World Tree MUSH

These ruins have long since been reclaimed by nature, the shattered and broken homes on the edge of Europe look over the water-filled crater which was once the city of the world's desire. The moon and stars reflect in the waters on this cloudless night, and it seems isolated and abandoned. Any geiger counter might give a clue as to why, though the radioactivity levels have dropped since the formation of that crater, it's still well above recommended safe levels for habitation.

Diana is out, kneeling on the half-collapsed rooftops of an old grocery store with a high tech weapon in her hands. Sights trained not on any human targets, but on a herd of feral cattle, taking her time to line up the right shot to claim her kill.

    The sound of a motorcycle is probably not what one expects out in the middle of proverbial radioactive wasteland. Especially as it's a motorcycle just puttering along. It might scare the cattle, might not. Hard to tell as it's mostly... quiet. Not a loud bike at all. That, and it just came out of what looks like a portal.

    The person riding it adjusts his cowboy hat as he looks around, seeming to consider before pulling out a cellphone and checking it. "Nope... not home yet." Kian says. He looks a bit annoyed about it. "Alright, so those others said the blasted things spit me out where I'm needed sometimes... wonder why I'm needed here?" He looks around, then calls out, "Helloooo! Anyone here!?"

Diana's aim quietly shifts towards Kian at the unexpected noise and the running cattle, taking a few moments before deciding to lower her weapon and jump down from the rooftop; approaching the motorcycle riding stranger, weapon aimed at him the entire way. "You shouldn't be here." She states calmly, though her helmet+goggles+facemask combo make it real hard to read her emotions.

Her head moves briefly as though looking at the bike, an d she makes a few hand gestures and there's a brief light blip inside her left goggle. "Figures. That's either a very well maintained antique or you're an offworlder. Since you don't seem to have a clue about the place, I'm going to guess offworlder." She appears to be unconcerned, finally lowering her weapon, "So what brings you to this scar of the world? You can call me D, if you want something to call me."

    Looking around for a second for the voice, Kian finally turns to look at "D" as she called herself. The young man shrugs, "Sorry, and offworlder's about right. I doubt you'd call this an antique, though. It's been heavily modified."

    The man stops the bike, parking it and killing it as he leans on the handlebars, looking around, "Well, I'm new to the whole world tree thing? I'm just passing through, really. Trying to get back home. The portal that's supposed to take me back kinda just dropped me here. Who the hell knows why?" He eyes the area, frowning. "So... what happened to this place?"

    Pulling out a camera, he moves to take a few pictures. At least it's a digital one. He doesn't take one of her, though.

"Thermonuclear Weapon. Like lighting up a private sun over whatever you want gone for just long enough to destroy it completely. We're a good chunk from where it was set up, which is why things were just ruined instead of vaporized." This 'D' answers, leaning back against the wall. "We're in the outskirts of what used to be called Istanbul, was believed the Emperor lived here during the war. Either he wasn't home or he somehow survived, I'd give it either odds, really."

She glances to the guy, "Twenty-first century, I take it?" She asks next, "Then you should know what radioactivity is. Place ain't good for you." She shrugs, "As for why you're here? I don't know. This place is boring, I'm the only living person you'll find in at least a hundred miles. You scared off dinner, by the way."

    That has Kian looking at her with interest, "Radioactive, huh? Yeah, I shouldn't be here... any idea where the nearest portal is? And sorry if I scared off your dinner... I have some tamales and left over tostadas from the last world I was in if you're interested?"

    Kian then looks a bit guilty, "Ah, sorry. I'm Kian." He tips his hat at her.

"There's a vine not too far from here. I can walk you there." 'D' offers, "I'll pass on the leftovers, but thanks." She extends a gloved hand to Kian, "A pleasure, Kian." There's a few more flickers of the light in the left goggle, and the brief click of a picture being taken. "This world is kind of a mess, by the standards of the tree. Long story short, humans and vampires went to war, the vampires won." There's a momentary pause.

She begins to head for the direction of the vine she knows, going at a pace that is about as fast as a hundred meter sprint winner's pace, and it doesn't look like she's even tiring herself out much. "Ride your bike alongside me, it's faster that way." She suggests, her voice similarly sounding like this is a pleasant jog.

