( may event log )

[hownkai]

Who: Everyone
When: May 1st and on
Where: The Moira + Amissis-Re
What: The crew finds themselves visiting the very barren planet of Amissis-Re.
Warnings:None, but please label your content!

E V E N T L O G

far from nowhere "the trees rustle in the evening when we stand uneasy before our own thoughts." With the events of Del Pascia behind the Moira, things are only now beginning to settle—and not very well. Through the combined efforts of some of the crew, D-E-L and her permanent residents were incinerated into the dust of space. While it’s not the most peaceful end, it is one, and not many are going to be thinking back on how nice Del Pascia’s facilities were for quite some time. Repairing what they could of the ship’s interior and putting as much distance between the Moira and the prison as possible, those aboard are informed by Navigation that they are approaching another planet. This means, of course, the potential for better supplies, as some things are beginning to dwindle, and the Captains elect to dock so long as the crew follows protocol. WELCOME TO AMISSIS-RE Amissis-Re is an unregistered planet with no documented histories or signs of life. The Moira’s Navigation crew have scanned the planet for any usable resources and have discovered a faint signal emitting from beneath the surface of Amissi-Re. Using the transporters and any other crafts located in the Cargo Bay, the crew are able to travel to the source of the signal. Upon arriving in its exact location, they’ll find a small series of lakes that lead to a tower-like structure that appears to be in use. Crew must cross a poorly assembled bridge system that sways and dips when weight is applied to it in order to gain access to the entrance. Once there, a woman comes out to greet them and explains, excitedly, that she is so very happy that they have come to Amissis-Re. Everyone can go home. Their host insists that she has done the impossible and has somewhat fixed the Ingress that’s been built on Amissis-Re a long time ago, and what’s more, she can send crew home for short bursts of time. Upon following this woman inside, crew will find that the planet is not, in fact, barren at all. Diving deep into the underbelly of Amissis-Re, it’s like an eternal factory of machines, and while vast, for whatever reason, it also seems incredibly welcoming... ☄ LEAP OF FAITH ( 05.01 and on ) The barren planet of Amissis-Re is devoid of vegetation and organic life except for a lone woman, and the planet itself is an intricate honeycomb of machines that go for miles below the surface. Yet, that seems insignificant and unimportant in comparison to the news that the crew has just received. After Thán has looked at the Ingress, he tells the crew that he cannot say for certain that it is properly functioning, but Emiri native, Ben Link, will volunteer to test it out. An elevator takes crew down to a glass platform that overlooks an inverted Ingress portal. In order to return home, the Moirans will have to take a leap of faith and jump in. Ben, in order to show his commitment to the crew and willingness to help get them home, takes that jump with Captain Thán seconds behind him. Jumping feels like dropping through wind; lights swirl, it’s warm, and a soft buzzing encompasses you as you fall. You don’t feel the landing. One moment you’re falling, and the next, you’re in a new world. A few hours pass before a similar elevator rises from below and to the left of the Ingress, stopping beside the platform. Ben and Thán step out unharmed. It works, and everyone can temporarily go home. Will you jump? ☄ COMBINE THE EXTREMES ( 05.01 and on ) The woman that greeted the crew and led them to the platform will allow anyone that wants to go home the opportunity to go. There’s only one catch: it’s not permanent. She’s worked for years to fix the Ingress so that she can return to her own home but hasn’t been able to make the trip an everlasting one. Everyone always comes back. Always. They go for a few hours, at first, but that amount of time increases with each visit. The one guideline, she says, is that you can’t go alone. Each trip requires a partner, or it becomes too much for the mind to bear. These rules are simple: the world takes shape depending on who jumps first, but if crew go hand-in-hand and leap at the same time, the worlds combine. This new world will be populated with people that existed in both and may appear to be a jarring combination of both worlds. It may seem unusual, but if the woman is asked, she’ll explain that the combined world does exist as there are more universes than can be imagined. The Ingress tries to take the person to their own home, their original home, but when jumping together, it finds the closest possible match and deposits them there instead. From that point on, you can travel the world together or split up, but remember, this world is a living, functioning world. It doesn’t matter if it’s the home of one crew member or a combination. You meet other people. You can get hurt. You influence and are influenced by others. Be cautious, and enjoy your visit “home”. ☄ LINGER ON ( 05.05 and on ) The more times the Amissis-Re Ingress is visited, the more it seems that your trips last longer and the experience becomes even more vivid. More real and harder to distinguish from the current reality that you know. It’s difficult to explain why, but you get the feeling that maybe if you went without the aid of the host, that perhaps you’d be able to stay. Forever. It takes some subterfuge, but in time, you see your chance: she’s nowhere in sight, and you take it. The world you are in now is completely your own, whether another crew member accompanied you or not. The people you know are there, everything around you is exactly as you remember. A few hours pass, and you don’t feel that familiar tug, that invisible hook at the base of your spine that signals that your visit is over. Even more time goes by, and you’re still in that world, your home. When the first day has passed, you begin to question if you’ll ever go back, or if life on the Moira was all a dream. The person with you won’t be able to convince you otherwise, and they’ll start to feel less real, a stranger that you used to know. There’s only one way to go back to the Moira. Someone from the other side has to come in and retrieve you both. Once in, contact with a third will jump-start a link through the Ingress, and it will pull all crew back to the platform. ( ooc; For questions, go here. Please comment to activity check to receive new ranks (if applicable)! )

Comments

Asriel Dreemurr | ota

[pleasereset]

Let's Visit the Underground

[When he was first told that he could go home, Asriel's answer was an immediate "no". Why would he want to go back? He knew what fate waited for him back home. He didn't want it. Things weren't perfect here - far from it - but it was far better than what he had.

But curiosity tugged at him as people went off and returned with new stories of their world. It wasn't permanent. They could fix him again if he... didn't come back right. And maybe, he just wanted to see if he made a difference at all.

When Asriel finds his partner, he finally gathers up the courage to go "home". Whoever's with him, they'll find themselves in a dark cavern standing next to a golden flower bed. It's eerily silent here, and aside from some light filtering down from somewhere above, there doesn't seem to be any immediate way out.

Asriel looks nervous. But he smiles at his companion anyway. It's okay, everything's going to be okay. They can leave if things get bad.]

Sorry... it didn't used to be this empty. Do you mind if we stop somewhere before we start looking around?

Closed to Papyrus

[pleasereset]

[It made sense that Papyrus would want to come along. He's not sure when Papyrus was pulled from his home to the Moira, but Asriel guesses it was probably around the same time monsters were heading towards the surface.

So with a leap into the portal, here they were. The Underground was already cleared out, with the exception of just the two of them.

Asriel doesn't seem to be in any hurry to get moving. Instead, he kneels down next to the bed of golden flowers.]

Papyrus, if you want to go on ahead, I think Frisk and the other monsters are already on the surface by now.

Liquid Snake | Metal Gear | ota

[saveyourserpent]

[A. CLOSER TO REAL]

At first, Liquid had been far too wary of this Ingress. Going home? Even for a brief moment? Sounded too good to be true. And even when it had been tested, he still wasn't sure. Where he was from, he was dead. Would he be dead when he got back? It was something he tended to worry about with the whole ship, after all. What would happen when they reached their destination and everyone went home?

Sure, he'd been planning for coming home with a fresh new body and plans to pick up where he'd left off, but the paranoia about everything being wrong caught up with him from time to time. And after the massive fiasco on the station, he still wasn't in the best of moods.

But eventually he decided he might as well try. If he ended up as a ghost, the Ingress should still be able to pull him out when his time was up. And if he ended up alive, he'd be able to test things out to start with. Sounded a bit win-win.

First things first, though, he apparently needed a partner.

"Would you like to see it?"

[B. A NICE PLACE TO VISIT]

Liquid was itching to go back, but he could always visit his world another time. He was curious about where other people came from, or maybe he just wanted to see another time. Or maybe someone had invited him and he couldn't exactly say no. Whatever the case, he stood in front of the Ingress, this time ready to let someone else go first.

