Even the greatest sorcerers and wizards in existence know little of this place. It is impossible to pinpoint its location at any given point, as there are only two entrances known to anyone... one is at the center of a place called the Millenium Maze. The other is in the belly of the Time God Malufel. This place is a walking paradox, an existence comprised of every single element of time to exist smashed into one confused plane. It shifts once every millenium, readjusting itself to fit everything. Many people are there, too... the most powerful especially seem to show up there, along with those who have been sent there purposefully. It is the nexus of nonexistence, where everything is and isn't.

---

Inverse Time
Dothaven
The Exalted Plane
The Unsung Plane
The Celestial Plane
Infinity

---

Felina stands quite still, stunned. She blinks once. Twice. Actually, strangely enough...one of the first things on her mind is a moderate sense of humilation at losing that skirmish. In front of Moorn, too...ah, the joys of rivals. That's followed closely by concern for Mi'ehna. Oh, well, she's sure the spell was finished before the beast could get back to its feat. At least she did one thing right.

She finally scans with her eyes, quiet. Her senses are going haywire at the energies...where is she?

The place where Felina is standing right now looks like a normal wooden dock, only suspended above a dark pink ocean that whirls about beneath its surface.

"Oh, hello," a short fellow in a superb top hat hails her, waving from near a collection of buildings. "Are you Felina Dey'Ono? We've been expecting you since tomorrow. You aren't injured I hope?"

She's more than perplexed at being recognized...seers? Or...time inconsistency. Right. Time distortion damages the Malufel. She tries to look less bewhildered than she is as she approaches the vertically-challenged chap. "I am Felina Deyono...and no, not seriously. May I inquire as to where precisely 'here' is?"

The fellow holds out a white-gloved hand. "You could. But any answer I might give you would be wrong. You'll need to follow me to processing, where you be assigned a new home and give the various permits and cards you'll need to get around here."

Felina's stare could not be blanker. This day just gets weirder and weirder. "You make it sound as though I'll be here awhile."

"Oh, not that long," the cheerful gentleman explains, "it all depends on your perspective. Depending on how you look at it, you'll be here either forever or not at all. Coming?" He turns and walks along the dock, headed towards a very obvious building marked 'Customs'.

Fingers between the eyes. Headache. Damnit. What a day. She follows along quickly after a few more moments.

The innards of the customs building are largely empty space, with several marked off sections for different lines, and desks where a couple of creatures sit... most playing cards. 

"Go right over there," top hat points to a desk where a twelve-armed humanoid mollusk sits playing ping pong against itself, "and talk to Zurk. She'll chat you up for a minute, and then we can go on to housing. Go go."

"Aren't you in a bit of a hurry for all that 'no time at all' talk?" Felina observes. She does as bidden, for lack of having anything better to do, and walks up to the paddle-wielder. "Excuse me, miss..."

Top hat just grins, and promptly vanishes.

Zurk catches the ball in one of her many sucker discs, looking at Felina with big round eyes. 

"Ooweien loienene welg uwwe?"

Zurk blinks. She wonders if this person understands Igtherian.

"Ooweien neglien ler renwe, venier," Felina responds, without really noticing. She doesn't know almost any of the languages she "speaks," it's an important life skill for an interdimensionally travelling psychic.

"Fantastic! Then sit right here, and I will get your paperwork. I've already filled it out in triplicate while I was waiting for you. Sit, sit! It is a pleasure to meet you." Zurk pulls a chair around Felina to use, a thankfully four-legged one. "My name is Zurk, and I am your case worker. It'll be my job to familiarize you with Inverse Time. Now, do you have any questions?"

Where the hell am I? "The pleasure is mine. Ehm...what do you think someone who has no idea what in earth sky and sea is going on should be told?"

Zurk smiles a very odd smile. "She should be told that there is food and a nice soft couch in the break room, and to take advantage of both cuz this might take a while. You're in a place that really doesn't have a name. Locals just call it Inverse Time because the concept of 'time' is not the same here as it is everywhere else."

"I see. And what would she be told should she say that she has business elsewhere and needs to get home?" Always the kicker.

Zurk grins. "I hope she doesn't mind sex, cuz she's fucked."

Felina has to snicker, though deadly serious underneath. "Oh, lovely..." one of those days. "Wo what's next?"

"I'll need to get your picture and vital statistics, and then I can issue you a permit to be here. Once in a while someone tries to get around without a pass - usually thieves or other bad people who don't want to be tracked - and we feed them to Abyss. It's not pretty." Zurk gets up and walks on more tentacles... she has about twenty six limbs in all... to a desk from which she takes a scanner and a camera. "You can pose if you want."

