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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"You can't just stand here doing nothing."

Or, well. Technically he can. It's not like there's anything stopping him, and even Alice doesn't sound like she's pressing him that much about it.

"Especially not while you're looking like that!" With her hands now fully free, she gestures up and down at him, as if to indicate his everything. "People may just think they ended up in the afterlife and the grim reaper showed up for them."

"I'm not doing nothing, I'm enjoying a moment outside of the blessed train." he argues, now holding a muffin like some sort of trophy or torch, unsure of what else he's supposed to do with it.

He scoffs at her accusations, clearly insulted. "For your information, I've met Death, and he's not nearly as fashionable."

Alice almost, almost asks about Death being a person.

But thinking about it, it's not that weird, is it. If Time is a a person, then sure, Death might be one as well. It's no more weird than Crowley being an actual demon and refusing to enjoy the mini-muffin she got especially for the tea party.

"Well, if you're doing nothing," she says, with the tone of someone who is entirely convinced that him lurking here is not nothing, "then I may as well do what I came here to do and extend you an invite to a tea party that will be held in a few days."

"A tea party?" hesmiles, but its unclear if that smile is due to humor or excitement. "What's the occasion? And can I bring a date, or is that strictly forbidden?"

The last part is a tease, because he knows exactly how disturbed Alice gets by any of his romantic affairs. Crowley doesn't hang around human children enough to know that all of them react like she does, (usually in their cases it's because their parent is dating again) but he doesn't take offense.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Crowley isn't even really saying anything bad this time, but it's just.. just that smile! On his face! Alice has apparently already decided it's out of humor, and it kicks her sense of Teen Rebellion up to eleven.

"I wasn't aware that suddenly young women require reasons to have some tea with their friends." She's even crossing her arms now. Definitely 100% belated puberty going on here. She's seconds away from an eyeroll. ~~You're not her real dad, Crowley.~~

Though she at least doesn't leave it at that. After a moment Alice glances back in Crowley's direction.

"And.. yes, you can bring Aziraphale." Because who else would this date be. Please. It's obvious. "If not just because I'm fairly sure he will be more well behaved than you."

"Friends~" he repeats teasingly, waggling the muffin in her direction. He would use the term himself, but it's so much more fun to tease her about it.

"Oh, but you haven't seen him at parties." he retorts with a smirk that soon turns sour as he continues, "Don't let him do a single magic trick. Once he gets started, he'll never stop."

Alice's eyebrow is practically twitching in annoyance when that muffin is being waggled at her. And for a moment it looks like she might explode into another burst of anger, but then Crowley just happens to add that last thing.

And that gives her some ammunition in return. Alice stops, sucks in a deep breath, and then puts an overly sweet smile on her face.

"Ah, is that so? In that case I will have to make sure to tell him to show off all of his tricks at the tea party with you as his assistant."

Crowley's face falls, Hard, as does the muffin he'd been holding, which bounces and then rolls across the platform. She's likely never seen him make such an intimidating expression in her time knowing him, so that's saying a lot. Despite the extremely cold look, his voice remains low and calm. Maybe too calm, eerily so.

"You would regret doing that, I assure you." he says through his teeth. "You may think you know hell, but you will have an entirely new perception of it should you take that course of action."

This seems very threatening, but Crowley isn't threatening any action of his own. To him, witnessing Aziraphale's magic act is hell, or well, worse than his experiences back in his own home office. Either way... this must be avoided.

The change in Crowley's attitude, so sudden and unannounced, is so odd that Alice doesn't even scold him about the mini muffin he's wasting by dropping it like that. And although Alice certainly isn't intimidated by that look, although it'd make lesser people tremble - but she's faced things that were much bigger, much more terrifying on a personal level, not to mention she knows what Crowley is truly like - she is entirely confused by it.

She's never seen him like this before. Is he being serious? Or not? Alice is pretty sure it can't be serious, considering all of this is happening over magic tricks of all things.

And yet. It's so new that she can't be sure.

"Aren't you being a little dramatic?" She frowns, but her tone is still close to casual enough that it's most likely not the kind of tone anyone would usually employ when Crowley gets like this. "They're just magic tricks."

Drama is Crowley's middle name (Except it isn't- the middle name he's given himself is J. Just J, you read that right). Alice's tone may be lighter, but Crowley's is still grim, as this is something he takes very seriously.

"I'm warning you, now." he hisses, his corporation literally feeling ill from the thought of having to sit through the magic act again. Crowley's seen it more times than he'd like, and it makes him miserable. The thought of playing the assistant is so much worse than watching it alone (although Crowley would look fantastic in the costume).

Look, everyone has their faults, and as much as Crowley utterly adores Aziraphale, this is a glaring one. He's absolutely putting his foot down.

".. Or else?"

Apparently two feet can be put down here. Alice doesn't look like she's about to back down, even in the face of this. Or maybe especially since she still has a bill to settle with Crowley, after that whole disaster at the winter faire.

"What, are you going to keep me from doing it? Is that what the warning is about? 'Sleep with two eyes open', that sort of thing?" She doubts it though. As much as they bicker, Alice is fairly certain they'd never actually hurt each other. She remembers the moment that the demon hugged her after that painful sharing of memories on that island too well for that.

"Hell, Alice." he huffs again.

This is for her own good, you know. He is thinking about her own ability to cope as well as his own, and need he not remind her that when he's suffering, she is suffering his residuals.

"It would be wise not to. You don't know what you're toying with."

Look, maybe her plan is slightly ill-advised. Alice, for one, sure isn't thinking of the fact that all of his feelings reflect directly onto her right now. (But then again - wouldn't it be worth feeling that just to know she's at least getting a bit of revenge on him? Magic tricks sound like exactly the kind of harmless revenge that won't make her feel guilty for actually hurting him. She could never do that, no matter how annoyed she gets.)

"The last time someone told me that, I ended up dethroning a queen."

She raises an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"So I'm not too worried."

Crowley can't help but roll his eyes. "Wow... super impressive." he huffs sarcastically, sighing as he begins to move around her.

"You're being a real brat, you know." he continues, walking away. He doesn't have time for this. He came out here to relax, somewhat. If he's going to have to put up with a child thinking they know everything just to get some fresh air, he'd rather be inside the train. That, and he cares too much about Alice to let this get any uglier.

"What?!" She pipes up as he's heading around her, though it doesn't sound angry, as it usually may by default. Instead it sounds genuinely surprised, caught off guard by the words. "But last time, you were--!"

Alice starts the sentence, but doesn't finish it, instead cutting herself off and making absolutely no move to stop him from leaving. Sure, it feels unfair that he'd call her that when he was the one being a brat the last time around, but at the same time Alice is unable to stop the shame that instinctively bubbles up in her stomach, quickly overtaking her. Knowing that he's right, that she's so bad at treating people around her the way she ought to.

No matter whether it's pride or shame that stops her from doing anything, she just lets him walk away, left silently staring at her shoes.

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A New Platform [Intro Post February]

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