"Alright, show me."

[C. WHERE THERE IS LIGHT (set about mid-month or so)]

Eventually, Liquid got tired of visiting other people's worlds, or taking breaks from his own.

Here, the Ingress hadn't taken him to the end of his life, or the end of his possession, or the end of anything. It had thrust him back into the thick of things, far before everything had gone downhill.

What was wrong with staying here? Everyone he cared about was here. And it was hard to get him to really care about anyone to begin with. Here, his team was alive, and he could fight like he used to. Hell, even if he'd already done these missions, he could do them again. And he'd know what to do when his brother came around. He'd be able to prevent everything that had happened at Shadow Moses. Stop FOXDIE.

Hours had gone by before he'd realized he hadn't felt the pull again. Whether he had a companion or not, whether they'd told him to leave or not, he didn't listen.

This was home, wasn't it?

[D. IMPERMANENCE (set about mid-month or so)]

Dreams about space travel. Deja vu, like he'd been through some of these things before. Weird ideas of what the future might hold.

It felt like something was slipping from his hands, and yet everything he needed was right here.

It was getting to be about time to head out, and Liquid hadn't expected any visitors. Not here.

So it had startled the hell out of him when someone had just appeared, appeared the way he didn't remember appearing. Maybe they looked familiar, maybe they didn't, but the fact that one moment they were there and the next they weren't was more than a little unnerving. Especially since, well, he didn't know too many people who could do that.

He stared at the newcomer, a suspicious look on his face. "How the hell'd you get in here?"

[E. WILDCARD]

[Any ideas that don't fit these scenarios? hit me up anyway bro]

Re: closer to real;

[cardboard_boss]

Ahab glanced at Liquid and gave him a firm nod. After all the other crazy stuff they'd been through whilst being crew members aboard the Moira what else could happen? If he would indeed end up somewhere with Liquid it wouldn't be bad, right? The guy needed a break of some kind anyway, since anger was always the emotion to cover him like a black cloud.

"Yeah I would. Let's go."

cassandra | ota

[deal]

[After her recent curiosity about sending word back home to her group, Cassandra's instantly interested in going back home. She listens to the woman that explains things to them intently, and upon understanding that she needs someone to go with her to make the trip she seeks out those that are nearby. She tends to gravitate toward those she knows and is starting to learn how to trust, but those that she doesn't know that are nearby and look like they could be useful to bring along (essentially a second body to use to get through the portal back home) is approached as well.

She's not big on holding hands, and would be angry if someone approached her and just took hold of her hand. But not wanting people to pair off and leave her behind, she grabs her chosen partner's hand firmly and looks them in the eye.]

Come with me.

[It's more a plea than a demand, but her eagerness to see home again is still there all the same.]

[ooc: Cassandra is more likely to go to people she already knows, but new cr can be grabbed as well! If you'd like to plot out whose world they end up in - contact me at spectromagic!]

[cardboard_boss]

Sure. Where are we going?

[Ahab looked at Cassandra and wondered where she was going to take them both. Back to her home? Would it be filled with zombies and zombie dogs? He had his tranq and a hand gun on him, so could help fight if need be. Hopefully, they wouldn't get attacked as soon as their feet touched ground again.]

Alright. I'm ready for this.

Fatima Merali | OTA

[dust_of_life]

Fatima was of the mind that if something sounded too good to be true, it probably was. But--thanks largely to her shitty experiences in Zelien--she was also of the mind that you had to be a little reckless in your life. Otherwise, you weren't really a live, were you?

Which was to say, she decided that she wanted to go adventuring into some other worlds. The scavenging would be useful and she might learn a thing or two.

...as for going to her own home...well. She had mixed feelings there. She'd privately made up her mind, back in Zelien, that if she was ever given the choice, she wouldn't return. She'd go back to Sam's world with him. Build a life there. That option was off the table. But she still wasn't sure she wanted to return to a world where destiny felt so...fixed.

But that was, neither here nor there.

At the moment, she needed to find some willing partners. So she strolled the glass platform, willing herself to consider the sea of strangers around her.

Peter Maximoff

[takeitslow]

If Home Is Where The Heart Is; OTA

[He doesn't hesitate; even if it's only a change to go home for a little while, Peter is jumping for it. The Moira might be shiny and advanced and hold his new family, but he's missed his sisters, his room, his space. And coming away from the mayhem he's caused, there's a childish part of him that just really wants his mother to remind him that no matter how badly he's screwed up, there was always a place Peter was welcomed with open arms. Even if she was more likely to give him a good smack before hugging him.

Whomever he's pulled along on the ride has been given some specific rules. No powers outside of the house. No talking to his family about what happened the last few months. They're welcome to follow him home, if they promise to play nice by his sisters. Or they can explore DC on their own, he doesn't care. He's got business to attend to.]

Maybe I should stop and pick something up for the baby first. Coming back empty handed seems a little bad, right?

There's Room In a Hotel In New York City; Closed to J/Ed

[She's alive. She's not talking and she's probably more traumatized than he is and they've got miles of shit to work out that neither have the maturity to even start on, but he can push all of that aside because she's alive.

After seeing the broadcast, Peter felt like turning tail on his world. But he remembers her talking about New York, the way her eyes had lit up and he's taking her through the portal before he can second guess himself. He owes her, more than he feels capable of paying back in his lifetime, and if he has to suffer through a world that has a sudden knowledge and suspicion of what he is, then okay. He'll do it for her. He can't make up for what he caused but he can do this.

So he's made J pack extra clothes in case the trip doesn't agree with her, stuffed all his hair under a knit cap he'd taken from an earlier trip home, and pulled her through.]

Just stick close to me, okay?

[There's part of him that's irrationally afraid to have her in his world, regardless of that need to grovel for what he caused. Part of it is the walking into the unknown, unsure of what population is really thinking about the mutant reveal and what could happen if they figure out what he is. A lot of it is just because it's her. He's watched her die once and cities are dangerous even without a rocky political climate.]

I'll have no idea where I'm going without you, anyway. I'm crap at reading maps.

[seeingscarlet]

[Wanda doesn't know it yet, but the less she talks here, the better - her accent is going to be a problem.]

It shouldn't be hard to find something. But...are you sure this is all right?

[Who is he even going to tell them she is?]

The Girl

[kidjoy]

Burning Up In the Sun; OTA

[It's hot. The air's dry and smells of something acidic, like burning chemicals. There's sand as far as the eye can see, buzzards flying, and the distance sound of a motor. The sun bearing down is unbearable and off behind a pile of rocks there's white cloth that upon further inspection will be found to be a body bag.

The girl couldn't look more thrilled.

She isn't waiting for her companion to keep up, she's heading off through the sand with a smile on her face. ]

You better not stick to one place, bet ya the Dracs will be around here patrolin' soon.


You Only Live Forever; Closed to first reply for it

[She's only come with another because she had to and she's quiet for the entire walk. There's a letter weighing heavy in her pack, but the closer they get to the mailbox in the distance, the more at peace her expression becomes. This is a moment she's needed for a long time, since that day in Better Living's headquarters. There's a proper way to say goodbye in the desert, and she won't let the presence of another keep her from the ritual.

She comes to a stop several feet away from the box, regarding it the way some would a religious shrine. The image isn't that far off. The mailbox is decorated to the nines, several layers of graffiti and paint covering every inch. Flowers and unlit candles and small trinkets lay around it, a cross has been laid on top. The corner of something colorful is peeking fro the flap and the girl stumbles forward to free it. It's a circular looking mask, bright green and orange, and she pushes it the rest of the way in with surprising gentleness. ]

It's pretty full. Must be 'bout time for her to make the rounds.

you only live forever

[amourtician]

[ Jay watches the Girl in silence. He's barely said anything the whole walk here and the heat and the distance are only partially why. But her comment finally prompts him to speak, curiosity finally overriding all other impulses and judgements. ]

Who? The Painted Reaper's mailwoman?