"How...lovely. Control freaks, huh?" She doesn't pose, though she doesn't sense danger, either, and just waits.

"Oh, no, we just need to know who is here. Plus the only way to make transactions here is to use your pass." Zurk snaps the picture, and then holds up the scanner, bathing Felina in harmless green light. "There we go! Now. I'm going over here to make up your pass. Please, ask me anything while I work." And she does, going about her work with a practiced precision, but still looking at Felina. 

"None that would really do my total bewilderment justice, I think. Will you be here in the future to answer questions as they come up?"

Zurk twitters a bit. "The what?" She takes from within her arms an astoundingly pretty, topaz colored gemstone that has a minute image of Felina inside, and strings it on a necklace that looks like braided whisps of metal.. "Here you go. As long as you're wearing this, you'll do fine here."

"Nevermind. If I need to ask questions at some point, you'll be here?" Felina accepts the pendant with a nod of thanks.

"Sure. I'm always here!" Zurk sits back down, takes up her paddles. "Housing is to your left."

"Great, thank you." Felina sighs inwardly. She has no idea what she's doing, or why, really. It's just...a mess. She heads in the direction indicated, her emotions quite effectively blanked like any good little psion can do.

Through a door there, another office can be seen, this one round and cluttered with stuff. A very familiar looking fellow in a top hat is sitting there, waiting for her.

"Hello again. I see you have a pass, so park it and let's talk about where you want to live, eh?"

In the garden with my brother and my father's grave, thank you very much. She doesn't vocalize this, though. It seems pointless...and quite frankly, she's too tired to fight it right now. Besides, even if she finds a way to leave, it'll be nice having somewhere to stay in the interim... "all right." She tskes a seat. "I get a choice, then?"

"Yes, but you already made it before you came here." Top hat shuffles some papers, smiles at her, and shuffles them again. "Don't these papers make me look official? They're all blank." He puts the stack in front of Felina, and... they really are empty. "Tell me a little about yourself, though, and they won't be."

"Oh, how lovely." She eyes the papers. "Well. I'm not sure what you're looking for. I'm primarily a psion and physical fighter. I'm the youngest daughter of Tel-tiono and spend my life treasure hunting and looking out for my elder brother." She's undeniably guarded...'treasure hunting' is very misleading though true, and she'd completely omitted her magic. Wild card.

Top hat grins. "Well, it's fairly obvious that you don't trust us, and you can't be blamed for that. According to this," he takes off the top piece of paper, holding it up so that Felina can see the words scripting themselves onto it. "You are a construct created by Tel-tiono, who is not with the living anymore. You were revived after dying protecting him. You have a brother named Saea, who is also a construct but much older than you. He is an albino, and was almost an androgyn. Your sword's name is Culheru. You have a relative named Gim. You are Guardian Topaz, and your name is also Nightshade. You have a twin sister... excuse me..." Top hat adjusts his hat, "a twin double named Mara-Kuru. You like rice, but can't cook that well. You tend to take shots meant for other people. You have a problem with regular clothing ripping in certain spots. You aren't really Serinian, but you were raised with them. You knew a cursemage named Kaies, but he's dead now too. Twenty minutes ago you were fighting with a girl named Aliema. Stop me if I miss something."

Felina raises an eyebrow, a quirky sort of half-amused expression on her face. "You needed my input why now?"

"To see if you'd lie to me. You did, but you didn't." Top hat nods. "According to these," he puts down about twenty sheets of paper, "you're practically a saint. Minus that whole 'aloof tendency' thing. That means that you're going to The Celestial Plane to get your house. Take this," he hands her a tiny gold gem, "and snap it into the fitting on your pass. Number 88372-FF8373-8372NQ-KTTY is your address. Or, I can show you to the station where you can have this scanned, and you can be taken there."

Felina's more than slightly taken aback at the stack of papers, eyeing them as though they're the enemy for a few moments before looking back to Top Hat, much more neutral again. "Um...thanks. I think." She takes the little gem gingerly. "A station might be better, if you don't mind, until I figure out the address system." She's a little wary on this part, but remembers that Zurk had mentioned being able to come back here to ask questions, so relaxes on that bit again.

"I'll have someone set you up then. Don't worry, Nightshade. We love newcomers with your kind of resume, here. Everyone will want to be your chum." Top hat holds out his hand, grinning at her. "You'll like the celestial plane.  Spacious houses there, and lots of nice people. Too nice, in fact, they make me ill. But yeah. Bye, ask Zurk about your transport."

