voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post March]

On the Train

Once again passengers are awoken by the morning announcement.

"Good morning passengers, it is day One of the month of Kazoo. 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 is thick, the air is warm and humid and there are rumbles of thunder, the air heavy with the promise of rain.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers: Alfredo Martini, Daia, Enna Alchiba, Lord El-Melloi II, Natsuno Yuuki, Nita Callahan, Saku Gyousou, Sakura, V and Wen Qing

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, and seems smaller with twenty-seven 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.

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'). Those not new to the train will note the addition of an eighth sleeper carriage. The store rooms have been restocked with fresh ingredients, it seems the month of Kazoo is defined by the tomato and there are plenty of them.

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 as thunder rumbles further and the storm threatens to break. 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

The first person Caster sees is either frigid-hoppy 'I'm not scared YOURE SCARED' Potato from the front, or a really odd lumpy shape (that'd be her tail) from behind.

Either way, the little homunculus sort of keeps vibrating for a second or so, before it registers what she just heard. Or rather, who she just heard. "Eh-"

IT'S....SAFETY!

"AAAAAH! CAAAAAAASTER!!!!"

Immediately, Potato launches over to try and latch onto the other's waist and/or leg. "CASTERIT'SALLFOGGYWEBROKETHEGRAILTOOMUCHTHISISTHEWORSTISEKAIENDING..!!"

That was probably (definitely) too fast to parse out, but at least she seems relieved to see the other? ...Or maybe not, that's tears. "Uhhuuuuu...it feels like we'll get spooky jump scares any minute..!!"

She's not really clued into the fact that none have happened just yet.

Ah. A potato. Her best customer, loyal ally, easy mark.

"Calm down there, Potato. What's got you so frazzled? If this is connected to the Grail, well, a little overtime never hurt anyone much."

Except Harker. She was hurt a lot by overtime and then hurt a lot of people back. Best not mention that.

Truly, the best things come in small packages.

That aside. "But I don't even know if it is..! I thought we won, but now it's all foggy and spooky and-" And.

Annnnnd naturally she's grown a bit distracted by something. Something orange. Something familiar orange, to the point where for a bewildered second she just sort of stares upward with somewhat puffy eyes before looking down at the sweater she has on.

All fear has been forgotten.

Potato looks up, starstruck. "...Caster...we match..."

Ahahaha, this is definitely a thing now. Why are they wearing matching colors? Were they being designated a pair? Looking around.... no, there were other colors but also more orange.

"We sure do. Funny, isn't it?" A beat. "I have to say though, orange? Not really my color. Looks great on you though. Real nice." Note to self. Sell her something orange later.

The important thing was that this distracted Potato from potato panicking.

There's definitely lots of other oranges. And a Lot of other purples, which of course means Potato noticed the purple, but somehow...not the rest of the orange.

It's fine, she'll get there. Eventually. Right now she's just got her paws against her cheeks as she beams. "I do?? Wow..! I got lucky then!" She says, despite the foggy spooky setting.

"But...But how come it's only you here? I can't find Lancer! Or Kyrie! Or anyone!! Are they going to be in orange too!?" She's not sure everyone else will look good in orange either, come to think!!

"It's probably best to assume they're not here. Or at least not to expect them. There's too many unrelated people around after all." As for what's going on and where here is, Caster can't say. Some other mage-fueled ritual? A counterattack by the Counter Force? Who could say. It could even be completely unrelated - it was a large world... or worlds, given Kaleidoscope.

Well, no use verbalizing all of that either. Potato isn't much of a sounding board.

"We can do a little more looking around for them, though. Just to see."

"None of them at all..!? But then why's it even just us!!" A pause, and after a step back she adds- "It can't be because we like copper...Kyrie likes copper too! And maybe Rikka..." The last bit is added with all of the certainty a Potato can have about things no one would actually know the answer to. Is she wrong?? Maybe. Probably.

Copper is cool.

(Potato is, without a doubt, the worst soundboard, among many other things,)

"Oh! That's a good idea though!! And maybe someone else can get rid of the spooky stuff too! Perfect-!"

"Spooky stuff? What spooky stuff are you talking about? Surely the great Potato isn't scared of a little fog."

Ea-nasir isn't helping. Or is she??

"It- It's about setting the scene isn't it though!? You wake up and all of your stuff is gone, and it's all foggy, and then..!!"

Somehow, her paws have squished farther into her face with each word- she only now stops that. "...But since you're here, everything's a lot better now..!!"

She says, unable to actually be injured to begin with,

"Yeah I've never heard that setting before. Doesn't sound very scary, more like you're waking up with a hangover and forgot where you parked your car. Or cart, or boat or whatever."

She pauses. For... dramatic effect?

"And neither of us have hangovers, so we're doing pretty well by those standards. And hey, we have a train right here, so who needs a car?"

"I don't know what those things feel like, but I'll believe you," Potato replies with a blink, her usual blank look of confusion in place.

But that all fades pretty fast, as Ea-nasir reminded her of something very important. "The train!!" She's back into cheer mode! "Oh yeah!! Look, look!! It's really different from the trains I saw before! All of those were boxy, but this one's got a weird front instead!! It's shiny too, see!!"

"It's called a steam locomotive. Well, the general design is reminiscent, I'unno if it actually uses steam."

Behold, the power of pre-programmed knowledge from the Throne of Heroes! Ea-nasir knows more basic facts about the world than the Potato.

"I thought it was called a train?" Well alright, if it's called 'steam locomotive' then it's called steam locomotive!

It's a very good thing the pre-programmed knowledge of the world is not limited to the knowledge of a potato. "Maybe someone on the 'locomotive' can answer- which door do we use though?"

There's quite a lot. Normally it was a bit easier to tell.

Potato is a simple potato, and that's why Caster likes them.

"Pretty much whichever, I guess. They're not marked and I think everybody who was getting off already did."

The simplest, softest-

Potato is immediately pointing at the not quite nearest, but definitely not farthest door. "We should go through...that one then!"

She does not clarify why, it just seems like a good door.

A New Platform [Intro Post March]

ARRIVAL....

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