[mingle] the space (january).

[fracturamods]

interim mingle

( WELCOME BACK, TRAVELERS. )

There's nothing but the clatter of train tracks, and the odd feeling of almost floating.

When you wake, it's hard to tell exactly what it is that you're missing - only that you are. There are pieces that aren't quite right, even if you're not sure where those pieces would normally be. Pieces of what, exactly....? Well, if you had to put a word to it, it would be - yourself, probably. Or did you get something back recently?

The place you've found yourself in is strange, certainly. It's probably worth exploring a bit. Though it just as easily seems that the only form of welcome or explanation that you have, comes from nothing more than a slab of marble. It might've changed since the last time you saw it.

You might have changed since the last time you saw yourself too - perhaps with a new emblem on your clothes, or a portrait on your skin.

There's no need to fret that much though. You've already gone through the ordeal once, and you might be able to see results from it. Even so, it's best that you don't get too comfortable, because there is still the unshakeable feeling:

There's still much more ahead of you.

Comments

[femmebatale]

[ hmm. good to know. She tucks that bit of information away for later. ]

The basics. Aliens, time travel - what else is new? What I want to know is why we're here at all. They must want us for some reason, right?

[givethemhell]

Hah! Common in your world? [Time travel and aliens are both totally foreign concepts to him, he's just blessed with the ability to be Unruffled By Basically Everything...]

Hm, hm - that's a good question. My guess is some sort of energy transfer! A "we need fuel" sort of situation, maybe? Though not necessarily a malicious one. Doubt we'd be treated this kindly otherwise, you know?

[femmebatale]

You don't know the half of it.

[ life is wild on sonic earth ]

And if you think this is nice treatment, you need higher standards. Especially if you think they're planning on stealing our life energy.

[givethemhell]

[LIFE IS REALLY WILD ON SONIC EARTH...]

Sounds like you won't have much trouble dealing with this place, at least! [He also just grins at the higher standards remark... It's fine, it's fine.]

Mm, not stealing so much as borrowing? Or using, but in an unobtrusive way! There likely wouldn't have been much reason to keep us conscious or maybe even alive if they just wanted to steal something like that from us.

[femmebatale]

[ a huff. ]

Maybe I don't want to share.

[ also! how is this unobtrusive! she has literally been kidnapped into another dimension!! it does not get much more unobtrusive than this!! but she keeps her thoughts to herself, because, based on Rouge's first impression, this guy is a ditz and doesn't really care. ]

[givethemhell]

[SOMETIMES YOU JUST GO THROUGH SO MUCH that being kidnapped into another dimension checks the "unobtrusive, honestly" box... It happens.

He also chuckles a little at that, though, gently amused.]

Haha, well, most people probably don't. That's just a theory, anyway! It really might be face-value; a "let us help you" sort of situation.

[femmebatale]

Now you're saying whoever's doing this thinks they're helping?

[ this is the worst help she has ever received and she teams up with shadow t. hedgehog on a regular basis ]

Sounds like wishful thinking to me. This sort of thing usually only happens when someone's hoping for world domination.

[givethemhell]

It's a possibility! Everything is at this point, since nothing has been ruled out.

[Though he seems absolutely unruffled by that?? It's fine, life happens.]

Why bother with the fuss if they wanted power alone, though? Clearly they already have plenty of it, if they can bring people in from any time or world they'd like. Do you think they're the complex scheming type?

[femmebatale]

[ an idle wave of the hand. ]

The guy I know who pulls these stunts has a flair for the dramatic. Just having that power doesn't mean you've got the common sense to use it well. You saw that slab, too, didn't you? Whoever's doing this is some kind of airhead.

[givethemhell]

I did! I think the faces are cute, don't you?

[ANOTHER AIRHEAD...]

Ah, who or whatever is using that seems capable of contacting us in other ways too, though. Through the markings, for one! And through the phone in the last world we were in.

[femmebatale]

Not even a little.

[ that ditzy impression is growing stronger by the second. ]

Did you bring that phone with you?

[givethemhell]

Really? That's too bad. I've never seen anything like them before!

[He liked them QUITE A LOT... As for the phone and any chance at being remotely useful, he just shakes his head.]

Nothing that I had with me in that world ended up back here when we were brought back. I'd say it's probably the same for everyone, but I haven't asked around to be sure.

[femmebatale]

That figures. [ but she had to check. ] You really didn't find anything you could bring back? That slab made it sound like this was going to be a big scavenger hunt for "fragments."

[givethemhell]

Mm, it's a little more complex than looking for things there. One of us - he didn't find his missing dog in that world, but it was waiting for him here when he returned. I imagine our other "pieces" will probably follow a similar pattern.

[If everyone is missing dogs and the void becomes a kennel he's gonna shoot through the roof.]

[femmebatale]

His dog was a fragment of his soul...?

[ she looks skeptical... ]

That doesn't make any sense at all.

[givethemhell]

[LOOK MAN he just raises his hands.]

Ask him about it! As far as I'm aware, he's one of the only people who came back with anything new. Chuuya is who you'll want to ask for, but you probably won't be able to miss his dog even if you tried.