[ It doesn't occur to him that the Girl may not know about the Painted Reaper and her yearly rounds at Harvest and the letters of petition written to her by everyone from girls hoping to marry well to lonely widowers wanting one last minute with their late wives. ]

Venom Snake | Metal Gear | OTA

[cardboard_boss]

Return to Mother Base:

[Snake hadn't picked any random person to come pass through the portal and come out on the other side. That being his base; Mother Base. It was a secret base out in the Seychelles, so he trusted this person never to speak of what they were about to see. He just hoped this wasn't a cruel trick to get people's hopes up then dash them once they found home again. Ahab turned to his partner and gripped onto their arm ready for the jump. This would be a mix of emotion for him. He was finally going home. Back to his base.]

You ready?

[Snake sighed, as he stepped forwards on the edge of the portal and jumped. He hoped the person next to him would be alright with finding themselves aboard a military base out in the ocean. Hey, it was home, right? Snake landed on his feet and then it hit him; salty air. That sweet smell of home. That and the smell of metal. The base was built of metal struts and pillars suspended over a vast ocean. Perfect. He turned to see if his partner was alright.]

Hey, you ok?

Jay Zimin | OTA

[amourtician]

[ Jay takes a long, hard look at the portal, squares his shoulders—an absurd gesture on his slight frame—and takes a deep breath. Beyond may well lie home … and Lev, and Rook's grave. Those are things worth seeing.

But beyond may also lie Mir's worse parts. He hopes whoever's foolish enough to come with him has a strong stomach.

He turns to his prospective travel companion and gives a crooked grin. ]

Are you ready, darling? Let me show you the world of Spirit and Flesh—

i. the cellar door is an open throat

[ Jay and his travel companion exit in a house inhabited mostly by dust. They're in a private library, so crowded with books that they're stacked almost everywhere there is space; the bookshelves overflow. The chairs are piled high. The desk is barely visible, though some room has been left for a small alchemy kit—just a gas burner and a couple of triangular flasks and a stirrer.

Jay sneezes, once, twice, and then looks around and swears. ]

Oh good Lord. Of all the places—

[ He turns to his travel companion and sighs. ]

Sorry, dearest. This is, ah. My mentor's old house. And—

[ A crash of crockery from downstairs interrupts him and he swears again. Hellewege's house is bad enough. Hellewege's house full of burglars is a nightmare. ]

And apparently we're not alone. How joyous.

ii. and the druids turn to stone

[ Jay closes his eyes this time. He opens them when gentle breeze brushes past his face and finds himself nose to nose with what looks like a pointy shoe held upside-down. ]

Oh, bugger.

[ He and the poor soul foolish enough to follow him through the portal are in a clearing in a birch grove. Tall grass brushes their ankles. Somewhere nearby, a frog croaks its disgust with the world.

All around them are—well, it's hard to tell precisely what they are. They look like humanoid shapes, minus the head, the neck growing out of the ground. Or they would look like that, if their surfaces weren't disturbingly organic, like the surfaces of certain mushrooms, and if they weren't covered with gently swaying fronds and tubules. Tentacles, one might even say. The things are in nauseating shades of green and purple and khaki.

Jay makes a gagging noise. ]

If you want to leave, darling, I would understand perfectly.

iii. wildcard!

Have something else in mind? Want to combine worlds? You can plot with me on plurk (tintamarre) and we can figure something out!

Druids?

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

[Of course Papyrus was more than willing to follow Jay. He has yet to turn down a single invitation into the worlds of his friends, and the unsettling nature of the area they land in only makes him more intrigued. He steps closer to one of the... figures and examines it.]

Don't be silly! Where else can we enjoy looking at... um... what are we looking at?

the fledgling | ota

[bloodbinds]

before the crisis (pre-vampire) - early may
[ Ava's has misgivings about using the Ingress, no matter what proof there is that things are fine. The uncertainty around the function of the machine is only a part of the problem - she realizes quickly that returning home, even temporarily, will put her right back into immediate danger. Any Kindred nearby will want her dead over lies that LaCroix is spinning, and she doesn't know if she can fight every vampire in all of Los Angeles just to get out alive. Jack can't protect her (or won't) and she can't rely on the Anarchs or Strauss, not when people believe Nines is dead and she's defected the Camarilla. She has a great deal to consider before she goes.

But her curiosity and her hope for something better outweighs it all, and by the end of the first week, she's taking the plunge into her own world instead of going to someone else's.

She steps out into Los Angeles in the daytime. In the daytime. She recoils first, shocked, afraid...and only then realizes she's still alive. She isn't burning. There are no fangs, no thirst for blood. She's at a reasonable weight, her stomach is gurgling with hunger. She's...human again. She's normal. ]

Oh my god.

[ It's quiet at first, muffled with a hand. She doesn't cry even if there are tears stinging at her eyes. This is what she wanted. This is how she wanted to be again. Ava's eyes are alight with excitement and thrill, and she looks about ready to run off. She's normal again. Now, now everything will be okay. ]

Oh my god... I'm back home.

[ Back home and alive. What could be better? ]

I have to-- We have to... [ She shoots the other person an ecstatic look. ] Come on, let me show you everything. This is-- This is going to be so great.

[ There are restaurants to explore, things to do, people to meet. She has a life to live again, if only for a few hours. She wants to spend it as best she can. Maybe she has time to find her family and leave them messages, let them know what's going to happen to her. Maybe she can stop it all, find her Sire and kill him first. Maybe, just maybe, she can fix everything. ]


final nights - second week of May (tw: descriptions of cannibalism)
[ All good things must come to an end. The few times she's jumped through the Ingress, she's either gone back as human or in the beginning days of her vampirism, fresh faced and uncertain. Of course, with her memories still intact, she's found it easier to change things - Heather is pushed away immediately and she hopes that will keep her alive, she starts saving her money for weapons and ammunition, and she takes greater care to watch what she says around her 'elders'. There's more to observe this time, both in the Camarilla and with LaCroix, and only now does she see how much he loathes her. It starts a rolling boil of anger within her, and she begins to scour Los Angeles for items she might need: weapons, books on Thaumaturgy, and any items she left behind.

But then, in the second week, she jumps...and finds a very darker, far more different world than she left. The date is a few years later, and yet the world couldn't be more different. Kindred are disappearing, missing, getting murdered. Things are getting worse, much worse, and Ava doesn't know what's going on.

Those who go with her will find the world bleak, and there is dark energy in the air. Something is wrong, very obviously so, and looking at televisions and news reports will show exposure of the supernatural...very specifically, vampires. The Masquerade. All of it's blown right into the open and everything is very, very bad. That's not the worst thing, of course. Humans are turning feral and eating one another, controlled by some of the elder vampires that have risen from their slumber, and the whole world seems to be breaking apart from the inside out.

Where does Ava fit into all of this? Nowhere, really. She is very quick to get anyone with her off of the streets and into one of her hiding holes, an old rundown apartment building that's more or less seen better days. But there are weapons, and the windows are shielded from what little sunlight there is, and she looks better prepared than anyone else in the world.

To whomever is with her, she looks apologetic. She doesn't say what she is or how she's connected to all of this, and it isn't incredibly clear what she is now - especially as the sun is not permitted to shine entirely, choked by Lasombra's darkness. But everything is very, very bad, and surviving until they are pulled back through the Ingress is their only option. ]

Welcome to Los Angeles, I guess.


wildcard + rescue - anytime
[ Ava isn't keen on going back to her world after she experiences the Final Nights. She's taken what she can, every item she can fit into a bag and onto her back, and tried to bring it back. She has money to stash away for any world that will take Earth currency, she has a few mementos to comfort herself in the loss of everything else, and she tries desperately to rid herself of the horror she's seen. Kindred dying, being devoured. Humans tearing themselves apart. She thinks of the family she's left behind, her human family, and she hopes everything she's done to fix things will work out. She hopes they end up surviving.

