A New Platform [Intro Post February]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

Three days after the Voidtreckers return to the void after their adventures on the biosphere world, they are awoken by a familiar announcement.

"Good morning passengers, it is day Sixteen of the month of Jelly. Points have been updated on the system."

They have indeed, and everyone can spend the morning shopping. Those who have been on the train for a while will also be expecting the second announcement that comes a few hours later.

"Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." A lurch and a jolt and the windows fill with the fog that means they are at a platform. The fog seems thicker than usual and as they step out onto the platform they will find it is cold, very cold. Icy fog sticks to their clothing, makes it hard to see very far; the atmosphere is dark and gloomy.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers: Alexis Rhodes, Elfnein, Itsuki Myoudouin, Ken Ichijouji, MT, Neku Sakuraba, Nike Lemercier, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Rainbow Dash, Rei Saotome, Taichi Yagami, Tsubomi Hanasaki, Yuri Tsukikage and Zechs Merquise all pass through the platform, not looking back before they disappear through the barriers and into the fog beyond.

But on the platform itself there are new faces. Wearing hoodies in all four colours, in various states of confusion.

For New Passengers

At first all they can see is steam, billowing around them as they come to their senses. As their eyes adjust, they will see they are on a platform, glass and dark stone rising in sturdy arches around them. Behind them is a set of barriers, and in front of them is a single track extending both ways into thick fog.

They are standing, in clothes that are not their own and a style they might not even recognise. They are carrying a rucksack on their back. For a moment it seems to just be them, alone in the white haze; then the steam begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform is not large with sixteen figures scattered around, all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. To both the left and right, tracks disappear into the mist. Then there is a roaring sound and out of the fog arrives a train. Jet black with gold writing on the side. The Voidtrecker Express. There is a hiss as the doors slide open and out step a strange assortment of people. Some are human, some are less so. Most are wearing the same hoodie in one of the four colours, red, orange, blue and purple, though some are sporting different clothes in a variety of styles.

The Train

After a short time, the doors hiss open again. Those from the train may encourage those on the platform to board. It’s not like there's anywhere else to go and even if there was, you feel a pull. A need to board, a feeling that staying on the platform would lead to something terrible. If that is not enough, there are plenty of people on the platform now, to encourage them onto the train.

Each ICP shows the same message and next to the screens there are stacks of leaflets written by those on the train, with further information (see
'Publications'). The store rooms have been restocked with fresh ingredients, including several crates of avocados, the ingredient of the month of Jelly, as well as all sundries.

For passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage in various suitcases and bags.

New passengers will find their ticket allows them into their cabins. They may need to negotiate for beds, especially if they want a top bunk!

Room is tight but there are storage cubbies at the head of each bed, beds fold up and the bottom bunks double as benches for the small table. There is storage under those benches full of spare blankets and pillows.

Departure

A second horn sounds to encourage any stragglers braving the freezing fog, and the doors slide shut. Veteran passengers know what will happen next, but they may wish to brief their new companions.

The train sets off, the fog obscuring the view again as it picks up speed.

"Welcome aboard, passengers of the Voidtrecker Express." A female-coded artificial sounding voice echoes throughout the train. "Please take the time to read the passenger information displayed on the Information and Communication points and familiarise yourself with the layout and emergency exits."

The train begins to tilt, leaving the ground and rising up into the fog-filled sky.

"Entrance into Voidspace imminent. New passengers are advised to remain seated. Entry into Voidspace in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

A shudder, a jolt, a lurch to the left. A flash of light, colourful and blinding. As quick as it happens it is done. The train seems to steady itself. The fog from the windows is gone now, replaced with a kaleidoscope of ever-changing colours.

Welcome to the Void!

Comments

Merwen | Orange Team | OTA

[theimpatientone]

The Platform

Merwen looks absolutely lost, and more than a little distressed.

She has never seen a train. She has never seen clothes like the ones she's wearing, and she's never even really experienced the sort of fabric they're made of. She is in a strange place full of stone and coldstone and uncomfortable rags on her body, and strange people, and, by Shora, she's going to have a bit of a meltdown right now if she isn't careful.

Her first thought is Valans. That makes no sense but the entire situation makes no sense, and her only experience anything like this was being held captive on a Valan ship.

First things first: put down the rucksack and get these clothes off so she can think a little more clearly. She feels like she can't breathe, covered up like this. Merwen starts stripping, right there on the platform, starting with trying to figure out how to get out of the hoodie, pulling her arms inside first like a child who hasn't quite figured out clothes yet, then over her head. Merwen is hairless, her skin a lovely shade of lavender. She has no shoes; her feet are large and webbed, as are her hands. Other than those small details she looks human enough. A fist-sized insect that has been riding on her rucksack buzzes up to rest on her shoulder, making clicking noises with its mandibles. She clicks back to it with her tongue, almost absently.

