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.
[Bill just shakes his head at Richie's response, still looking down into the hole. He could drop the half coin in his pocket, but then he might not ever get it back. If Richie doesn't like plan a, they will just have to find a plan b.]
Then h-help me find some rope or a b-b-big stick. [He pulls Richie back from the hole gently, not wanting him to fall in, and starts looking around the rest of the space available to him.]
"My theory is that the ACE translates. I don't know." As for a human from Eos and a human from Earth looking interchangeable, well, he had no fucking clue about that either. Maybe some of the Ancient Alien conspiracy theorists weren't completely wacko after all. There could have been some cosmic space daddy or mama spreading their seed across the trillion galaxies.
"But yeah most people here look human. Some have different skin colors or small differences." Adam shrugged. "But we get to meet some pretty far-out aliens if you were feeling disappointed about that."
Noctis gave a small nod, his brows lifted, then he exhaled before he took in another breath and lowered his hands. He looked to Adam with a frown to his lips. "I guess.. we're really the aliens though." He wondered what natives would have thought about them. "Do you know anything about the natives?" He thought about what Ignis would have to ask. "Maybe their governing ... structure?"
It's r-really well made. [Bill could have understood the hesitation. There were reasons he had been drawn so particularly to this boat. It brought memories with it, even though it was far nicer than the little paper boat he had made his brother. He holds it like it's made of glass in his hands, despite the sturdy build.]
Lead the way. I'll f-follow you, Eddie. [He says as he reaches to stand Eddie's bike back up for him, before moving to get his own rusty Schwinn from where it's leaning against a fence. If he is honest, he wants to check in on Stan and Richie, too, make sure they're all okay and safe, and gather them all together. But for a brief moment, it's like they've gone back in time to before It happened. For a brief moment he thinks how much Georgie would love the little boat he tucks safely into his shirt, instead of reliving his imagination's graphic restructuring of Georgie's death.]
"There isn't one any more, from what I've been able to figure out. There was one but then this whole calamity happened, shit hit the fan, they were jetted into the future, none of the natives made it." That's about as far as he knew and probably some of that wasn't even fully what had happened. He didn't know.
"The only natives now are us, on this piece of shit space station, and the aliens on the planets we float to." Adam gave another helpless shrug, this time with both shoulders. He took another puff from the cigarette. "Some place you want to see first on this tour? Library? Gardens?"
"So, I haven't... been assigned a room... that I know of." Noctis lifted his wrist and looked to the device before lowering the arm down to his side. "But other than that.. living situation..?" He cleared his throat and with a frown he mused on whether or not the calamity and their presence had anything to do with one another. Yet, Noctis woke up on this station, not on a planet, so if it did then what did it mean to wake up here rather than there? To hear the natives of where ever "there" was, didn't make it was something disturbing.
It almost sounded parasitic. "So, whatever happened... happened and all the people that weren't natives made it off the planet and the natives were left... in peril?"
(Eddie isn't too far behind in wanting them all together again himself. Especially since the four of them had been the start of it all, hadn't they? They'd been best buds for forever, it felt, even before the gang properly formed.
There's a quick smile of appreciation when Bill picks his bike back up for him. Not his first time being hectic with his bike at all, not gonna be his last. He swings up onto it, waiting for Bill. Soon enough, he's taking off with a steady confidence. It did feel a little like it was back in time. If it weren't for the aliens walking around, Eddie would have almost been convinced they were in a nicer version of Derry altogether.
But they weren't. He's soon biking out of the main part of the city, and out towards a forest. It's not until they're at just about the edge that Eddie dismounts.)
Be careful of any of the springs. They do weird stuff to people's heads, but the creeks should be fine. I think there's one near.
I can clean up after myself just enough. [He might have to be reminded to do it given how easily distracted he is from things he doesn't want to do, but in theory, it's possible.]
I mean, it's your decision, you know? It's your room. Though I gotta say, I'm really into not being killed in my sleep.
[He leans back, propping himself up with his arms resting behind him while kicking his legs idly.] Isn't pulling straws more for shit you don't wanna do?
"I don't know what happened to them. I heard a rumor that they're still somewhere on this station but keep us in the slave quarters, so to speak." Adam hoped that wasn't the case. He hadn't found any proof of that yet but it was... questionable, this situation they were in. He didn't understand how the station was floating around going places by itself, or how it kept running. There was a lot he didn't understand.