Now? Now, she needs to do something else so she doesn't lose herself in the spiral of depression seeking to overtake her.

When someone comes up to the Ingress alone, she is there to offer herself as a jumping partner. ]

You first.

[ No one wants to go back to her home. Not her, not anyone else. Besides, she can learn so much more from other worlds...provided she doesn't burn up and die in the sunlight.

But sometimes, there are people stuck in their worlds, and she is also there to volunteer to bring them back. This Ingress, she decides, isn't safe. If it can take her to the end of her world, what's to prevent it from taking someone to the end of theirs, or to the destruction of their home? How can they be certain anyone is safe?

So she is there, ready to help, because at least it takes her mind off of the alternative...even if repeated exposure to other worlds isn't favorable either. ]


[ ooc: Any combination worlds or rescue attempts we can hash out over PM or onlydawn. Hit me up if you want a specific prompt or a closed option and I'll write one up for you!! ]

before the crisis

[wedealwithit]

[Danny doesn't want to return home, there's nothing for him back there, and even though he'd never thought of himself as much of an explorer, this suits him. He can meet people here that he'd never have been able to back home and that works for him. So, no, he won't step into the Ingress hoping to see his own home, the people he loved can't possibly be there, but he can go with others to their worlds.

He follows Ava in, nervous merely because of the unknown. Danny glances sharply over at her when she speaks, then looks around him with wide eyes. He isn't sure what's going on or where they are, but she seems excited.]

Where are we? Somewhere in the states?

[Danny hasn't seen many films, but he can vaguely recognize that it feels like the West Coast.]

I don't mind where we go. I'd love to look around.

luke skywalker | ota-ish.

[t65]

[Luke isn't sure if he trusts the woman, isn't sure if he's so hungry to return home that he'd reckless with it, but that doesn't matter. Luke is, at heart, an adventurer. If there's some promising challenge of the new and the awe-inspiring, Luke will leap forth.]

[Wearing a sleeveless shirt, it's easy to see the prosthetic hand that begins a little below his wrist. He holds it out, now, and smiles reassuringly.]

Ready to go?

[Please plot with me at least a little bit so I know where we're going and what we're doin beforehand, but I'm basically open to anything. My plotting comment is here if you'd like to peruse it, and you can also contact me at wehwalt. Also, please note I'm 9000% okay with writing starters if necessary, just lmk if you need me to whip one up!]

[deal]

[Cassandra in no way trusts this woman, but her fear of what may happen to her is at a minimum right now, and her recent desire to leave a note for her group back home wins out over any reservations she may have. When the group ventured out, she kept near Luke anyway, just out of the comfort of having someone familiar that she's starting to learn how to trust nearby. So she's right there when he holds out his hand, and she doesn't hesitate in taking hold of the prosthetic, her fingers curling through his. Her grip is a little tight because she is nervous about what may happen to him if she fucks this up somehow, but shows no other signs of emotion.]

I'm always ready.

[She retorts, smiling just a little as she glances up at him. If it were anyone else, she'd shove them back and make sure she leapt first. But since it is him, she moves forward and tugs him along with her, so they can leap at the same time.]

Toriel | OTA

[inruins]

[Leap of Faith]

The temptation to go home is... alluring. Even with her uncertainty after the prison ship fiasco, Toriel finds herself watching people vanish into and emerge from the portal with no harm.

She steps forward uncertainly, reddish brown eyes stuck in the portal for a long moment. She only realizes she's standing too close to someone after a moment. Like many others, the draw of going home earns curiosity and a want.

"Oh! My apologies." She steps back with a sheepish kind of smile. "I suppose my mind wandered a bit."

[pleasereset]

It's okay, Asriel is hovering pretty close to Toriel anyway. He's staring at the portal with heaping amount of uncertainty and he's not even sure if it's okay for him to go. But it was only for a little bit...

"Is it really okay?"

To go in, to go with her. He's not really sure which question he's trying to answer.

CLOSED to Ratchet

[peridork]

Certainly, Peridot can’t be the only person on the Moira who is nervous about the prospect of going home, however brief a visit it may be.

She does have to wonder, though, if anyone else’s circumstances are quite as complicated as what she’s dealing with at the moment. The little gem feels smaller than ever as she stands there on the precipice above the swirling portal, arms wrapped tight around herself, an unhappy grimace smeared across her face… And it’s not just the absence of her limb enhancers that are making her feel even more insignificant than usual.

For anyone who doesn’t know any better, with the state that Peridot’s in, it probably looks like she’s very much on the verge of tossing her breakfast. That would be inaccurate, of course, but: One of the many benefits of not having to eat to sustain herself. No eating, no stomach, no chance of puking from nerves.

Naturally, with all this on her mind, she’s much too busy sweating bullets to notice Ratchet making any kind of appearance

[neveroutwrenched]

If Ratchet has any reservations about travelling through this secondary Ingress knock-off, it's only that people don't seem to understand how a world that looks like their world might not necessarily be their own. It's the reason he doesn't have any plans to go back to his own - why get all worked up over something that was ultimately unattainable? Possibly just a convincing copy?

Still, he's more than happy to accompany other people into theirs if that's what they want. It might be an interesting experience, and likely the only chance they'd ever have at this kind of thing.

When he finds the gem standing near the portal, she doesn't exactly look convinced herself.

"You alright there, Peridot? You're looking a little green."

Deacon | Fallout 4 | OTA (prose or bracket style equally welcome)

[ersatzeverything]

A. Going Postal

Fuck heights. Fuck ledges he’s supposed to jump off of. And fuck his heart which is pounding in his chest like it’s going to explode because he’s gotta jump if he’s going to go back home and he’ll never forgive himself if he doesn’t go because he’s too much a coward to make the leap.

He closes his eyes tightly and tries to lie to himself that he’s just jumping off a rock and the ground is totally just two feet down, no big. He can’t fool himself, but he manages to jump anyway.

Never before has he been so relieved to feel the weird push-pull of the Ingress. It sure beats the splat he was half expecting. Salty sea wind chills his cheeks; mold and rot assault his nose. Even before he looks, he knows he’s home.

Under his sunglasses, his eyes open. Home indeed, more than he expected or wanted. University Point is in ruins now, the settlement he remembered from his youth destroyed a few years back. And is unfortunately far away from the routes the Railroad uses.

“Crap.” He takes a deep breath. “I need to find a mailbox and this is seriously not the place for it.”

B. Safe As Houses

The second jump is better than the first. He appears near Diamond City, instead of in the ass end of nowhere like he did the first time. A quick check at a dead drop gives him a mission. One of the safehouses has been out of contact with HQ for three weeks and someone needs to do some recon. It’s the sort of thing he can do quietly, write a quick report, and stick it in a dead drop for HQ before the Ingress pulls him back.

C. The Glowing Sea

This isn’t a place he’s been before, but the green mist clinging to the landscape is a dead giveaway. Emphasis on the “dead.” He can almost feel his genes being mutilated by rads as he speaks.

“We should get out of here. Like, now.”

D. Memory and Memorial

The vast basement room that stored the museum collections is dimly lit. Storage shelves that held priceless artifacts are tipped over and broken, three thousand year old vases shattered. Skeletons lie here and there, weapons clutched in their fleshless fingers. They died fighting.

Deacon is silent for a long time. He swallows once.

“Wow, this is even messier than my room.” The joke comes out flat.

E. Anything you want!

Re: glowing sea;

[cardboard_boss]

What was that glowing green lake in front of them? When Ahab had agreed to accompany Deacon to his place of birth he hadn't quite expected this. Snake could feel his body begin to tingle and he felt sick. That wasn't good, was it? Radiation? The whole world was a burnt crisp, fried by the radiation and now they were in front of a green deadly lake. Home sweet home.

"Yeah? That lake going to cook us alive otherwise, huh?"

