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!
najaran: (Happy with Friends)

[personal profile] najaran 2021-03-03 05:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Cait Sith ambled over closer. "You a card too, meow? Or a passenger?" Cait Sith considered. "Or both? Meow."
saveas: (quirk)

[personal profile] saveas 2021-03-03 06:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Asriel frowns. "A card?" He doesn't know what that means. He knows what a passenger is, of course, but he isn't quite sure he's that either.
najaran: (Happy with Friends)

[personal profile] najaran 2021-03-03 06:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Cait Sith considered. Then decided that Najaran would know the answer. "My Cepter can help, meow," he said. Because clearly card or not, this guy was new to these parts. And he'd rather have him with NAjaran than have to fight him if he was a Card and his Cepter was lurking around. Cait Sith didn't THINK this was another Card, but he could just be one that he wasn't eager to fight. It was always hard to tell. Meow.
saveas: (grin)

[personal profile] saveas 2021-03-03 07:10 pm (UTC)(link)
"Um. Okay?" Asriel, at this point, just fully has no idea what's going on. You'd think that'd be a fun novelty, when he spent so long looking for new stuff, but mostly it's just kind of freaky and confusing. "What's a Cepter?"
najaran: (Eh heh heh... you noticed?)

[personal profile] najaran 2021-03-03 07:24 pm (UTC)(link)
He said okay so Cait Sith is leading him back. "Someone who can use the Cards, meow," he said.

Cait Sith was heading for a rather... odd grouping. There was a human looking girl sitting on the shoulder of a giant suit of armor where she was arguing with a man headed cane. Nearby was a creature even larger than the armor that was daintily trying to eat with a human sized spoon holding a large container of stew that looked small in that huge hand. It was alternating between feeding itself and feeding the face on the large stone wall it was sitting against, which towered over it.

A small monster was running around with a bowl of stew over its head, being chased by another small creature, though they seemed to be playing. What looked like a metal creature with a drill for a lower half was calling after them, waving its arms. And what looked like an anorexic dragon/dinosaur thing was trying to steal bites from the soup container whenever it passed.

Seeing Cait Sith approaching Najaran stopped arguing and slid down the arm of the suit of armor. "There you are," she said with a smile. "Find someone to throw spells at you?" she asked, then blinked, seeing the new arrival. "Oh! Sorry, hello," she rubbed the back of her head. Was he a Card? Wow, usually she got new Cards from the luggage room place, here. And back home they were gifts from other Cepters that she'd fought - she never took the traditional ante card. And she certainly never claimed whole Books when she won, but somehow her Book was still brimming with the dreams of so many Cepters.
saveas: (abashed)

[personal profile] saveas 2021-03-03 08:54 pm (UTC)(link)
"Um.....howdy."

Okay, this is just plain weird. Not because of the variety in creatures here - that's pretty much a normal monster gathering. It's more that everyone here just seems so...casual. "My name's Asriel," he says, because it seems polite, and casts Cait Sith a sideways glance.
najaran: (Colour 3)

[personal profile] najaran 2021-03-03 10:44 pm (UTC)(link)
"Nice to meet you, Asriel. I'm Najaran, this is Goligan," she said, lifting her cane. One half of his mustache waved at him. "We were just having a snack, want to join us?" She offered. "I can introduce you to everyone."
saveas: (unhappy)

[personal profile] saveas 2021-03-04 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
"...okay." This is all moving pretty fast, but whatever, he guesses. It would be nice to eat something. He hasn't had food as himself for ages.

Still, though, this is insane. He's gotta ask. "But, uh, what's going on right now...?"
najaran: (I can explain....)

[personal profile] najaran 2021-03-04 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, right. First day thing. Okay so the train is alive and brought us here to help the various worlds we stop on. It's a weird way to live," she said with a shrug. "But the people are nice."
saveas: (doubt)

[personal profile] saveas 2021-03-04 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
"O...kay?"

Well, that's sort of a lot all at once! Asriel glances back at the train. It doesn't really look alive, but then again, monsters have a pretty loose vision of what a living person looks like. "How does it pick?"
najaran: (Eh heh heh... you noticed?)

[personal profile] najaran 2021-03-05 05:58 am (UTC)(link)
"Not really sure. Someone might have asked it though. If you can find Curufin or Glorfindel, they might know." She wasn't going to send anyone towards Eva - she was still mad at her. And Nita was gone now. So was Duo. So she wasn't sure who else to send people to these days.