Test Drive: Haven (Setting going live 04/28)

[fluxscapemod]

TEST DRIVE #4

♦ SETTING: HAVEN

♢ THE TEST DRIVE

With all of this said, welcome to Test Drive #4! This is our fourth and latest setting to Fluxscape. Styled as a desert world in ruins, there is some mystery as to why this world is the state it is in.

Should you find yourself interested in joining FluxScape, please feel free to put a Reserve in. And our Applications are always open, approved every Sunday.

Thank you for considering FluxScape!

♢ THIS TOWN HAS TEETH

Your journey starts out differently this time. No blinking and you're suddenly outside of Jerry's information booth. In fact, you're going to wake up on a train. A rusty, dirty and crowded train and it's a voice that wakes you up. Crackling loudly from speakers above, the voice has a slight accent, and a gravely tone to it and what it says is:

"Haven Train Station. Last stop. Everyone off!"
With that, the train grinds to a rough halt and the people around you start rising, jostling with each other to leave the train as soon as the doors open. What it opens up to is a town in the middle of a dessert. It's dirty, hot and the whole place looks like it was put together in a rush. Most exteriors seem to be slapped together out of metal. Rusted and creaking, looking like a good, strong wind would knock it over. It's not meant to look pretty. If anything, it looks as though the people in this town slapped it together for survival, and nothing more.

♢ INSIDE HAVEN

Most of the town resides under broken overpasses, and most of the businesses sit in old tunnels, lit with kerosene lamps. They're crowded, the people are rude, and some of them might even try to pick your pockets, so be wary. The residents have been through hell and to them, you're just more strangers they're unsure of.

The Metroplex and Wechester Tower still sits in the middle of town, looking more like several buildings pieced together, and less like the illustrious buildings they once were. The outdoor market is still there, but the food isn't quite as fresh and while you can now haggle for prices, be ready for an argument. The people of Haven have had it really rough and they really aren't about to put up with strangers making things worse.

And most if not all of the restaurants in town seem to be reduced in size. There's not much in the way of seating, and most places seem to serve some variety of hearty noodle dish, flavored with various herbs and spices, pieces of cooked meat and vegetables really giving these dishes an exceptionally filling quality. These people don't have much, but what they do have, they know how to use well.

Even Starkbucks has been reduced to a smaller establishment, very obviously built in a shipping container, with emphasis on roasting their own coffee beans behind the building and serving up coffee, hot tea and the occasional pastry when the bakery has any to spare. You won't find any of the fancier drinks, because ingredients for that aren't too common to find, but the coffee is actually good and the smell of roasting beans seems to go for blocks.

The local teenagers also have their own place to go and hang. It's just beyond the decrepit school building, a part of an old mall that's clearly been empty for years. They call it The Caldera. There's a parking garage that's caved in and been turned into a skate-park, and just beside it is The Caldera Skate Shop. Everything there is covered in graffiti, no one seems to give a shit.

Haven runs on Solar Power. There are solar panels everywhere, but sometimes they don't work quite as well as they should, so there are random power outages that happen throughout the day. Maybe one of the feral creatures that run through Haven chewed on a wire? A rat, or something? Give it a moment; it'll come back on eventually. This happens often and the NPCs seem to shrug it off.

If you're worried about water, it's surprisingly plentiful and clean. If you're outside and want water, you'll have to find one of the many hand-pumps around town to get some. It takes a while, and usually draws a crowd, so be willing to step back and share. Living under two suns isn't all that easy for anyone. But, at least no one suffers from sunburn or sunstroke. Why that is, no one can say. But be ready to walk around with a good tan. For a town stuffed into a rough part of the desert, Haven is colorful, even with all the rust. That much, at the very least, seems important to people. They've decorated the walls with paintings and drawings, even their hair and clothes seem to have a vibrancy that defies the tan and brown landscape around them. A lot of it clashes, but that's fine. Haven might not be pretty, but it's home to many.

♢ OUTSIDE HAVEN: THE LOCAL WILD LIFE AND TROUBLE THEY CAUSE

You can leave the walls of Haven. No one's going to stop you. And you can get pretty far, too, but be careful. The creatures outside of the walls are out to get you. They come in all shapes and sizes and are as mean as they come.

SKITTERS: A crablike ant who ranges in size from a Pomeranian to a Clydesdale, whose hide is tough and who can breathe fire and burrow through the hard dirt within seconds. Very hard to kill. Their hills can be found all over the Outerlands and, if disturbed, tend to swarm whatever they deem a threat.

DEVIL DOGS: Hairless, quadrupedal beasts with bifurcated faces who attack in packs and can cough up corrosive ick. They range in size from German Shepherd puppies to full grown Mastiffs. The much smaller ones tend to be more curious than anything else, and some in Haven have adopted one or two, but be careful trying this on your own. They're hard to train and tend to chew on everything. Not as hard to kill as the Skitters, but they move fast and tend to weave instead of run in a straight line.

KITES: These aren't the fun, colorful things you see children flying in the air on a good, windy day. These things are mean. Leathery, hideous, one clawed foot they use to grasp onto things and hang from, they're a batlike creature whose screech can hurt if done too close, and who have very sharp projectiles they throw at targets from their tail. They're accurate, and they hurt like hell.

These things are barely good eating, and not worth the risk of killing, so it's a good thing the people of Haven get daily shipments of stuff from somewhere. They won't tell you where, just change the subject and walk off.

Should you venture out, please try to be armed. It seems as if everyone in this town has a gun of some kind on them, so it might be wise to get one. Or, if you're lucky, find an okay one in the desert in a pile of trash, along with ammunition. It's few and far between, however, so use your ammunition sparingly.

♢ BEYOND THE OUTERLANDS

Beyond the Outerlands, quite a long distance from Haven, in fact, is a foggy zone. Step into it if you want, but you'll just end up right outside of Jerry's info booth.

♢ MECHANICS

TRAVEL: As stated, you can leave Haven and explore. It's best to do it with wheels. It seems as though whatever force is changing the setting so often thinks it best people have wheels of their own, but not a single vehicle is designed for visual appeal. They're tough. Probably even outfitted with weaponry. Some have the capability to hover, and all vehicles seem able to repair themselves if they take too much damage. Which will happen if you take them out of Haven.

If, however, they do get damaged beyond repair, fret not. They'll appear back at home, waiting for you to ride again.

DEATH: Let's be real. This place can and will kill you, if you're not smart. Don't worry. If you do die, you'll revive at one of the VitaPoints inside and outside of Haven. And not a single resident will blink. You might even witness an NPC going through that very experience, reappearing in a flash of color and static before sighing and walking off. How it works, no one can say, but you'll come back with all of the stuff you were carrying and not a scratch will be on you.

GRAVITY: You're not on Earth, or any planet that has gravity like it. Gravity on Haven doesn't quite have that same pull. You won't float off, and everything looks like it's staying firmly on the ground, but a good jump might send you higher than you're used to. Please be careful, you can still get hurt if you don't land just right.

With all this said, it's important to note that this setting and the changes it brings about will run a lot further than has happened before. Right down to a persons wardrobe. There's no reason to look fancy in Haven. There's no call for it whatsoever. Everyone will find that their clothing has become less for appearance and more for durability. Wear and tear is a very common thing in Haven, so your clothes will change to match. Oh, there'll still be elements common to your characters, no one loses that. But to survive the heat, and the violence, and Haven in general, your clothes are now meant to protect you. Should you venture out and die, you'll find yourself reviving at one of the VitaPoints around town. You won't find your body, it'll vanish before you hit the ground, but you'll be alive again!

THE SKY: We should point out that, for starters, Haven has two suns. One of them just slightly closer than the other. This means Haven is very hot, and the sky rarely has clouds in it. Once the first sun, (a bright blue-white star that's a fair distance away but still visible and close enough to heat the surface of the planet) sets, the air starts cooling off. When the red sun goes down, it's practically perfect hoodie weather and feels delightful as compared to the daytime. And if you look up, you'll note that Haven has no moon. Is there a reason for that? Probably. Or maybe this planet just has no moons. Whatever the case, the night sky is a deep purple, almost black, and the stars are plentiful. There's also a lovely natural phenomena that happens at night, but just a touch more on that later.

♢ NPCS AND YOU

The most important thing to be aware of is the NPCs of Haven will not trust or like your characters at first. You're strangers. There's talk they've had trouble with strangers. There will be opportunities to build up faith and trust, but don't expect it to happen so quickly.