Frisk | OTA

[gainedlove]

A Leap of Faith

Even for something as temporary as this, it almost seems too good to be true. Frisk is hesitant at first, but once the captain comes back and assures everyone that it really, truly works they can barely restrain themself. It's been so long, and Frisk is half worried it's all gone back again without them there to hold everything in place.

Plus, there's a few people that deserve to see the surface for themselves. Frisk is quite insistent on that point.

Once they've convinced their partner (or more likely, worn them down with childish nagging), Frisk stands with them at the edge of the platform. Reaching to take their companion's hand, Frisk gives them a wide, beaming smile.

"You ready to go?"

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

In this case, absolutely no nagging was necessary. Frisk didn't even have to get to the part about the surface before Papyrus eagerly accepted their invitation and joined them on the platform.

Maybe he looks a little anxious -- their first meeting in the Underground didn't exactly go well for him -- but Papyrus mostly let himself forget about the incident and is eternally optimistic that things are better now.

"Absolutely! Let's go see the world!"

Med'an | OTA

[breakin_ur_lore]

[A: Welcome to Karazhan]

[Med'an's few months aboard the Moira have taught him to be more than cautious, but he can't stop the growing excitement in his chest. Even if it's only temporary, only for a few hours, he has the chance to go home. Even if it doesn't work, he has the chance to go home. It's a risk worth taking, both for the peace of mind it will bring him and for the potential benefits a visit to a well-stocked city could offer.

He waits eagerly at the planet's Ingress for a volunteer partner, and once he gets one, smiles almost too brightly as they prepare to jump. He might even reach out to take your hand.]

Maybe we'll see my uncle. We could even stop and get my things, and supplies from the city, and maybe books from the library...

[Yet when they step through, it's not to the brightly lit halls of the Exodar, but to dim, dusty corridors of an abandoned keep. There is, at least, a library; a huge one, in fact, with multiple stories and alcoves and balconies and bridges and piles upon piles of books. On the levels beneath them, wispy spectres and slinking figures make their way around the shelves. It's disorganized and messy, clearly unused for decades, and though Med'an hasn't been in this specific spot before, something inside of him recognizes it.]

Karazhan.


[B: Let the Games Begin]

[Med'an knows more or less where he's going this time, and leads his companion carefully through the library debris and across the precarious stone bridges that lead to the Gamesman’s Hall.]

It’s a person-sized chess board. With magic pieces, that fight when they cross paths.

[He is a little subdued, though, as he pushes the large heavy doors open, and pauses before going in.]

...this is where I met my father, months ago. I’m...I don't know if he’ll still be here.

[Shuffling onto the balcony, overlooking the huge game field, Med’an calls out tentatively.]

Father?

[There is no response.]

B

[meyneth]

[Fiora knew of Med'an, but she didn't really know him. They'd spoken briefly before but that was all. Even when she visited the Med Bay they didn't interact; Doctor Yewll was more comfortable treating her cyborg body. But when he'd approached her looking for a partner to visit his home world, how could she resist? She'd been doing the same, and she knew that she shouldn't ask for help without offering it back to others.

Karazhan is more foreign and breathtaking than she could have ever imagined. Not only is it the most elaborate building she's ever been in, but it's the most opulent, too. The wispy spectres are the least shocking thing about her surroundings, as they at least resembled creatures that existed in her own world.

She is mostly silent as they wander the hallways and rooms, soaking in the sights. The chess board is particularly marvelous though, and she grins gleefully when she sees it.]

Pieces? It's like a game, then?

[But her question is cut off by Med'an's more somber comment. She glances at him and frowns slightly.]

...Well... does he live here? He should be here somewhere, right?

closed to nick.

[drawed]

[ Jumping into the giant swirling thing at the bottom of a shaft doesn't seem like a good idea. Cassie knows this more than she knows a lot of things, more than what future is shown to her, but it's home. Home means familiarity, trying to save her mom. Even if home also means Division, she'd rather take her chances with them than the unknown of space and how it tries to screw with whatever it is she might see. Nothing has been even a little right, and that worries her. Still, she grips the life out of Nick's hand when they take the leap, and there's a scream that gets lost somewhere in the midst of it.

Coming through on the other side is just like showing up on that planet with the whales. She feels kind of sick at first, dizzy, but that doesn't stop her from keeping her hand firmly attached to— Cassie squeezes her fingers around air and turns, alone in the middle of an amusement park. She's sure she hadn't let go of him, and the faces that look at her aren't familiar. The noises aren't either, loud and full of chatter as a roller coaster moves in the distance and she tries not to panic, pulling in a breath as she spins around in the opposite direction. ]

Nick? [ There's a waver of uncertainty in her voice. ] This isn't funny.

[ Had they even gone home? ]

[pushed]

[Nick made her a promise, and he'll do anything to keep it - including jumping into the great unknown. But they're not gonna find and free her mom from on board the Moira, so here they are on the platform. All in.

He gives her hand a squeeze before they jump, and gives her a smile that says more than words ever could. Nick would jump a thousand times for her, and she knows why. The falling actually isn't too bad to him. It reminds him of a really good night he had in Tokyo once.

And the landing reminds him of the really crappy morning he had right after. The lights on the rides and the smells of the food are an assault on senses that haven't fully recovered yet. But Nick pushes through it with one thought in mind.]

Cassie?

[He starts making his way through the crowd, glancing around until he spots her. Minutes, hours, you know he's not stopping until he does.]

Hey! There you are. Why'd you let go?

Lara Croft | ota

[rraidergirl]

London would have made sense. Even the Croft Estate. But really, she's not surprised when the world reorients around them and the thick, stale air presses into her lungs, catching when she sees the fresco. Brilliant colors peering through the dust and wear of ages, the queen herself, larger than life and eternally beautiful.

"And there you are..." In a strange way, it made sense to end up back here in Himiko's tomb. Lara shakes herself and turns, eyes sweeping the large room carved into the mountain itself. The bodies of the Solarii from the last time she was here still litter the floor and that itself is a strange comfort. She moves to one, yanking the gun out from under the cold corpse and riffling through the pockets for anything useful.

"We should get out of here," she says to the person with her, voice pitched just loud enough to carry in the stillness of the tomb.

[I'll match format, hmu @thatoneblonde on plurk if u want a different part of the island, there's lots of fun shit.]

[forwardmomentum]

iles has to blink his eyes rapidly to adjust, still reeling slightly from the reverse-Ingress trip, and his gaze settles on the fresco, feeling a strange prickle at the back of his neck. An eerie familiarity tugs at his senses.

"Is that -- ?" he starts, but breaks off as he turns to Lara and sees her grab the gun. He comes to her side, away from the eerie painting, and drops to a half-crouch. He's got his stunner holstered at his right hip, because mercifully it's his left arm that's broken, not his right. He'd started carrying it almost everywhere when the rash of murders had started to break out on the ship.

There's definitely something unsettling in the air, but it's foreign to Miles. He's happy to let Lara take the lead on this one. He knows enough about Lara's recent history to know that this isn't exactly a sunny vacation spot for her. The bodies on the floor are a handy clue, too. He blinks again as he really looks at the gun, brow knitting slightly. "Is that a projectile weapon?"

Tailgate

[daintylegs]

He went without hesitation.

The Moira was a nice enough place, for sure, but it was nothing compared to the Lost Light, and he couldn't give up the chance to go back, even if it was for a little while. He couldn't even begin to explain how badly he missed his home and his friends. All the people who had become his "family", over the three years he'd known them. He stood at the edge of the portal and cheerfully held out his hand to his partner. "C'mon, let's go!" He said, his excitement apparent through his brightly glowing optics.

The Lost Light, with its enormous hallways and slightly dull colour scheme, was home. Tailgate bounced around eagerly and quickly transformed. "Let's go to Swerves!" He said, "Everyone goes to Swerves!"

[tsunclonus]

It was good to see Tailgate so happy, and Cyclonus couldn't deny that he felt more relaxed in the familiar corridors of the Lost Light. The hallways feel practically cavernous after the confines of the Moira.

