You'll blind yourself doing that.

[rock_ds]

For a few moments of sunset. As the day drew to an end. Anyone in the small coastal village would have noted nothing out of the ordinary. A brisk wind rattled doors and disturbed the sand. But unless you where looking directly at the sunset, nothing was aims.

The last few seconds of sunlight drooped below the horizon with a thin green edge. Even this wasn't unknown of, but just uncommon. A sharp pinprick of light bloomed as the sun dipped out of view for the day.

A soft orange light bobbed along in the waves. Seeming to drift freely at times, but undeniably making its way to the shore.

By the time the light reached the lone beach. The splashing of ores was undeniable. The moon lit the silhouette of a figure as they clambered out of the small boat, the light they had been using, seemed to lose cohesion and splashed into the waves, glowing softy as it spread out across the water crests.

Heaving the boat out of the water, the figure hauled it up the beach a dozen feet before collapsing to the sand. Anyone watching would think the figure dead. Moment later a bark of a laugh split the air as the figure turned over to it's back and tossed it's arms up to obvious jubilation.

Hauling itself up with deep lethargy. The figure rooted around in the front of the small boat. Taking a seat, with its back against the boat. It kicked a small depression in the cold sand. As it did, a flash of blue light quickly followed by the same steady orange glow pooled into the depression, like luminous water. Some splashed from the hasty container to pool on the sand before sinking and vanishing from sight.

A ragged man with rough, bearded face could be seen. If only in outline. Periodically raising obvious food and drink to his lips.

After a while of chewing salted meat and drinking deep from the wine skin. The man looked up to the small houses in the seaside village, looking back at the sea. He tilted his head for a moment, he hadn't traveled far enough to not see the Everdark Gates and the surrounding mountain ranges... Had he? The moonlight wasn't weak by any measure this evening. And he could see stars down to the horizon.

"Glory to Orholam, have you blessed me in my final escape?" He called out to the sky.

Comments

[brother_alone]

The thing about escaping is that unless there's a safe place to escape to the journey might not end any better than the onset. Escape from tyranny, from disease, or from some very real pursuer...if the destination isn't known there's untold risk involved. Perhaps not while the sun is up, while light allows the washed up figure the safety of perception.

Perhaps safety would even have been assured after darkness begins to smudge the color from the sky, if only he would stay quiet. The houses are all shut up tight. The locals know better than to be out alone without reason. The waves beat steadily against the shore.

Near a patch of sparse seagrass something moves.

A man or maybe a rough facsimile of one made by a being who only had the barest second hand description of the human figure. He's thin as a rail and dressed in faded clothing that still carries faint stains that have tried to be washed away.

"Firsssssst time I've seen anyone float to this place." He does his best to hide the left side of his face when he approaches.

[rock_ds]

He had heard the movement and though it nothing more than wildlife. But his hand had casually dropped to the ground, letting the wine skin roll free. But leaving his hand near the gun at his hip.

He hadn't been sure what would be on the other side of the Gates. So he had grabbed as many useful supplies as he had time to, loaded up for a fight and a long trek and made out to sea.

The figure of a man in the moonlight caught his eye easily. Maybe a beggar or an invalid? He could only guess with the gaunt silhouette. It's times like this he wished he had been a sub-red drafter. Though rudimentary, the ability to see heat would have been useful.

"First time I've seen bones shamble about like they have things to do." He spat back, a little too harshly maybe. But he had seen what desperate men could and would do. He wasn't in the best of shape himself ether.

"What's this place? Wasn't what I was guessing I'd find past the Everdark Gates, I'll tell you that much." His tone, more casual, but not friendly. He was still on edge. He could feel the gun and a few more handfuls of luxin under his skin. He shifted it to cluster around his lower back. No reason to chance it being seen and tipping his hand.

[brother_alone]

"I've got plenty to do." The figure answers. "I'm hunting."

Now, Joshua's more than aware of what he looks like. He's not going to fault anyone for looking at him and being suspicious, even afraid. But it's not exactly something he's going to welcome with open claws, either. He clears his throat when he realizes how that might have come off.

"Not people, don't pisssss yourself." Or shoot. That would be very inconvenient for all parties involved.

"I used to think it was a sanctuary. Thessssse days I'm not so sure. All kinda folks here though. Some human, some not. Hell there's more gods than you got hands and toes to count anymore." The man tilts his head. Decides against getting closer. "You got a hell of a walk ahead of you if you want to find much for people round here. Th'locals ain't exactly friendly."

