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 Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2022 10:56 am
Quote: Disappearances (14) : People are missing. Maybe they’re people you know, maybe you’ve just heard about it on the news. They’re just disappearing. In front of you one second, gone the next, sucked into some between-space. Into some hole that flickers out of sight once it’s swallowed them up. Maybe you got sucked in–right into a strange strange black expanse, with no access to anyone else or any exits. The pull would have been magnetic, almost unavoidable. Some might escape, but maybe you didn’t. Electronics don't work and characters cannot power down. There’s no way to reach the outside world. You might feel the sensation of creatures following you, you might run into obstacles or strange environments in the darkness. While you are in this strange location you may feel hungry but will not starve to death; you may feel tired but you will not need to sleep. Maybe you were lucky and got sucked in with someone. Maybe you’re trapped there and run into someone and team up. One thing is for sure, though–once you’re here, you can’t get out on your own. Characters who get sucked into the strange between-space will not be able to participate in the ORP immediately but will have an opportunity to join partway through so if this is something you’re interested in, please keep your eye on that! If you have questions on if something is permissible, you can PM The Space Cauldron to ask!)
Or perhaps he couldn’t see at all.
He took stock of himself. He’d managed to land on his feet — a product of rigorous training. He was uninjured. He had his blaster gripped securely in his hand. He’d been training with Aliez again, when, from behind a tree he’d used to take cover, a strange rift opened up and seemed to suck him in.
“Aliez?” he whispered, searching for his friend, thinking perhaps he’d fallen in, too.
Alas, Vyn received no answer.
He checked his ComTech but found it nonfunctional. That was odd. Vyn didn’t like that. It left him vulnerable. What if there were terrors lurking in this place? What if this was some Negaverse ploy, or a White Moon distraction?
Cautiously, he moved forward, searching, hoping to find some way out, but no path opened up to him. All that greeted him was darkness.
Then — a noise to the right. Vyn turned and thought he saw a figure approaching. Larger than him, with a great set of horns. One of the Negaverse’s youma, perhaps. Vyn’s hair stood on end. A voice in his head screamed danger, danger!
He raised his blaster and shot at the horned thing, aiming right for the head.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2022 11:26 am
Surtur had no idea where he was. One moment he was walking through the city, taking in all of the sights and sounds and smells, and the next he was being pulled into this strange, sticky goo place. Was this normal? He didn’t see any other people. He couldn’t feel any Chaos, but that didn’t mean it didn’t exist.
His stomach growled. He was still hungry, even though he’d had more to eat than he had in a long time. Collecting the bucks was paying off, although he didn’t think he would be getting any more in this place. He needed to figure out where he was, but there were just weird mushrooms and they didn’t seem sentient………
He heard some movement, something close by, and he quickly ducked out of the way when something was shot at him. It meant his hands and knees were covered in sticky tar, but he’d felt the sizzle of whatever shot grazed his arm, and had no intention of actually being killed now that he had a chance to revive his world.
He scooped up a big wad of tar while he was on the ground, and hurled it at his opponent, hoping to at least stall them from shooting again.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, and -- oh, the tar was really gross… he wasn’t sure he’d been able to actually hit the other with the wad. It might have fallen short. Oh… yeah, he was going to have to jump in a lake or something after this. If there was an after this.
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 9:33 am
The tar landed a few inches short, but still managed to splatter the tip of Vyn’s boot.
Was it dangerous? Poisonous, maybe? Would it eat through his boot and fry his toes? Vyn glanced down but didn’t notice any reaction. It was dark and goopy, but… harmless? He dragged the toe of his boot along the ground in an attempt to wipe it off, just in case, but all that did was smear it around and collect more to join it.
Alright, so, despite the darkness, he knew now that, not only was there ground to trod on, there was tar. And another person, who Vyn did not let out of his sight, despite the fact that his sight was not the best in a place with no light.
He could see, sort of. The horned figure was a man, and the horns themselves were attached to a tiara.
A Senshi, then. The white bodice made him White Moon. Vyn didn’t lower his guard, wary of the White Moon after the hilltop battle. The White Moon had the chance to help them centuries ago, but didn’t. The White Moon couldn’t be trusted any more than the Negaverse could. They were too idealistic, too wrapped up in their moral superiority. They would never understand.
Vyn fired again — a warning shot that just missed the man’s shoulder.
“Not wanting to doesn’t mean you won’t,” he said, a warning in his voice. “Don’t come any closer.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 9:38 am
Ah, so he did miss. Or at least he didn’t hear any comments of disgust from the other. That was good. He wasn’t trying to start a war.
Yet.
Not against potential allies at least.