"You can pick any room you want. Some are better than others. Most are terrible. You'll probably have to have a roommate." Adam frowned for a second. "I'm roommates with two kids." It was obvious that situation was not ideal for him.
(Eddie considers Richie seriously for a second, and then he shrugs, nodding.)
Yeah, I know. (Or at least he speculates that there's hope for Richie yet. For all of Eddie's hypochondria, he wasn't a neat-freak like Stan. Though Richie might get his head chewed off for anything gross (the usual, really)- but Eddie's pretty confident that it'd be fine.
Richie's got a point. Eddie had found this place, had been living in it. Technically Richie could just pick out a room and call it a day. But Eddie was thinking bigger picture here. He bounces his knees up and down and finally shrugs.)
You're my best friend. I'd probably be hanging out in your room all the time anyway or the other way around. (Or they'd be out together doing stuff. That's how it was back in Derry. Their gang, as a general rule of thumb, just stuck together.)
And like, I really don't mind.
(If Richie was as grating as Eddie acted like he was, they wouldn't be as close as they were, was the thing. His expression has softened because frankly, he doesn't want Richie to think he's not wanted, and maybe he had been pushing it more than he had to. He had no problem rooming with Stan or Bill, but he couldn't lie and act like Richie wasn't his first choice.)
Plus. I'd feel better if you were close. (Eddie admits this with a bit of an embarrassed look on his face. He picks at the hem of his shirt, tugging at a stray thread.)
[His expression brightens immediately. He really would've been okay staying anywhere else--that's what they'd done in Derry, after all, with having to live with their own families in different parts of town. It would have been like normal, except in a completely new and strange place, with Richie knowing no one else.
But he's a lot happier with being able to share a room instead. It'll be better with both of them, until they get to a point where they start driving each other crazy.]
Me too. [And just to emphasize that, he nearly barrels Eddie over in another hug, but this time it's coupled with him trying to tug on one of his cheeks.]
(As if they didn't drive each other crazy on a daily basis already. The real challenge would be not driving the rest of the Losers crazy by them always being together. Why?
Welp. Eddie shrieks the moment Richie barrels unexpectedly into him, his hands flailing.)
Richie! Stop that! (He wails as Richie grabs at his cheek.
That is the exact thing the Losers would all get to look forward to.)
My b-b-bike [Bill pauses in his search to look back toward the hole, dark and seemingly endless. He feels traces of familiarity filling in the cracks and not in a good way. It's like descending into the sewers once more.] It fell in w-with the floor. I h-h-have to get it b-b-back.
[Derry may not be a place with many fond or happy memories, but that bike is his and he treasures it.]
You can s-stay up here and keep hold of the ru-rope. [He needs to get it back, but he isn't going to put Richie in further danger. They got through Neibolt House together, this was just a hole, and hopefully not some monster's lair. It'll be fine. He'll tie some rope to his bike and climb back up and they can pull it up together.]
[They're going to be a pain in the ass for all of their friends, but surely when that happens, the other Losers will already know what they're getting into.
But he stops and rolls over not long after Eddie tells him to, laughing all the while.]
I can sleep on the floor. It'd be really sleepover-like that way.
(Honestly, Eddie didn't really care about sleeping arrangements. He was small enough that he could share one of these beds with Ben comfortably. But Richie's got a valid point, and Eddie automatically perks up.
He sits up from where he'd been barreled over, already grinning.)
You're right. It would be. Are you sure though? The floor's kind of...metal. We'd have to find something to make a bed with.
[Bill drops his bike against a tree, looking out into the forest just to soak it in for a moment. It is still so much to adjust to, but he is adjusting a little at a time and writing to help keep his thoughts organized and hold onto them. He pulls the boat back out of his shirt and heads for the edge, as if it's just the Barrens or a wooded area in Derry, as familiar as anything else to them.]
Like s-s-some kind of illness in the w-water? [There's no telling if the springs are actually dangerous, or if Eddie has decided they are, but for now he takes the other boy's word for truth. He can look into it more someday in the future. For now, Eddie knows more about this place than he does, and Bill trusts him with his life. He steps into the trees fully expecting Eddie to follow. They'll find water together. They just have to not get lost.]
We'll listen for it. [And for anything that might live in the forest, though Bill isn't nearly as worried as he maybe should be. They're together. They'll look out for each other.]
