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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I -" He falters, but then sighs. He's fine. His Evoker is within reach if he needs to move to attack the guy. "... Yeah..." It comes out lamely, and he flinches at it. His voice sounds awful to his own ears for some reason right now.

"You up for a walk?" he asks. "I have a place in mind, but it's--" He pauses and his vision shifts visibly to something in the air in front of him. His hand moves through the air as he navigates through his Interface's internal storage to the train map he's compiled.

"--It's five carriages away," he says, making a sharp wiping gesture through the air with the same hand and focusing on Ken again. "Which isn't too many, really, but if it's going to be too much of a haul, let me know. I'll think of somewhere else."

"I can walk. I walk a lot anyway." He lives in a city, this is normal. "... I'm... let's just get to wherever." If this guy is trying to be a weirdo then he can kick this guy's ass, probably.

Devero takes him at his word, getting up with a quiet, "Follow me," and leading the way out of the garden car. He's heading towards the front of the train, the quiet car in particular. There's really no better place to get some privacy, short of locking oneself in a bathroom.

He doesn't speak until they get to the quiet car and Dev more or less steers him to a compartment. It's fine. Close quarters isn't an issue if he has to. He sits and closes his eyes, trying to get his breathing back under control. He can't freak out. He doesn't have backup here.

Devero's careful not to get too much into Ken's space. He's used to being one of the biggest folks in basically any room, but compared to this scrawny kid he feels absolutely massive, and he wants to make sure he doesn't loom or block him in anywhere.

To that end, he actually leans up against the cabin wall, just inside the still-open door, and on the opposite side from the bench that Ken sits on. He watches him, notices particularly the rapid rise and fall of his chest, and says quietly, "Do you know the 4-5-6 trick?"

He raises one hand to his head, nails digging in a little. His breathing is slowing down slightly but he still has a distant look on his face. He doesn't respond to the question, just reaches for his bag with his free hand and grasps something tightly through the fabric.

Okay. That's okay. Devero knows when to push, but he also knows when to let someone have their space. He sits quietly, clasping his hands between his knees, and he waits.

He finally looks up, but he doesn't speak for a few moments. "... Why are you... why are you sitting around with me?" It makes no sense, he's an adult and adults don't care...

Well that's an easy enough question to answer. "In case you need something."

"Why do you care? No adult cars about us or what we have to say." ... Well, they care when the others are about to kill them, but that's about it.

"I'm sorry that's the way it is where you come from," Devero says solemnly, "but it's not the case on my world. Kids are important where I come from."

"... It's been the second-worst day of my life today even before I ended up on that platform." Hesitantly, he untenses a little bit.

"Would you like to tell me about it?"

"No." But it's filling his chest, feeling like he's going to burst, and he leans against the back of the bench.

"The worst day of my life was two years ago today when someone... there's a time where I'm from, after midnight but before 12:01, called the Dark Hour. Only certain people can be awake. And I was awake and I saw someone rip into the coffin my mother was in - all of the people not awake get put in coffins - and kill her. Or... the thing he summoned did."

How to make this short... "I spent two years tracking him down, mostly on my own. A group of people with that kind of power showed up and took me in. I can summon something, too. And I knew the guy joined a group that we're trying to stop... so I hunted him down to kill him."

He looks down at his hands, watching as they clench into fists. He doesn't remember telling them to. "I was about to kill him and then me, so no one would have to take revenge for him. And a guy who got kicked out of my group before I was there showed up and shot the guy I was trying to kill... he was going to shoot me, too, but the guy shielded me." He doesn't know why.

"... My group leader was walking me back when I showed up on the platform."

Rust and ruin, that's a lot. That would be a lot for a stable adult; hearing it come out of a kid? That makes Devero's heart hurt for him.

"You really have been having a shitty day, huh?" he says quietly. The words are earnest, not meant to minimize or dismiss everything Ken has been through. "Haven't even gotten a minute to-- to process all of that, before you got yanked here. I'm so sorry."

He doesn't even know where to start untangling all the huge, enormous implications of Ken's story, so he focuses on what he does know: "Are you hurt anywhere, after all of that?" Start small. Attend physical needs first. He knows that much.

He shakes his head. “Little bit of scraping from hitting the pavement, but nothing that needs medical attention. I got some of his blood on my jacket... but it’s not here. I’m okay. I can... heal if I need to, but you’d probably freak out on me more...”

"Am I freaking out?" He doesn't think he is, but he is actually asking. He doesn't want to make Ken uncomfortable when the poor kid's had so damn much happen to him already.

And regardless of the answer to that, "Most important thing is you're not hurt seriously." He doesn't remember exactly when he'd slid down to his seat on the floor beside the door, but he sits forward a little now. "What would be most helpful to you right now, Ken?"

"No, I mean... to heal I have to summon my Persona, and when I do that it looks like I'm shooting myself. So I know you'd freak out."

He'd gotten used to it, but it had definitely taken some serious adjusting.

"And... I don't know. I didn't... plan this far." He tries to calm his breathing. "I feel like all my muscles are tensed up, but I'm pretty sure they're not." He's in shock, but he doesn't know it.

"I... don't want to be here... I want to be with the others..." And Koromaru's not here.. he wants to press his face into the dog's soft fur.

"...Oh." Don't mind Dev as he takes an instant to privately hope that whatever a Persona is, he never ever has to see that.

Just a moment, though, because Ken needs his attention right now, and not in a vague horror way. He's got enough first response training to have a suspicion that Ken's going into shock, especially after everything the kid's just described. A lot of what he's just been told he can't really do much about, but that doesn't mean he can't still be a little helpful.

He gets up onto his knees and strips his hoodie off, then knee-shuffles over to where the kid's sitting. "Put your arms up for me, please?" he asks. If he's obliged, he'll pop that warm, huge hoodie right over Ken's head. If he's not, he'll bundle it up and put it into his arms or lap.

"I can't send you back to where you came from," he says gently. "I'm sorry. I would if I could, but we're all stuck here on this train. And as far as I'm concerned, that means we take care of each other.

"So right now, I'd like to help you take care of yourself, if that's all right. Don't worry about planning ahead or anything, just right here, right now. Can you tell me when the last time you ate or drank anything was?"

Numbly, Ken follows instructions. The hoodie he has on now is even bigger than his own... it's strange. A little comforting, but strange.

"... I don't... know. I think... it must have been before the mission... so we ate maybe at nine and took care of things until about eleven... then we headed out and I broke off from the group at eleven thirty, about..." And he has no idea how long he's been here. "... Six hours? Maybe twelve? I don't know what time it is here."

Too long. Definitely too long, especially for a kid. "Time on the train is weird, so try not to worry about that. I'd like to run and get you something to eat, would that be okay?"

"... I can get there..." He starts to try to get up from the hoodie pile.

"Nope," Devero says, kindly but firmly. "You stay here. It's quiet, and if you lock the door no one will bother you. You can let yourself rest for a few minutes. That sound okay?"

"I... okay." He snuggles into the hoodies and closes his eyes briefly before snapping them open again. No. He can't sleep. Not now, not yet.

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cw: explicit discussion of murder and suicide

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