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What a Time (Warp)



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Sun Jul 05, 2020 11:40 pm
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soundofmind says...



What a Time (Warp)

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by @magebird and @soundofmind

Bo's been through a bit. Ever since he hit 27 he's experienced a few, so you say, miraculous, fantastical, and traumatizing interdimensional kidnappings where he was ripped out of his world and reality by powerful beings and put through various trials. All that in addition to his previous criminal history leaves him with an interesting collection of life experiences.

All that to say, he's a bit more familiar with the unusual than your average Joe.


Nova's also been through a lot in his admittedly short life; most of those things can be blamed on him becoming the Vice Admiral of the Intergalatic Guard when he was in his early twenties. The most notable of these events involved becoming a family friend of the Mercury Mob after keeping an eye on its youngest member, teenager Andrei "Bo" Petrov, during the time his father, Kazimir Petrov, was in prison. Busting Kaz out of prison definitely helped strengthen his ties with the family, too.

Theirs paths collide when a secret weapons project Nova is overseeing results in the creation of an unstable black hole. In an unfortunate turn of events, Nova finds himself sucked in and thrown into another dimension - another reality - real quick.

Fortunately for Nova (and maybe unfortunately for Bo) that world and reality happen to be Bo's. The first Bo's world. Not the Bo from Nova's reality. Because there are two of them.

Wacky, right?

SPOILER ALERT: This thread contains spoilers for Pheligian Falcon. It's also connected to events in Lost City (and its many sequel roleplays/storybook), but you don't need to read those to understand what happens!
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Mon Jul 06, 2020 10:19 am
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Mageheart says...



Nova


Nova had already been wary of the weapon experiments, but hearing the alarms go off was the final confirmation that he needed. He didn't have a good grasp of quantum mechanics. Thankfully, it had never been something he really needed to do his job. A little bit of searching the online databases or talking to the scientists who were actually running the experiments gave him all the information he could possibly need.

To make things worse, he was right near the weapon when it happened. They had wanted to give the vice admiral a tour of the facilities, and had sworn that nothing bad was going to happen. His tour guide had gone off a good distance away to chat with another scientist about the results of their most recent trial when the alarms started ringing.

A few moments later, Nova found himself right in front of a miniature black hole. He knew enough about black holes to know that should have probably torn him and the entire facility apart, even when it was as small as it was, but the hole apparently hadn't gotten the message. Instead, all it did was pull him towards it.

And despite grabbing onto the nearest piece of furniture and trying to reach for one of the hands that his tour guide extended towards him, Nova couldn't resist the pull.

The black hole sucked him in.

xXx

When Nova came to again, he was on the very edge of what looked like a city. The city was far smaller than he was used - the buildings didn't reach up nearly as high as they did on some of the planets he had visited in the past - but it felt strangely familiar in a way he couldn't quite describe. He unsteadily got to his feet, brushed the dirt off of his pristine Intergalactic Guard uniform, and surveyed the area around him.

The black hole was throbbing a few feet away from him, a miniature little portal tucked behind a thankfully large rock. If no one was looking for it, no one would find it. Nova could take comfort in that. He had no idea where he was in the universe right now; there was nothing to say he was even in the same galaxy he had been in before.

Nova groaned.

This was going to be so much extra paperwork.

Well, it wasn't like he could just walk back through the black hole. There was nothing to say he'd end up back at the facility. He started to make his way to the city, only to realize when the first group of people came into view that he stood out in multiple ways. His hair and his uniform were the greatest offenders of them all. So he stayed where he was, watching from behind a tree as several more people appeared. He took inspiration from a few of the different noticeably humanoid people he saw and chose a better form to shift into. He just hoped he wouldn't need to change his appearance again before the next day; this was his one shift of the day.

White hair became messier brown hair that still remained in a now slightly longer ponytail. The blue in his eyes became a light hazel. His uniform was replaced with a cotton, sleeveless shirt and a pair of denim pants. He took a pair of work boots as well - vaguely reminded of what Lode might have worn - and finished off the look with a tattoo of three stars on his right arm. Tattoos weren't something everyone had in this city, but there were certainly multiple people who did.

When he was content with his appearance, he headed into the city - noting that it was strangely pre-digital. All of its signs were physical signs, and everyone looked at little devices in their hands instead of holographic displays. The greatest advancement of them all were their wireless communication devices, but even those were limited to a percent of the population.

