Launched by the Roil into...wait, where AM I?

"You'd think with those 'Normal-typed aliens' off Zendikar, the plane would have calmed its asses down by now," muttered a lone wanderer among the mix of white stone rubble and wild multicolored plantlife, the yellow, purple and blue of his unusual attire sticking out like a sore thumb as he lifted up what looked like large double-sided pyramids almost as large as he was to look underneath them. "...not that they really should be compared to the Normal type...they aren't normal by any means."

Letting the angular shape, the hedron, drop to the ground, he pulled his wide-brimmed hat off his head as he looked up towards the sky, which appeared to be changing from the clear blue to a rainbow of purples, reds and oranges as the sun began to set. "Need to find shelter, too, no less," he said with a sad sigh. "Not getting back to Sea Gate tonight---what was that?"

Neon-green eyes looked around the immediate area upon feeling a faint shift in the air and in the aura of the lands around him, looking for danger that was almost always present in this tossed-about plane. "...no, no, no," he muttered to himself as he carefully stepped away from one direction that felt like it was building up energy. "Last thing I need to deal with is the Roil..."

As soon as he said the name did a vortex of pure magical energy erupt from the ground, tossing him away and onto his back. "Shit!" He tried to scramble up onto his feet and run away as fast as his legs could carry him, but the multicolored storm of energy swooped after him, consuming him...and causing him to fall out of the world...

----------------------------------------------

And the figure fell into another one, tossed sideways hard while rolling onto...sand? "...dammit, did I get ejected to the other side of the world again," the figure said as he stood to his full height of 6'1" while spitting sand out of his mouth, glancing about for a moment as he took off his hat to better see his surroundings. "Wait a minute, I don't recall any of the ports looking like this," he muttered with a sideways frown, not yet realizing the change in the language he was speaking. As he began to take to walking towards the structures nearby, curiosity started getting the better of him for the moment as he braced for...almost anything.

and if you want, i could tell you the truth

that this life takes a toll on you. i spend nights

Errands to be ran before Nate and he take yet another trip, focusing entirely on getting essentials for when they return to start building the new Governor’s house. He’s already gotten the bulk of it, brought closer to the Port with a few more items tucked into a mental list, sending his companion back home with the bags if only so he doesn’t have to carry them any longer than he needed to.

He rounds a corner toward the portal when something catches his eye, something far unlike the usual patrons of Torchline he’s grown used to. For a moment he debates ignoring the person, before giving in and sucking in a breath, changing his direction to head toward them. Boots thud against the wood of the dock as he approaches the edge toward softer sands, the Governor wearing a sleeveless shirt revealing bronze skin, navy and black tattoos, the pale silvery sheen of scars along his skin.

“Hey, you alright?” He calls out toward the man, a brow raised curiously as his steel gaze flits over the person’s attire and seeming bewilderment.

stitching up the loose threads of my soul

so in the morning i'm bulletproof

SUNJATA

He hadn't noticed the shift in language when he had spoken it, but the bright stranger noticed it upon another talking, causing him to turn towards the newcomer with a blue eyebrow raised from underneath his hat.

"One: Hi. Two: Yeah...I think I'm fine...though, just where am I? This doesn't look like any place I've been to, now that I look at it." He then focused his neon- and dark-green eyes upon the stranger near him, noting both the scars and tattoos immediately visible to him. "Is combat heavy around here," he asked, then shook his head. "...sorry, where are my manners? Name's Neos, what's yours," he asked as he gave a small smile. The tiniest sliver of fangs emerged as he did, a pair of upper incisors trying to peek through.

and if you want, i could tell you the truth

that this life takes a toll on you. i spend nights

Sunjata doesn’t get too close, doesn’t invade Neos’ space, but he remains close enough to be able to hear the words directed toward him. A slight dip of his head is given to the ‘hi’, before the next series of questions cut short by the introduction has a quiet hum of a chuckle slipping past his lips. “I’m Sunjata.” He begins, no need to keep it quiet or give a false name. He’s the governor here, after all.

