voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post February]

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A New Platform [Intro Post February]

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!

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He jerks when he feels weight on him, breath catching in his throat. "Why do you care? It's not like anyone cares about any of us, anyway. No one cares about us, no one believes us. It's why we have to do the things we do."

He can feel his voice breaking, and he clutches his bag tightly. He can feel his Evoker in there, the familiar barrel of it clenched in his fist through the fabric. "They weren't supposed to have to wait for me at all. I was supposed to -"

He squeezes his eyes shut. What reason could he possibly have to live, now? The others cans top SEES. He was gong to do their rivals a favor by making it so that they didn't have to take revenge.

"Mom... I'm sorry..."

"If no one cares about you, then it's because you are surrounded by self-absorbed fools. I care simply because I believe in helping those who need it...particularly when they've nowhere else to turn."

He glances around, then waves his hand and causes a portion of the mist to condense into an icy platform approximately matching the dimensions of a bench.

"Here, sit. That coat ought to be thick enough to keep the cold at bay, at least for a time."

He sits down numbly, staring ahead. "Adults who act like they care just want to use us. I guess that's why they set up a way to use them in return." He's not going to pretend that Revenge Request is an ethical site, or a way he'd prefer things to be done... but he also can't blame them. And Minato makes sure it's not going to be used for things that don't deserve it.

"... There's a reason I escaped the hospital. I took care of myself better than any 'adult' that wanted to take custody of me."

"Some worlds are closer to the darkness than others..."

He sits down too, unconcerned about the cold of the ice seeping through his pants.

"But one must remember that light exists even in the deepest darkness, you simply need to search for it. It may be disheartening to pursue a guiding beacon, only to discover it to be a mere illusion, but vigilance oughtn't come at the expense of hope. And on that note, I would rather like to meet these people who offered false compassion...I have quite a few things to say to them."

"The only hope I had was revenge and then nothingness. And I got that option taken away from me." Well, the first one. Technically the second is still an option, but there's no point now. But what point is there to go on after two years of seeking revenge?

... Never mind. It's not your problem." He suddenly feels very small and still very cold, just inside his chest.

"The Kirjio Group is to blame for a lot of this... if they hadn't messed with things the others would never have been hurt."

"Nothingness...is not the reprieve you may hope."

He tilts his head back, eyes closed as he recalls that limbo he floated in for...how long? Time is difficult to track between worlds, and he gets the sense that he was beyond all worlds.

"Perhaps that is simply how it is for us Nothings, while we wait to become Somethings once again, but I recall lingering, on the edge of oblivion. I was alone with my thoughts, in a deep void, reflecting upon what had brought me to that point. Not that those thoughts got anywhere, it wasn't until I awoke and that I fully comprehended my regrets. It would have been easy to simply allow those dark thoughts to consume me..."

Eyes now open, he holds his hand up and a heart shaped ice crystal forms above his palm. Inside it, black and dark purple shadows twist and roil. Tendrils reach for the edges, as though eager to escape and blot the heart out completely.

"But that would have merely continued the cycle anew. For a time, I was at a loss...until someone in a similar situation approached me with an idea that gave me a spark of hope."

Inside the shadows, a light starts to glint. It's faint, but it causes the darkness to shrink and curl in on itself. The darkness is still there, but it no longer threatens to overtake the heart.

"There was someone else ultimately responsible for the situation that led me to cause harm, as well. The decision I reached was to do everything in my power to not only weaken him, but to aid those he had done harm to. Including those I owed no personal debt. Fighting pain with pain, you see, creates nothing more than an endless cycle of misery. But by fighting pain with courage, I was able to save lives that surely would have been lost had I succumbed to the despair and loathing within my heart."

If you decide to take my life, you'll end up like me. Just remember that...

Even if all you have now is hatred, one day you'll regret it.

It's alright... Give yourself time, make your anger your strength... Come on, Ken, you're just a kid. You've got your whole life ahead of you, so don't waste it. Make it your own, okay?