...Just where was he?
mage

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roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Mon Jul 06, 2020 12:55 pm
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soundofmind says...



Bo


The cashier handed him his change. Bo shoved it in his pocked and flashed them a small smile and a nod as he turned with his small bag of fresh vegetables and headed towards the entrance.

It was a small little shop near the edge of town, but he like buying local. They always had good deals on produce, and he could appreciate that.

He walked out of the little shop into the open summer air - right into the heat and the humidity. He was glad to be wearing a tank top and shorts with the sun beating down on the cloudless day.

Bo spared a glance up at the sky before regretting it and squinting as he walked down the street to his motorcycle parked on the side of the road. It wasn’t a very busy street at 7am in the morning, but he kept note of the people wandering about in the back of his mind. The parking meter had about a minute left on it when he got there, so that was good timing on his part. He’d tried to be quick.

“Okay,” he mumbled to himself as he bent over and opened the compartment on the back of his bike. The metal was a bit hot to the touch after sitting in the sun. “I gotta head back home, grab my laundry, go to the laundromat...” he started going on, listing off errands that needed to get done. Today was errand day.

He pulled out his helmet and closed the lid on the compartment. He spun the helmet on his hand for a moment before pausing, patting his pockets, and fishing through his pockets for his keys. He forgot which pocket he put them in. Why did this always happen?
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:06 pm
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Mageheart says...



Nova's walk through the city had been mostly uneventful. No one had pulled him aside after noticing how out-of-place he was; he barely got a second look. The few times he did were when a random passerby would be interested in his tattoos. He couldn't help but feel a rush of childish pride at that. He had been the one to make them, after all.

The only stop he took was when he saw a glint of metal in an alleyway he passed. He found an old pocketknife - the kind that belonged in one of the museums on Earth's history - and decided to pocket it in case things turned sour while he was exploring the city. He doubted he would need it, but it never hurt to be cautious.

He tucked the pocketknife next to the ID chip in his pocket. Then he headed towards the building that was nearby. It looked like it was some kind of market, going off of the food on display in front of it. His gaze shifted a little. The people exiting it looked like they were shoppers. It seemed like his guess was right. It was too bad he didn't have any money on him; he was craving some kind of snack-

He came to a sudden stop, eyes widening as he stared at a man getting onto a motorbike. He didn't look exactly the same, but the resemblance was undeniable.

Before Nova could decide if this was really the smartest thing to do, the man's name slipped out of his lips.

"Kaz?"
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:13 pm
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soundofmind says...



Bo froze, holding his helmet over his head. He’d only just say down. What was it now?

He rested his helmet down between his legs as he sat on his bike and looked curiously to the source of the voice. He was not his father, but clearly he’d been mistaken for him. Which, while, not totally unbelievable was still surprising because 1. his father was incarcerated and 2. his father was significantly older than him. Gray hair was not something Bo had obtained yet, but it the universe or whatever kept testing him, he might.

“Uh, no?” he said, looking at the skinny looking dude in the white tank and jeans. Who was this guy? How did he know his dad?
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:19 pm
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Mageheart says...



"Kaz," Nova said, knowing that his friend wouldn't automatically recognize a stranger as him, "it's me. I know I look different right now, but I'm..."

He faltered.

What could he say? He didn't want someone to overhear him and realize that Vice Admiral Nova was on good terms with a wanted criminal and member of the Mercury Mob. Mentioning he was Empyrean Lode was also out of the question; Lode was wanted for escaping the Pheligian Falcon with Kaz and a few other prisoners.

"the, uh, guy you did the thing in prison with. Your cellmate?"

That had to be enough to jog his memory, right?

But the more Nova looked at the man he had been so sure was Kaz, the less certain he became. While the resemblance was uncanny - similar builds, senses of style, and dragon tattoos on his arms - he was noticeably different. His hair was buzzed. He had two little black stud earrings.

And, most importantly of all, he was missing his left eye.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:29 pm
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soundofmind says...



Bo’s eyebrows pinched together slowly more and more in concern as the guy kept talking. So this guy knew Kazimir in prison? From how long ago? His father had been given a near life sentence and had been in there close to ten years now, and this guy seemed pretty young. Either he was lying for some reason or he had a really bizarre story. He wasn’t willing to completely write-off the latter as an option considering all the things he’d seen in his day, but it seemed unlikely.

