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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

1. Layer One

[Masumi is looking tense as the train enters the voidstorm, and for good reason. Her previous experiences with voidstorms were not great, whether it was being tricked into seeing her family in the void or getting drawn into a fistfight with Kaiba over Monopoly.

Thankfully, the effects seem minor so far, just shifting colours, but she's on her guard in case things get worse.

Notably, she's also colour shifting to match her tense mood, an orange wash overtaking her.]

2. Layer One, Part Two (Closed to Jolyne and Emporio)

[Spotting Jolyne at some point during the first layer, Masumi decides to go over and say hi. It can't hurt, especially since Masumi needs a distraction from her own voidstorm worries anyways.

...Notably, Jolyne turns a bright pink when Masumi looks at her. It's probably nothing...]

3. Eye of the Storm

[Masumi accepts the invitation to look, and almost immediately shock overtakes her at the sight of the hole in the void, with those shapes lurking within. Then the connection cuts, and Masumi has barely a moment to think about what she just saw before chaos hits.

Barely avoiding a burst pipe, Masumi staggers hard against a wall as the power cuts out, though it's possible to catch a look of genuine fear in her face just before it goes dark.]

Shit! [As things settle down, Masumi looks around in the dark, trying to calm down and see if anyone's hurt.]

...Everyone okay?

I'm fine, just a bit rattled. Hold on a bit...

[Kyoko holds up her Soul Gem and it begins glowing, casting their surroundings in a red light not entirely unlike emergency lights.]

[She watches as the Soul Gem starts glowing, taking the chance to look around now that she can see her surroundings a bit better.]

Thanks. That was sure something, wasn't it? I kind of thought we were going to die right here for a moment.

[With the train crushing in a bit around them, it was a valid fear. Might still be a valid fear, depending on if the train can get back to the station.]

Wouldn't that be a shitty way to go? "They went to investigate something weird and got crushed in their craft before they could get there." Sounds like background characters in some video game sending you on a fetch quest for sturdier materials.

Please don't talk like that when we're still stuck in the train...

[Masumi would really rather not think about the possibility they could still die on the way back.

Glancing at the burst water pipe, she frowns, her mind turning to what can be done about this situation.]

It'd be great if we could at least fix the water supply, then that'd be one less problem on our hands.

Oh, that's no problem.

[Kyoko puts her hand on a pipe and it begins to glow and shift. The glow spreads through the pipes, bending them back into shape and sealing bursts. When it's done, they seem to be made of a reddish gold.]

I know I say this a lot, but god I love enchantment. Easily the most useful magic I have. Want me to do the lights too?

[Masumi watches, a small relief growing in her as the pipes are mended. Sure, the situation is still not great, but at least leaking water isn't a problem anymore.]

Thank you. Doing the lights would be great too, just to make it easier to get around. [Now that things are getting fixed, things don't seem so overwhelming after what happened.

Speaking of which:]

You see what was out there too? [The shapes that looked suspiciously like the world eaters.]

[Kyoko nods, getting to work on the lights.]

Yeah, I saw them. I'm putting good odds on us having found some kind of nest.

[Masumi just watches, unable to really help Kyoko due to not having magic like that.]

I suppose that'll have to be dealt with if we want to stop worlds from being destroyed. [And she's not looking forward to it, based on what she saw and what happened to the train.]

Yeesh, that ain't gonna be pleasant. I mean, if each one of those things is a Kriemhild Gretchen tier threat, we're gonna need a hell of a lot of firepower if we want to stand a chance.

[Masumi doesn't know what a Kriemhild Gretchen is, but based on context, it's probably pretty bad.]

I'm not sure how to stop those things even with some of the people here. Obviously they have to be stopped, or they'll just keep destroying systems, but how?

[She's clearly rattled by that glimpse, in combination with just how fast they can destroy a whole system.]

That would be a problem for people who are smarter than me to figure out. I'm the one you ask to figure out tricky gimmicks or how to even the playing field on a tough fight, not if it can be evened at all.

That's fair. I'm just worried about all this.

[Admittedly, everyone's probably worried right now.]

...Let's just focus on the train and getting back to the station right now. [Problems that can be dealt with instead of what can't be dealt with.]