He can't help but hear the echo of those words in what this guy is telling him. This guy, who doesn't know anything about him. He can feel his anger building up and being pushed down, smothered by despair, smothered by frustration, smothered by sadness... like waves beating against the shore, threatening to drown the small structure of himself that he's built.

He looks at the 'heart', but he's not focusing really well right now. He's trying, but it's hard when he feels so sick. "I don't have anything left. I don't... he killed her. I was going to kill him. Then I was going to make the cycle end. But he's dead and it wasn't me, and he was going to die anyway... it's not fair..." He breathes shakily, leaning against the tall figure unconsciously.

He should be helping to keep SEES from Nyx, but... it's fine. Jin can cover electrical attacks and light attacks. They don't need him. no one needs him anymore. ... They'd be sad, but...

He takes in a few shaky breaths. "'Someone else' responsible, huh?" ... The Kirijo Group. They still exist. They're the ones who caused all this. If it wasn't for them, Aragaki wouldn't have had a Persona in the first place and his mother would still be alive. He can feel something shift, solidify - not yet complete but at least pull in a direction.

He stiffens slightly at the weight against his side, before relaxing and gently wrapping an arm around the boy. He doesn't have much in the way of body heat, but he is a solid presence. The heart floating above his hand turns slowly, the light and shadows within it flickering and seeming to dance inside the crystalline structure.

"You're not the first child I've known who thought he had nothing. My dear Ienzo...the poor boy lost his parents at a very young age. He had no relatives both willing and able to care for him, but my Lord Ansem chose to take him in. Of course..."

He huffs a light chuckle and shakes his head.

"As a ruler, his Lordship scarcely had the time to be a true parent, even if the fool of a wise man wasn't inclined to spoil a child. Care of him fell to me, and I came to regard him as though he were my own son.

"The point is, family needn't be merely those to whom you are related by blood. It's a bond of the heart, rather than the body, and even when you have nothing, there exists a chance to fill that void with something new."

"I have family." He does, doesn't he? "We found each other. The person I was hunting... he killed my mother. I know it was an accident, but that doesn't change what he did. I don't know who my father was." That aspect's never bothered him - if the guy never came back when he heard his kid had no mother, he's not a person Ken wants anything to do with.

"... I was on my own for over a year and a half. My relatives didn't really want me... and I didn't want to be sent to an orphanage. So I escaped the hospital." He doesn't mind the cold. Even as chilly as Vexen is, as the 'bench' is, he's dealt with winter and deep snow with little more than a blanket and some hand warmers. It doesn't bother him much. And the man is a solid presence. He's... comforting. As much as the voice and the eyes make him nervous, there's something about him that reminds him of Strega. Chidori's caring, Jin's overly-detailed ramblings, and Minato's presence. All that's missing is a small furry animal on his lap, really.

"It doesn't change the results, no, but that doesn't mean it's of no significance. Take it from...someone who has done others irreparable harm, himself. Guilt is a particularly insidious form of darkness, one that whispers to you that allowing it to eat you away from the inside is only the right thing to do."

The shadows inside the ice heart swell again, now heedless of the light that had been keeping them at bay. It reaches its tendrils out of the ice, and begins to slowly chip away at the edges of the heart.

"Unless this person is the sort who would have willingly killed your mother under different circumstances, it's quite likely he's already facing his own struggles."

"It doesn't matter." His voice goes flat, watching the ice get chipped away. "He's dead. ... I found out he was dying from the stuff he was using to suppress his abilities, and then a member of my group that got kicked out showed up and was going to shoot me since I wasn't planning on living through the night anyway. And then the other guy pushed me out of the way."

... He's still not sure what to think about that. "... He had the nerve to save me after what he did." His voice shakes, and he sniffs - no. He can't cry. He has to be strong. He has to be an adult. He can't cry about this, no matter how frustrated he feels.

His arm around Ken tightens, pulling him in close. For as thin as his arms are, they're surprisingly strong.

