Here-And-Now
The Here-And-Now (H&N, HAN) is a very loose collaborative worldbuilding setting. The HAN canon largely centers around the "Here-And-Now" itself, a network of separate dimensions with stronger cross-dimensional connections between each other, allowing for things (including individuals) to "jump" between dimensions at a disproportionately high rate. These dimensions are called in-network; dimensions outside of the HAN are out-of-network, just like your health insurance.
In general, the HAN canon is designed to make it easy to throw most kinds of characters/settings into it or pull them out of it.
Cross-dimensionality
Let's say you're from a dimension that's out-of-network such as, let's say, "the Known Universe". The Known Universe includes Earth, by the way, and it's pretty rare for people on Earth to jump dimensions. Of course, to people on Earth, it just looks like some people randomly go missing with no discernible cause, but it's not enough to cause a global stir, you know? Let's make up a number and say one in ten million in an average human's lifetime - that's around 800 people. Animals are included by the way, there are definitely Crows in the Here-And-Now at least.
A non-zero number of these Earth humans may jump into the Here-And-Now. The chances of them returning to Earth are incredibly low, but still not impossible, especially if you look for it.
Now, if you live in a "heavily connected" in-network location like Rookery, the average person tends to "jump" to other dimensions around zero to two times in their lifetime, assuming you have a human lifespan and you were born in the H&N. Of course, there are many, many, many outliers. People who look for connections, people who can jump dimensions at will, people who are just plain (un)lucky, people with a good narrative reason to jump dimensions. Some dimensions are just easier to access than others. Sometimes the strength of connections ebb and flow. Some people literally do it in their sleep. Whatever.
The Here-And-Now Department
The Here-And-Now Department (HAND) is a weird interdimensional non-profit organization that offers jobs to networked locations that they cover. Depending on how much of their bullshit the location in question puts up with, they may attempt to establish social services and offices, and offer jobs to areas within their interests. Often these social services prioritize Department employees, making it very enticing indeed to get a HAND job.
The Census Committee
The Here-And-Now Census Committee, also known as just "the Census", is a department of the Department that collects statistical data on residents of the Here-And-Now. More specifically, they will fly up into your face and ask a bunch of invasive questions so they can log your personal information into a quasi-governmental database. They are not well-liked in many areas under their coverage.
As part of the benefits of the job, the Census offers its employees bird-related shapeshifting powers, most notably functional wings, allowing Census employees to travel around quite efficiently. Many locations within Census coverage have license laws for independent flight, but some of these locations have given in to the Census's appeals to allow their employees to commute in "flocks" without a license.
Locations
This is a list of locations that are covered under the Here-And-Now canon: