Time for Theoretical Training of Time and Terrestrial Travel Tactics & Theories

[Logan]

Semi-open. If anyone wants training in dialogue. Initially open to just Kryos.

Solid white.

That is all Logan could see when he opened his eyes, though to be fair that was all part of the process. Anytime he entered the Nexus he always had to endure the annoying sensation of having jumped out of his own body. Many likened it to dying when the essence of a person ascended or descended, but unfortunately for Mr. McCloud death seemed only ever just temporary. Taking a deep breath, he gasped heavily. The sensation of breathing without taking in air was a tad on the jarring side, and it got him every time.

He shook his head slowly, loosing the cobwebs and then looked down at himself.

NO BOOBS!

He smirked. Last time he "jumped" into the Nexus, he ended up with a pair of breasts, and a few other unexpected assets of the female persuasion. It seemed the particular jackass who manned the controls enjoyed toying with the psion. At least, the last one did until he ended up dead, and somehow the Company never figured out how it happened. Lots of blood, but none linking back to the killer. Logan smirked a second time, and then glanced about the area.

Hey hey! They got the whole 'nothing but a white void' thing spot-on. Color me shocked and surprised! Mental note: Give Jack a cookie.

All that remained then was the arrival of his 'student'.

[Kryos]

The cold table pressed hard against Kryos’ back as he lay under the blinding white lights. Already, he wanted to leave, to get out of this strange building with the bizarre outfits and technology. Had the recommendation not come from Emily, he would have been gone before he walked through the doors.

“Please, Mr. Swordsman. You need to relax.” The voice echoed around the clean chamber with no apparent source. “We are measuring an increase to your heart rate, but you have nothing to be concerned about.”

His head popped off the table as he surveyed the empty room. “Yeah, right,” he muttered. “No problem.”

Delicate metal rods slid out from the table and arced around his head like the hands of a gypsy divining fortune and fate from a crystal ball. The tips flashed and oscillated from green to red, and Kryos squinted his eyes against the lights.

“All right, here we go!” The enthusiasm carried by the voice was palpable. “Beginning Nexus dive in three . . .”

A loud humming filled the room.

“Two . . .”

The twinkling lights all switched to green.

“One . . .”

Adrenaline shot through his body as Kryos took a last panicked breath.

“Initiate.”

Instantly, the lights, the humming and the voice, everything, vanished. All that remained was endless white, and the feeling of having his soul ripped out of his body. But it was more than that. It felt as if it was ripped from existence and thrown into a complete void.

For Kryos, the feeling was worse than the darkest manifestation of hell.

Then, just as quickly as it started, the feeling vanished, and Kryos felt his body again. The abrupt return to being and the memory of the transition made his knees buckle.

“Well,” he said, voice sounding strange to him in this vast emptiness. “I suppose it’s about time I learn how that feels.” Straightening up, he glanced around and only found the figure of another man in the endless expanse. He acknowledged the stranger with a nod.

“So, what now? What is this place?”

[Logan]

Kryos - your response to the questions can be whatever you so choose, but the idea is to describe in words, whether internal or external, who your character is. Remember, persona, character, and emotion can be shown through more than just words. Hand gestures, movements, small subtle actions, can all hint at communicating a specific point, thought, or response.

Breaker will be joining us, as he wishes for some training in dialogue as well. Breaker, you may enter similarly to how Kryos did. You are entering a virtual reality simulation of a void, controlled and operated by The Company. If you've played any Assassin's Creed, this is very much like the Company in that game, and also in the same manner the virtual reality stuff is the same. This is not serious, and is entirely intended to blur the lines of the fourth-wall.

The psion half-coughed, half-chuckled at the arrival of the new acquaintance.

"It doesn't get any easier with practice," he hacked out with a smirk.

The purpose of the trip to the Nexus was training, but not the regular run of the mill training. No, Logan had intentionally chosen the Nexus for its ability to remove any and all tangible reality, leaving only the most basic of the persona. Every character on Althanas held something that made them unique. Sometimes it was in their abilities, and other times it lived in their persona. What Logan had been asked at the behest of a good friend for his new acquaintance was nothing short of groundbreaking.

The telepath gestured to the open void around the duo.

"This, my good sir, is the Nexus. It is the reality that lies beyond. Some have referred to it as the space between realms. Personally? I prefer the 'in between'. It just sounds cooler, don't you think?"

Logan didn't wait for a response. There was something he needed to explain, but he wasn't quite sure how to word it delicately.

"You're here in the Nexus with me because a dear friend asked me to help you find yourself. Apparently, some see me as a gifted sort who can offer guidance and direction when it comes to the soliloquyal arts," he paused for a split second to smirk again. "And yes, I just made that word up! But it doesn't really matter, does it? You're here to find yourself, like I said. So tell me, in your own words, who are you?"

[Kryos]

Sorry for the delay.

Who am I? A familiar wave of anxiety rose within him. His eyes turned away from his self-pronounced mentor, but the world of “in-between” offered no place to run, no place to escape, and threatened to drown his sense of self.

You just got here, and already you are looking to avoid the heart of the matter, he berated himself. This is why you are here. Now figure it out! Swallowing his apprehension, he grudgingly turned toward the man once again.

“While your question is simple, the answer is anything but.” He started pacing, which surprisingly calmed his nerves, if only a tiny bit. “It is a hard thing because there are many factors which play into who I am. My memories—those lost and those I still remember—the things I have done, my culture. Even the influence of others. They all add together and play their role in shaping what I am.”

He stopped short as his mind grasped what he had said. Despite everything, he had never considered this before. Perhaps he could only have realized it by being forced to confront it head on.

“You know, I have been avoiding this,” he chuckled, glancing over at the blue-eyed man. “Perhaps you are a, what was it you said? Soliloquil expert?” He sighed. “To give your question the short answer, I have no idea who I am. I do, however, know very well what I am.” He turned and approached. “Are you familiar with the concept of synergy? That the ‘whole’ is greater than the sum of its parts? Essentially, I know the sum of the parts of my identity, but I don’t know the whole, namely, who I am.”

He stopped. “If we are to delve further into the matter, then you should know the first piece of what I am. The beginning of my identity.” He extended his hand. “My name is Kryos.”