    Kian whistles at that. "Fast. Not quite human, huh?" He starts up his bike and follows after. His eyes keep out for any possible trouble as he rides. "So... vampires, huh?"

    He seems to consider, "I guess that's a new one to tell people." The camera is stuffed into a pocket before he concentrates on his driving. "The most I've seen of a vampire is something like the Theta-Wave Invasions. And they just suck out your mental energy, I think... I swear one or two seemed to just use fangs or something like it, maybe. Or was that the Demons?"

"Quite human." 'D' answers calmly. "Just got some tricks up my sleeve." She answers with a shrug, keeping up that pace. "You'll run into lots of humans who seem to surpass the limits of humanity if you travel enough. Almost all of them have some trick up their sleeve how they do it, but that doesn't make them any less human." She listens to his talk, "Sound like your world has its share of troubles, too. You got any tricks up your sleeve?"

    Kian looks over, "Well, I'm a Kamen Rider." He seems to consider, "Hard to explain us. We... well... most of us are human, but we've had some bad run ins that changed us. Or we inherited something. Like I ran into the Theta-Wave. They're basically like I said, suck out the mental energy. I guess they tried it with me, and something just... snapped, y'know?"

    Looking back at the road, he eyes where they are going. "I guess I need to suggest a geiger counter whenever I get back. And maybe get a portable one. But... yeah, it changed me. Gave me some powers. The bike's part of it, near as anyone can tell. And the Theta-Wave's only one of them. There's two others as well. ATP and actual Demons."

It's not a great road, between the damage from the war and the centuries without proper maintenance, it's in rough shape. But it's usable, someone has been clearing out the worst obstacles and poured fresh concrete in the biggest holes. "That makes enough sense. I mean, I don't have a clue what the words you use mean for the most part; but the general picture sounds familiar enough."

    Kian navigates it pretty well. And his motorcycle definitely takes it well. It might be an antique by this world's standards, but there's little doubt it's tougher than it should be. A lot tougher.

    Looking over as they travel, he comments, "So what's your story? Vampire, or something else? 'Cause you did say vampires won here and all."

"Vampire hunter." 'D' answers, patting the weapon on her back and grabbing one of the large cylinders on her hip, and popping open the cap to pull out a smooth oaken projectile, about a foot long and an inch and a half thick at the base, tapering off into point at the end, "Metal core. The gun's a railgun. Pop one of these into a sucker's heart and he's as lifeless as a corpse for as long as it's in there." She explain, putting the stake back into its cylinder and putting the cap back on, then shoving it back onto her hip. "Lot of vampires just for li'l old me, though; and they're much stronger than I am, so I have to be clever."

    Kian whistles at that, "Nice... I just have my revolver on me. My Rider form's got a nice thing called a bowgun, though. Thing's stupidly powerful, so I have to be careful what I hit with it. Collateral damage is not something I tend to enjoy, but it has stopped it's fair share of overgrown monsters."

    "Well, long as we don't meet a vampire out here, guess it's kinda a pleasant place. Run down, but seriously pretty pleasant?" He says, looking around. "How much further to that portal?"

"It's pleasant because there's no vampires out here. Once, they called it the city of the world's desire. Now, it's just a heap of long abandoned rubble." Diana answers, coming to a stop. "Vine's there." She points at it. "A pleasure meeting you, Kian. Hope you find your way home."

    Kian nods, "Thank you. And if you find yourself in my world, feel free to stop by New York? It's where I'm usually based out of." He looks over, "Oh, do you got a real name? D sounds like whenever I call myself Kamen Rider Steed."

"Maybe if you earn my trust you get to know my real name." Diana answers calmly. "Sorry, you seem like a good guy, but a lot of people I can't trust seem like good people at first appearances." She shrugs, "And maybe I'll run into you again, in my experience, the tree is smaller than you might think for a multiverse."

    Kian gives a shrug, "Eh, you got a point. Later, D. Be safe, and if you need help trying to hunt down a vampire, let me know? I'm sure it can't be as bad as a Magna Trooper." He tips his hat, then heads towards the portal.