Expect resistance from everyone. In fact, expect NPCs to try to pick your characters pockets or start fights. Or just generally be antagonistic and rude. This town has been through Hell and for all the NPCs know, you're here to bring more trouble than you're worth .

Haven is rough, and dirty. Hot, and at times very intense, but wait until the two suns go down. Haven doesn't have a moon, but that's fine, because night-time has it's own radiance. That's when the sky lights up with a lovely Aurora Borealis that glows throughout the evening, from Suns-down to Suns-up and it's loved by all residents. You can be sure that a lot of them will find places to sit and watch for a bit, watching the colors dance across the sky, enjoying the cooler night air. At night, it's peaceful. So enjoy it.

Comments

Malcolm Bright | Prodigal Son

[prodigalmess]

ARRIVAL

Malcolm's still trying figure out how he's woken up in a post-apocalyptic hellscape. Or maybe it's just plain hell. Being dead would make more sense than this.

If this ever was New York, there's nothing familiar about it. The geography is all wrong. It seems more like Arizona to him, but he has no idea how he might have gotten here. The one thing he does know is that he's glad for the Glock in his jacket pocket, because the people here seem downright hostile.

That's why he keeps his jacket on, even with the heat of two(?) suns burning down on him. He'd rather not openly show that he's armed. Malcolm walks around the dusty town, trying to get his bearings and see if he can figure out why he's here. It doesn't track with the last thing that he remembers from home.

Starkbucks looks like what it sounds like, a half rate version of Starbucks, housed in what seems to be a shipping container. He finds enough coins in his pocket to buy a cup of coffee that tastes a few steps above motor oil, but he needs it to help him think.

Malcolm surveys the other people in the establishment, noticing that a few don't seem like they belong. Some are calm, like they're just going about their every day lives, but some are nervous. Their body language says that this isn't what they're used to. Maybe he's not the only one surprised to find themselves here.

He casually approaches one of them and stands next to them, drinking his coffee. "Really hot out there today, huh?" he asks. That's probably not that slick, but he doesn't want to open a conversation with how much panic he's feeling on the inside.

LOCALS

After coffee, he continues his exploration. Being a native New Yorker, the unfriendliness of the locals doesn't bother him that much. He's used to it.

Pickpockets are another thing that he's dealt with, though he's less inclined to let that roll off his back, particularly when one of them goes for the pocket where his gun is. The man must be new at thievery, because Malcolm spots him before he even approaches. He silently curses himself for keeping his hand near his pocket and drawing attention to it.

The man barely stretches his hand out before Malcolm is sweeping his legs with one of his. Completely caught off guard, the novice criminal hits the sand, stunned that his legs have fallen out from under him. Malcolm squints down at him, but doesn't attack him further.

"Hands to yourself, okay?"

He keeps moving, hoping that enough of the guy's friends saw him get his ass handed to him and that he hopefully won't have to deal with future pickpocketing attempts.

NIGHT

After seeing what the town is like during the day, Malcolm is a bit worried to see what happens after the suns set. He's pleasantly surprised to find that the evening seems to have a calming effect on the place. Maybe it's because the temperature drops a good fifteen degrees.

He knows he needs to try to find some place to sleep for the night, but he's still getting his bearings around Haven. He's in the street when the sky starts to change and ribbons of color spread across it. Everything around him takes on a blue hue as the Aurora Borealis comes into full view.

Malcolm's never experienced anything like this in person, and he can admit that it's really beautiful. Like most of the locals, he finds a place to sit and watch the sky as the lights move above him.

"This isn't what I would have expected," he says calmly to whomever happens to be near him.

[ ooc: Open to other options too! Feel free to PM me or hit me up at sparks_fly. ]

night.

[menarebrave]

Many might expect another form of Bruce Wayne out at night. Cape, cowl, distorted voice. Not when it comes to the nature of their fluxing realities. Bruce, instead, resorts to the older ways. The Bat only steps into the suit when he is needed. He only talks on the network when he is needed. Most of those who change from reality to reality only know Bruce Wayne... and it's going to stay that way.

He stands at the edge of the broken down sidewalk, eyes up towards the Aurora Borealis. It's beautiful, really. He isn't too caught up in his thoughts as the voice he doesn't recognize speaks up.

"Was there something you were expecting?"

Tess Mercer | Smallville

[havenomercy]

ARRIVAL

Tess remembers nothing of the train ride, not to mention how she got on it to begin with. When it heaves to a halt and the voice awakens her, her head is heavy and her muscles ache. It doesn't help when everyone else tries for the doors immediately, bumping and jostling her in the process.

It doesn't take long for her to get with the program and she follows a group outside into the hot, sunny desert, the sun - suns? - blinding her vision. She lifts a hand to shade her view and notices the city not too far ahead. Or what looks like what used to be a city.

A brief thought floats through her mind - i've done this before - remembering a worn down Smallville under the oppressive heat of a red sun. She hopes circumstances are different as she walks slowly toward the makeshift buildings.

NIGHT

The area seems a whole lot less ominous at night time. Perhaps it's because the suns are down and a cool breeze filters throughout the city. Tess stands just outside the Starkbucks, looking up at the Aurora Borealis. She's seen it before, but it's always a calming experience.

She doesn't think she'll stay long, though. She has her address and thinks she should get to shelter before it gets too late. Who knows what's waiting in the darkness of the outskirts of town. At the moment, she's not too keen on finding out.

night.

[menarebrave]

There's certainly an element of wariness that emanates from the darkness. Bruce can tell that this is certainly the most hostile area they have been in so far in their fluxed realities. It isn't wise for him to be out in the dark without his suit, but, Bruce prefers to keep the Bat as quiet as possible.

The more people who can't tie the Batman to Bruce Wayne the better.

That's when he notices an unfamiliar face. It's not unusual, but Bruce generally has an idea of everyone who is present from reality to reality. Call him paranoid if you'd like.

"Maybe we should implement a buddy system." Bruce says as way of greeting. "No one person should be out alone at night."

Charlie McGee - Firestarter - OTA

[ambusti_terrae]

The Train Station:

The fact that Charlie was asleep at all was alarming enough to the skinny girl with dark blonde hair. She didn't sleep very well. She couldn't. She had exceptionally bad insomnia, intense paranoia and nightmares, so sleep and Charlie weren't on good terms.

So the voice was jarring, the sudden stop of the train was startling and the crush to get out had the girl stumbling away from the crowd, trying to remember how to breathe. It's only after a moment or two that she gets a good look at her surroundings, and they have her pretty baffled.

"What the...?" Charlie states, looking up at the busted overpass, watching people come in and out of the town ahead. There's even a flicker of light nearby as someone rematerializes, Charlie watching the guy stomp off muttering something about 'stupid goddamn skitters'.

With really no clue what else to do, Charlie starts heading inside. Her first stop is what she's guessing is an information booth and the man inside is unsettlingly polite. This has her so very suspicious, especially when she's handed a packet of info and a place to stay and a weird phone.

There's also a box of bright pink merengues, but Charlie's not going to be eating those. Instead, once she's sure it's okay to, she moves on and drops the cookies in the first garbage can she sees.

"Where the fuck am I?" she asks, not really expecting anyone to hear her or answer her.

Night:

The whole two suns thing had been pretty intense. So much so that Charlie was surprised she didn't have a sunburn, or die from heat stroke.

It was the quiet of Haven that brought Charlie back into town, wondering what made everything go so peaceful all of a sudden. Looking upward at the first flash of color, however, and Charlie certainly stopped walking.

She'd never seen anything half as gorgeous as the Aurora, so she makes her way to a large boulder nearby, climbing to the top to sit down and watch.

Night

[ex_solarize985]

"Pretty, isn't it."

Says a voice off to the right, belonging to a tall, dark-haired guy leaning against what might be a pile of crates. He is also looking up at the colors, but tilts his head in her direction long enough to offer a small smile.

Leander Mistretta | TRC OC | OTA

[dreamweasel]

The Train:

Technically, it wasn't the first time Lea had woken up someplace strange. It was, however, the first time he'd woken up on a train. Pushing himself upright, he scrubbed a hand through his hair, looking around. Tattoos snaked up and down both of his arms and there was even one tucked behind one of his ears. A scar ran through his right eyebrow.

"The shit is this?" he asked no one in particular, scratching idly at his arm. "Who just sticks people on a train?"