"I could do with something other than rations and Old Corroder to drink," he admits, smiling at Tailgate's excitement. "I will meet you there."

Flying in the corridors isn't something he plans to do, so he'll let Tailgate drive and follow at a more sedate pace.

Zam Wesell | OTA

[backsassin]

welcome to the jungle [OTA]
[It’s not the most glamorous site for a landing. As the world resolves itself around you, you find yourself in a grimy alleyway, the drone of speeder traffic far above you mingling with the near-deafening music pounding out of a nearby club. Next to you, Zam leans against a wall and laughs.]

Stars, it worked. [Her voice is breathless, eyes cast upward and fixed to an adjacent rooftop.] This is… this is exactly where I was. Before the Moira. [After a few moments, she turns her head to look at her travel companion. Her expression is still somewhat far off, but there’s a smile on her lips.] Entertainment district on Coruscant. Not a bad place to end up for a few hours if you know where to go. [And thankfully, she does.]

time took us to where the water was [closed to miles]
[The strange reverse-Ingress had brought her to Coruscant on the first couple of jumps, so it’s only natural that Zam assumes it will do the same when she jumps in ahead of Miles. Apparently, the Ingress has different plans. It only takes a fraction of a second to realize they’re not on the city-planet Zam has come to expect.]

Fierfek, [Zam breathes as she becomes aware of their surroundings. They’re indoors, in what seems to be a living space, the walls, floors, and ceilings all a uniform, almost sterile white and blue. The muted sound of rain against the rooftop drums overhead. Miles only has a moment to take it all in before Zam grabs his wrist and yanks both of them against a wall, a finger coming to her lips to signal for silence. If that wasn’t enough of an indication that this is not a place they should be, her face is already changing, features shifting to those of a stranger’s.

Who is she kidding, Jango’s going to shoot them both regardless of what they look like if he finds them here. He’s done worse for people so much as looking at his son, much less for two people breaking and entering the place he lives. The fact that this breaking and entering was wholly accidental wouldn’t change that fact.]

home is where the heart pulled the nails out of its feet and ran [closed to bel]
[They’d karked it up. Zam could have sworn Bel was signalling for her to jump but clearly she’d misunderstood. They had ended up jumping at roughly the same time and once they were falling, it’s not like Zam could do anything to change it. Still, it’s more of an annoyance than anything: a few hours spent in some kind of fused world rather than in their intended destination. As they land, Zam wonders idly whether Bel’s “Beta Colony” will be mixed with Coruscant’s endless city sprawl or Kamino’s perpetual rains and massive oceans.

Turns out, the answer is neither. The harsh sunlight that glares down at them is immediately familiar, momentarily blinding before Zam’s eyes adjust. She really, really hopes they’re not where she thinks they are.]

Sorry about that. I think I karked up that jump. [Her heart’s pounding, but her tone is casual. Unconcerned.] This place look familiar to you?

scenic Zolta where everyone is so nice, so nice

[hellsbel]

[harsh sunlight from above has Bel's heart pounding too -- and immediately pulling Zam into the nearest shadow. the sun is not supposed to get in, except by way of pleasantly cooling diffuse filters in the top few levels--

--not here, though. one glance around is enough. the city spills down a massive, sloping canyon wall and up the other side, sun and sand angling down to sift over the long streets. but late afternoon has the warm, dry air quite bearable, far more so than Beta's primary star would have allowed at any time of day, and the cliffside is an integral part of the architecture, venerable and well-kept... except for the scrap-heap shanties and lean-tos crammed into every neglected space.]

It'd be Silica -- that's our capital, if someone sliced it open to the sky. The shacks are new, though. They work hard back home to ensure nobody has to live like that. Looks like we're well and truly mixed. [a glance over at Zam, curious.] Do you recognize anything?

Sideswipe | prose or brackets is fine

[redshitlord]

[LEAP OF FAITH - CANNONBALL]
[No sooner does he hear 'go home' than he's looking at the nearest familiar face, and, carefully, if they're human, grabbing their hand. There's time for a brief, sharp grin, before he starts taking a step forward.]

Hold on, okay? You're gonna love this. Everyone's gonna wanna talk to you, too!

[And that's all the warning there is before the bot just... jumps. Hopefully picking up any smaller companion with him before straight up cannonballing in.]

[He has good intentions. He really does. But, as always, he's incredibly overeager about them. So in you go.]

[... to literally emerge in a scrapyard. Surrounded by junk and used cars and high walls of things broken and/or rusted. It's pretty large. Really large. There's walls around it, and something that looks like an alien command center in the middle of a big open space. And Sideswipe just looks overjoyed to be here.]

C'mon! I'll show you everyone!

[Hope you're ready to meet a giant dinosaur robot...]


[COMBINE THE EXTREMES | world visits for dummies]
[Chances are, you've either been dragged to the aforementioned scrap yard, or Sideswipe has followed you home. As... much as a giant robot can follow anyone home.]

[IF you go to HIS world, expect to be introduced to literally everyone. As many people as time permits -- since Sideswipe has less than 0 concerns about a time limit. His friends are so cool! And maybe even some of them can tell Strongarm how awesome he is in return -- hah. Take that, cop bot. Unfortunately, you might also run into some of the Decepticons of his world...]

[Turns out, he's not kidding about the "Decepticon Furry Division", since the huge robots are vaguely animal in design. Also they're enormous.]

[IF you take him to YOUR world, he'll follow your lead as best he can. It probably won't be in any sort of disguise, save for a car, but hey. He'll try! This is all in fun, right?]

[Nothing bad could possibly happen!]




[LINGE-- NOPE NOPING THE FUCK ON OUT | later on in the month, after Riptide dying]
[Nope.]

[Everything bad could happen, it seems like. He'd just popped back after who knew how long on Earth, having a good time, business as usual. He'd been fine. Everything had been fine. Everything was normal.]

[Then he heard.]

[And it was like the world sort of darkened around the edges. His spark wanted to drop about ten miles past his feet and never stop because he told them so and no one listened no one ever listened to him why did this happen this isn't fair this is horrible and--]

[-- It's all the push he needs to abruptly turn around and go back the way he came. It doesn't matter how he hears about it. He might not even fully process what's happened. The concept of Riptide being dead doesn't feel entirely real except that it hurts to think about too hard.]

[Back he goes.]

[And when he's safely back on Earth, right back in his own scrapyard, with bots who aren't dead, where there's no gross murderers allowed to lurk free, he plunks himself right back down.]

[That place doesn't matter.]

[Being here is better. The longer he stays here, the better it feels. It makes those thoughts feel dull and far away. Something he doesn't have to deal with.]

[... if it even happened at all.]

[WILDCARD]
[Choose your own adventure!]

Leap of faith!

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

[Papyrus had no qualms at all about being chosen for another adventure with Sideswipe, and he jumped right into the portal when the robot did.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting of a cool robot's world -- maybe a clockwork planet, or some sort of all-metal surface rumbling and buzzing with machinery -- but the scrapheap catches him completely off guard.]

Hey! You never told me you lived around so much garbage!

[Despite his words, he sounds incredibly pleased.]

We have more in common than I thought!

fiora

[meyneth]

[open to all]

[Within the crowd of crew members collected around the Inverted Ingress is Fiora, who's trying to be as inconspicuous as a cyborg can be. The fiasco with Rinzler was still only a couple days ago. While she's thankful her involvement has mostly stayed a secret, as more and more details come to light, she's feeling more and more guilty for what she did.

And just like that, with timing so perfect as to seem magical, they're being offered the opportunity to go home. Or, well... "visit" home, but surely everyone here is already thinking how they might be able to game the system.

Fiora sure is - she'd do anything to go home for good, especially now. Get away from all these strangers, friendly and dangerous. Get back to Shulk and the rest of her friends. Help with the fight against Zanza. She wants that more than anything.

