The tree is of stark black wood, its trunk bare and smooth and branches stretching out sharp and far, all angles; if kin had the word 'fractal' they might apply it here. Its leaves are just as dark; as the light breeze tosses them they glitter like the night sky, as if tiny stars lay littered in the branches. Overhead the forest clears out to a pristine view of the night sky, with stars glittering brightly overhead. They are so crisp and clear that they seem closer than normal.

Maybe they are closer than normal.

There is the sharp scent of ozone on the air, like the scent of an approaching storm, which grows sharper as kin approach the tree's door.

The door itself is perfectly circular, ringed with a quiet yellow-orange glow; it opens into complete darkness, but the darkness is peaceful and welcoming, not terrifying.

As kin step through, they are suddenly awash in the light of countless stars and refreshed by a cool breeze.

You emerge into the city of Apogee: small but vibrant, with wide streets and buildings filled with windows. It has the vibe of an artsy sort of college town, though there is no school -- just a city filled with entertainment and art. There is foliage everywhere, in limitless colors of green. There are quite a few buildings covered with thin vining plants whose flowers fill the air with a fragrance so thick and sweet it seems you could bathe in it.

The sky overhead is unfamiliar, and usually always night; days here are very short. When the sun goes down there are countless stars in the sky, with several moons and planets in slow orbit overhead.

The nightlife is, is as to be expected, bustling, but there's also a sense of order about it: nothing too crazy, no fear or hardship or crime.

People entering the realm and who already exist within the city come in any hair or eye color, with skin tones ranging from human-pale to human-dark. Dress is usually modern, but honestly, anything goes in this space -- just like in our world.

In the middle of the town are new structures littered in among some of the oldest buildings, their history written on their face: weathered bricks, exposed pipes, gleaming dark wood, bright metal railings. The glass and lights glitter brightly, and people can be seen coming and going from place to place. A line has formed outside one particular building: a three story black brick building with an orange neon sign above the entrance, with the title EVENT HORIZON.

★ THE ESCAPE ROOM
This is an escape room themed around the concept of astronauts escaping from a doomed space station. It's a race against time before they're spaghettified into a black hole. Think something out of Interstellar, all sleek and modern and scientific. The views out of the "windows" of the space station correspond to actual astronomic objects, and there are several rooms to progress through before it ends. The whole encounter goes for an hour -- you either successfully board the escape shuttle to safety, or you get sucked past the event horizon, never to return...

★ THE CAFE
A cute, sleek cafe two doors down, serving light refreshments for before or after your escape. Think exposed brick and metal, hanging Edison bulbs, and lots of windows. It serves sandwiches, soups, pastries, salads, coffee, tea, and other drinks.

★ THE RENTAL
A vacation rental next door, for when you want to hang out in the city for a little while. It's a two story townhouse, full of windows and natural light, with two bedrooms.

★ NO ESCAPE'S APARTMENT
Above the escape room itself; very few people would ever venture here of their own accord, but it's somewhere No Escape might invite her friends.

★ THE CITY-AT-LARGE
Trendy college town vibes in a historical setting, with lots of historic buildings, sprawling trees, and green space, mixed in with more modern architecture and amenities. It's not massive, but there are plenty of things to do, things to see, and fun opportunities to be had. To the east the land peters out into swamps and then ocean. Going west just takes you farther inland.

In this realm No Escape, known as Victoria Knight, appears as a tall woman with a willowy build. She has long black hair and olive skin, and her eyes are a vibrant, almost arresting, orange. She tends to wear dress that could be considered goth-adjacent: tank tops or band tees, close-cut jeans with rips and tears, big clunky boots or flats. She has several visible tattoos and piercings; a space-themed sleeve on one arm, a throat tattoo of an open maw, as well as gauged ears.

★ Don't be a jerk. If you're rude, or spoiling for a fight, you might be asked to leave.
★ All are welcome here, for now.
★ If you want plots/etc with No Escape, just PM phoe!

WELCOME
★ All are welcome, for now.

VIPs
★ Albatross

UNWELCOME
★ No one. For now.

★ TBA