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

[thawed_pride]

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."

[miseris_socios]

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."

[thawed_pride]

"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."

[miseris_socios]

"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.

[thawed_pride]

"With luck, there may be food already prepared. Otherwise...it's been some time since I last attempted to cook, unless you count brewing potions or performing chemistry experiments, but I remember enough that I ought to be able to put together something edible."

[miseris_socios]

"It's fine. I can cook. ... Survival food if I need to. I know how to make some things, though I'm still learning."

Also, it would help if the counter wasn't super tall.

[thawed_pride]

"And you will learn faster if you observe someone more experienced."

He turns his head to glance down at Ken.

"But if it would ease your pride, I am quite sure there are ways you can help."

[miseris_socios]

"I mean, I've been watching Chidori. She's really good at cooking."

Actually, huh. "... Maybe because Medea has fire spells? I'm not sure." It'd make sense if that was why she's always so much better at getting the right char on things.

[thawed_pride]

He tenses at the mention of fire spells, stride faltering for just a second as his breath catches in his throat. Then the reaction is gone, and he's waving a hand dismissively.

"Elemental affinity doesn't always equate to mundane skills. Though, I can certainly imagine how...experience with fire magic might help one predict the effects of high heat."

[miseris_socios]

He glances up at Vexen... well. The guy has ice magic, it'd make sense that he and fire didn't get along. "She's kind of the best at taking care of us at home. Fixing our clothes, making sure we eat... Jin takes care of the computer stuff and Minato handles the financial stuff. Koromaru and I help out where we can. Though he's kind of limited, being a dog..."

[thawed_pride]

"It sounds as though she'd get on well with a friend of mine. Aeleus is the one always getting on after us about self-care. I was...ill, recently, and he was quite adamant that I would rest, whether I wanted to or not."

He shakes his head and steps onto the train. Now, if he was designing a train, where would he put the dining car...

[miseris_socios]

"She was like that after they first found me... they wouldn't let me fight anything until I'd gained a few pounds." Much to his annoyance.

"... We're closer towards the engine, so let's head that way. It'll be fewer cars to check." He reaches up and tugs Vexen's sleeve carefully.

[thawed_pride]

"Aeleus wouldn't even let me out of bed until I showed significant signs of recovery."

He gives an annoyed huff, but it's not quite entirely genuine. There's a definite fondness under it, as much as he resents being forcibly bedridden.

He glances down at the sleeve tug, again tensing for just a second. But the sleeves of his coat are very loose, so it seems unlikely that the boy's hand will brush the still delicate scar tissue on his forearm. He opts not to say anything about it, better not to risk a kid getting curious about the evidence of severe burns, and instead just turns toward the front of the train.

[miseris_socios]

That's... weird. he looks up at Vexen curiously and lets go of the shirt sleeve as they walk. "I was using some glass shoved in a metal pipe to fight Shadows... they showed me how to use the same kinds of powers they had."

[thawed_pride]

He frowns at the mention of Shadows. So, the Heartless have invaded this boy's world, as well? He could only hope they weren't there in large numbers.

"I can imagine how well that went. Even the lowliest of Heartless wouldn't be so much as inconvenienced by a makeshift weapon like that."

[miseris_socios]

"Heartless? Are those a kind of Shadow?" He's not wrong, though. He'd mostly used it to push them back, make it not worth the effort to attack him. And he'd stayed away from Tartarus, so he only ran into a few a night at most.

[thawed_pride]

"The reverse, actually. Shadows are the most common form of Heartless, present in every world the foul creatures have infested."

After all, they were the natural form the darkness of an average heart took, without the involvement of an Emblem Heartless.

[miseris_socios]

"... I think we might be talking about different things. The weaker shadows look like blobs and wear weird masks."

If something called 'Heartless' were that common, he'd probably know that type of Shadow.

[thawed_pride]

"That is, indeed, a different variety of creature."

He reaches into one of his coat pockets for a notebook that certainly wasn't there when Ken was wearing it. He flips it open to a specific page, and shows him a quick ink sketch of a Shadow. Above and below the picture, words are scribbled in a quick, near illegibly messy hand.

"This is what I'm familiar with."

[miseris_socios]

"... Hang on a sec." He pauses and digs into his bag, grabbing a pencil and flipping open the notebook. It takes a minute, but eventually he draws an (admittedly poor) sketch of a creature. He puts the pencil away and holds up the drawing.

"That's a type of Shadow. It's called a Cowardly Maya - probably because it's one of the weakest ones."

[thawed_pride]

"Then it seems to be simply an overlap in naming convention. It doesn't resemble any form of Heartless with which I am familiar."

He'll just...leave out why he's so confident he would recognize most, if not all, forms of common Heartless.

[miseris_socios]

He nods and puts the notebook away, starting to move again. The bag swings over his shoulder easily. "Yeah, I thought so. There's a lot of different types of Shadows... I could try to list the ones I know later." Not now. Not while they're exploring.

[thawed_pride]

"I doubt it would be strictly necessary, but...I must admit to a certain amount of curiosity. For as long as I've been aware of the existence of other worlds, I've found the differences between them fascinating."

[miseris_socios]

"I... guess? All of this is because the Kirijo Group messed up and... I know they had something to do with studying Shadows. Minato told me that they went crazy and wanted to end the world, and they tried to summon some sort of godlike thing and that's why they were gathering Shadows. But they messed up... there was some kind of explosion that split the thing up into the Arcana Shadows - big boss monsters, basically. And... that's what made Tartarus and the Dark Hour."

He's quiet as they move, thinking. "A - and that's bad, but most of the work we do is during the Dark Hour. Training, stealing stuff we can't buy because security cameras don't work, and... the others don't let me go on their assassination targets... that's what the website they run is for."

CW: PTSD flashbacks in here

[thawed_pride]

At the words 'wanted to end the world', Vexen's stride again falters. His mind abruptly shifts back to nine...no, ten years ago, when he had been the madman watching with cold fascination as the creatures he had helped to create surged through the streets of his homeworld. How he'd felt nothing when people ran to him, desperately crying for him to call the royal guard to protect them. He'd only scoffed, the guard had already been converted, their hearts even among the flood of creatures laying waste to the castle town. None save the three who had also studied the heart under Ansem had produced anything more than Dusks, but maybe the townsfolk would be different?

He vaguely registers the word 'assassination', and it pulls him back to the present. He stops walking and blinks several times, rubbing at his eyes as he tries to process words he'd only half heard over his own memory.

"Pause right there. Did you just say that your friends run an assassination website?!"