He couldn't say he was particularly scared, but he was wary. His guard was up and he was ready to throw down with the first person to look at him wrong.

Inside Haven:

He made his way through town, hands in his pockets as he observed the dry ground and rusted-looking buildings. He hadn't seen a place this miserable looking in his life, despite being born poor as dirt before his father passed.

"What a shit hole." But he kind of liked it. It had character and everything was already so junked up that no one would probably care about more junk. It wasn't anything like his place back home but that didn't mean he couldn't make some improvements on things.

Lea turned his attention to you--yes, you--and said, "Hey, where do you think they sell spray paint around here?"

An Unfortunate Mugging: cw violence

One of the locals had made an ill-advised attempt to mug Lea. It wasn't going very well for the local. Though Lea sported a bloody nose, he already had the man down on the ground and was kicking him viciously, thwarting any of his attempts to get back up and forcing him to curl up protectively.

"Think about this the next time you decide to fucking mug someone," Lea snarled, kicking the man soundly in the stomach.

Someone should probably pull him off before he got carried away.

An Unfortunate Mugging

[yourbatman]

Stiles couldn't just let someone get beaten up. It was a fatal flaw, having to help people, even when they were good-for-nothing pickpockets. So, when he spotted Lea kicking someone that was already down, he ran over. "Hey! Hey, cut it out, he's had enough!" He was a little grease smudged, with a baseball bat over one shoulder. "Get off him or you're gonna join him," he was not exactly an intimidating figure, but the baseball bat helped some. And so did the grease smudge on his face.

Tyrone Johnson | Cloak and Dagger

[too_honest]

Arrival
"Haven Train Station. Last stop. Everyone off!"
He snapped awake, feeling before his eyes even opened that it was no longer linked with Tandy's. Ty immediately looked for her then looked around. "A train?" he muttered to no one in particular, attempting to understand what just happened. They'd been on a bus out of New Orleans. How did he get on a train?

Darkness swirled around him protectively as he tried to make sense of the situation. "Tandy?" he called out louder than the question to himself previously. Had he teleported himself somewhere else? And where was Haven? Where was his bag or Tandy's? ...All the questions ran through his mind, confusion warily on his face as he searched for a familiar face.

Ty filtered out of the train, holding off from attempting to teleport, given the crowd around. "Tandy?!" he continued to call out as he searched frantically. Nothing made sense. A train in a desert and some run down post apocalyptic town he'd never heard of. With a determined yet frantic face, he inched toward Haven while looking for his counterpart.

Haven
The search continued once inside the foreign city. Ty stopped calling out for Tandy and observed all the different locations, not spending more time in one than another. He didn't strike up any conversations but would respond to anyone who might try to engage in one with him.

A glance up to the sky before venturing in had him wonder if he'd somehow gone into the void of his cloak again but Ty didn't feel Tandy there like he had before. Yet he felt her around, enough to where he considered trying to use his powers to teleport to her. They could always find her. Most of the time. He continued to walk, searching his surroundings as he did.

Ty made the mistake of trying to jump up, thinking he spotted Tandy, only to find himself going a little higher than ever before. Almost instantly, he teleported back to the ground rather than take a chance of not being able to come back down. He looked frantically around to check on who might have seen before attempting to disappear out from the area.

[crazy_white_girl]

Ty was nearby.

Tandy didn't know how she knew it for certain but she did. It was just a feeling that she hadn't experienced for months now but it came rushing back with a familiarity that near staggered her, leaving her breathless as she wondered if it was real. Except the feeling didn't fade. In fact, it did the opposite as she wondered if it was somehow possible that he had found her after all.

She spent a good half an hour looking around for him then, checking the train station first and then Jerry's booth. After that, she started going down one street and up another, looking for a familiar shape that would confirm what she was feeling.

Then she spotted a blur to her right as someone jumped up and then came down rather slowly. Turning towards him, she felt breathless all over again before her eyes started to sting with a rush of emotions before she called out. "Ty!"

After that, she was barreling towards him without a care in the world.

Shadow Moon | American Gods | PSL CRAU

[curious_spirit]

Train
Shadow had slept soundly. The first in years, having reunited with the woman he'd thought about every day since their one time meeting. Said reunion had been unreal but everything made sense once the night was over and they'd gone to sleep. Everything he fought for had been worth it.

And then he abruptly was woken up by...

a train?

He wasn't naked but in the same worn leather jacket over a form fitting henley and jeans with an equally weathered pair of boots. His eyes darted around in search of Lydia, wondering if the gods had a trick up their sleeve and pulled her into this mess. It was bittersweet not immediately seeing her. Whatever disaster Shadow was being pulled into wasn't drawing her in.

Yet he was far from relieved, not fond of trains after his last time in one. Shadow couldn't say that he was glad over not being strapped into a memory invading machine. Glad wouldn't be the right word after losing Lydia and Leo so soon after finding them.

"Excuse me. Can you tell me where we are?" Or where they just came from.

The question was asked to the closest person, eyes still looking around as all passengers were being prompted to disembark. He towered over many but wasn't necessarily the tallest. Maybe they were standing on something, he wasn't sure. Shadow searched for a familiar face as he waited for an answer.

Haven
Slowly, he looked through the town after entering. Shadow gave a cursory glance over the Metroplex and the Wechester Tower. He continued observing the foreign town. It reminded him somewhat of the isle Wednesday had sent him to briefly when at the House on the Rock. The assessment was odd given he'd been taken to a shore with the water ebbing and flowing along the coast. Haven seemed more than arid, if there was such a thing.

It also happened to be inhabited unlike the isle he'd been suddenly taken to. Inhabited by people who weren't pleasant or welcoming, from what Shadow witnessed. Nobody was rude to him but some were acting downright nasty to others who also seemed to wander around.

He settled on having a coffee and something to eat at the cafe, deciding to continue observing the strange town quietly.

At least until someone stumbled onto his table.

Outside of Haven
He'd heard the shots first, then the screams, enough commotion for Shadow to rush in the direction of the mayhem in an effort to help. Nothing seemed disingenuine regarding the trouble. His abilities hadn't warned him of a set up or anything but a person in desperate need of help. He wasn't armed but formidable at six foot four and muscular. It didn't hurt any being a demigod. Or maybe that wasn't going to help in a place with two suns and ...Shadow wasn't sure what animal he was looking at in a distant.

Train

[wantadistraction]

Except for the fact that whoever had pulled him into this had decided to pull her along as well. Not that she knew that when she awoke to find herself not in her bed but on...a train?

Feeling a bit disoriented, she wondered at first if she was captured in some kind of strange dream like the ones that had plagued her at a time when she hadn't been in control of her power. But this didn't necessarily feel like that as she didn't feel a hint of Death hovering in the background. The other thing that she noticed was that Shadow was missing as was Leo. It was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she searched the car, her heart locked in her throat as she wondered what the hell was going on.

She really started to fear that maybe she was alone until people started shuffling off the train. Caught up in the small surge, she found herself nudged forward until she was standing outside, blinking a bit with a frown on her face as she looked this way and that. Thankfully she was dressed since she was standing out in public. She was dressed in a fitted green top and, blessedly, a pair of jeans tucked into a pair of ankle boots. Tucking some hair back from her face, she looked this way and that until she caught sight of a familiar bald head.

There was no hesitation on her part as she wove through the crowd, hurrying to catch up to him as he started to move forward. She caught him asking someone where they were but she wasn't really waiting for an answer as she reached out to catch his hand. "Shadow."

Helmut Zemo | MCU (no spoilers for FatWS)

[richallthistime]

Starkbucks

Zemo was pleased if a bit confused to find himself free of his confines even if he appeared to be in some sort of alternate dimension. And truth be told as a young boy cowboy movies from America had been a guilty pleasure of his. The idea of a lone gunslinger roaming from town to town to mete out justice- sometimes in the law and sometimes outside of it- was appealing.

The clothing was rather nice as well. Functional and durable, which he could appreciate. He even thought he looked a bit dashing in the leather duster this place had seemed to grant him. He also appreciated the armaments that came with the outfit. Very considerate and also worrisome. No one- not even potentially sentient realities- gave you a gun if they didn't expect you to need it at some time. While no stranger to violence Zemo always preferred to use other means to accomplish his goals if possible.

His current goal was to obtain as much information about this place as possible. The placed called "Starkbucks" (because of course it was called that) seemed to be the best bet to obtain some basic information. Later on he would find better sources.

Inside he glanced around before approaching the person in line ahead of him.

