Multiversal travel can be disorienting, but there’s no need to worry! All side effects are temporary and lessen with each trip. Your body may experience several sensations at once: being pushed forward as if a hand is resting on your back, momentary and startling blindness, a gentle ringing in your head. You may have difficulty discerning whether it is hot or cold, but where you have been prodded is noticeably warmer than the rest of you. Some may suffer dizziness while others are perfectly fine. You notice that the area you are in is filled with a soft cerulean light and feels slightly humid and dark despite the glow around you. Regardless of your current state, however, the stress of transit forces your body into unconsciousness.
Waking up is another story. Or maybe it isn’t.
You find yourself in a nondescript room; sometimes with others who have found themselves in the same situation, sometimes alone. Welcome to Avagi Station, your new home.
Avagi
That First Step, it is a Doozy:
There are always risks to exploring new environments and Avagi is rich with new nooks and crannies to explore. You’re checking out a new corridor that’s been opened, though there have been signs warning that there are areas where structural stability has been weakened by neglect and the passage of time. But maybe things have been going well, you’ve found a few interesting things of note and you’re ready to head back to your bunk for the day.
Except when you turn to leave, the floor is giving way without a screech of metal. Hopefully you’ve got some good reflexes and can catch yourself before you topple down a shaft that seems to go down at least thirty or forty feet. Do you call for help or struggle to handle it on your own? And more importantly, how are you getting around this giant hole in the floor now that it’s there?
The Buddy System:
In order to help new arrivals find their bearings the more experienced residents on board have decided to try out the buddy system in order until the new arrivals get their space legs. The guide is responsible for answering any questions, showing them all the important facilities and making sure their new friend doesn’t wander anywhere too dangerous. And what better way to get to know your buddy than to try and help them find all the supplies they need to be comfortable in their new home? Hopefully the barter blocks have some clothes in your size or else it could get a little bit awkward come laundry day.
Shining Bright:
The Observation Station is the best place on Avagi to get a look at the storm that rages all around. However today when you stop by there’s something strange and new to look upon. It’s not clear if it’s a change in the environment or perhaps an effect of the living energy that opens the portals but the entire room is filled with softly glowing floating lights. If you venture into the room and dare to touch one of the lights you’ll find that you find a song playing in your mind that fills you with a deep and abiding sense of peace. What you do with that feeling is up to you but it seems that these lights aren’t going to cause any harm then why not let yourself relax in a beautiful space for a little while?
Kaittos
This month there is a portal to the planet Kaittos, a peaceful world containing one large land mass and a scattering of lived-on islands across a clear blue ocean. On the mainland, a large city-state occupies the central region and southern coast and resembles what some travelers from some versions of Earth might know of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Bustling and lively, the city is clean and well provided-for due to the temperate climate and the bountiful natural resources found on its northern side; orchards, farms and forests extend into the distance, butting up against a small mountain range. The technology level is low compared to Avagi, with carriages and candles in place rather than cars and electric lights, but the craftsmen of the world have managed some very impressive mechanical feats.
Kaittans, the local residents of the world appear somewhat humanoid, but the bipedal race has hooves rather than feet, silvery skin and three eyes with vertical pupils. Although there is no sign of any other sentient species in the world, the locals are nonetheless excited to meet their guests, rather than suspicious or afraid; for some reason, they are not surprised that aliens exist, merely that they are here.
Visitors are encouraged to explore the city and partake in an exchange of goods and ideas, to share their culture and stories with the locals. Perhaps there’s a merchant willing to trade a bauble for a story or you want to try something entirely unknown to your palette in the culinary quarter. The possibilities, while not quite limitless, are enough to keep the curious busy for quite a while.
(The observation deck is a frequent haunt of Eddie Kaspbrak's. It was the first place he had been properly shown when he got here, and it had been so immense to him that he still wasn't over it. It's where he kept going to think, to calm himself down, and that's been a lot more often lately than he cared to admit.
It's usually got some people, but they're mostly adults and Eddie likes to avoid adults whenever he can. Usually they're the ones approaching him.