Now, pants. How do pants work. Merwen starts to drop her pants.


Train: Looking for Sleeper One, Cabin C

Somehow Merwen's been convinced to enter the train, as horrible as it seems. She has not been convinced of clothing; she has to have some standards, and the clothing she was wearing when she got here have been stuffed into the rucksack on her back. Yes, she's entirely naked. But in this entirely alien environment she's a little lost, wandering up and down the train with a pained expression on her face. The clickfly resting on her rucksack seems calm enough, still clicking away to itself patiently, but it is only a bug, if a large and fancy one.

In a hallway, she puts down her rucksack and sits on her, covering her face with her webbed hands and giving a faint moan.


Departure

She lifts her head at the sound of the artificial voice. It sounds... wrong, in a way she can't put her finger on. Still, the immediate alarm of the situation is beginning to wear off for her. Whatever is happening, she's at least accepted she isn't going to die immediately. She takes a seat at a window, the clickfly crawling down into her lap.

Her hands tighten on the chair at the jolt, but she gives an "oh!" and turns to press a hand against the window, momentarily more amazed than scared.

Platform

[worthallthis]

Soldat is disappointed in the lack of sunlight, but they're still outside for the fresh air. It's better than nothing, and still brighter than Beacon used to be.

What they're not expecting is a purple person struggling with her clothing, let alone a purple person they know. "Merwen!" they call, on automatic, looking somewhere between alarmed and pleased as they jog over, lantern hanging off its strap on their shoulder. "Merwen, Jesus, I didn't expect to see you." Of course she's trying to get her clothes off. She couldn't handle anything more than a goddamn skirt and poncho, before. They'll have to get to altering for her immediately.

well that was fast lol

[theimpatientone]

Merwen turns automatically at the sound of her name, even if it's from an unfamiliar voice. She stares uncomprehendingly at Soldat, trying to place this very Valan-looking-person and why they know her.

"You know me?" She takes a step back automatically, still on edge, still not at all sure what to expect and what her base level of fear should be.

I was checking the post to make my own top-level and saw you XD

[worthallthis]

They slow, then stop, well out of touching range. Their smile slips off into surprise, then dismay, and then into nothing at all. She doesn't know them. There's... no lantern. Oh, Christ, it's like Crowley and Aziraphale....

They pull up a smaller, slightly sadder smile and hold up both hands peaceably, flesh and metal both. "Sorry. I. It's complicated. I'm Soldat. I won't hurt you."

Platform

[10billionpercent]

He happened to see Merwen in orange for a moment, while she was struggling with her sweater. Despite how cold it was, Senku was out in a t-shirt himself, so he wasn't really one to talk.

"Pull here." He told her, gesturing on himself where the zipper was. "It'll be easier if you undo it first."

Other people might ask what she's doing, but honestly it didn't seem that important in the grand scheme of things.

Re: Platform

[theimpatientone]

She fumbles with the zipper a little, but it turns out to be fairly self-explanatory, once she gets it moving.

"Thank you," she says, genuinely grateful, even in her intense distraction. "To be covered like this -- I find it stifling." And it's just one more thing on top of everything else. "I don't understand what is happening."

She's getting a bit hysterical. Merwen draws in a long, shaky breath.

[10billionpercent]

"I get that." Senku admitted, but didn't explain further.

"You've come on this platform, likely against your will, brought here by the train." Senku gestured at it.

"It seems to think we're heroes, saving worlds for the train." He explained. She seems to be getting upset if he was going to to be observant and he suggested. "Try counting to three as you breath in and out for three. It'll help."

Looking for 1-C

[tactlesstantei]

[Wouldn't you know it, Masumi is also assigned to cabin 1-C. She doesn't yet know that this is her new roommate, and she's a bit surprised by the lack of clothes, but it does look like she's not having a great time.]

Hey, you doing okay there? You need some help?

[theimpatientone]

I do not understand how this place is laid out, but I am meant to find a particular room regardless.

[She looks up, trying to compose herself a little.]

But then, this has been a very difficult day to start with.

[tactlesstantei]

I know, this train is pretty big. It can be hard to find things around here if you're new. Where are you trying to go?

[Masumi knows it's common for new people to have to find their sleeper cabin, but she's not jumping to conclusions just yet.]

Looking for Sleeper One, Cabin C

[singerofspells]

S'reee was always an odd sight for most new arrivals -- someone clearly built for water floating in the air. Those who recognized her species might also realize that her size was all wrong. But what that meant practically speaking, is she tried to be careful heading through the halls at stops because she took up a larger 'footprint' (ironic for a person without feet).

But she also had good ears, and noticed that someone -- a new arrival -- was sitting on their bag with their head in their hands. "Is there something I can do?" she asked, trusting that between her SCA strapped to a fin and use of the Speech, she'd be understood.

oh my god it's a whale I'm in love

[theimpatientone]

Merwen has never seen a whale -- it's all alien squid-analogues in her neck of the woods -- though she definitely knows the look of a large creature made for water, and for a moment the surprise catches her off guard.

