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

[subcircuits]

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.

[miseris_socios]

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...

[subcircuits]

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

[miseris_socios]

"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.

[subcircuits]

"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."

[miseris_socios]

"... 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.

[subcircuits]

"Would you like to tell me about it?"

cw: explicit discussion of murder and suicide

[miseris_socios]

"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."

[subcircuits]

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.

[miseris_socios]

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...”

[subcircuits]

"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?"

[miseris_socios]

"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.

[subcircuits]

"...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?"

[miseris_socios]

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."

[subcircuits]

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?"

[miseris_socios]

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

[subcircuits]

"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?"

[miseris_socios]

"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.

[subcircuits]

"Thank you," Devero tells him. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

He really is only gone for a few minutes. It's a platform day, which means people have been in and out of the kitchen all day providing food for stressed-out passengers new and old. He's able to load up a plate in the dining car with whatever's on hand, making sure to grab a handful of cookies from Soldat when the other man happens to enter right then with a fresh tray.

When he returns he knocks, and waits for Ken to acknowledge him before he enters.

[miseris_socios]

"... It's just me." He's mostly just been sitting quietly, not really looking at much in particular. It's too stressful for him to sleep, but he's too tired to be awake. So he's stuck in a weird sort of limbo where everything just feels muted and grey.

[subcircuits]

Shock. Shock and exhaustion. Devero's not terribly surprised to see Ken in the same place he'd left him, given the toll his day has clearly had on him. He ducks inside and sets the plate down on the table in the middle of the car, pushing it over to sit right in front of the kid. The cookies he'd wrapped in a napkin and stuffed in his pocket, so they're still warm when he sets the little stack beside the plate. Tucked under his arm is a big glass bottle full of water, which he actually offers directly to Ken.

"I wasn't sure if you had any dietary restrictions," he says, keeping his voice quiet and even, "so I tried to grab a little bit of everything. Do you have any food allergies we should know about? We keep a list in the kitchen for whoever's cooking on a given day."

[miseris_socios]

He takes the bottle of water, giving himself a moment to make sure he's got a good grip on it. "... I don't. I lived on the street, I ate whatever wasn't rotten. I'm still here." None of it killed him, so he's fine.

Ken takes a drink from the bottle, staring straight ahead.

"... Why?" His voice is scratchy, and he's not sure who or what the question is towards. Why couldn't he kill Aragaki? Why did Sakaki show up? Why did he get shielded? Why is he here?

Or why did all of this start in the first place?

He doesn't know. He takes another drink from the bottle, trying to focus on anything but his own thoughts.

[subcircuits]

Oooof. Devero's face twists as Ken drops so casually that he lived on the street-- bad enough for anyone to be denied housing at all, much less a child...!

But he get it under control again. He retreats to the other side of the carriage, the table between the two of them, and sits. Good thing he does, too, otherwise he probably wouldn't have been able to restrain himself from hugging Ken when he voices that single anguished word.

He suspects the question/demand is more rhetorical than anything else, but he responds anyway. "I've been asking myself that same question a lot since I ended up here," he offers.

[miseris_socios]

"... Probably longer than that." He takes another sip and puts the bottle down before dropping his head into his hands.

"Minato would know what to do... why did they pick... the worst person on the team? It makes no sense..."

[subcircuits]

Oh, if you could have aimed an arrow at the conviction of inadequacy lurking in Devero's own heart, you could not have aimed it more truly than that. He winces.

"If you mean the train, it would tell you it's because you have the capacity to be a Void hero," he says, his voice heavy and sharp with mockery. Despite how hard Koumyou's worked to show Devero that he does have a place and a purpose here, the temptation to slide right back into his old critical self-loathing is very, very tempting.

He almost does. Perhaps if Ken had been older, he might have.

But when he looks up and sees how bowed and upset the kid is, what he says instead, in a gentler voice, is, "And who knows? Maybe it can see something in us that we can't see ourselves. I would have said that almost anyone else in my town would have been a better choice for a-- a big hero, but here I am, instead."