[Emporio hasn't turned any colors...Yet. Hasn't turned any yet. He's with Jolyne himself of course- the two are practically inseparable- but unfortunately being with Jolyne means seeing what's going on with Sera.

...And also with Jolyne.

With both, actually.

Emporio's eyes slowly, but steadily, go right up.]

[Don't you dare, child. Because she's dumb as a box of rocks and totally hasn't realized any of this yet. Even if she's raising a brow slowly as she notices Sera. That's... a lot of pink. She's not entirely sure what that means, but that's new.]

'Sup? [Be casual. ~~Send help, let her have the brain cell.~~]

Some voidstorm, huh?

[That sure is a lot of pink! Masumi has by now noticed all the pink, but hasn't quite connected the dots just yet.]

Anyway, how are you holding up so far? [She is also trying her hardest to be casual.]

[This is so hard, you two. Emporio keeps looking back and forth between the two, slowly having to raise a fist in front of his mouth to keep from blurting anything out. Guys. You're neon freaking lights. You're lighting up the hall.

GUYS.]

Uh- ...Well, so far we're doing okay...it's not actually as bad as the storms I've been in before, I don't think...

[Emporio, you are the holder of the brain cell and you know this! Because Jolyne is continuing to be an idiot even while looking towards her companion and... okay, why's he acting like that? Huh.]

Ehhh, you know. Not too keen on some of it, but hasn't been that bad, yet. [It'd be worse if she hadn't found Emporio to rattle off asinine shit to, but that's neither here nor there.]

Guessin' you're looking for something to occupy your time with?

Yup. It's not that bad so far, but I don't want to see what happens if I hang out in the game carriage this time. Besides, I like hanging out with you.

[There's a story in there about what happened last time, but Masumi's not telling that story right now. She's more focused on trying (and failing) to stay casual, especially since Emporio is standing Right There.

...Actually, what's going on with Emporio right now?]

...Something on your mind, Emporio?

Uhhhhh...!

[Emporio, predictably, panics the minute he's addressed. This entire situation is one he's trying desperately not to immediately highlight, because then it's probably going to get really weird really fast. They'll both start going 'huh?? no, it's fine! we're not pink!' even though they're lit up like fairy lights in a summer party.

So Emporio does the only safe thing he can think of in that moment.

Which is lie.]

N- Nothing, not really! I guess I'm just...hoping it's nothing like last time...?

[Nailed it?? Nailed it.

NAILED IT.]

[That sounds like a lie, Emporio. And Jolyne can't help but frown for a moment at the answer, because she's certain that... can't be why he's acting like that. But best to ignore it.

For now.]

Doooo you? Doubt it'll be as interesting as last time, I'm afraid. [That's... clearly supposed to be a joke and to keep it vague, even though she's not remotely afraid of what Emporio may or may not glean from all of that.]

Wouldn't mind the extra company~

I don't know, there's a reason I think the train should ban Monopoly during voidstorms.

[Just what did Masumi do involving Monopoly during the last storm?]

But I wouldn't mind the company either, it's better than worrying about what'll happen and we haven't talked in a bit~

[Masumi grins, one snaggletooth on display as she continues to miss why both her and Jolyne are bright pink right now.]

[He can't tell if this is deliberate or not.] It's definitely different from last time already...

[Did he say that? Ignore that.] ...Maybe I should uhh...get something while you guys talk though?

[He's begging you two take a hint.]

[Taking a hint? Never ever, he should know her lack of brain cells in most times.]

Why do you think that? It ain't like this is private. [And there it is, the clear fact that she has no idea what the fuck is actually going on.]

'Sides, we were just kinda... walkin' anyway, yeah? [Sorry, Emporio.]

Yeah, we're just walking and talking, Emporio. [And an equal lack of brain cells at the moment from Masumi!]

It's not like we're saying anything weird, right Jolyne? [In her eyes, this is a Normal Conversation that is totally unrelated to their current colour scheme.

Because you know, Normal Conversations definitely involve barely veiled romantic tension.]

Masumi Sera | Purple Team | OTA unless specified

Eye

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Oh boy oh god

NOW IN THE RIGHT PLACE

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