A New Platform [Intro Post March]

[voidtreckermods]

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!

Comments

[springforth]

"I really do not know who Dionysus is, but--alright. I get it, weird mortal thing probably." She takes a breath then shakes her head, "One more thing before we move on. Am I Queen of the Underworld? Or rather, is your Persephone Queen of the Underworld?"

[helborn]

"God of wine and fertility. But yeah. She is, as far as I know? At least for half the year."

[springforth]

A god of fertility, who has ever heard of such a thing. Even fertility goddesses are just old wives tales, she thinks. Maybe. Though she keeps being called one. And why do they need a god of wine? And how do you even part-time queen? Why half the year?!

The questions, they pile on, but she just takes a deep breath. Well, that settles that. The Fates have it in for her and Hades. Batting three for three, it would seem.

"Right. Once again, alone in my unmarried state. Well! Um. Lovely bird." She gestures up to the raven. Yup. Nice bird. You've broken her a little. And here she thought it wasn't possible to do that after this past month. Here she thought she was having a nice calm platform, free of any revelations.

[helborn]

"... I'm sorry. I... didn't mean to make you upset." Bob flutters down onto Casper's lap, looking at Persephone. "This is Bob. He's... kind of like a familiar? I found him when he was a chick and raised him. I can channel some of my power through him for some of my abilities."

[springforth]

"It's been a whole month. You aren't adding anything more to my plate than I was already dealing with." Though, really, he added a whole new thing to her plate. ZEUS. She swears to the gods, she went months without learning anything about herself in mortal eyes and bam, this. She twists a strand of hair back and forth in her hand.

"Oh--I've never heard of the concept but he seems lovely. So many people with birds on this train, not a single dog in sight." She holds out a hand, gentle gentle, not touching but offering if desired.

"Does he speak all the time or just for effect?"

[helborn]

"Oh. A familiar is kind of a magical helper found in some cultures. He's not exactly the same, but it's similar enough..." Bob hops over and stretches his head out for pets. "Right where his head meets his neck is his favorite scritching spot."

As for the talking... "He talks around me a lot, but he doesn't talk around other people a lot. I mean... people don't really understand him? So it's kind of not worth it for him. At least that's his opinion on it."

[springforth]

"Fair, who would want to talk if no one understands you?" Scritches are dutifully provided, moving until she finds the right spot. It's more difficult to judge with birds, they don't have the same tells.

"I wonder if some of these pets I see around the train are actually familiars then. I wouldn't know the difference myself."

[helborn]

Oh right... right there. Bob fluffs up and tilts his head to allow further scritchings. You have been accepted, you may proceed.

"Maybe. It's hard to tell sometimes... and sometimes you just kind of... want a pet. Having another living creature in my room with me growing up was a really big comfort..."

[springforth]

Oh right, not everyone had a handful of nymphs to keep them company for every waking moment. She keeps up her scritches dutifully, humming to herself.

"True--I know. I've never had one myself but my friend Artemis has a cat. Um--and recently a wolf? That I think she might have stolen." Persephone squints, thinking back, then shrugs, "And Hades has a bunch of dogs. But you know, I've never actually had a pet of my own."

[helborn]

Artemis... of course she does, but he keeps his mouth shut. "I think my mother kind of sent him. Or Fate did. I'm not sure. ... Technically I smuggled him across country borders, but that's easy enough with a pet that flies."

Bob just turns and stares at him. "... A friend that flies, you knew what I meant. Jerk." He chuckles and shakes his head.

[springforth]

"The Fates can be real pushy ladies when they want to be. Here, take this bird, this will be fine, don't ask questions." She's kind of grumpy with the Fates right now, given their one track mind with her particular fate. She grins at the amendment.

"Is he offending you, Bob? How rude." Conciliatory scritches while solemnly shaking her head.

[helborn]

"Pretty much. In my world it's extremely active around the children of the gods, to the point where people end up getting bound to us by Fate just by being around us. It's bullshit."

Bob leans into the scritches. This is a woman who knows what she's talking about.

[springforth]

"Tell me about it. You know, I don't think I'd mind marrying Hades, in some version of my life, but being told it's Fate is--Mmm. I get told what to do enough already, don't need the Fates adding on something else."

She makes up for the annoyance with extra scritches, humming to herself, "I've never really known it to go really well for mortals who end up wound up in a god's nonsense. Well--so far as I can tell. I can't say it worked well for some I knew."

[helborn]

"I haven't known of it either... but I'm determined to break it where I can."

He doesn't like anything controlling free will. It sucks and it's not fair.

[springforth]

Persephone does not say that it was her that made things no go so well. She doesn't know him that well and for all he's half god, she does wonder where he feels that he falls on this spectrum. Which half does he identify with more?

"I can break fate all I want here, it doesn't mean anything will change when I get home. But I'll take a little time outside their toils." She pauses, "Unless this is--okay no, down that path lies madness."

[helborn]

The answer is ghosts.

"'Unless this is part of the plan'? Yeah, I... understand that. But when there's a prophecy that your pantheon's going to all die horribly, it's kind of an incentive to try to make that not happen."

[springforth]

"...What happened to your pantheon to get THAT as a prophecy?"

She blinks so many times. She's heard about plenty of prophecies in her time, some real, some fake, some blurring weird lines of 'if you squint'. But not, you know, total destruction.

"How does that work for the rest of the gods?"

[helborn]

The 'magic' answer is that Fate works in mysterious ways. The more technical answer is that a per-existing legend was taken and modified, but there aren't really enough primary sources to refute it. So that became the only version of it people knew, and belief solidified it as our Fate. It's... my side of the family is supposed to be on the 'bad guy' side..."

As for the rest of the gods... "I don't know. A few of them have their own apocalypse myths, but ours is the most widely known one. I assume there might be some help, but who knows? The only time before the Titan War that I know they were working together it was against my pantheon and a few others. ... For good reasons, but we don't need to get into that mess right now."

[springforth]

"The Titan War was ages ago though. Thousands of years. That's a long time to just--I don't know, ignore each other."

Or fight each other? She doesn't want to fight Casper, he's a kid. Or at least he feels like a kid. Of course, she's no shining example of adulthood either.

"Maybe it's better not to know..."

[helborn]

"Yeah. I don't... I only have pieces of history that I've gotten from other people, or looked up in the base's library. It's not like I get real communication." Not like Aiden did. She could just bury a note and sometimes Hades would write back.

"... Probably for the best, anyway."

[springforth]

"Probably."

Persephone is feeling rather like she'd had enough revelations about Hade's sex life for a while now, quite a while, so she tilts her head to the door.

"It's been lovely to meet you but I think I need to go sit down somewhere, maybe eat a peach and stare at the void. Wait. No that's a bad example. Don't stare at the void, it gives you the worst headaches. But do try out our peaches. But--yes, nice to meet you."