voidtreckermods: (voidtrain)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] voidtreckerexpress2021-03-01 05:44 am

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!
emerald_mirror: (bar code tattoo)

[personal profile] emerald_mirror 2021-03-01 10:55 pm (UTC)(link)
He delineated the size of the book with his hands--bigger than a normal book, for sure. "Yeah, he usually hangs out on that rock throne over there, or gets carried around by a vacant-eyed person he calls a minion. He harasses people who come through here, tries to get them to pay toll and crap. Most of us usually ignore him--sometime shove him in the library to piss him off."

If this were a joke--and Xander looks pretty serious to be making a joke--it's a decent stretch to be making a joke. "He calls himself Zetta. Well." Here come the finger quotes! "Badass Freaking Overlord Zetta, but it's more like Overbearing Blowhard. I avoid him as much as I can, but the greenhouse car is more my place to be--boring unless you like plants, though."

Xander did believe in truth in advertising! "I grow stuff there. I'm Xander, by the way. This is gonna sound really freakin' weird, but I knew a guy who looked like you a while back. Prompto Argentum?"
chocobosnap: (pic#12045178)

[personal profile] chocobosnap 2021-03-02 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, okay." Prompto said with a bit of a smile, but he wasn't sure what he would do if he was faced with Zetta. He wasn't a big fan of confrontations between people. Fighting monsters and MTs was another matter entirely. He hated when people argued, especially his friends.

"Uh...y-yeah?" He asked, blinking at him a little bewildered. "I mean, that's me, yeah."
emerald_mirror: (Alex is using those big words again...)

[personal profile] emerald_mirror 2021-03-02 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
"It's not the same, you don't remember, but okay!" The timey wimey stuff was more confusing than anything. "But that was okay. He was just a cool dude, so that just means so are you, and I wanna be your friend. If we work out."

Xander's not sure that makes much sense, but he's earnest enough about it all.

"I'm not just gonna pretend like it's gonna happen, just because it did with the last version of you. He was him, you're you." Xander does scratch his head, though. "I know I should understand that, but I'm not sure I do." He laughs weakly at that.
chocobosnap: (Who do you mean?)

[personal profile] chocobosnap 2021-03-02 07:50 pm (UTC)(link)
"Uh..." Prompto started, not entirely sure how to parse what Xander was saying, and he felt a little bad that he didn't remember him? Didn't know him? That he was the wrong Prompto?

He'd mostly said that because that was his name.

"S-Sorry that I'm not..." He offered with a small wince. Yeah, he felt kind of awkward.
emerald_mirror: (are you on the square?)

[personal profile] emerald_mirror 2021-03-02 08:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hey, I said you're not the same!" He can feel...the awkward? foreboding? upset? If Xander could read minds, he'd point out that Prompto isn't a wrong one. He's just not the same one. And that's okay. At least it is in Xander's book.

"It's fine, I just wanna try to be your friend too. That's what it boils down to. If you can get past all the weirdness..." The nephilim's smile faltered a little. Because, of course, what is the train, but weirdness?

"I mean come on, I'm weird too. Just look at me. Or are winged people normal on your world? I don't know that many on mine, besides me and my twin brother..."
chocobosnap: (pic#12045178)

[personal profile] chocobosnap 2021-03-03 09:05 am (UTC)(link)
"No, I mean, they're not." Prompto said with a bit of a smile.

"Y-Yeah, okay, let's be friends!" He offered Xander a fist bump, as all friends do of course. He'd get over his nerves, it wasn't Xander's fault that this was kind of a lot.
emerald_mirror: (I was born an original sinner)

[personal profile] emerald_mirror 2021-03-05 12:31 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, it was a lot. And really, Xander didn't blame Prompto one bit. He reached out to give Prompto a fist bump back.

"You're totally fine, I get it. I wasn't totally weirded out when I first came here? But I was pretty weirded out. It makes sense, and you're fine, man."

He shrugged, then. "There's some weird stuff where I'm from, that's probably the only reason I wasn't. Uh, totally weirded out I mean." Not that he could even think of what the weirdest thing he'd encountered on Artepus was, now.
chocobosnap: (pic#12045179)

[personal profile] chocobosnap 2021-03-05 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"What kind of weird stuff do you have at your place?" Prompto asked, looking curious.

"I m-mean we have weird stuff too, but not as weird as being somewhere I didn't mean to be in weird clothes I didn't pick." At least, not as far as he knew.
emerald_mirror: (I have to wear shoes?)

[personal profile] emerald_mirror 2021-03-08 09:36 pm (UTC)(link)
"Big lizards that live in symbiosis with bats, and weird random phenomenon. I mean, we had like, a zombie invasion at one point..." He pokes the puffy white fluffball hanging from one braid, who blinks and yawns.

"This is one of the bats, though. They're actually called Kiroptyrans, but I mean...they look like Earth bats, so...when there are plenty of Earth people here, why go for the weird word?"

Xander laughed a little, then. "Yeah, your own world is weird enough without ending up here wrapped in what is not your favorite color, right?" He paused a moment. "Well. Purple's okay. Kinda clashes with green, though not as bad as orange does, right?"
chocobosnap: (pic#12045178)

[personal profile] chocobosnap 2021-03-10 01:37 am (UTC)(link)
"That sounds like a lot." Prompto admitted. "We don't have zombies at least." That was a plus for Eos.

"Yeah, well, I mean these days I'm wearing a lot of green and black but I like other colours." Prompto paused. "Not purple." He tugged at his shirt. "So weird to have sleeves though. Been awhile. Usually I've got this sleeveless uniform."