"I told myself I wasn't going to stop in but I couldn't resist that smell from down the street."

No need for the other person to know that Zemo was new to town just yet.

Outside Haven

Zemo had gotten some information from some of the local teens at the skate park about the state of the land outside of Haven. Pretending to be there to take pictures of the graffiti he managed to get a few of them to open up about their experiences outside the walls. He wasn't surprised that daredevil teens would be willing to risk at least a trip or two outside the walls.

While it initially sounded like they were exaggerating what they had seen for the sake of bravado he sensed there was enough truth behind the stories to assume that it was dangerous out there. Learning more about outside meant going there himself, so after making sure he was well armed and his weapons were reliable to ventured out.

He didn't go far but he didn't have to to realize that it was every bit as dangerous as the youths had said. Most of what he observed was through the scope of his rifle but one of the flying creatures had gotten too close and he'd been forced to kill it. He'd taken several parts of the creature, namely the spikes and the claws, to look at at later, before continue to explore and observe.

Outside Haven

[covert_ops]

"Careful." A voice calls out to him from a bit of a distance ahead. A blond woman, also armed, comes into view shortly, a stitched wound on her left arm. "Those things mean business and if they hit, it stings like hell."

Matt Murdock l MCU

[blind_devil]

Arrival

Used to the New York subway, Matt easily goes with the flow as people push and shove him off the train. He stands on the platform and takes a deep breath in. To anyone else it wouldn't look like much, but to him it's sight, sound and taste in one. It's giving him the lay of the land. He moves forward carefully ready to explore his new home in his unique way.

Inside Haven

Matt moved through the town carefully. The place was still new to him and he doesn't want to accidentally run into someone. He is currently walking through what sounds like a market area fingering some of the supplies as he works out what he might need. He is still learning the lay of the land and isn't sure where someone without sight might fit into it.

He hums something under his breath as he walks along hoping he can find something of use.

arrival. (this tickles me a lot oocly okay okay)

[menarebrave]

Bruce Wayne himself is standing nearby, watching the trains come and go. It's interesting this place even has a system like that considering the state of it all. This world is barren and, in his opinion, nearly dead. They all seem to be fighting for survival to some degree. It's amazing people can even trust them to the level they do.

That's when he notices the man simply standing there.

He quickly strides up to stand beside the man.

"You may want to move a little faster." Friendly advice. "Before someone thinks you're a good mark."

Jean Grey | Ultimate X-Men

[iseegoblins]

ARRIVAL

Sometimes you don't realize how tired you are until you get unceremoniously woken up after getting just a bit of sleep. Jean rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked around the train with a look that betrayed her exhaustion and confusion.

"Where..." she muttered to herself as a voice came on to announce exactly what she was wondering about. As it came to a stop she stayed seated, waiting sleepily for everyone else to clear off. A tiny voice in the back of her mind was wondering if she should be more concerned about all this. That voice was quickly shut down by the stronger voices that told her there really wasn't much in the multiverse that she actually should be concerned about anymore.

Besides, it didn't seem like there was much she could do about it at the moment. The best thing to do was to get off the train and check out where she'd ended up. The first thing she did as she looked around was reach her mind out to scan the minds of anyone she could touch. Everything she got from the people around her was disturbingly similar to what she'd gotten for years back home: distrust and a dislike bordering on disdain for all the strangers around. The same sort of thing mutants got on a daily basis.

"Some things never change, I guess," she said to herself. Sometimes the lines between thinking something and actually saying it aloud got a bit blurred. Maybe it was a telepath thing, or maybe it was just a her thing. Someone might hear but that was definitely the furthest thing from her mind.

Night and Leaving?

Jean was making her way towards the walls with the intention of trying to see what was beyond them when night came. She stopped in her tracks, near the wall, and looked up at the sky. It was beautiful and it reminded her of flying through space. A sadness and longing washed over her and for just a split second a fiery glow surrounded her as she lifted off the ground.

"It's beautiful," she said just as she caught what she was doing. "Shit." It'd only lasted a few seconds at best and she was pretty close to the wall. Maybe nobody saw. How many people were stupid enough to want to leave the walls just as night was falling? It couldn't possibly be that many, right? Hopefully. She really wasn't sure if she wanted to deal with having to explain that to anyone. Not that she actually knew how people would react to mutants here. Or how they'd react to her particular set of powers. Nobody ever reacted well to that.

Night

[morethanatrickster]

At first, Loki didn't believe he'd find the atmosphere afforded this place by its dual suns oppressive, but it was damned hot, and the night offered a reprieve the frost giant couldn't avoid taking advantage of. It helped that the sky offered a beautiful spectacle that made him a bit homesick for a world that no longer existed, to spite the refuse that passed for dwelling in this place.

It was nearly possible to ignore the ramshackle nature of the place here at the wall, though, and just enjoy what beauty the place had. It was with an uncharacteristic amount of melancholy that he leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes skyward, and then the fiery glow off to his right distracted him from his reverie, which was welcome, considering the direction of his thoughts.

He smirked a bit in amusement at her reaction. He'd never sensed power quite like hers before, which only added to her mystique.

"Going somewhere?"

Declan Lynch | The Raven Cycle

[declanisms]

♢ ARRIVAL

Given that the last thing that he remembers is the Fairy Market, waking up in a strange place isn't actually the most shocking turn of events for Declan, even if it is frustrating. Waking up more or less alone and on a train, is not the turn of events he expects, however. Where is Ronan? He does his best to straighten out his suit, brushing fingers through his hair to push it back from his face. The problem was that he had no idea where he was, and there was no sign of any likely culprits, and this didn't feel like what he'd expect. He's never been fond of situations that don't match his expectations. He'd been attending these since he was a child, he knew how it worked, even the dark side that he'd spent most of the day trying to keep Ronan away from.

The worst part is honestly that he can tell he doesn't fit in here, that he stands out in his grey suit and nice shoes, and Declan has spent all of his life trying to be so boring that no one pays attention to him or his family. It's disconcerting, sits heavy on his skin and tugs the curl of his mouth into a frown. But there's not much he can do about that right now, and staying on the train clearly isn't going to help anything, so he steps off into the sand and dust of what is apparently Haven. He is certainly not charmed. The thrown-together nature of the place isn't particularly reassuring either; has a vague air of slapdash construction intended to survive a dust storm and not much more.

He looks like an obvious mark, an easy target for one of the pickpockets. He seems like the sort of young man that needs rescuing from this sort of situation- even if the suit and the stress lines make him look older than he is. He's better in a fight than he looks like, though, sharper too. If no one helps out, he stumbles just before they get close enough, puts a hand to their shoulder and pushes them away in a gesture that looks coincidental. Enough to buy himself some space for the moment.

"Sorry about that," he breathes with an easy smile, just a flicker of an edge to his eyes that seems to discourage the pickpocket from another attempt. He sighs, rubbing at the crease in his brow; this place was going to give him a headache, he could already tell.


♢ HAVEN

Declan slips into Starkbucks, even if its roughshod appearance is far from the bright Dupont Circle establishments he's most recently been accustomed to. Some sort of half-rate pretender. But as long as the business operating out of a renovated shipping container has coffee, he doesn't much care- they don't seem to be poisoning the clientele, at least. He's noticed the fact that this place has two suns by now, so whatever sort of playing field he's on, any thoughts of normal seem to be effectively on pause.

The exact specifics of what that means, what his next steps are in figuring out what he's doing in this place, he intends to work out after his coffee. There's a subtle tension in his shoulders, the discomfort that comes with being both entirely out of control and with no grasp of what's going on around him. If he was Ronan, he imagines he'd have punched something by now, but he isn't, even if he can't deny that having a target would make him feel better. But he needs answers not temporary satisfaction. And so he tucks his agitation away to deal with later, possibly never, and keeps his smile on his face. He gets an iced-coffee-no-we-don't-have-hazlenut, leans back against what passes for a counter and watches the other customers as they slide through.

He's good with people, at telling stories, working a room, reading people. Declan's always been the sort of person that surrounded himself with people, because it was easier to obscure himself that way. Safer too, most of the time.

"Coffee's not bad for the middle of a desert, is it?" Maybe you look friendlier than the natives, or like you might know something. Something that makes reaching out seem worth it- he's sharp enough to tell this isn't the sort of place that rewards going it alone.


♢ AFTER DARK

He expects that things will get worse when the sun goes down.