As soon as their hostess finishes her explanation, Fiora is already looking for a partner. She weaves through the crowd, asking everyone she passes.]

So, do you want to go? If you come with me, I'll go with you to your home after, like a trade-off! How about you, would you like to go together?

((ooc: I'm still open to Fiora going to other worlds or taking people to her own! Either tag in or PM me! ❤️))

[locked to leia]

[Going home through the Ingress is nothing like the sudden jerkiness of leaving. It's pleasantly warm, and they're surrounded by calm light, and an invisible force whips her hair around like wind. There isn't even a landing. Before she knows it, she's standing with her feet in the grass with Leia beside her.

Around them is a vast field. The horizon, if you could call it that, isn't distant at all - it looks more like the edge of a cliff, less than a mile away. Behind them, opposite the "horizon," are a group of bizarre ramp-like land formations. Mushroom-shaped rocks rise from a small valley. And far, far in the distance is the silhouette of a massive creature, partially obscured by clouds and refracted light, with four red glowing eyes.

Fiora drops to her knees and digs her fingers into the soil. She's really home. This is the Bionis.]

Leia...! [Looking up at her friend, Fiora has a glimmering joy in her eyes that she's never had on the Moira.] It worked!

[locked to alphonse]

[Fiora has made a few trips home by the time she runs into Alphonse. She has bags forming under her eyes - how many hours has it been since they've been here? - but her enthusiasm has barely diminished. The sweet armored man, still adult as far as Fiora knew, graciously agreed to go with her for yet another visit. So she took his hand and made the jump together.

This time, when the lights fade and their feet are planted on the ground, there's a misty swamp around them. Although it's nighttime, the area is bright enough to easily see the pools of water and wildlife populating the damp environment. It's thanks to the gently glowing leaves of the swamp's vegetation - some of the trees are several stories tall.

Fiora is silent at first, but then clasps her hands in front of her and turns to look at Alphonse.]

Well, we're here. This area's called Satorl Marsh.

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

Me? Really?

[He looks a bit excited at the prospect already, and he has no idea what her world is like.]

Yes, I'd like that!

Agent Washington | ota

[hatesimprovising]

Leap of Faith

[ Standing on the edge of the platform, Wash peers down at the portal hesitantly. He's spent a couple days deciding if he really wants to go home, and even now, he's still not sure. There are a lot of reasons he knows this could be a bad idea, but his curiosity has been getting the better of him, especially after hearing that this actually works.

Turning slightly to glance back at his companion for the trip, the freelancer releases a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and raises his eyebrows. ]

Guess we should go for it.

[ Figuring he'll see them on the other side, he turns his attention back to the portal and, with a deep, steadying breath, he jumps for it.

Having closed his eyes for the jump, Wash doesn't really realize right away that he's made it. After realizing that the falling sensation has stopped though, he blinks his eyes open and glances around. They're surrounded by metal--metal walls, floor, and ceiling, not looking all that different from the Moira. But these walls are so much more familiar to Wash. ]

--It worked. [ Yeah, he sounds stunned, even if he's heard plenty of times that the portal works. Taking a couple of steps forward to glance around the corner just ahead of him, which leads to another hallway, Wash's eyes are wide. ] This is the Mother of Invention, I guess. Well--No, I know it is, but...

[ Trailing off, he turns and looks back at his companion again, forcing a slight, sheepish smile. ]

This is where I was before the Ingress grabbed me.


Seeing into the Future;; closed to Tex and Church

[ Part of him isn't so sure this is a good idea. It's one thing, going to someone else's home, but going with Texas and Church was entirely different. This isn't be going to someone else's home, is going to his own future. Something about that feels wrong. Almost all of the time-travel movies he's ever watched have told him that it's a bad idea.

And yet, once Tex and Church have jumped into the portal below them, Wash follows with minimal hesitation. Probably a bad idea, yes, but goddamn if his curiosity to actually see what he's only heard about up until this moment doesn't get the best of him.

When he can finally stop squinting against the light as it disappears and the sensation of falling stops more quickly than anticipated, Wash feels himself dropping down to his knees almost before he even registers the pain in his chest. Grunting, he brings a hand up to his chest instinctively, pressing it to the area that hurts. Frowning in equal parts confusion and pain, he brings his hand away after a moment and glances down at it. There's definitely blood on his glove, and he's relatively sure he'd felt a hole in his chest piece. ]

Shit...

[ Returning the hand to his chest, he lifts his head to look around himself. The area is unfamiliar to him, though he wasn't exactly expecting to recognize anything, considering he knows he hasn't been here yet. What shocks him, however, aside from what he's pretty damn sure is a bullet hole in his chest, is the figure ahead of him in the dim room. It's unmistakeably Maine.

Breath catching in his throat, Wash stares for a long moment before wide eyes search out for Church and Tex. Thankfully, he spots them nearby in only a few seconds--admittedly, he'd been worried there that he'd somehow ended up here on his own. But okay, they're here with him, and judging from everything the both of them have told him, this must be where they came from. Where they...died. And where he himself gave the Director a big "fuck you". ]

[kickbancaboose]

[ well, fuck. this isn't a moment church is entirely prepared to relive.

freelancer hq was the last he saw of his universe before the meta's mind swallowed him whole and the emp tore through his shattered remains to finish off the job. it's been months now, and church still remembers the pulse of red hot static and the sharp slice of too many voices shredding him to pieces, all clamoring at once to welcome him back and ask him to stay: don't leave, alpha, please don't go, we've missed you. twenty fucking seconds he spent in maine's head. twenty seconds where each second felt like a year. twenty seconds as a hurricane of memories dragged him kicking and screaming under wave after wave of raw emotion and so many goddamned regrets.

kind of traumatizing. kind of really fucking hard to forget, no matter how much distance he's desperately struggled to put between himself and the experience since arriving to the moira.

but, well, here they are again. home and in the completely wrong place at the completely worst time. church has tex's arm in a white knuckle grip as he struggles to regain his balance, swaying from side to side before everything around him swirls into a too bright focus. the many fluorescent lights dotting the high ceilings blink in unison, and church lifts a hand to shield his face, releasing his hold on tex to twist around on his heel and search out wash.

he doesn't have to look very far. wash is right where church left him months ago: on the ground and bleeding out, maine sprawled on his back a few feet away. church never seriously thought that maine would survive the emp blast, not after everything he saw and heard during their special one-on-one visit. his eyes quickly pass over him only to immediately flick back when maine's chest hitches violently.

what. ]

Fuckin' come on — seriously?

[ seriously. he's never that lucky.

maine drags in a guttural, hissing breath as he rolls to one side and then to one knee, staggering to his feet with both hands clawing at his helmet. church's hand is on tex's arm again to keep her from moving forward because like fuck he's going to let her anywhere near him again, over his dead body.

for now, maine doesn't seem to notice the very wrong and out of place presence of tex or church, and he's not moving toward wash, either.

maybe they're not totally dead. ]

Kaworu Nagisa | OTA

[braceforimpact]

[Kaworu is not picky about who accompanies him through the Ingress. He's approaching everybody and anybody he sees, looking for anyone willing to make the jump with him. This is all he's wanted since he first arrived on the Moira.

The same could probably be said for just about anybody, but Kaworu's level of determination on this matter takes it to an entirely new level. It's not just all he's wanted, it's all he's cared about and all he's even thought about, made no more bearable by brief and petty distractions like 'trying to make a point and becoming disenchanted about the idea of coexistence' or 'learning that pudding is an unacceptable topping for meatloaf, no matter what he personally thinks of the taste.'

So the instant anyone shows even the slightest willingness to consider it, they're very likely already being led back to the Ingress, Kaworu's serene face disguising the intensity of his desire. Just before he steps through, he casts a smile at you.]

Thank you. Are you ready?