"A sea-swallower shrunk down and out of the water," she says in delighted wonder, then abruptly realises that this is very rude, because whatever this creature is, she is clearly a person who is trying to speak with her. Which is a wonder all its own, really, because this is a non-human person. "Forgive me, I am sharing rudeness. I am not certain where I am meant to be, is all."

Departure

[springforth]

Naked is a surprise, but not--that weird. She's honestly far more comfortable with naked women. And there's a pretty insect on her! It's been a month since she's seen an insect, maybe longer. Persephone is just about to ask what that creature is when the train jolts forward and she tumbles into the seat opposite her.

"I--I will get used to that one day. Oh--I know it's pretty but don't look too long. It gives people a headache."

[theimpatientone]

Merwen puts out a hand automatically to help the person falling into her space, but -- well, she seems okay. That's reassuring. She hasn't seen a pink person before, but honestly, that's hardly worth remarking on, from her point of view.

"I'll be careful," she promises. "Are you hurt at all?"

[springforth]

"No--No just was a little distracted." She tucks back a lock of hair, not quite looking up.

"Your--insect? Is it a pet? I've never seen anything exactly like it."

looking for 1:C Hi roommate

[knifewithnoname]

She was on her way back to her room herself, having spent some time on the platform. Not much time, it was stupid cold and stupid damp and even though she had only been out for a short time she wanted to go put some dry clothes on.

She's spoiled nowadays, with extra sets of clothes to put on whenever she wishes. She stops when she sees the woman, the purple naked woman looking distressed. Had she no clothes? Why was she sat here?

She was new, that much was certain. She had never seen her before. "Do you be needing help? Why do you no be wearing your clothes?"

[theimpatientone]

"I'm lost," Merwen says, simply, with a shake of her head. "I cannot understand where it is I'm meant to be. As for 'clothes,' well. I removed them." This she says with a certain amount of defiance, absently rubbing her arms against the memory of the sweater. "I don't know why I am meant to cover myself with rags. On the rafts, we never do. It shares discomfort."

[knifewithnoname]

Oh. A place where people didn't wear clothes. Was as weird as anything else she had come across on the train, she shrugged. "Some clothes do be being uncomfortable and shoes do be being pretty stupid. Do you be having your ticket? I can be showing you where you do be being meant to be being."

She can understand being lost and confused on this train after all. Especially if she hadn't been on a train before.

departure

[irrationally]

Alice has seen a lot of reactions at this point to the train's sudden rough departure. The shock or fear is the usual. Some people take it in stoically.

But it's not often that she sees someone looking practically amazed while trying to hold on for dear life. It's why she raises an eyebrow as she looks at the other, speaking up once it seems the train is running normally again.

"Did you think it was that great?"

[theimpatientone]

"It isn't like anything else I've ever seen," Merwen says, turning to smile at Alice. "I think it's lovely, even if it is also strange and a little frightening. Can something not be both?"

[irrationally]

"I don't often see people enjoy frightening things," she simply replies. Is that even a direct one to one answer to that question? It's hard to tell, but at least she's being honest about that.

(Especially since Alice is from a world where things like rollercoasters don't exist yet.)

"Isn't being frightened by things merely a sign of one's survival instinct kicking in? Then thinking it's lovely at the same time would be quite counterproductive."

[ Looking for 1-C ]

[subcircuits]

Dev is starting to get used to people who are weird colors on this train, but the combination of purple, nude, and distressed is one that gives him distinct pause. He hesitates for a moment in the hallway, considering an about-face to give the newcomer her privacy--

Until he hears the moan.

That brings him closer, though the big man still stops well outside arms' reach. He drops into an easy crouch on the far side of the hall. "Hey," he calls, his voice big and deep and soft. "You all right?"

[theimpatientone]

She looks up, blinking blearily at him for a moment.

"Truthfully? No. I am here in this hideous coldstone box, I don't understand why, and I cannot make sense of where I am meant to go." Merwen forces a smile, a tired expression. "Forgive me. This is nothing that isn't shared by everyone else in this predicament." She gestures vaguely with one webbed hand.

Platform

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin steps out of the train into the fog, and the first person he sees is Merwen, who is evidently trying to struggle out of her clothes.

"You might want to stay dressed," he says to her. "It's cold out here, and you might get hyperthermia. If you don't like the clothing, you can eventually buy other outfits at the train store. Can I answer any questions for you? Everybody's baffled when they turn up here on the platform."

Re: Platform

[theimpatientone]

"I would almost rather be cold," Merwen says, exasperated, frightened. "This... this fabric. It's heavy, and coarse, and I feel I can't breathe in it."

But it is cold. She has to admit to that.

"Is there somewhere to take shelter?"