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

[irrationally]

"I didn't take you for the type," she admits. Apparently there really are some cultural differences here - though it's not an unpleasant surprise. If anything, Alice wasn't too sure what Alleyana's hobbies were - or if the woman even had any, really - so it's nice to see some of that now.

She is staring at what seems to be the elf's problem for a moment, but there's still The Struggle of trying to think whether it'd be ruder to speak up and point out the difficulty she's having or just not say anything at all.. Maybe she'll give the other an attempt first before intervening.

"You enjoy it?"

[inquisitor_lavellan]

"Sometimes," Alley grunts, her focus back on her problem. She pins one end of the string with the end of the bar, as planned, and loops the string around--

And immediately drops it, her crooked, gloved fingers shaking too hard to keep hold of something so tiny.

"Vishante kaffas!"

This is not her first attempt at getting the string around the plant and stick. And how she's going to tie the fucking thing once she can even get there... she hasn't figured out yet. Probably with the help of her teeth. That's how she does up the buckles to her gauntlets -- when she has them.

[irrationally]

.. Alright, now it's just starting to feel awkward to only witness this. And surely Alleyana can't take offense to it when she too must realise Alice just saw her fail at it multiple times in a row, so the girl finally speaks up.

"Should I take care of the string for you?"

It's not like it's actually all that hard to do when you have two functioning hands, after all.

[inquisitor_lavellan]

"Go for it," Alley actually lets the string drop the rest of the way, and leans back out of the way. "It needs to be loose, the stem's going to get thicker pretty fast. Just tight enough to keep it upright so it doesn't fall over and snap when it gets heavier."

[irrationally]

Putting it that way, it sure does sound like the other has actual experience with gardening. After all, Alice comes here often enough to look at the flowers, but there's no way she'd know about any of these details without actual gardening knowledge.

But she does what the other says. Tying the string around it, trying to find the right balance of not too loose, nor too tight. (Which is hard, honestly, when your base setting definitely leans towards too tight at all times.)

It takes maybe an attempt or two, but then it's around the stem, and Alice leans back again.

"There. I think it should be alright like this? Though I have no idea how much taller it'll grow."

lost track of this for a while sorry

[inquisitor_lavellan]

Alley eyes her work, and nods. "Looks fine. It'll eventually need a proper trellis to climb up, about as big as us. I need to gather some bigger sticks and shit from one of the mission worlds. Maybe even a board, I don't know. Rashvine grows on buildings just as readily as it'll grow up a tree."

[irrationally]

"Rashvine? Is that what you're trying to grow?"

Alice is thinking if she's ever heard of it before. She isn't too sure - honestly, she isn't all that good with plant names, other than a few specific flowers. It doesn't sound familiar to her.

"Do you have any specific reason as to why you're trying to grow this one? It sounds like an awful lot of effort."

[inquisitor_lavellan]

"Medicine. All of these plants," Alley gestures at the bed full of seedlings, "are from my world. And they're all useful for healing, buffing... or poisoning."

Lest Alice worry, "Rashvine's one of the healing ones."

[irrationally]

Actually, the young woman does look a little worried as the other mentions it. Not because Ange is near the plant or anything though. No, it's another thought entirely that has her frowning, though it's not too far off.

"Do you truly want to grow something on the train that could poison people? Anyone could just take it and do whatever they want with it."

[inquisitor_lavellan]

"It's perfectly safe unless they know how to prepare it. Until then, you could eat any of these plants and be fine."

So there's that. Unless someone else from Thedas -- someone bad, anyway -- shows up, these plants are quite safe to have around.

[irrationally]

"And you're absolutely sure you're the only person around who could figure it out?"

Because the people on the train do have varied talents.

And Alice doesn't doubt that for at least one of the people here, some of said talents involve poisoning people and preparing said poisons.

It's not even that she doesn't trust Alleyana - the other has seemed reasonable enough so far to have thought this through. But some things are harder to take into account when you're not used to the wild, wild people that occupy this train.

[inquisitor_lavellan]

"I mean, most things could be weaponized in some manner if someone really wanted to," the Inquisitor points out, "I don't think this place lends itself to prevention half as much as it does retribution."

After all, if someone poisoned someone else on this train, their victim would come back.

And a lot of people here are pretty violent, Alleyana included.

[irrationally]

There's a hum. If not just because Alice shows that she does agree. But there's obviously still something on her mind, judging by the way she frowns, still thinking.

"A girl got murdered here on the train before. A young girl." And one Alice happens to be fond of - it's exactly why this whole matter is so on the forefront of her mind all the time. Why she worries so much about the possibility. "The man who did it still walks free among us. Some people interact with him as they would with any other person on the train. It doesn't feel like there are many reprecussions here for people who do such things."

[inquisitor_lavellan]

"That's unfortunate," Alley, however, isn't second-guessing her purchase of these seeds, or the time invested in growing them-- "but that doesn't mean the positives of having this sort of thing around are outweighed by potential negatives. Especially since these plants weren't even here yet, which means they weren't needed for such a thing to happen."

But, she wouldn't be the Inquisitor if she didn't ask, "...So who was it?"

[irrationally]

She shrugs. Honestly, it's not like she's trying to make Alleyana get rid of the plants or anything. It's just something that's on her mind whenever stuff like this appears on the train. Technically anyone could just grab someone's weapon and kill someone, but still. It's one of the downsides of all being so close together here.

"Xue Yang," she says. "I believe he's on the red team."

Not that she's keeping track. She's fine with knowing as little about that abomination of nature as possible, honestly.

[inquisitor_lavellan]

"I don't think I've met him, but I'll keep an eye out. Red team may be small, but we don't seem particularly organized."

No meet and greets going on over in their little corner of team structure.

Which is probably just as well, given their assorted personalities.

"Was his target someone from his own world, or did it come from interactions on the train?"

[irrationally]

"His own world."

Usually Alice wouldn't have known as much. She's not particularly social, after all, and doesn't bother to dig into things unless they interest her. There are many people where she doesn't know if they came from the same world or not.

But since she's close to one of the people involved in this particular case, she does know. And while she doesn't have to spill all the details to Alleyana, she can at least answer her question.

"I believe it happened fairly soon after they arrived. Still.. I can't imagine what would drive anyone to murder such a young girl, other than that person being a completely evil being."