Children, on the other hand, Eddie trusts a lot more naturally. Not all of them, of course, but when he sees a girl (he thinks?) abruptly chase after a light, even his sulking is temporarily lifted. It didn't look stupid, he thought, it looked kind of fun.
He's watching from where he's sitting huddled on the floor, bony knees against his chest, and he's near enough that no doubt his staring is obvious. He just doesn't expect to be seen, so when he is? He's a little embarrassed, ears turning pink.)
Oh- (He...he doesn't know what to make of that. So he stupidly blurts out the first thing that comes to mind:) I don't think lights can sing.
[She doesn't expect someone that's normal to understand. Mike wouldn't, even though he might try. Will is the only one of his friends who would. Neither Mike or Will are here. But this boy is. She understands that the expression he's projecting is embarrassment but doesn't understand why.
It prompts more staring and her head tips slightly to the side as the song keeps playing inside her head. The repetitious melody makes her smile, and it might look like it's directed at him.]
Touch the light. You'll hear it too. [She suggests, pointing toward one that's edging in near him.]
[Richie is so certain that he's going to fall to his death and when that doesn't happen, he's stunned. Even more so when he's so sure that someone--or something--pulled him back.
There's no one even directly near him! Once he's safely grounded, he looks all around, eventually spotting the girl who spoke to him.
No way...]
Did you do that?
Edited (edited bc i'm dumb) 2017-11-26 06:47 (UTC)
[She's not very good at lying. Not even a second passes before she quickly changes her mind.]
Yes, but...
[There is no but. She saved him. Her hand drops down to her side and she timidly smiles. Meeting new people is hard for her. There isn't any way for her to not be awkward and unsure.]
[It's one of the hardest things that Eddie could ask of him. Does he mean stuff that even the other Losers don't know? Or just the people here? He's still puzzled by all of this, and doesn't really know what Eddie's line of thinking is apart from needing to prove he's really himself?
That's fair, because if neither of them are going crazy, how could they have been born so far apart, when that was never the case before?
Eddie says serious, so Richie adjusts his glasses and thinks of the most serious thing he can.]
(Eddie sits back then, relaxing into himself. There were very few people who knew about that, and absolutely no one here knew about it either. He feels a little foolish for assuming this was anything other than his best friend, having hugged him enough times now to recognize his smoky smell for what it was and who it belonged to.
The child simplicity works wonders at times, and this is no different. He doesn't think about how someone could read his mind and pluck that piece out. There's no over thinking it- especially not when Eddie doesn't want it to be true.)
...I don't know. It's weird, but maybe, maybe we're just from different times? We literally were pulled here so I guess maybe it's not that wild. I don't really get it though. You look and act exactly like I remember.
(Eddie could hardly understand himself half the time, so she's not particularly alone in that regard. It seems ridiculous, hearing music, but Eddie is young enough and curious enough that it does bring him to his feet.
That and her smile seemed inviting- even if it wasn't directed at him. It seemed happy.
His hands hold together in front of his chest, an age-old sign of anxiety, as he stares cautiously at the nearby floating light. But he steels himself, more eager to see what this was about than he was to be nervous. He reaches a hand out and pokes the light.
Music instantly starts to play inside of his head, and Eddie's practically thrown back into a moment of comfort. It felt like being wrapped up in a freshly dried blanket after being out in the snow all day. Felt like breathing after running a mile. He smiles a little bit himself.)
Hot shit! (The words erupt out of him, and he looks directly at her.)
[ She can't blame him, in this situation. Rose hopes her calm demeanour is helping rather than hindering, in this case. ]
Okay, let's see... [ The woman gives it a couple test tugs just to make sure it's fastened securely. After a moment, she gives him a thumbs up. You got this, dude! ]
Portal? Between systems and this User world? But there was no portal at Encom. How could it have--?
Ram pauses mid-step. Flynn must have come through a portal of some kind. He can't see how else he would have been able to get to Encom. Did he come from here? He doesn't know the proper name of the User world, there's no reason it couldn't be Avagi.