Felina smiles, a little wryly and a little wanly, and accepts the hand. "Then I'm sure they'll make me insane, but, two questions...first, while this is all well and good, what about my brother? I can't just stay here and leave him unprocted, he needs me."

"Unless you want to invite him here, no dice. You can't leave, unless you can convince Abyss to let you out." Top hat shakes his head. "Abyss is a tough audience. But he's the man... the thing... around here. Next question?"

"Am I dead?"

Top hat closes his eyes, thinking. "By textbook definitions of dead, yes. You have no more contact with the quote unquote, "living world". However, you are not in any kind of afterlife, and you are, contrary to how it might sound, still living. Follow?"

"More or less. I was just becoming afraid the afterlife was one long beauracracy." It's a pretty light-hearted quip considering how heavy-handed his statement is...and indeed, how hard it hits her.

Top hat's not totally insensitive. He just seems that way.

"The beauracracy ends at the station, Topaz. I've even arranged for a special surprise that might help you ease into the transition, and I'll see what I can do about getting you an audience with Abyss." He tilts his head. "Er... a non-oblivion meeting with Abyss, that is."

Felina laughs softly... "thanks. I really appreciate that." That's true, and it shows in her eyes.

"Hey, that's what I do. Break the bad news, then soften it with shiny things." Top hat tips his namesake. "You can go ahead. Zurk did your paperwork tomorrow."

Felina smirks a little at the time quirks, and nods. She likes Top hat...regardless of the circumstances. "Right. Thanks." She turns away from him and closes her eyes a moment, letting out a slow breath as she heads back towards Zurk. Her expression's neutral again by the time she gets there.

"Hello again. Top hat gave me some paperwork before you got here. Don't worry, it's done." Zurk greets her in a bubbly sort of way, arms whirling about. "The tram station is just down the way. Follow me!" The molluskoid psuedopods its way out of the customs office, heading down a short street dotted with immigrant pubs, where a massive aircar station sits smack in the middle of the water. "See that tall girl over there? Top hat said you'd know him. The one waving. Go show him your pass, and he'll help you find your house."

A little smirk almost touches her lips. Now how in the hell...? "Thank you." And her first instinct is exactly what she notes when she approaches the..."tall girl." "Now how in the hell are you here?" She's relieved to see him, though. That, is obvious. They just dont' tend to mince words.

Yue chuckles softly. "Same Felina. Did I never tell you where I came from? The Millenium Maze, one of a handful of offshoots of this place? Being a native has its perks." He holds out a hand, in a distinctly feminine fashion. "I heard from a mutual friend of Top Hat's that you would be here. I simply had to come."

Felina laughs softly, just shaking her head as she takes the hand. "It's just been one of those days...and I didn't know the maze was connected....still trying to figure out what 'here' is, though I think I have the idea. You can come and go, then?" This isn't plotting for herself, this is because she needs to tell him about Momo.

"Well, no, not quite. I just have a very good relationship with a fellow named Ansendul, who can facilitate such things for his underlings... former underlings in my case as well." Yue squeezes her hand a bit, and holds out his arm. "Come, let me walk you to your tram. Celestial Plane, eh? Someone has been good."

"Only when the mood hits me." Felina smiles wanly as she takes the arm. "I need to tell you about Momo...she managed to lose her body, or rather get into a situation where I had to destroy her body to save the rest of her. I'd planned on recreating it, but...yeah." A slight pause. "My brother can do that, you know how to get ahold of him. She's currently in the body of a death dancer by the name of Hadone."

Yue grimaces visibly to hear that, but quickly regains his prim composure. "I will get ahold of him just as soon as you get settled. A death dancer should be able to take care of her." He's quiet for a second, not speaking until they reach the doors of the air car marked KTTY.  There are dozens of cars here, possibly a hundred or more, all going to different places.

"Was she hurt or... sick?" he asks, his voice trembling just a little bit.

"She was essentially being taken over by an infestation trying to make her into a new Malufel All told, I was more than relieved that things worked out as well as they did, considering the power of the hold that blight had." She puts a hand on his shoulder. "Try not to worry about it, okay? She's a bit scared, but she's okay. Her mind, soul, and connections to the physical world are all perfectly intact and blight-free. She will be restored to a perfectly functioning, truly physically-based person...with both her eyes. And she should be back in her inn by the time you can get there. All right?"