A. Angel Attack!

[Want to meet one of Kaworu's... uh, people? You might find yourself in the forest, in a field, or on the conspicuously empty streets of Neo Tokyo-3. Wherever they end up, it's too early for Kaworu's wishes--but hey, you'll get to see a bizarre alien lifeform, and can probably see an Eva! If you have a specific Angel you want, let me know--otherwise I'll pick one out, there's plenty to go around!]

B. SEELE's Basement

[Also too early, but this time you and Kaworu are back in the confines of the most mysterious organisation in his canon. On the one hand, there's more weirdass philosophy and political powerplay than you can shake a stick at!

On the other, you're probably going to be shot on sight, and it turns out Kaworu is actually not interested in helping you at all.

Maybe this isn't a very fun field trip after all. :C]

C. Mash It Up

[Oh. Oh. Well, your world and his have now fused. That's... well, not what anyone wanted, probably. Or maybe you wanted whatever your world is combined with post-(near)-apocalyptic Japan, but that's a little weird.

If you're lucky, you've at least mashed up with the cool retractable city part and not the part where everyone is Tang and there are giant ossified meat robots crucified in the ocean of primordial blood.

Speaking of that:]

E. YOUR world!

[This one is on you, friend. Kaworu won't be happy, though.

But maybe this an opportunity. Maybe you can show him something that has meaning to you, or introduce him to the people you know, or just what makes your world special. Isn't that what building an understanding between two people is about?

After all, just because he asked you... doesn't mean you can't teach him.]

F. THE END OF EVANGELION

[...this time you're too far forward.

Everything has been submerged under an ocean of orange liquid. It smells like blood. Downed power lines, ruined buildings, and a lifeless earth greet you here. No grass. No weeds. No birds. No insects. No sound. The massive remains of what seems to be a giant person can be seen from hundreds of miles away.

What's left of its head is the size of the literal moon.

The ossified remains of some massive humanoids (still smaller than the staring head or its fallen limbs) can be seen, crucified. Above, in the night sky, a ring made of thousands upon thousands of tiny red lights forms an arc through the atmosphere.

And on a far, far shore... two teenagers remain.]

E. Not The Happiness You Wished For?

[Want something else? Maybe you just wanna talk out an option before we do it? Plot with me! Besides, there's a lot of Evangelion and while Kaworu isn't privy to it in canon, that doesn't mean we can't do it anyway.

I can be reached at railehatesfun for all of that stuff!]

B (because of course this would happen)

[gainedlove]

[...this...doesn't seem right.]

[Frisk had been happy to help Kaworu get home, and was eager for the chance to meet his friend that they...actually have not heard much about, really. But Frisk wants to make friends with him all the same. But the odd corridors and foreboding air to the place make them frown and take a few steps closer to Kaworu.]

...where are we? [If not for the lack of tiles, they almost might wonder if they found another part of Alphys's lab by accident.]

Kain Highwind | OTA

[dragonspride]

A) All Of The Unsure
[Kain's perched on the edge of the glass platform, for all the world managing a fairly Classical Gargoyle Pose staring down with his wings folded. The spines down his back are occasionally shifting, although he's managing an impressive stoneface at the portal.]

[He looks up - or over, really, for most - when someone comes closer that isn't just passing by to jump.]

What do you think?


B) To the Moon!

[Eventually nagging curiosity will get to him, and he'll be keeping an eye out for anyone willing to take a look through.]

[His expectation is "Probably the castle, maybe the mountains or forest around it."]

[However, on getting through the portal, there's barren grey stone and dirt stretching out; the sky's a little dark and still shows some stars even with the sun visible shining around a massive blue planet that fills most of the sky. The only landmark nearby on the oddly lunar landscape is a massive castle-like structure of odd-shaped crystal spires that glows softly.]

[Kain himself doesn't seem more than mildly surprised, and after a moment of scanning the area for something that isn't there, has one mutter.]

....Well....damn. The ship's not here.

[At least there's pretty scenery?]


C) Red Wings

[The wooden deck isn't one that seems like it belongs in the sky. Hell, to most the ship itself doesn't seem like it should be airborne, but it is, and Kain's mood actually seems brighter for the odd airships...]

[Even if the first reaction of the armored soldiers that seem to be running the ship is a bit of scrambling and drawing weapons at the sudden appearance, followed by a long, confused stare and one particularly lost-sounding question-] ...Captain... Highwind?

[Kain's response is short enough, straightening up with a "Long story" and shooing at them to go back to their posts; he's being remarkably unruffled even if the troops on ship are periodically glancing over in wary confusion, particularly depending on the company he's there with - who he's almost smug with. There's also some very alarming and recent-looking craters scattered across the landscape below that look like someone was taking some very large and random potshots at the planet.]

Welcome to the Blue Planet - even if we are a few months off from when I was last here.



D) (Closed to Seth) Wrong Time, Wrong Place

[Kain has a moment of looking around at the castle they've arrived in a little confused; there's red-hulled airships with sail-like wings overhead, and a lot of sounds of cannonfire from the airships, shouting, inhuman roaring and screeching, and general violence.]

...This... Isn't Baron. This is Fabul. [It's confusedly as apologetic as he gets without something major kicking the wind out of him, and he's still staring around like he's getting bearings, although there's an uncomfortable unsettled rumbling coming from him - and then he's darting to where the space they arrived in opens into a courtyard, and freezing dead still, his spines puffed out completely, bits of flame occasionally kicking up where his heat generation's going overdrive, the rumbling turned to a rusted-hinge hiss.]

E) Wild Card
((Ping me or just tag in with something if you want to do a hybrid world, drag Kain to your world, have any other ideas, want to end up in the Feymarch (Weird Underground Monster/God Kingdom), etc!))


((Kain is a CRAU from Ryslig, with a permanent physical transformation.))

RED WINGS!

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

[For a moment Papyrus thinks he's on a ship, and that's pretty cool -- he's seen comics and such with awesome pirates and their unusually good taste in flags! Then he notices the soft white of the clouds scudding by and gets a better idea of what he's looking at.

He rushes to the side of the airship, jaw dropping at the sight of the Blue Planet below. He almost misses the crew referring to Kain as Captain.]

Oh my god! This is... we're flying!!

Papyrus | OTA

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

That look in your eye... yes, I understand perfectly! You'd like to see the home of the very great and cool Papyrus, and also Sans, correct?

[For the first time most people who've met him can remember, Papyrus looks unsure. But then he remembers there's an awful lot of cool stuff in his house! And it'd be a good idea to make sure their pet rock is still okay.

It's... probably safe now, right? The human is here on the Moira, and they're nice now, so there probably won't be any more falling down.]

Well, then! Let's not waste any more time! Come along!

[Mustering his courage, he steps through.

On the other side of the portal is a quaint, snow-covered town. A Christmas tree, complete with presents underneath it, graces the square. There are a few businesses: a shop, a cute little inn, a "librarby" with a sign nobody bothered to spell check apparently, and a bar called Grillby's. Everything about the little place is charming, except for one thing.

It's completely empty. And it gives every indication of having been lived in until quite recently: Grillby's even still smells like someone was cooking hamburgers, and the tracks of many non-humans, quickly filling in with more snow, lead east.

Papyrus doesn't seem surprised by this, but he also doesn't seem to like it very much. He quickly covers any concern with a bright smile.]

It worked! Wowie! So... welcome to scenic Snowdin! It has all the comforts a weary traveler could ever want, as well as being my hometown!

[dragonspride]

[Kain's easy to convince, and even willing to help a little with the "leap of faith" aspect; he has enough sharp bits to make carrying someone for long distances awkward, but short distances are easy enough, and "controlled descent" is no problem.]

[He hadn't been expecting the emptiness, and he's been through enough attempted genocides and other events that'd leave places creepy and empty to have his nerves on edge, spines visibly raising.]

It looks like a lovely town. [At least he's gotten better at tact and minding other people's feelings as he's gotten a little older.] ...What happened here?

[He noticed that you weren't surprised by this, Pap, and now he's worried - and still a little wary in case whatever caused it is still around.]