"Most likely, he saved you because of what he did. When damage done cannot be repaired, all one can do is push forward and hope to do an equal amount of good. That is how one keeps the guilt from destroying them-"

The coils of darkness retreat back inside the heart, leaving it looking ragged but intact.

"Even if, from the outside, it appears to have done just that. He died balancing the scales, so that he could pass on with the knowledge that he had done something worth taking pride in...and so that you could live the life you had given up on. You have a legacy to carry on, after all. I'm certain your mother would not have wished her child to follow her before even reaching adulthood."

Ken's silent. He's not sure what to say to that. It still hurts. He hadn't managed to exact his revenge. He hadn't managed to do anything. He'd tried to redirect Sakaki's shot, but...

In the end, he'd done nothing but waste two years. He starts shaking, burrowing into the coat and feeling tears well up from behind his closed eyes. He sniffs, trying to force the tears to go away... there's so many people around. Ken reaches out to grab at Vexen's shirt, hood pulled over his face, and starts crying quietly.

He sets the ice heart down, and both the darkness and the light within it fade. He wraps both arms around Ken in a stiff, awkward hug, and pats him on the back with one hand.

"There, now." His voice is soft, a hint of his own tiredness peeking through, and warm. "Let it out. It's important to allow yourself to vent now and then."

The awkward hug is somehow more comforting than a regular one would be, given his new ‘family’. He muffles his crying with the coat, feeling totally helpless against his emotions. It hurts, dnd he hates it, but the anger he held for so long is curdling and falling away, leaving nothing in its wake - because what can he even do?

Nemesis stirs slightly, but he ignores that part of himself fir the moment.

It takes a minute, but the crying eventually tapers off, leaving him exhausted and messy.

Edited 2021-02-03 23:56 (UTC)

He can sense an ugly darkness releasing its hold on the boy's heart, and while the balance is still skewed distressingly dark...it's a start. He just sits patiently until Ken finishes crying, then pats him on the shoulder.

"Now then, I don't believe I got your name. Most refer to me as Vexen, these days."

"... I... I'm Ken." He sniffs and pulls away, still wrapped up in the jacket. "... Ken Amada. I'm... it's good to meet you?"

His voice wavers, uncertain. It's the standard greeting, but it feels a little... weird. here.

"Likewise. Now then..."

He stands up and brushes himself off. Despite having been sitting directly on the ice block, the back of his pants doesn't even look damp, and the spot where he'd been sitting shows no sign of having melted.

"I'm sure you're tired. How about we board, and find you somewhere better to rest than a block of ice?"

He stands as well, the coat practically puddling around him from the height difference. He nods, almost reaching out before he reminds himself not to. He holds onto his bag tlightly and pulls the coat off of himself, offering it back to the man.

"... I should... um. Yeah. I guess... we should board, yeah."

The puddling of the coat is...cute, in a way. It would be cuter if not for the associations he has with that coat, but...well, it serves its purpose. He takes the coat when offered and pulls it back on over his hoodie, then snaps his fingers and causes the ice bench to shatter into small fragments.

"It ought to be warmer inside. This is uncomfortably cool for most people, is it not?"

Edited 2021-02-05 04:23 (UTC)

"Yeah. It's starting to get towards winter where I'm from... it wasn't that warm when I left."

He starts walking towards the train, bag clutched firmly in his hands.

He walks along with Ken, keeping his gait measured so that while the boy may have to walk quickly to keep up, he won't be left behind if he doesn't want to be.

"Then perhaps we ought to find out if there's somewhere on this train to make a cup of hot tea."

He's used to keeping up with taller people, it's fine.

"It's pretty long... I bet there's some kind of snack bar or something."

"Depending on the length of time between stops, there may be a kitchen of some sort. Lengthy journeys can hardly be completed on peanuts and crackers."

"Probably not. I bet I could find a lot of stuff to s - uh. Eat." Maybe... don't mention to the person you just met that you steal sometimes, Ken.

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