That's usually how it works; criminal elements were more brazen in DC under the cover of shadows and streetlights, and back in Virginia, the weird got darker without the influence of the sun. This place doesn't even seem to have moonlight, and Declan rather expects things will get strange. Either for the violence to get worse or for the creatures he's heard wander outside of town to get braver. He keeps his eyes sharp, watches for trouble.

Instead, the sky lights up with a display that reminds him of the Northern Lights. And strangely, people seem to calm, finding places to sit and enjoy the sight, like without the heat of the sun it strips away the worst of the tension. If he was someone that trusted the idea of peaceful he might just forget his worry and let himself enjoy the purple-dark sky dotted with stars and now painted in streaks of color. But he isn't. However, it does seem like a better opportunity to make conversation, the way people seemed less suspicious, for the most part.

"It's a nice show. Does this happen every night?"


[ooc- He's from circa the Fairy Market in Call Down the Hawk, feel free to PM if you wanna plot something or have questions.]

Haven

[affection_for_research]

Starkbucks wasn't as welcoming as it used to be, but it was a good place for Gansey to get out among people. It wasn't something he'd had to do in Virginia. Henrietta had soothed most of his soul, the Pig and Ronan settling his wanderlust. But now things aren't how they used to be and Gansey can't help feeling agitated, like he should be on the move.

But he really can't grab a flight to Britain like he could back home.

So now he sat at one of the few tables, his sketchbook on the table beside an iced coffee. The page in front of him was covered in raven wings and birds in flight. He was shading one swoop of feathers, trying to replicate Chain Saw's glossy darkness when he heard a familiar voice comment about the coffee. Standing, he looked over toward the counter and grinned. "Declan?"

Satoru Gojou | Jujutsu Kaisen

[120vision]

[ ooc: this is teenaged Gojou from chapters 65 - 79. He wears sunglasses instead of a blindfold and has even more of an irritating personality. He also doesn't use infinity automatically, but rather consciously, which means it's a lot easier to touch him. ]

i. arrival

At first, he was jostled to and fro on the train. This annoyed him, so Satoru decided to employ infinity. It takes effort, but he feels it's worth it. It's also a little hilarious, as it means those who try to come near him become slower the closer they get to him. He likes inconveniencing people like that.

When they arrive, the others have figured it out and pretty much stay away from him. That suits him just fine. He descends from the train all his lonesome, turning to face the door of it. His sunglasses have slipped down his nose a little, which just means it's easy to see it when he reaches behind them and pulls his lower eyelid down, accompanying this with his tongue sticking out in a disrespectful manner. "Bye, losers!"

ii. thirst

He sure gets thirsty quick. He also gets tired of the handpump quick. Possibly even quicker. It's not that he doesn't have the ability, he just doesn't have the care.

So, what Satoru ends up doing is kicking the handpump a lot. He's not using his hand at all. What he thinks his foot will do isn't clear, but he's certainly frustrated enough with this task not to care if he actually succeeds.

iii. like a devil

Satoru is outside the town, chasing a very tiny devil dog. He's swearing up a storm, and interspersed between the swears is scolds of, "Give that back!" It's not quite clear what the devil dog took from him, unless you look closely. Then, you'd see one of the fancy designed buttons on his jacket have been torn off. The devil dog probably has it in his mouth.

He can't afford to lose it. If he ever gets back home, he'll get lectured for it, and he can't stand listening to adults on a tangent.

arrival.

[menarebrave]

"You might want to be careful of the attitude. I don't get the feeling people here take to keenly to being called out. And, I don't think they'd have a problem lashing back at an insult."

Bruce turns his attention to the teenager. An eyebrow raises at the display of the attitude, but, he doesn't say anything more than that. Besides maybe cast a glance around to the others that are platform.

Sam Porter Bridges | Death Stranding

[greatdeliverer]

i. ARRIVAL

The first thing he'd done once he'd arrived at his new home (thank you to Jerry for making him check his pockets) was look for his BB. She had to be here. Had to be, Sam never went anywhere without her. After calling her name a few times, a soft crying noise had lead him to a trunk, or a chest of some sort. And sure enough, there was Lou, safe in her pod, wailing away.

His gear suit is under her, so he carefully sets her on the floor while he suits up. Doesn't matter how hot it is, he doesn't know what's out there. Better to be well protected. Then he straps Lou to his chest and heads out to explore.

ii. NIGHT

He'd heard some of the locals talking about how gorgeous it looks at night. So once the suns started going down, he'd found himself a decent sized rock to sit on to see what all the fuss was about.

Oh. Oh. That's what they were talking about. Lou presses her hands against the pod and coos. "I know, right?" Sam whispers back, feeling an odd peace settle over him.


iii. WILDCARD

[throw something at me, or hit me up on plurk at wherethefigslie if you have an idea!]

2: Night

[hibana_incursa]

Gwen was starting to love nights in Haven. It meant people weren't lunatics, and it also meant it was so much cooler out and for a Spider-child? The heat can be a bit much.

But at night, it's cool enough for a hoodie and peaceful enough that said Spider-child can sit down and relax.

It's also pretty telling if she can look at the man with the baby in the pod and not blink. She's seen so much weird shit, both in and out of this fluctuating universe, that it doesn't strike her as weird. So she speaks from the comfort of the lawn chair she brought outside to watch and sketch the Aurora, sketch pad resting on her knee and a tin can full of colored pencils on the ground nearby.

"Your baby is adorable," Gwen states with a small smile.

Wanda Maximoff | MCU

[control]

ARRIVAL

"Haven Train Station. Last stop. Everyone off!"

The crackling of the loudspeaker startled Wanda awake, quickly uprighting herself from being slumped in the seat she was in. Warily she glanced around at the other passengers, using the sleeve of her jacket to wipe the sweat beading from her brow before removing the two jackets she was unfortunate enough to be wearing.

As the train came to a screeching stop, Wanda waited and watched as the other passengers hurried to leave. While she wasn't in a hurry to be anywhere, she decided to skim the surface thoughts of those around her, which caused her eyes to glow a faint red and her head to tilt to the side slightly. It seemed that some, if not most, of the passengers, were just as confused as she was about waking up on a strange train.

Now that she was the last passenger on the train, she stood from her seat as she draped her jackets over her arm and made her way toward the nearest exit. She groaned as the intensity of the suns hit her, immediately regretting wearing boots and all black. Using her hand to shield her eyes, she slowly made her way towards the information booth the spotted, accidentally bumping into someone along the way.

"Sorry," she said, her voice wary and thick with her native accident as she started to pull away but paused, turning back to the person she bumped into. "Excuse me, but where are we?"

NIGHT

Wanda found herself completely captivated by the night sky, standing off to the side on one of the streets, her mouth slack with awe. A chill ran through her, caused by the suns setting and the temperature dropping drastically. Even if she wasn't thankful earlier since she was sweating to death, she enjoyed the warmth and comfort from the black zipper hoodie she slid over her chilled arms.

"I've never seen anything like this before," she said in disbelief. It was mostly to herself, but anyone nearby could hear her. "Is the sky always like this at night?"

The last time she witnessed such a spectacular night sky was in Sokovia since heading to New York with the Avengers made seeing any stars impossible with the light pollution from the city. Remembering Sokovia brought back a surge of emotions that she did her best to push down, now wasn't the time to deal with them.

night.

[menarebrave]

"I wouldn't know. Most of us just arrived here ourselves."

Bruce looked from the sky to the person beside him. It was a common interaction he had found in this brief time in Haven. Most people were taken back by the sky and the colors it danced around with. Maybe the aurora borealis wasn't something that was commonly known anymore.

Randall Flagg | The Stand (TV)

[anachronus]

i. Arrival
Well. It's not an ideal place. But he's been in worse places before. Been in better, before, too, but that's neither here nor there. Jerry had told him to check his pockets, and he's pleased to find a key and a few coins. He likes keys. Keys are things of infinite possibilities.

He walks down the main road of the town, checking out the buildings or used-to-be-buildings. Whistling quietly to himself. Just taking it all in.


ii. Night
Randall's seen a lot of things in his long, long life. He's learned as he's gotten older to slow down and appreciate them a little more. So he leans against the Starkbucks building, sipping at his coffee and watching the night sky.

"Ain't that something'?"


iii. Wildcard
[Throw something at me!]

ii

[morethanatrickster]

Loki has found he rather enjoys the coffee at Starkbucks himself, as long as he doesn't think about who owns the place. The aurora above had been beautiful when he'd first seen it, but now it had faded into the background, too similar to the shimmering skies around Asgard to capture his attention for long.