'That's pretty frequent,' he notes, jogging a little to catch up. The program's tall, security programs always seem to be. 'So it's just bringing programs at random?' Even after deresolution. How?
He's getting used to the program's voice now. But now he's not focused on the strange, disused growl, there's something about it nagging at his processor. 'Where did you get brought in from?'
Well now, there's a voice he was hoping very much to hear, but he was half expecting he wouldn't come across any of the familiar faces that he knew. He was glad that his expectations were wrong, naturally, but how could he be certain that things would be the same once he'd been dragged back through the ingress a second time? Clearly things had changed, yet again, in his brief absence...or had his absence been so short? He wasn't sure at all, time was relative here and that was a bit unnerving.
Turning to meet that voice with one of his most brilliant smiles he took note of Kazuhira and just how the man hadn't changed much so it really could not have been too long since he'd last been here. It was a tell-tale sign that, yes, Dorian did recognize him...that and the fact that the mage was quick to approach him and draw him into a tight hug. Not typically one for physical contact or public displays of affection, it was a testament to how much he valued Kazuhira that he would neglect his own sense of decorum so openly.
"You're...just as I left you," Dorian said after a moment, withdrawing to appraise the man unwilling to be the first to admit he missed him. It was a given, after all.
[Richie's face scrunches up at the suggestion. He can grasp the idea that they've been taken from where they were to here, because that definitely happened, but the timeline theory simply doesn't make sense to him.
It would explain a lot, maybe, like why Eddie's gotten confused by things Richie's referenced. But it's still difficult to comprehend and accept.]
How's that possible, though? That would mean-- [That would mean there's two of him, somehow? His thoughts drift to Neibolt house, and the missing persons flyer that caused him such panic. Technically, back in Derry he really is missing. But his thought process here isn't so much focusing on missing (he isn't missing that much, anyway, one of the people who'd notice he's gone the most is right here with him) as he is wondering whether he's real or fake.]
[El might not be great at meeting people, but Richie simply isn't great at filtering his thoughts or reactions.]
How'd you do that anyway? [He glances at the hole and moves further away from it, closer to where El is.] Are you mutated lab experiment gone wrong? [People with powers don't exist in real life, but he's read comics and seen movies.]
[ The black, ink is more like goo as it splatters just about eveywhere, staining his clothes, the docks, the sails on the boats nearby, and puddling upon the ground and marring the surface of the harbor. When the fish deflates it floats along the surface, harmless and--most importantly?-- dead.
He's afraid that he won't be able to pay for all the damages this has caused.
Or--- or. As he looks at some of the locals coming out of their hiding places, many of them begin gathering up the black goo into bottles and containers, some of them arguing among each other of who gets to claim what's in front of their stalls verses it being a free-for-all. It all indicates that whatever was spewed upon them, it's rather valuable. ] ....Huh. Would you look at that. [ Link comments, casually raising his hands behind his head. ] Looks like we've struck gold. [ Excellent. He can use the money. ]
[His initial reaction makes her visibly flinch. Her eyes widen as she tries to figure out if he's mad, excited, or maybe a little of both. She thinks of Dustin and how loud he can be. That's the only thing that keeps her from running away, but she does take a cautious step back.
The fact that he's just come right out and guessed what she is makes the hair on her arms stand on end. Her jaw drops a little and she looks petrified up until she manages to get out an answer.]
[His outburst of a reaction makes her flinch in surprise. Eyes widening a fraction, she looks at him and nods. It is incredible. She reaches out her hand and uses her telekinesis to float more of the particles of light toward her. She closes her fist around three, eyes sliding shut as she hears a symphony inside her head.
El isn't a singer but she hums along to what she's hearing before cracking an eye open.]
(It didn't make too much sense to Eddie either, but it's the only thing he's got. What else would explain it?)
