forum The End of the Beginning of the End - Bad Future Chat // OPEN

Started October 04, 2023 by @im-with-stoopid pets

tune

Have you ever thought of Bad Future Timelines for your stories? I have!

Here's a character chat for all your bad future besties! They don't necessarily have to be protags-turned-bad or main antags. As long as they're affected by the Bad Future in some way, it's fair game! I'd say an upper limit of 2-3 characters per person, just to keep things fair. You can definitely just have one if you feel like, though!

There's no set plot at the moment, so I suppose this is more of a "whatever happens happens" chat.

Responses don't have to be too long (see any of the three Chaos Chats for ideal response formatting), although a little introductory bit in your first response would help. Just something about what the character used to be and what changed, or what they were doing before they showed up here.

Speaking of how they showed up, here's a starter premise:

This fog shouldn't be so dense… right?

It was normal at first: a thin cloud that rolled over your character(s) and settled for a few minutes. But now your character(s) can't even see their own nose(s). It's been a blind fumble for any recognizable landmarks, but so far, nothing. Your character(s) can't shake the feeling that they're going in circles.

And then the fog begins to thin. It's a slight change at first, but soon, it's undeniable. Formerly veiled limbs become visible, and the air itself feels lighter. As your character(s) try to breathe a sigh of relief, a surge of dread runs up their spine. Between the elaborate marble floors, the echoing of your character('s/s') own footsteps, and the floor-to-ceiling mirrors that they swear they didn't bump into, it's clear that they aren't home anymore.

The real question is: where are they?
And why do they get the feeling that they're not alone?

(I'm not sure how many people I'm planning on closing it at- I don't want to shoo people off but it's always a little strange having someone jump in mid-story.)
(Plus if the trinity forms this thing is going to either move at lightspeed or hit a wall, like two pages in)

(the trinity? what's that)

(oh, the trinity is a little joke name for me, ame, and echo)
(for a while we were probably the most frequently online people in character chat- and then classes hit and ack-)

(ah I see)

He took a moment to catch his breath, stepping deeper into the pale fog. He had been running for a while now, the memory of her betrayal still fresh in his mind.
Well, it was less betrayal, and more rational thought on her part. He'd been on thin ice with her since they'd met, and today was the day it broke. That didn't make the heartache sting any less, though. Never before had his confidence been crushed like that. Or his arm.
He gave his splint a delicate yank as it slipped out of position again. It was going to be fine. He'd just have to hide out here for a little while longer…

Rhiv: looks around and tenses, disconcerted by the new scenery. he's too stunned (and on edge) to say much of anything.

He couldn’t see what was happening. Well, he never could after what had happened. But he could sense something was off. The air had become thicker, and any trace of the normal landscape had been seemingly washed away by an unknown force.

Soon, the feeling of soft ground underneath his shoes had changed to a hard floor. Which didn’t make any sense, he was in the middle of essentially nowhere. And he knew it wasn’t normal stone—it was never this smooth in the wastelands. Or this echoey. He had stopped walking when he felt that change.

It felt as if the air had become lighter again as well. Like a fog being lifted. Now he needed to know, Where was he? Because it wasn’t anywhere close to where he was before.

Alex: He stayed still, now unsure of his surroundings. He had a nagging feeling he wasn’t alone, though. “Hello?” He couldn’t see if anyone else was there, so his only hope was if they’d respond.

(If you’re wondering, his one good eye has now been clawed over. So both of his eyes have some concerning slash scars over them.)

Rhiv: he turns towards the voice. "Hu-rk."
there's an odd croak as the greeting dies in his throat. because all great fugitives-in-hiding greet any-and-everyone they meet, don't they? idiot. he grits his teeth and backs into what's left of the fog - which isn't much for someone as tall as Rhiv is.

Alex: His head turned quickly in the direction of the person’s voice with a blank, grey-eyed stare. His wings shifted as he thought about how to respond to. . . that. And he didn’t have many ideas. But he was also aware that he was currently staring right through whoever it was, and he should say something.
“Do you know where we are?”
Typical question from someone like him, wasn’t it?

Rhiv: he tries to put some distance between himself and the voice, though he forgets to keep his heavy bootsteps quiet. if this stranger was a threat, they wouldn't have made their presence known, Rhiv supposes. now that the fog's cleared, he can see the room's main light source - an enormous skylight. it's nighttime now, but it was barely midday back in the Everchill.

"…Wherever here is… I'd rather be home."

it's a vague answer to Alex's question.