"It is, though it loses its charm after a few nights."

Rook | The Volstovic Cycle | OTA

[commonfucker]

The Train

Rook had never seen a train before in his life, let alone been on one. It was a novelty on the one hand and unsettling on the other. He pushed someone off his shoulder the moment he was awake, getting to his feet even if that wasn't the wisest idea at the moment, with the train still shuddering to a stop. He didn't go tumbling, at least, though he did stagger a step or two.

"Bastion fucking shit," he swore. He had an accent, resembling a blend of Russian and French. He was a tall man, blonde hair knotted in braids here and there, streaks of royal blue at his temples, and he was almost painfully handsome, if it wasn't for his crooked nose and the half-moon scar under his eye and if he wasn't immediately an asshole the moment he opened his mouth.

"What the fuck is this supposed to be?" He asked, meaning the train itself.

Around Town

He made his way around pretty well for a man who'd recently been stabbed, who was still bandaged up under his shirt and the royal blue uniform jacket he wore. The jacket had seen better days, but it was his dammit, and it could be pried out of his cold dead hands if someone really wanted to take it from him. Still, despite making his way around pretty well, he limped as he walked.

Apparently, he looked like a halfway decent target, because a local slipped past him, one hand dipping into his pocket for the strange paper money he'd been given. Rook was on the man in a heartbeat, reflexes not dulled by his wounds. He grabbed onto the man's wrist hard with one hand, the other going for his knife and holding the blade against the man's throat. "Drop it if you know what's fucking good for you," he snarled.

The man's eyes went wide and he immediately dropped the money he'd been stealing. Sneering at how easy that was, Rook reluctantly let the man go. He watched him go, made sure he wasn't trying to do anything stupid, then returned his knife to his hip, crouching down. He started gathering up his money even as the wind snatched a few bills away, tumbling them down the street.

"Mother fucker," Rook swore, reaching uselessly for the bills as they passed out of reach. He would never admit to it, he might not even say thank you, but he could use some help.

Starkbucks

He still hadn't figured out what most of the bills were, and he couldn't read the menu behind the counter to save his life, but he'd figured out through trial and error that handing over a five or a ten was enough to cover the cost of a simple black coffee. After he paid, he lingered at the counter for his drink, then took it to one of the unoccupied tables, gingerly lowering himself down.

He was still on the pale side from how much blood he'd lost, but he was recovering well enough. To the point where this place bored him, even if he should be on bedrest still, technically. After the adventure he'd had, seeing his girl again, the kiss he'd never forget, being whisked off to someplace strange and foreign was almost mundane.

Taking a breath, he pulled up his shirt for a moment, without a single care, to check the bandages wrapped around his ribs, making sure he hadn't pushed himself too hard today and wasn't bleeding through them--he wasn't.

At Night

The aurora in the sky was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. There was never anything that was going to be more beautiful than Have though, so this came in second, but still. He dragged a folding chair out to the middle of one of the streets, completely uncaring if he was in anyone else's way, and slowly lowered himself into it, nice and careful.

Leaning back to admire the night sky, he said to whoever happened to be closest to him, "Does this shit happen every night?"

Fran Bow Dagenhart | Fran Bow (AU)

[keeperofkeys]

i. ARRIVAL

There's a young woman -- a girl, really -- standing in front of the Starkbucks, holding a black cat. She doesn't look confused, or even very surprised. Instead, she looks almost... resigned. Almost as if she's done this before.

She sighs and nuzzles at the fur at her cat's neck, then takes a look around her. Absorbing what seems to be her new home. "Well, Mister Midnight. I suppose this is where we are now."


ii. NIGHT

Mister Midnight is safely in Fran's apartment, now. She's been told by a few of the people who live here that it's not safe for cats to be roaming about, so in the apartment he will stay.

But Fran, on the other hand, had seen the colours in the night sky through her window and had rushed out to experience them properly. "Oh, how wonderful!" she breathes, absolutely delighted.


iii. WILDCARD
[Hit me! I'm open to most any ideas]

i. ARRIVAL

[alphabeticalplans]

Biggs can only assume Mr. Midnight is the name of her cat. It gives him a slight pang of homesickness, thinking about cats with funny names, before he forces a smile.

"Here's not so bad, I promise." He waves, so as not to force her to reposition Mr. Midnight. "Welcome to Haven. I'm Biggs."

Balthier | Final Fantasy XII

[askypirate]

arrival

Being hamhanded onto a tram and packed in like sardines was not where he planned on waking up today. Disoriented, to say the least, he followed along without comment as the press of bodies moved as one to the train platform and breathed an uncomfortable grunt as the heat hit him in the face once he was freed from the cab. His brow furrowed against the sun above.

"Suns?" Partially blinded by the light, he didn't see the young girl running past him clearly, but he did see the large man pursuing her, shouting something about filthy pickpockets. Ah, the grinding laments of poverty. He stepped smoothly into the man's path, pulling free from a finger one of his bright silver rings, and sliding it into the man's hand as he paused before running into the sky pirate.

Balthier was all smiles. "This ought to cover whatever it is she stole, yes?" The man grimaces at him, as though he's angry to have been touched by the stranger from the train as Balthier releases his hand. "She's just a girl." The man spits at his feet before moving away, the little pickpocket long lost in the crowd.

Balthier adjusts his cuffs. "My, the locals are friendly, aren't they?"

nightlife

It was pleasant to note the town cooled off considerably when the suns retreated beyond the horizon. Ah, the horizon, with its dazzling display. He'd seen something similar in the far north once, from a distance. He wondered idly, as he sat atop the wall overlooking the wastes beyond, what about this desert made it capable of such beauty. He also wondered, as his adventurer's blood stirred at the sight, what might be round in those dunes. Danger, to be sure, and while often its own reward, actual rewards were much more his suit.

What appeared to be a flintlock pistol could be seen at his side if one wandered close enough to see it, and the well-dressed young man made no effort to hide it. It was best to let anyone approaching know he could and would defend himself if he needed to.

"Stunning," his words were for his own ears, though loud enough to be heard. "But what are you hiding?" There was a curiosity in his voice as he gazed out over the wastes, and something akin to desire. He'd have to see for himself sooner or later, though, without a partner or transportation, it seemed foolhardy.

wildcard

(OOC: Have another scenario in mind? HMU!)

nightlife

[keeperofkeys]

"Does it need to be hiding something?" Fran asks, from a little ways away. This is the third time she's come out to see the lights, but they're just as pretty as the first time, and they make her happy. So why not?

"Perhaps they're just there to be beautiful. Unless you're talking about this place, in general. Which is most certainly hiding something."

Mister Scratch | Alan Wake

[tolduimapsycho]

Arrival

The train sucks, but he's been to worse parties. Loud and chaotic, smelling of sweat and rust and bad attitudes. He doesn't really wonder how he got there. The Darkness sticks him wherever it wants, it's whatever. You get used to it.

It's when the train stops that his face almost falls, lips curling in disgust. Desert. Heat. SUN. His arm immediately raises to shield his dark eyes as he is fairly pushed out the door of the car, cringing under the light of both suns. He looks down at himself and realizes that his nicely tailored suit is suddenly looking haggard, his dress shoes replaced with boots. Ugh, he feels so...less than stylish. Gross.

"Hell. This is hell," he just about whines, immediately staggering over towards the nearest shade like a man with the worst hangover in the world.


Inside Haven

Inside the Abandoned Mall, there is the loud crack of wood splintering and glass shattering. Mister Scratch is passing the daytime by entertaining himself in a way that always works, no matter where he is - breaking shit.

So that's why he's riding on top of his little folding scooter, holding the broken-off handle of a rotting baseball bat he had found a few minutes before. He hucks it through the shattered storefront window with a gleeful shout, dipping down to scoop up a hunk of rubble as he rolls further down the way.

He puts a foot down to pick up speed, holding on to only one handlebar. He spots a mannequin, standing crooked on its stand. His arm rears back, and he throws -

And he misses. The rubble clatters to the ground.

He flips the mannequin off and a beat later it's wreathed in shadows, throwing itself to the ground.


After Dark

FINALLY, nightfall. His time. Fairly skipping out from the mall, he's ready to be in his element, out in the dark night. A deep breath of cool air, a little spin,

When he sees the lights in the sky, however, he doesn't wear the same relaxed expression as most do. He looks almost disgusted at the trails of color shining up there, lip curled, nose wrinkled like he just stepped on a slug.