Then again, maybe they are to normal humans.

[rock_ds]

Looking up to the few lights in the little village, he pondered a moment.

"Much to hunt out here at this time?" He asked, his family had been mostly farmers. But bad harvests had forced them to hunt more than once. Even by the outline of the land he saw, it didn't seem prime hunting ground.

In truth. He was less likely to shoot than it may look. He had bullets, but a few mag torches as well. He would rather use one of those and save the bullets for when he was truly out of options.

"Aye. I'm starting to think any ass with the gumption is wanting to be called a god at this rate." With how the war had been turning out. He had seen several gods rise and fall. Always seemed to be another one to take the seat of a volatile pantheon.

"Got a boat and food. I'm sure I'll find some port willing to take me." Though his look was ragged. The man was obviously in good shape. His trek hadn't been as long as he had expected.

"Would you be up for trading some food and drink for giving me a notion of where I've found myself?" He asked, reaching into the front of the boat. Rooting around for a few moments, as he kept his eyes on the man. He eventually pulled out a bag of salted and spiced meat along with a wine skin.

[brother_alone]

"...Monsters, mostly." Maybe that's supposed to be a joke, but the gaunt man sure as hell doesn't sound much like he's joking. Not that this act is terribly virtuous in and of itself. He couldn't give half a shit about the livelihood of this small village, nor most of the people who wander this strange realm between worlds.

Revenge, though?

Very little in all the worlds motivates quite as well.
"I thought I had a lead out here. Mussst've just been passing through." This time the figure does take a step closer, turning so the stranger can get a better look at him in the dark. He'd been trying to avoid this, but it's the simplest way to explain himself.

"Y'don't have anything you'd want to trade that I can eat, thessse days." It wouldn't hurt much to take a minute or so to answer the man's questions. Least until he either ran off or they get too annoying to deal with. The things Joshua is hunting aren't here. He's already wasted this night.

[wouldmissme]

Strelitizia visits Nexus from time to time. To her, it's just a world, like any other.

Different, however, because here, there are no Heartless to fight.

She's told her brother about this strange world. She's not sure that he quite understands the appeal. Whether he does or doesn't, this world hasn't invited him. Only her.

Strelitzia comes to this world sometimes. And then, she'd sometimes just sit down, alone, taking in the sights. Knowing that she probably won't be attacked here. A place, no, a world, for respite. How strange and wonderful.

And a bit scary. What if any monsters follow her here? Perhaps she shouldn't come.

When she's sitting, observing water's surface, the light catches her attention, and suddenly, she's on her guard.

What follows is not what she might've expected.

So, here, have a probably preteen or teen girl, looking wary or concerned, coming over.

"Excuse me, I don't think this is Orholam, although, I don't know where that is."

[rock_ds]

Before registering the words, the man whipped his head around. One hand settling on the handle of the gun under his clothes. The other curled up by his side. In the steady light of the luminous liquid, discolored patches of skin seemed to move from his shoulder to the open hand. Though it still seemed empty.

It was a few moments of staring into the darkness before he noticed the outline of the speaker and registered the voice. A child it seemed.

"Orholam isn't anywhere child, but he is everywhere. I wouldn't have gotten here without him." Straightening up, he moved the shirt back into place, obscuring the gun.

"Would you happen to know where I am child?" He asked with a smile. His face twitched into the visage of a man unaccustomed to the movement.

[wouldmissme]

She's not too bothered by being called a child. He sounds like somebody to whom she'd be, indeed.

Strelitzia was still a bit stuck wondering about the man's previous worlds. And possible meaning thereof. Final escape? That sounded ever so solemn.

And so--

Hm, did the stranger think he died? No, surely not. She smiles a little. She's surely misunderstood his previous question. Current one was straight to the point.

"This World is called Nexus. What do you want to know? I've been visiting here a little - when I'm not busy at home - so I might be able to tell you," Strelitzia says.

[inperspective]

The sound of boots in sand, even heavy ones, is subtle beside the wash of waves against the shore. It would have been easy to miss the figure on the nearby dock when he landed, grey-black and still as a statue in the moonlight. At least, until its head turned, its face lit with a blank, pale light, and it began to move toward the beach.

By then the man seems busy with his eating and his mulling over the situation, but when he calls out to the sky there's an answer from behind him.

"Who are you speaking to?" It's a woman's voice, smooth and clipped, although there's nothing particularly feminine about the suit of power armor standing behind him. It's rather featureless overall, actually, although there's definitely a sidearm holstered at its hip.