Yue just nods. "I trust your words, Felina. I simply have a lot of fondness for that little scamp." He leads her into the aircar, and to a seat labelled 'Felina Deyono' in clear etching. "This is yours. Sit, precious, unless you'd rather use my lap."

Felina smirks. "In your dreams, my dear." She glances at the bar code. "'Kitty'. Heh...everyone's a comedian." She sits, trying not to be apprehensive. Really, she doesn't feel as out of control as perhaps she should...she knows that it's possible to get out of here. And she's certainly succeeded before where chances weren't even as good as "possible."

"Don't worry about this. Now, when you get to the plane, don't be surprised if some things are a bit... unsettling. This whole place meshes time together, so some things may seem unreal to you." Yue sits across from her, in a seat marked 'sit here at risk of losing digits -- Yue' and smiles. "Everything more or less happens in synch here."

"'In synch?' How do you mean?"

"Meaning, things happen the way they're expected to happen. Those of us who are in tune with this place know everything that's going to happen, before it happens, and we knew it yesterday. I am certain that Top hat showed that quality off a bit." Yue settles into his seat, kicking his feet up and displaying - you guessed it - cleanly shaven legs. "For you, and those who aren't attuned to this place, it's pretty normal. You will not know anything that you shouldn't."

Felina nods. Makes sense. "So. If I do manage to leave her...how long will have passed outside?"

"As much or as little as the way out dictates. You could spend a million years here, and pop out ten minutes before you left." Yue shrugs. "Or, you can be here five minutes, and be gone from 'life' two centuries. It's up to how you get out. I trust Top Hat mentioned Abyss?" Yue shivers. "Abyss doesn't like inconsistencies. If he sends you back, it will be at a point equal to the amount of time you've spent in here."

"You talk like there's another way? Or is that just for those of you who didn't get eaten by lesser gods' chests?"

"That's pretty much just for us. If you want out, you'll need to convince him. And I do not think I can help you there, sweetcheeks. Abyss is out of my league." Yue's ears perk up at the sound of pressure being released form brakes. "We're moving. I hope you like fancy towers."

Felina's ears do too...far more literally. "Towers, huh? Are we passing through those, or is that our destination?" Silly small talk. She doesn't know what else to do...and really, is more grateful than she'd readily admit to have Yue here.

"Destination, kitten. On the celestial plane, all the homes are towers. They really must be seen to be believed." He can sense that, of course, not for any empathic reasons, but because he's got a pretty good handle on Felina.

The car grinds quietly on its way to The Celestial Plane.

---

"All passengers, let's get the hell out of here," says a quiet, mechanical voice over an intercom system. "Please pick up any belongings and pull up any pants that might be down."

Felina has to smirk at the recording as she stands up. How...prudent?

The Djinn grins at her. "Not everyone is as reserved as you and I, in this place. Well, it was nice to meet you." Ahziz bows a bit, and heads out of the car, and down the road towards the still-smoking building that had been Top Hat's office.

Felina acknowledges the statement of parting, but her ears are folded back, eyes affixed on Top Hat's building. She frowns, and heads off in that direction as well, looking for someone who can tell her anything.

A few construction workers are around, mostly hyper imps, who are doing an amazing job rebuilding the place. Zurk is wandering around outside, her various tentacles at work changing a bloody bandage on Top Hat's head.

"Hello, Felina," says the multi-limbed monster, "we were just talking about you. Well, not just, about two hours ago. How do you like your place?"

"It's very nice, thank you. And...apparently at least somewhat calmer than things have been here." Her eyes are quite concerned.

"Oh, my head is like a... hard thing that you can't break with a rock," Top Hat answers, grinning at her. "We get wackos in here now and again, is all."

Felina smirks a little in return. "Here...let me help. And tell me...how do you deal with said wackos?"

Top Hat just smiles, and points. "That guy," he says, indicating a very calm looking, but at the same time furious-seeming, fury elemental. "Wackos are usually angry. Quaiesh over there gets stronger with anger, so... he convnces them to leave. Of course, he took a pretty good beating too. This particular wacko was the 'cold fury' type."

Felina blinks at Quaiesh a few moments...makes no comment, and hopes it's either a different one or doesn't remember her as she sets the very tips of her claws on Top Hat's head and does her best to knit the damage there. "Yeah, well..Radivishe Moorn really isn't hard to tip over to spitting venom, a few well-placed words will have him quite pissed...assuming he can't just squish you."

"Well, you know," Zurk says in her bubbly voice, "we are pretty high officials. Even for someone like him, it would take a bit of doing to squish us."