The rest of the questions though, do arise a sharp inhale from his nose as he glances around the beach and the portal before landing on the other again. “You’re in Torchline.” But on second thought he wonders if this person is an outlander too, and if so might grow more confused with an answer such as that — as Sunjata had been the first time he met someone after arriving here.

“Part of a world called Caido. As for whether it’s combat heavy, I guess it depends where you go.” He flashes a rogue smirk Neos’ way, before gesturing up toward the Port, should the other attuned wish to get a bit more acquainted to his surroundings.

stitching up the loose threads of my soul

so in the morning i'm bulletproof

SUNJATA

"Part of a..." Neos slowly brought a pale-yellow hand to his face as he shut his eyes, mirroring a really-slow facepalm. "If I've been launched into another world again," he muttered into his hand with an unspoken hanging threat to no one before pulling his hand hard off his face, his fingernails raking against his skin and nicking himself on the cheek in the process to draw a tiny amount of red blood. He looked back towards his company...and found himself having to look up for once, causing him to blink in surprise. It's been a while since the last time someone met his eyes, let alone had him look up above his own eyes.

"I'd like to hope I'd be able to hold my own in a fist-fight," he said before glancing towards the direction of the Port. "Though, if what I think has happened, I don't have any idea what to expect in such a fight, how the laws of this particular world work for starts." He then glanced back towards his company and asked, "Sunjata, is it? Would you be willing to at least accompany me to this 'Torchline'? And, considering your choice of words, it is common for someone from outside of this plane of existence to arrive here?"

His brain then clicked as he realized the color of his own blood while here, his jaw dropping slightly as he looked at the nail that drew it. "...when...when did my blood turn...red?" His voice was a hiccuped whisper, meant for mainly his own ears, but he was still possibly close enough to be heard by another that was trying to listen in. "Did that change...when I landed here?" As he spoke, he felt another change happening in his mouth, the fangs he was used to having were shrinking to something comparable to a typical human's teeth. "What in Distortion's happening?"

and if you want, i could tell you the truth

that this life takes a toll on you. i spend nights

There’s a moment of time while he stands there, letting Neos get his bearings, that Sunjata focuses on the other’s questions – passing over the tidbit of information from world to world. Another Outlander, then, as it were. A brief moment of surprise, considering the fact that there’s been an increase in Outlanders lately – this wasn’t his first conversation in the recent weeks.

“I don’t imagine the laws are much different.” He offers, tattooed shoulders rising and falling in a shrug. “It is common. I came from somewhere else as well.” A harsh world, one that he doesn’t miss having left behind. But he’s guiding the other toward the Port, through the throng of people and the shops on either side – both weathered and worn by the heat, sun, sandy and salty seas. He glances back over toward Neos at the brief panic – something Sunjata can here, given the earring that’s settled in his ear.

“More than likely. You get… Changed, put into a body that fits you best.” A brief moment of consideration. “There’s Accepted, the ones that are closest to the gods here. The Attuned, those can shift into animals. Abandoned have magical abilities. And the Ascended, which are… I guess I’d say, modified. Ageless, susceptible to sunlight and fire.” A brow raises toward the other man again. “It’s a lot to take in but it makes sense after a while. You get used to it.”

stitching up the loose threads of my soul

so in the morning i'm bulletproof

SUNJATA

"...now, I'm used to getting locked to a specific form when I enter certain worlds, not every plane likes dealing with a shapeshifter of any kind," Neos confessed as he listened, "but I've also seen way too many times when quite a bit of that all blended together. Also," he placed his hands on his hips as a look of disbelief crossed his face, complete with a raised eyebrow. "Regarding these 'Ascended', they have Arceus-damned vampires here? Really?"