He could barely make out the other. They were purple skinned, unlike all of the people he saw already, so maybe they were from another world, like himself? And he had some kind of energy weapon. It meant he would have to keep his guard up and hope he could convince him that he came in peace.
Except he was shot at again. This time Surtur didn’t move and -- thankfully, wasn’t hit by the energy blast. Well that was good at least. It meant the other was capable of compromise.
“My name is Surtur. I won’t come any closer, although you’re clearly the one with the superior weapon,” he gestured to the blaster-like weapon the other was holding. “I was pulled into this place. I don’t know where we are. I just want to get back to the place where there were other people again. And food, if I’m being honest.”
As if to prove his honesty, his stomach growled then, although wow that was rude and pretty embarrassing.
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 9:43 am
Vyn frowned at the man — this Surtur. He seemed friendly enough, and harmless if he had to resort to throwing tar, but one could never be too sure. They all seemed friendly. That didn’t mean they were, just that they were capable of acting.
Stranded in this dark place, Vyn wished someone else from the Vanguard were here. Aliez or Andreiya, or Fae-Fae. Someone he knew he could depend on. Someone he knew he could trust. Would they worry for him? Aliez must be frantic. Would they report his absence to the Commodore? Vyn hoped not. What if the Commodore grew disappointed with him? (Or what if he grew worried instead? Vyn liked the idea of the Commodore’s concern, but he also didn’t want to add more stress on top of what the Commodore already carried. What a conundrum.)
Vyn kept his blaster steady, aimed at the man in case he should turn out to be an enemy.
“Where were you before?” he asked.
If they’d been someplace similar, perhaps there might be a pattern to the rifts that had taken them. If they could figure out a pattern, maybe they could figure out a way out.
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 9:51 am
“Where I’m from, it’s usually polite to introduce yourself after someone says who they are,” he prompted with a warm smile. Not that they could really see expressions in this place, but the other should be able to hear it in his voice.
He was trying to be friendly! How was he supposed to refer to this person if they wouldn’t tell him what to call them?
“Before I was in this place with a lot of tall buildings and people. They were having a festival of some kind, likely to prophesize my arrival there,” he said as he stood up a little straighter. Maybe that would help this blaster wielding person trust him a little more!
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 9:53 am
It didn’t help. At all.
The description seemed to indicate Destiny City. Tall buildings. People. The festival. Which would make sense. Most Senshi were located in Destiny City, weren’t they? Supposedly, it was the only place on Earth they were safe. But this man spoke of it like it was a strange place, like he’d never been there before.
“The Star Festival isn’t for anyone,” Vyn said, which was true enough. It was for everyone. “I’m told the city hosts it every year.”
What was this man talking about? Prophecy? Arrival?
“Where are you from?” Vyn asked, but didn’t offer his name, even when persuaded. He would get to that as soon as he figured out whether or not this man should be considered friend or foe.
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 9:59 am
Surtur drew in a breath, as though he couldn’t decide if he was exasperated or amused. Clearly this person didn’t have any idea who he was. He would try to be gentle as he explained things.
“I’m Surtur. It’s the name of my world and where I’m from. Is that what the festival is called? The Star Festival? That isn’t very fitting, since Surtur is classified as a moon, but I suppose in the dark sky the reflection of light would make it appear star-like,” he said with a sage nod.
“I can only imagine how long these people must have been waiting. Perhaps they’ve forgotten the reason after centuries. I was trapped, unable to make contact with anyone else. But I was called to this place-- well, not this place. This place is kind of unbearable. But to the place with the people. I was called and it is clear I am meant to fulfill the prophecy to unite the worlds and restore my own.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 10:17 am
Vyn tried to be wise. He tried to be logical. He tried to prove that he could be as clever and as intelligent as his friends, but in this instance, he truly had nothing to say other than, “... what?”
Surtur wasn’t making any sense. Nevermind the prophecy; that was clearly absurd, and ultimately unimportant. It was the rest of it that Vyn had difficulty comprehending. He was from Surtur? As in born there, raised there, rather than on Earth? He was called to Earth? How? When? Why?
Vyn had so many questions, but couldn’t determine which was most important to ask first.
“Are there others alive on Surtur?” he asked, when he could think clearly enough. “Earth is the first living world we’ve made contact with in centuries. Everyone else…”
Everyone else was supposed to be gone, weren’t they? Wasn’t that why so many Senshi and Knights had been born on Earth? Because their worlds were unable to support life? Something about Earth kept it living, kept it thriving, even under threat of Chaos.