(Eddie peeks over the bed down at Richie. His mouth twists up at the corner and his nose scrunches with thought.)
That's metal, Richie. You could sleep on your neck wrong and then you'll be stiff for days.
(Wait.)
Don't say anything.
(Because he knows Richie, okay? He slips off the bed and lands next to him. He pats the floor and frowns.)
If we can't find anything, just share with me until we do. But maybe....I bet I could get you some pillows. Turns out Kaittans- those are the aliens here- they think all that disease stuff is super interesting.
(It was a lot. Eddie knew that from experience, and honestly, being out in the woods was a lot less overwhelming. Beyond some strange looking flowers, the foliage was at least similar enough to what they were used to.)
No. It's like a weird magic? (He wiggles his fingers as if that properly explains it. It's fair of Bill to wonder that about Eddie, but for once, Eddie doesn't seem like he's being hysterical about something. He actually seems genuinely concerned.)
Apparently people who drink it? I think? Or touch it- I can't remember- but it makes you forget stuff.
(Don't ask him how, but he just knows that its been a thing.)
There's a lot of weird stuff here. People who can use real magic- not like magicians. Real stuff. This lady I know can make it snow or put fire in her hands from nothing.
(Which is amazing, if not a little scary too. Eddie looks for where they leave their bikes, committing it to memory.
It was easy to be brave with each other. Eddie himself is just as confident. He was always confident when he was with Bill. Or at least much more confident than he would ever be otherwise.)
The boat? (He quickens his pace to walk next to Bill. Their elbows bump, but Eddie doesn't move away. He might be a little clingy for some time. He's missed Bill real bad. It can't be helped.)
She needs a sturdy name. It looks like she could take a beating.
[Bill slows his pace just enough to not make Eddie have to jog to keep up with him, reminding himself they don't actually need to rush. That sense of urgency that keeps flickering at the back of his mind is fading slowly. He listens to the ground crunch and crackle beneath their feet occasionally and watches the path ahead of them, his eyes moving now and then to Eddie and his footing straight as he can manage to keep them from getting lost.]
T-that's crazy.
[He sounds quietly awestruck more than incredulous. The comments make him think of a comic he saw once, with a man covered in fire on the front of it. This sounds, at least, less terrifying, but after the year he has had, magic has lost some of its... well. magic.]
Seems like we're stuck w-with w-weird for a w-w-while. [Alliteration, his greatest foe.]
W-what about Lucy? [For the boat. After a bit of thought, the star character of another frequent show on his parent's old television set. He brushes a branch out of their way, still listening for the babble and trickle of running water.]
[Surely this will be okay. The problem is that Richie really isn't that strong, so while he might be able to hold a rope just fine, supporting Bill and Silver might be a problem.]
I can tie it around my waist, and also hold onto it. Do you think that'll be sturdy enough?
[A quick survey of the area of the corridor they're stuck in reveals a floor to ceiling column that may or may not be sturdy enough to withstand his weight, but would at least be safer than potentially pulling Richie down on top of him. He shakes his head and moves over to it, tapping his knuckles against the column.]
We'll tie it around t-the pole. [Which just leaves that unfortunate little side point of not having any idea where they might find a rope, and Bill, who is intelligent enough not to just jump down into a dark hole without knowing how deep it is, what's in it, or at least having a way out, knows that this plan only works if they do find some.]
Maybe there's another w-way down. We should look for st-stairs, too.
[Eddie says not to say anything. He shouldn't. The moment's ruined because Eddie already tried to stop him, but Richie can't help it. It's bubbling up inside of him and he feels like he'll burst if he can't make a joke about it.]
All I gotta do is rub it out and it'll be fine.
[There, that's better.]
I promise I won't hog all the blankets. [It's a promise he'll break. After a moment, he pushes himself up into a sitting position.] What does disease have to do with pillows? I thought you said they don't do experimentation here.
(Eddie places his hands over his face, groaning. He can't even be that upset. Sometimes, he had to think before speaking when it came to Richie.)
You're going to get hairy palms, I swear to God.
(It's impossible to tell whether or not Eddie actually believed that myth. Chances were good though that he did. His mother was very dedicated to protecting her son's everything.)
They don't, but they really like knowledge I guess? So they're willing to talk to you about stuff and if they like whatever you tell them, or think it's interesting and you answer their questions, they'll give you stuff. Not everyone- but a lot.
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