" You're being rude, Idia. Not that he really cares at this point, or ever, just normally he is a bit better at censoring his thoughts.

Shadow shrugs at the confession. Makes enough sense, roommates don't really have to care about each other. Even on his end, most of the color that gets on people is just a bit of green, a sign of a low level amount of protectiveness.

"Yer answering yer own question," Shadow said simply. "Eventually someone is going to leave, which isn't a sentiment that comes from people who aren't afraid of being alone. And when people are afraid to lose something, it means they get something they want or need out of it."

"Actually I got a particular dislike for you," Idia continues. "Or anyone I have to share a room with. Emporio's ok I guess, but too cheerful most the time, but he's a kid, you know? I don't mind kids. And Zetta is far too loud, and annoying, and won't shut up. You're fine, I guess. Not like we really hang out for me to know. I just hate not having my own room here, it's torture."

Although, "That rabbit is nice to have around though. Be better if it was a cat, but it's cute." The rabbit gets a pass.

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Into the Unknown Part Two

Idia Shroud | Orange Team | OTA

layer three

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chapter 6 spoilery stuff within/to come

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III

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3

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