There's a lot of things that seem impossible but aren't. (He says this with quiet thoughtfulness, and with a pointed look at Richie. The last thing he felt like talking about was It, but It had broken down a lot of walls in terms of what could or couldn't be. Eddie worries at his mouth, watching Richie intently. He might not be a mind-reader, but he knew his best friend better than anyone.)
What would that mean? (It's a real gentle push, just because maybe if Richie fessed up, Eddie could help in some way.
He moves close to Richie until his knees are digging lightly into Richie's thigh.)
I don't either. (He won't lie about that. It was confusing and it was scary as hell, but something about it also seemed to be bothering Richie more than it did Eddie, which meant Eddie's fear was locked up for the time being. His friend was a hell of a lot more important to Eddie than Eddie himself feeling fear for the fifteenth hundred time. He grabs Richie's hand, the hand that he'd grabbed when they had made their promise months ago (months ago for Eddie).)
I promise I'll be here. (It's ...a weak thing, a promise without blood, but Eddie hopes the message is translated all the same. That he promises he would stick around no matter what version of Richie this actually was. He couldn't make a promise like 'it'll be okay' because he has no idea if it'll be okay. Just like the Losers hadn't made a promise that it'll be okay. They did what they knew they could do. For this? Eddie could be here for Richie. A given, maybe, but fully worth solidifying.)
(Eddie certainly had a knack for outbursts here and there. He felt a whole lot at once, and keeping that sort of thing locked down wasn't anything he's ever been good at.
The lights are mysterious enough to Eddie that he doesn't realize she's the one pulling them near. He thinks, maybe, that that's just the nature of the lights. He holds out his own arms, hoping that nearby lights float towards him, but of course, no luck.)
How are you getting them to come to you like that?
[Except it really isn't bullshit at all. This girl admitted to saving him, and it's not like there's any other possible explanation. It simply challenges what he thinks is or isn't possible.]
You were seriously an experiment? [The tone's a little dry, if only because the comment had been a joke, and now he can't tell if she's joking back or serious.]
If you and I are from different times, that means they're two of me.
[It's easy to talk to Eddie, it always has been. But it doesn't change that the conversation is a heavy one. Eddie's hand in his is reassuring. Even if it's not a blood promise, Richie can still faintly feel where his hand was cut open not that long ago.]
But there can't be two of me, so one isn't real?
[It's a question only because of his uncertainty, and hoping that Eddie will tell him he's wrong. He'll believe it, only because it's easier.]
Well, yeah, probably. Just the way that that probably means there's two of me.
(Which was a lot to think about. He squeezes Richie's hand tighter, and wishes he was better at stuff like this. Bill would know the perfect thing to say. Hell, Sans would have this in the bag better than he did.
When it came to Richie, he just let himself talk naturally. It just wound up being the best thing, and he had to bank on that now. Even if he was a little freaked himself.)
What? No. You'd both be real, just maybe different from each other, but that doesn't mean either one of you is fake.
(Eddie says this with absolute conviction. He didn't want the Richie he had known for years of his life to be 'fake' and this one to be real, and similarly, he didn't want this Richie to be 'fake', even if he hadn't known him for years because well.)
You feel the same to me. The you I know from my time, and you-you.
[She doesn't answer his first question. It's better that he doesn't know. His confirming what she says makes her smile, and she acts like she's reaching out to grab more of the lights so she can send a cluster his way.]
Like the blankets in Mike's fort. They felt safe and warm.
[It's just what he needs to hear, really. Just having an affirmation that he is real, himself, and not somehow lesser to another version of himself that he will never encounter. Perhaps it's a bit dumb--this concern was only in regard to himself.
To him, Eddie is just Eddie. The technicalities don't matter.]
You're the same to me too. Maybe you're just missing a fanny pack but that's not a bad thing.
(And just like that, it really, really didn't matter about where they were or weren't from. They were still Eddie and Richie. Maybe a little different, but that was okay. He could feel the twin scars on their palms and that was enough.
Eddie hadn't been quite as worried about it, but he couldn't deny feeling glad that he also seemed the same.)
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