Bo gave the dude a good look up and down and noted the the tattoo on his arm.

Bo wasn’t stupid. He knew what the three stars meant, and it wasn’t a gang affiliation he wanted anything to do with. Not that he wanted anything to do with any gangs, really.

This guy had to be bluffing. But why use his father’s name of all things as a lead-in? That wasn’t subtle at all. Obviously this dude knew who he really was if he knew his dad and went out of his way to find him on errands of all things.

He squinted at him.

“Look. I’ve never been to prison, buddy. You’re thinking of my father.”
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:34 pm
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Mageheart says...



...Thinking of his father?

"Wait," Nova said, "you're his son?"

This wasn't making any sense. Kaz couldn't still be in prison; Nova had helped him escape from it. He knew that black holes could theoretically lead to time travel, so this could have been the past. But Kaz only had one son, and that son would have been far younger than the man in front of him.

Had Kaz been hiding an estranged son Nova had never even heard of before?

Nova looked him over again.

"What's your name?" he slowly asked.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:40 pm
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soundofmind says...



Bo raised his eyebrows skeptically, looking the man up and down one more time, but this time with more judgement. Either this guy was playing dumb or he was seriously confused. He was going to give him the benefit of the doubt, if only because his dumbfounded confusion seemed so genuine.

But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t give him a hard time.

“I’ll tell you my name if you tell me yours.”
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Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:43 pm
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Mageheart says...



Nova folded his arms.

"I asked you first," he said. When he realized the man probably wasn't going to change his mind, he relented. "...Let's say our names at the same time. I don't feel comfortable sharing my name with a stranger, but I'll do it when you tell me yours."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:46 pm
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Bo smiled and chuckled a little. This guy was funny, and surprisingly innocent for someone who said he was a criminal who’d shared a cell with his father.

“Okay. One the count of three. One, two-“
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Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:50 pm
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Mageheart says...



Nova took a deep breath.

"Lode," he said - he stood by his earlier comment. He didn't want to share his name with someone he didn't know; Lode was a much safer bet than Nova.

At the same time, the man replied with, "Kombucha."

Nova blinked.

...Well, that was definitely on par with Kaz's personality. He let out a sigh, his lips turning up into a fond little smile. "You're definitely his son," he said, shaking his head with the smile still dancing on his lips. Only someone in Kaz's family would reply with something so obviously false.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:56 pm
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Bo was very pleased with this turnout. Real name or not, he had a name, and Lode just had kombucha. He grinned, but his grinned faltered at Lode’s comment.

That made it sound like he actually knew his dad. They guy almost seemed nostalgic or something.

Weird.

“Well, okay. Hello Lode - I’m Bo, Kazimir’s son, and my dad never mentioned you as a cellmate so I know you’re lying. So what’s actually up?”
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Mon Jul 06, 2020 2:04 pm
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Mageheart says...



Nova stared.

"No," he said, shaking his head again - this time in denial. "You can't be Bo. That-That doesn't make any sense."

Bo was little compared to the man before him. Bo was a lanky teenager, not a man who had to be Nova's age or possibly even older. The Bo he knew had both of his eyes. And if Nova said his name was Lode, Bo would have known that it was really Nova behind the tattoo, the new hair, and the unfamiliar clothes.

Yet this man had a resemblance to Kaz he couldn't deny. He had a similar sense of humor - though it was thankfully a little more toned back. They had to be related. Kaz had one son. He didn't have any brothers that looked like him.

This man had to be Bo.

"But...you're so big," Nova weakly said. "And so...so old. And you're missing an eye."

He paused and looked Bo over again.

"...Why are you missing an eye?"
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Mon Jul 06, 2020 2:13 pm
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Bo was so confused, he couldn’t help but laugh. He had no idea what Lode’s deal was, and he didn’t get what he even meant by that. Maybe he was wrong before. Maybe this guy wasn’t a criminal or a liar - maybe he was just a strange dude who needed a little help. At this point, Bo couldn’t tell.

“That’s a pretty personal question there, buddy,” Bo answered, raising his brows at the man. “Like, why are you so short, huh? Why are you so young? Why’ve you got that tat? Why do you know my dad?”
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.









You can't choose your parentage. But you can choose your legacy.
— Rick Riordan, The Blood of Olympus