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 10:21 am
“Is this Earth?” Surtur asked in obvious surprise. “I was assuming Earth, given I could only see one moon, but the others could have been on the far end of their orbit. Well, that’s surprising, I didn’t think Earth was anything important. Oh. Yes, yes of course there are others there. Maybe. I haven’t seen anyone else in quite some time,” he frowned, clearly upset about--
“You’re not from Earth, either? Then you should understand my plight. My world is under attack by some kind of Chaotic fog. It swallows up everything it touches.”
There wasn’t much left on his World that he could safely access, but it was better than nothing. Better than dying and letting his world to rot.
He was surprised and concerned to think that this person hadn’t made contact with anyone else in centuries, either. “Where else have you looked? I know quite a few worlds that were thriving last I visited.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 10:35 am
Part of Vyn wondered if this Senshi was making things up. Perhaps he’d heard of Velencya and the Vanguard and thought a bit of a joke might be fun. Maybe he’d even been at the hilltop battle and saw an opportunity for revenge by stringing Vyn along with a bunch of ridiculous nonsense.
But Vyn didn’t detect any lies in his voice. His tone was steady, if a bit… flamboyant, maybe. Cheery, but not in such a way that it seemed disingenuous. And there was that pause, a short break in his speech, like there was more to his solitude than just not encountering anyone for a while.
“I’m from Velencya,” Vyn said, lowering his blaster by a hair. “My people are originally from Velenia, but our world is—” Dead? Gone? No longer theirs? Out of reach? Vyn didn’t like any of those options. “—currently uninhabitable. It has been for hundreds of years. We live on a synthetic world, but we came to Earth in search of answers. Earth is… unique. Maybe not centuries ago, but now. There are dozens of Senshi and Knights there, from all over, born to this life without habitable worlds to go back to. They’re at war with Chaos, with the Negaverse.”
Vyn watched the Senshi’s face, searching for any sign that the tale he told might be familiar. If Surtur was lying, and he did know about the hilltop battle, there was a chance he would suspect Vyn of taking sides with his enemy.
There wasn’t a side to take, in Vyn’s opinion. What occurred on Earth wasn’t their war. His loyalty was to his own people.
“My name is Vyn,” he finally introduced himself. “I’m a Corporal in the Vanguard. My duty is to my people, and to Velencya.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 10:54 am
Surtur listened, intrigued by everything this person from Velencya had to say. Living on a synthetic world was interesting, but he’d seen plenty of interesting things over the course of his life. But the part that had him hesitating was the comment about dozens of Senshi and Knights.
“Why?” he couldn’t help but ask, his brows furrowed in confusion and a bit of frustration. Why were there so many here but they weren’t doing anything to help other worlds? Why weren’t they born on other worlds that were habitable. With a few more Senshi and Knights, Surtur might have been able to fight back the fog that enveloped his world.
But he finally heard the Corporal’s name, and his expression eased a bit.
“Yours is to your people and Velencya, as mine is to Surtur and my people,” he nodded appreciatively. “Has Sailor Earth considered lending out any of the Senshi and Knights that live here to assist with other worlds?”
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 10:59 am
“I… don’t know anything about Sailor Earth,” Vyn said.
He hated to feel ignorant. He hated to have inadequate answers. He hated to feel lacking. He wasn’t the strongest or the most intelligent of his people. He likely never would be. He had to find his own place, to determine what he could offer his people, and how best to do it.
Safety. Protection. Those were the things he’d decided he could do for the others, for the Commodore.
He couldn’t do either of them here.
“I don’t know that anyone does,” he continued. “The Senshi and Knights that call Earth home… they can visit their worlds, but living anywhere else hasn’t been feasible. There is nothing else.”
Vyn lowered his blaster even more. He got the sense that this Surtur, while a bit outrageous, didn’t mean him any harm. He seemed lost. If what he said was true, and he’d been on his moon all this time…
How long, exactly, was all this time?
“I doubt either of us will find suitable answers while we’re stuck here,” Vyn said. He studied Surtur again, searching for signs of deception. Either Vyn lacked the experience to notice them, or there were none. “We should pool our resources and stick together,” he decided. “This place might be dangerous.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 11:10 am
Surtur’s eyebrows furrowed with confusion, maybe some frustration. Senshi and Knights calling Earth their home. It was ridiculous to think. Unless they were Earth Knights, but even then…
His expression eased and melted into something much more good natured when Vyn suggested that they pool their resources and stick together.
“A splendid idea,” Surtur nodded in agreement. They had no idea what was in store for them, especially since they weren’t native to Earth --
This was part of Earth, wasn’t it?
“Come, we shall be in search of a way out of this place!” he decided with one hand on his hip and the other gesturing for Vyn to follow him. He had the distinct feeling that Vyn wouldn’t want to turn his back to him, and that was fine! After all, how was he supposed to build trust without showing he could trust others?
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