Top Hat nods. "Felina knows. She's had plenty of run ins with him. Pissed him off plenty of times too." The wound knits nicely, and he smiles at h er. "Thank you very much. Bleeding does not become me."

"Yes, well, red's not your color. I can't stand fashion malfunctions like that." She's quite relieved it's really as simple as a head wound.

Top Hat tilts his head quite suddenly, gazes at her. There's an anomaly in her history that wasn't there before, and he just notices it. He wonders, but doesn't put it into words.

"So... you had a pretty traumatic day, again?"

Felina blinks. Damned omnipotent people. "Nothing that should cause a meltdown, no. I'm just trying to figure out what I can about what I do or don't need to do or worry about concerning Moorn."

"Well, he's breaking protocol by being out. I can't even fathom why Abyss is letting him go, as powerful he is, but... we haven't had any word of it. So, we'll assemble a team to put him down, probably." Top Hat grins. "Want a job?"

Felina smirks. "Sure, why not. I'm better at that than being a normal person."

Top Hat's face falls a little at that. He knows. But she isn't wrong.

"Okay. I've already sent messages to the more powerful people on the Celestial Plane... Tel-tiono, Marcus Ekhet, Daimord Di, Justice Grakhast, and Drianis of Dothaven. Those who accept, will meet at the arena in about two hours. Is that okay?"

"Sure, but as far as I know, Diamord Di somehow got involved with being Moorn's lackey and tried to manipulate some poor starship pilot to assassinate Drianis via suicide bombing on pain of a much more unhappy curse, but things went downhill on that scheme from there." Felina shrugs. "Last I saw, Moorn dragged him off by the hair." It's almost irksome how mundanely she relates this.

Zurk reaches up with about five tentacles and pats Felina's shoulders and hair. "Boring, eh? Well, hopefully it'll stay boring. But that is not good news."

Top Hat shrugs. "Di's a bitch anyway. Pardon my language. But it probably is better off." He looks again to Felina. "What will you do now?"

Felina smiles sidelong at Zurk, before looking to Top Hat. "With the next two hours? I'm not sure. Most the things I could or should do really would be more prudent to wait on. Moorn mentioned giving you a head wound, I just wanted to see that you were okay."

"I'm thankful for it, too," Top Hat nods. "What about your father? I know that he has a bad wheel now, and even though I sent the invitation to him, I think we'd all be more comfortable if he didn't put himself at risk."

Felina closes her eyes...nods. That...she's still getting used to. "Yeah. I need to talk to him about this beforehand."

Top Hat nods. "Hey. You're under no obligation, either, you know. But... would you like me to send you back? Avoid the whole car trip?"

"Hey, Radivishe Moorn is my buddy. And...you can do that?"

"Top Hat has a lot of talents. Fashion sense isn't one of them," Zurk notes, "but none of us work here without being capable. Technically, Quaiesh over there is a postal worker."

Top Hat chuckles, and holds out his hands. Blue beams silently shoot out from his fingertips, drawing a complex circle upon the ground in light. 

"There you go! One teleporter."

"Very impressive. I suppose I'll see you two at some later point, then." Felina smiles a little, and waves.

Zurk waves twenty six ways.

Top Hat nods. "Pretty soon. I look forward to it!"

And, as soon as Felina figures out the circle, she's gone to wherever it was set to take her.

---

Felina looks around when she approaches customs, feeling for Top Hat. So...everything sane around here today?

"As sane as it ever is, I suppose." Top Hat looks up at her from behind a gigantic stack of papers on a cart, held together only by the grace of some divinity. He trots toward her with a bow of the head and a sweep of the hat. "I didn't know if you were going to come back."

"I wanted to see how everyone was. You were still...indisposed when I left." She smiles sheepishly. What doesn't show is that she still feels quite bad for having failed to protect him.

"Well," Top Hat grins at her, stroking his rather new handlebar mustache, "I hate to have worried you. I never knew Abyss could be so... bitchy. By the by, Emshei has been asking about you."

"You are okay now, though?" She tilts her head.

"Right as rain," he answers with a grin. "And feeling better than ever. Your father saw to that."

She grins a little, and nods. "He's good about that kind of thing. Alright...I guess I should go see what Emshei wants, then..."

Top Hat grins a bright grin. "Just remind him who you aren't, yeah? You'll do fine."

Felina smiles and nods. "Right. See you later." She heads to the station to make the almost-familiar trek to the Celestial Plane, and is on her way before long, letting out a slow breath in the car and leaning her head back, closing her eyes.