"What the hell is this?"

At least there's no moon, but - oh come ON.


Wildcard

Invent a scenario! He'll be there.

Sort of a wildcard afterdark option maybe IDK

[pythianwoman]

Zoey has settled into this place easily; it’s not her first rodeo, as it were. No, she’s got…. Fuck, what it is it, five worlds under her belt now? She’s used to being suddenly and abruptly uprooted and plopped down somewhere else without even so much as a by-your-leave. So she’s settled in. The place she’s living here is…. Weird. A sort of hodgepodge of places she’s lived since she first got yanked away from home that first time so long ago.

The fucking HAT in the chest she’d found was definitely not necessary. There were other things, too, things from other worlds. But the hat was the most… NOPE-worthy of the lot. She’d stuffed it right back in the chest the moment she’d pulled it out.

Night has fallen and she sets out to do a little exploring. Danger has never really stopped her and she wants to learn more about this world she’s found herself. Even if it’s bound to change in no time at all, from what she’s been told about it.

She’s near the mall when she sees him. And for a moment, his face is so familiar it hurts. She knows him. “Alan?!?!” She hasn’t seen him in…. Far too long. Worlds and worlds ago.

But it’s only a moment. A single moment of bright, mistaken joy. It’s not Alan. He doesn’t dress in full suits, even the suit is worn and dusty. And her skin wouldn’t be crawling the way it is if it were Alan, her throat and mouth full of shadows and darkness. No, it’s not Alan at all.

“Who the fuck are you?”

Despite the danger, despite the warning, she strides forward, right up into his space, gazing up at him with blazing ice blue eyes.

Charlotte "The Carnie" | OC with CRAU

[itsallagame]

Inside Haven

Without the Carnival to run, what is the Carnie even to do with her time?

For the moment, she's contemplating that very question, sitting in a corner at Starkbucks coffee with a large, steaming cup of something with a truly staggering amount of sugar in it. One hand is pressed to the side of her face, dislodging her glasses - the other is drumming softly on the table, immaculately manicured, dusty pink nails going tap-tap-tap-tap.

Laying on the table in front of her, beside her drink, is a black iron hand mirror, the pane cut from polished obsidian.

If you look very closely, perhaps you can catch a glimpse of Charlotte's reflection looking at you instead of where it should be.


Nightfall

Well, the Carnival this is not, to be certain. Perhaps similar to some of the places where the Carnival had GONE, but rarely did Charlotte get to leave the gates when that happened anyway. It is a little thrilling, she supposes, in the grand scheme of things...but still, it isn't where her heart is. Where those she loves are.

But the lights in the sky remind her of home, at least. And so she's wandering just on the edge of town, absently, eyes turned upward.

Not looking where she's going, though.


Wildcard

Anywhere else you wanna run into a displaced Carnival-running cosmic-corrupted fear entity!

[pythianwoman]

Zoey has been here for some time now, settling into life in Haven with the ease of someone who has done this far too many times before. At least she’s not stuck in a Lovecraftian college town, been kidnapped nominally to potentially be a bride to a Nysgod or at the whims of a potentially Genius Loci (and terribly creepy) Carnival.

And speaking of. Zoey is headed to Starkbucks when she sees her, drawing to an abrupt stop. The face is an unfamiliar one, but similar enough to the one the Carnie had worn in the bath tent to make her pause, and coupled with the familiar, and identical sensation crawling along her skin at the sight of her that makes her almost certain.

The mirror, though. If she wasn’t already certain that would have cinched it.

“Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me.” But she’s not in the Carnival anymore. NEITHER of them are. The Carnie has no power here. Not the way they did in back the Carnival. So she strolls over to the table where the Carnie sit.s “This place has a twisted sense of humour.”

Somehow, she’s gone to HOW many different worlds and been spared almost any familiar face from all the worlds she’s seen, let alone the Carnie themselves…. And yet here they are. A thorn in her fucking side. The Reflection looking at HER and not the way reflections are supposed to work doesn’t surprise her in the slightest, and she makes a mental note to begin using the runes that Angel had taught her again.

Back to covering mirrors again. Haven’t missed that.

Alan Wake | Remedy Connected Universe

[drowningman]

Starkbucks

When he'd began his work on Return, waking up on a train heading to a place on a different planet than Earth was not what he had in mind. It wasn't exactly what he'd imagined during the second draft either. Or the third, or the fourth, and so on. Despite this, being out of the Dark Place was a welcome change of pace. The sunlight stung at first, so much so that he worried a bit that he had become more touched by the Darkness than he'd anticipated, but after a while of shielding his eyes and acclimating to the light it was a long overdue experience that made him feel intense relief.

And then, as he wandered the streets of Haven trying to get an idea of this strange new world he'd escaped to, all the exhaustion he'd avoided feeling in the unreality of the Dark Place was made real.

'Man, I'd give anything for a cup of coffee right now,' he thought to himself, mind drifting back home to Alice, their apartment, their coffee machine. Enjoying a fresh pot of whatever local roast they had in their cupboard that night as they both worked long into the night on their respective projects in each other's company. His heart ached for her, but he knew that no matter where she was right now Alice was okay.

A scent on the wind snapped him out of his lovesick thoughts: the unmistakable aroma of sugars caramelizing as coffee beans roasted away. Alan followed the scent, not even giving a thought to the fact that he had no money on his person and nothing valuable to even barter with. He was simply a man with one inarguable instinct: to be caffeinated, and he followed that drive all the way to Starkbucks, into the line and eventually to the counter to order.

"Hi. Largest size hot coffee you have, thanks." He's told the total for his order, and it's at this moment as he stops, remembers where he's been for the past decade or more, and begins patting himself down, checking his pockets.

They are all empty. No cash in the Dark Place, so it makes sense he wouldn't have any on him when he left.

Night

It's been a long time since Alan has felt a shred of peace at night. It makes him of Bright Falls, the mistakes he made that lead to losing Alice, and the journey out of the darkness and back into it again in order to save her. Seeing the Aurora Borealis does something though, lessens his urge to be cautious of the night's shadows and what might be hiding in them.

He still dutifully holds a flashlight in his left hand though, because it's better to be prepared than not. It's off for now to preserve the few batteries that he'd scavenged from the abandoned mall earlier, but ready to be used at a moment's notice. Alan can't know for sure that the Darkness hasn't followed him here, and letting his guard down is not a risk he's willing to take.

It's near one of the tunnels that had been bustling with activity earlier that he stops to take a moment to look up and appreciate the lights in the sky, taking in stars for the first time in what feels like forever. As he gazes upward, he gets lost in his thoughts in such a way that when stillness becomes movement in the shadows of the tunnel his first instinct takes over. Flashlight: on, aimed upward with the beam focused directly in the face of whoever approaches.

His eyes scan you for shadows, and the light seems to become more intense the more he focuses. When he realizes that there's no Darkness surrounding you he lowers the flashlight and turns it off.

"Sorry. Old habit."

wildcard baybee!

Feel free to drop another scenario here if you like! You can find me here on plurk or via my discord on my profile if you wanna run an idea by me first.

Night

[ventriloschism]

"OW, HEY! THAT'S BRIGHT!"

Alan's apology may seem pre-emptive the second the flashlight illuminates...maybe the worst ventriloquist's dummy he has ever seen. Rotting, moldy wood, an extra eye, disproportionate arms and legs. There are a few things that are probably immediately upsetting once the visuals can be processed:

The nightmare dummy is in a wedding dress. She is floating and speaking independently.

And perhaps worst of all for Alan personally - the figure behind the doll is that of a woman's, dressed head to toe in black and wearing a long dark veil. Echoes of someone else, someone uncomfortably familiar. She says nothing at all, head down, hands folded in front of her long dusty skirt.

The puppet cackles and floats around Alan, apparently sizing him up.

"Knew another guy who liked to shine a flashlight all over! Heehee, I took it. He didn't like that! Maybe I should take YOURS! That'll teach you some manners, riiiight?"

Quincey Morris | Dracula

[richtexan]

i. ARRIVAL
Well at least he's used to the weather. It's not too dissimilar from Texas, or some of the deserts in Africa he's been to. Still, the two suns are blazing when he arrives, and once he orients himself, he finds a bit of shade to linger in while he takes in the scenery.