"Also, these Attuned sound more like laziest of shapeshifters if they only become animals. True mastery of form comes from being able to turn into just about anything, even the air itself in a pinch," he added, not realizing that he was now ripping on himself with the changes made to him, or that he was saying this to the face of one such Attuned.

and if you want, i could tell you the truth

that this life takes a toll on you. i spend nights

The difference was that Sunjata had come from a land where none of this was possible. No magic, no shifting, no nothing aside from advanced technology and horrible people. So he scans the crowd they walk along, through the port, gaze drifting over toward Neos when he speaks of the Ascended. “Not sure what that means.” It’s an honest answer – but given that Sunjata’s married to one of them, he perhaps lets his gaze narrow on Neos a bit longer, trying to figure out whether it was something good or bad.

As for the rest of the attuned comment, Sunjata snorts, shaking his head. “That’s not possible here.” He offers, by way of shifting into air or mist or anything of that nature. Creatures, those were the possibilities. Beyond that, nothing. Still, his gaze remains on Neos while they walk. “The animals aren’t so bad.” Turning his head away, he continues down the path, tattooed and scarred skin shifting to the armor plates of his dragon shift, jagged and rough edged, the spiderwebbing of lightning scars that crosses one arm and half his chest.

stitching up the loose threads of my soul

so in the morning i'm bulletproof

SUNJATA

"Depends on what the animals of this world can do, though not many worlds matched the sheer variety of abilities Pok...er, animals from my world had."

He almost said 'Pokemon', which he knew would just throw anyone not also native to his world as well. "Still, if shapeshifters are restricted to such severe degrees...that's just sad," Neos said as he shook his head slowly, following after Sunjata for the time being. "Never thought I'd be saying this, but I'm gonna miss being able to Transform into anything I could see."

"...also, sorry about that crapshoot remark, I've had some close shaves with a few of those fanged fucks in the past. The vampires I've run into required feeding off another's blood to sustain themselves, usually by biting into and drawing blood. They were cursed to never be able to enter the sun's light or find themselves becoming nothing but dust...and they were always undead, but were otherwise immortal and powerful. Unfortunately, whether they were 'good' or 'evil' seemed to depend on the plane of existence they were native to. The ones I've smacked into the most, however, from the world of Ravnica..."

A full-body shudder went up his spine as he flinched, one hand coming up to his neck that seemed covered by thick dark-grey that covered his throat. "They saw my shapeshifting interesting and tried turning me into one to add to their ranks. They got a nasty surprise when they drained what was effectively acid for blood." He then looked down at his hand, the same one that drew a sliver of strangely-red blood. "...though, it looks like my blood's turned to something more...typically normal...while here," he said dejectedly.

He gave a sheepish chuckle before asking at seemingly random, "I'm not being overbearing, am I? There's just a lot to process...again..."

and if you want, i could tell you the truth

that this life takes a toll on you. i spend nights

It wouldn’t surprise Sunjata, to be honest. He wouldn’t recognize the term, nor any of the abilities the creatures there may have possessed. It’d likely go in one ear and out the other, as does the names of most of the Outlanders he knew had come from. His own wasn’t that much different – a place nobody had heard of, and those that had arrived here from the same plane had died shortly after arriving. He was the last, aside from the stories told from it.

Still, his gaze flickers back toward Neos, shoulders rising and falling in yet another shrug. “When you come from a place that has nothing like this, it’s quite a feat.” And in Sunjata’s opinion, a quiet blessing from his last world. Still, he listens, walking down the alleys in well traced steps while Neos continues, speaking of vampires and the like, amusement lingering within Sunjata at the thought.

Besides, the ring of scars that circle his neck was a sign he’d been involved with the race quite a lot. Still, he snorts, not sure exactly what to say in response to it. “These ones don’t need to do it to sustain themselves typically.” Though when it comes to being undead, Sunjata gleans past it. “They also can’t turn you with a bite. You’d have to go to the Voice if you wanted to change into an Ascended. Likewise, the Voice tends to put you into what race you’d more likely be.” Glancing back over toward Neos, Sunjata shakes his head to the question.