"Fascinating," he murmurs, mostly to himself, fanning himself with his hat. "Like nothing I've seen, and I've seen quite a bit."


ii. NIGHTTIME
"Now this is magnificent!" Quincey whoops, clambering up on top of a nearby rock to sit and observe the phenomenon. "I only visited the Arctic once, but I saw something not too dissimilar there."


iii. WILDCARD
[Throw something at him]

ii

[mal_adaptive]

"It's one of the few things I like about this place," Mal drawls from where she is standing nearby, her arms crossed over her chest as she continues to watch the night sky. She doesn't know how but tonight the sky seems even brighter, even more alive with the colors that swirl and dance around as they sprawl across the dark backdrop.

"Sometimes I kind of wish it was like this all the time instead of giving us two suns."

River Tam | Firefly

[soulmakingsound]

i. ARRIVAL
The heat bears down on her, and she squints and shades her eyes with her hand to look around. Honestly, it looks more or less like a dozen of the Rim planet outposts she's been to. If a little more worn down. More buildings collapsed in. Plenty of places to climb and explore.

She turns to talk to her brother, starting to say -- "I wonder if they have one of your stores here. With the duck." But no sooner does she finish her sentence does she realize Simon isn't right behind her, like he ought to be.

"Simon?" she calls, playful. Like he might be hiding somewhere. And then, more desperate. "Simon?"


ii. NIGHT

River sits on the ground, head tipped up to look at the night sky with a desperate sort of longing. "Looks like home," she says, voice filled with tears. "But it's not."

have a patient AF princess, first.

[blueberryprincess]

Evie's out with Alaric, enjoying the cooler night air and watching the Aurora. She loved the sight of it and hoped she never got used to it. But she can't enjoy it as much as she'd like, not with the way the girl seated on the ground sounds.

It tugs at her heart a bit and, Evie being who she is, she heads over.

Don't worry, River. This girl radiates kindness and patience and a desire to help.

"You have something like this where you're from?" she asks as she glances up at the Aurora, motioning for the wolf at her side to sit and stay as Evie heads over. Alaric listens, lying down and half-closing his eyes.

Eddie Dean | the Dark Tower series

[keep_steddie]

ARRIVAL
[ He hates trains.

Okay, no, he doesn't, not really. They're decent in theory, even if he prefers the subway, but after the damn talking one he's kind of over them. Yeah, he beat the damn thing, but still. Really dumb.

Not that any of this makes sense anyway; he ends up at a train station with only the dimmest memory of how he got there and a splitting headache he decides to do his level best not to think about, because when he does his vision gets blurry and his mouth tastes like he's been sucking on pennies.

Nope. Not thinking about it. Another piece of weirdness from Roland's damn suicide mission, and he looks around for the asshole on reflex. ]

Roland? Susannah? Jake? Come on, anybody? You can't just leave me here, not now.

[ There's a reason for that, he knows that, a face in shadow and copper and cordite, but he doesn't want to think about it. He can't right now. ]

BRAVE NEW WORLD

[ The town at least looks familiar albeit depressingly so, too similar to so many of the towns they've wandered through in their journey across Midworld. Falling down, covered in dust, filled with distrustful folks, and one hand stays resting on the butt of his gun even as he greets then all with a wide, friendly grin and cheerful words. He'll manage, he's good at that. ]

Hey. Nice place you've got here, really friendly.

[ Especially past the walls of the place, he notices when he tries to move on. Roland's the only one who can open Doors, but Eddie figures at least he can look around. See what's out there.

...and okay, maybe some of them are a little closer to lobstrocities than he'd like, but at least they go down with a bullet or two. ]

[holyone]

This place reminds her so much of Silent Hill-- at least there's no dead things or horrible creatures chasing her. It's the aesthetic. The dust looks like soot, and she's taking a shortcut (she thinks) when she notices a man going out into the fog.

"Hey, uh, mister, I don't think that's a good idea, gun or not." Yeah, she noticed your hand on that thing!

🔻 jesse faden | control/remedy verse | ota

[outlierdirector]

🔻 TRAIN STATION
    I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE SOMEBODY'S WATCHING ME

[ Jesse stumbles out of the train. It isn't a lack of grace or anything like that. She's just been pushed straight out. She brushes off her jacket and looks around the station.

Huh... not anywhere she knows.

That isn't a surprise anymore. Crashing dimensions and thresholds being open within the Oldest House is just Another-Day-That-Ends-In-Y for her. It's the fact she can't really remember how she got here. Her hand flexes and she can feel the Service Weapon still ready to come at a moment's notice. She can still feel Polaris in the back of her mind--so wherever it is? It isn't unconnected from her own reality.

Maybe?

'I... don't suppose you know where we are? Yeah. I thought not.'

Jesse sighs and starts walking towards the stairs that will lead up and out of the train station. Dressed in a brown leather jacket, jeans, boots, and her hair pulled back. At least she looks like a normal civilian. ]

🔻 EDGE OF TOWN (NIGHT)
    BLINDED BY ILLUSIONS, BUT YOU DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN

[ Jesse has mapped a good portion of the town mentally by the time she reaches the outlining area. It comes in handy being paranoid for most of your life. You notice things and see things that others don't. Though, really? It is nice to get away from the judgemental looks. It reminds her of some of the inner cities she had been in. Not too many people were friendly about the girl sleeping on a park bench over night.

She kneels down and then jumps up. She hovers a feet in the air, moving herself to sit up on a rock that would normally require climbing. It's nice to cheat now and again. Jesse sits herself down and looks up at the sky.

'You know? It's nice to see the stars without all the light pollution. Even if they ARE alien. Do you know any constellations out here?'

Somehow, she really doubts Polaris does.

Jesse has always had a bit of a love affair with stars. Why else would she give her childhood friend the name she has? Polaris, the North Star. ]

🔻 WILDCARD
    MAKE ME BELIEVE AGAIN

( got an idea? write me up a prompt and lets go! )

---

stars here, finally with a second character to try out! as always you can hit me up on the discord or plurk if you have any thoughts/questions/suggestions. otherwise, you can check out all of jesse's powers right here.

edge of town (aka we're gonna make this CR happen >.>)

[ifthereiswill]

[ By the time Atem's paths cross with Jesse's, he's already had a decent look around the town. It gave him something to do and provided him with a distraction from the confusing realization that he's suddenly found himself completely alone: the link between himself and his partner seems to have been abruptly severed, and he doesn't quite know what to do with that information. One thought in the back of his mind says that this has to be a machination of one of their enemies, an attempt to weaken both of them by separating them.

Well, it isn't going to work, at least not for him. What it is doing, however, is making him determined to find Yugi wherever he is and making sure that he's safe.

So it startles him when he passes by a rock formation, not really noticing it; what he does notice is the sudden and inexplicable appearance of Jesse seeming to leap into the air and come down to sit upon the rocks. Of course, he doesn't assume just based on that that she had anything to do with this, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't suspicious.

Coughing to announce his presence, he poses a question to her: ] How did you do that?

[ Clearly she must have some sort of special ability, because no human that he's seen had the ability to do what she just did. Neither has he yet realized that gravity here doesn't function in quite the same way as he's used to. ]

MCU: Thor

[elevatorisnotworthy]

Arrival

Thor blinks, reaching up to rub his eyes as the voice startles him awake. Glancing around the train, his brow furrows as he slowly rises to his feet. He is unaware of how he got here, remembering nothing of getting on a train. The last memory he could remember had nothing to do with a train at all. He glances beside him, seeing his axe sitting within reach on the seat next to the window.

Grabbing the axe, he makes his way off the train and glances around. "I've seen worlds worse than this, but not many," he mumbles, his voice rough. Not knowing where he is, his senses go on high alert. His steps are slow, his pace almost gentle as he treads, not wanting to be snuck up on.

"Where in all of the realms am I," he murmured.


Wildcard.

Surprise me. I'll roll with it.

Arriving

[morethanatrickster]

When a train brings the unsuspecting fairly regularly, one makes a habit of including the platform in their wanderings, and the sound of a familiar voice makes his breath catch. He hasn't stepped from the shadows of a nearby ruin, not yet, but he swallows nonetheless. When he'd chosen his sacrifice, he'd accepted never seeing his adopted brother again, and now, here he is, confused (understandably) but whole.

Only one thing to be done, really. Loki steps from the shadows, slightly behind his brother, and clears his throat.

"Thor! Imagine reuniting with you in another godsforsaken ruin!" And he gives a small wave. "Hi."