It was a lot to process, and to be honest Sunjata likely won’t remember much of what’s happened other than an information dump, already having too many things on his mind as it were. So he fishes in his pocket, slipping out a cigarette and lighting it, the armored plates on his arms and shoulders retracting to reveal tattooed skin yet again. "What other questions do you have?" He asks in a cloud of smoke.

stitching up the loose threads of my soul

so in the morning i'm bulletproof

SUNJATA

Neos' eyes focused on Sunjata's cigarette, slightly frowning upon its sight. "I really hope that's not made how I think it is, or I'm gonna feel sorry for you in the next decade or two. I've seen what cigarettes can do in a couple of worlds."

"Also...Voice? Is there like a world-wide hallucination or something happening to cause everyone to hear this 'Voice'," he asked in response in concern to if he had any more questions, rubbing the back of his neck in the process. "I'd ask more...but you look like you're zoning me out, I'm gonna guess I crossed paths with you when you were seriously busy with something."

He then asked as he lowered his hands to his sides, "If you want, I could possibly help you out with whatever you were busy with as a form of apology, would give me a chance to learn more in a hands-on way as well."

and if you want, i could tell you the truth

that this life takes a toll on you. i spend nights

“I know what they do.” He rumbles in response, flashing an amused smirk Neos’ way. He’d done it for far too long, been in a world where he’d seen the results of it everywhere, to not know what it did. But it doesn’t stop him as he takes another drag, continuing to wind through the crowds toward the Inn, at least a decent starting point for Neos to get his bearings.

“She’s a New God. There’s quite a few of them here, the main gods, their heralds, and the new god also known as the Voice.” At the mention of zoning out, however, Sunjata shakes his head. He’s got a lot to do, a lot to keep up with, a lot to still figure out with the illness that’s hopefully getting better within a few short days.

As for helping? He pauses in his steps, letting his gaze flicker over Neos once more before he shakes his head. “You’ve got a lot on your own plate.” He begins, a huff of a laugh leaving him. “I’ve just became Governor here, so a lot of the things I have to do are solely on me, unfortunately.” His smile edges in something crooked, before nodding toward the Inn. “But I went ahead and brought you to the Inn so you’d at least have some place to start.”

stitching up the loose threads of my soul

so in the morning i'm bulletproof

SUNJATA

"Just became Governor?" Neos asked, sticking out his tongue slightly. "Guess it's better to just be in charge of a single town than something much, much larger, all things considered." While following, the false human had noticed the amount of seediness there was in some parts of this particular port, which caused him to stay in guarded awareness at all times. He didn't think any place would remind him of another world, but his mind was already connecting this place to another he likely would never see again, a place he knew as Limsa Lominsa.

Didn't mean that the time spent in that world wasn't valuable, especially during his brief stint in the Rogue's Guild...so he had an idea of what to look for in regards to someone trying to fleece him of something. One hand stayed over the one thing that would have looked valuable on him, the glowing uncut gem that hung from a golden chain around his neck as the duo traveled to the Inn because of this as well.

"...this place wouldn't happen to have a Rogue's Guild of sorts that you're aware of, would it," he asked in a whisper to Sunjata, eyes peeled around him. "Rather be warned of that kind of thing now than find out the hard way by accident...some such guilds are nasty to cross."

and if you want, i could tell you the truth

that this life takes a toll on you. i spend nights

“A single town?” Sunjata retorts, flashing a fanged grin toward the other Outlander. “The Governor’s in charge of all of Torchline. It’s a pretty far expanse.” It encompassed this entire region of the sandy shores. But he’ll let Neos decide for himself whether or not he wanted to remain here or venture to the other lands available. There were, after all, quite a few other options to choose from when it comes to adventuring.

The next question has Sunjata raising a brow, however, pausing as he takes his last drag off the cigarette and puts it out – returning his steel gaze to the new arrival. “There might be a few places like that here. It’s kind of its thing.” Something Sunjata had realized quickly on, before shifting his own version of a guild like that here. But the Advocates were secret, at least as secret as he could keep it. “Suppose you should be on your best behavior then.” Sunjata offers with a huff of a laugh, pushing open the wood doors to the Inn, greeting the innkeeper as he approaches the desk.

stitching up the loose threads of my soul

so in the morning i'm bulletproof

SUNJATA