voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post March]

Entry tags:

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

Her head slowly dips into a nod. "More personal," she says, as if to confirm that she gets the idea, despite not being much of an instruments kind of person herself. But she has possessions she's particularly attached to, so she understands that you can't just replace those with some generic other things.

There doesn't seem to be much recognition at his other point about his last audience though. Sorry, Rich, but Alice doesn't pay attention to at least half of the social things going on on this train. So she absolutely has no clue what he's talking about.

No, there's something else that all of this is instead making her think of. And thankfully it's not too embarrassing for him.

".. Do you know Dyme?"

"Yeah, exactly. I could make up stuff about how the sound is better, but I know that's just in my head." He chuckles gently and shakes his head.

It's a shame that she didn't get to see his performance, but perhaps that just means she's going to get a personal concert now.

"You mean like, that British alt band? I know Could Be Anything, or at least the main riff." He starts playing it carefully, looking at her for a sign of recognition.

...

Look at her face, Rich. Look how Alice doesn't seem to have an idea what you're talking about. Even as he starts playing, there's just a total lack of any recognition on her face as she stares at him.

"No, I.." She starts, slowly, as if she feels a little bad for speaking over his guitar playing. "I meant the person. Here on the train. He also plays the guitar."

Rich immediately flubs the chord he's playing and gapes at her.

"...Oh. Cool."

So basically, the universe is conspiring against him at every turn in order to make Alice think he is a complete and utter moron. It's great to have that confirmation. Really, how was he supposed to know Dyme was a name? Despite meeting plenty of people with other weird names here?

"...I would like the ground to swallow me up now, please."

"Well, let's hope it doesn't. That would be mighty uncomfortable, I imagine."

Is that an attempt at actually making a joke on Alice's part? It may just be, though it's hard to tell, with her sense of humor being.. the way it is. But it's a conscious effort, because she can tell that he looks kind of embarrassed, and that's definitely not the intention she carried behind her words.

So this is her lame attempt at fixing it.

"I was merely saying it because.. um." She stops for a moment. Now it's actually Alice who's starting to look a little embarrassed, since she's no good at this. "I thought perhaps both you and him could use a new friend." And sharing a hobby is probably a good basis for friendship..? Maybe..? Alice thinks..? God, she's way out of her league here.

"...You know, I never actually considered what happened after the ground swallowed me up? I was usually pretty focused on the idea of just completely aborting myself from the awkward situation so no one could see me jamming my foot in my mouth."

Hey, at least from his smile, it seems like he's trying to make a joke too, or at least try to laugh off his stupidity. Maybe it's a bit too rambly for a proper joke, a little too theoretical, but he seems to be a little less embarrassed, especially when he realizes just why she mentioned this person.

"...Huh. You think so? I mean, not going to say no to a new friend... didn't realize I'd made myself look that desperate when I talked to you, though." Rich, you were talking about people liking the real you and getting weirdly depressed about it. Of course she was concerned.

There are so many things Alice could point out here. Everything from the fact that he's definitely rambling a bit too much to try and keep up - or even justify - the joke, all the way over to the fact that yes, he did make himself seem a little bit desperate. And everything inbetween those points.

But she doesn't. Alice knows at least a bit about preserving other people's dignity, even if it's not a practice she often indulges in. But she'll give him a moment for now.

"Maybe he's the one I think is desperate," she instead lightly jokes. (No, no, that's definitely Rich.) "Seriously though, he's a really kind person. And maybe making music is more fun when you do it together?"

That's definitely an audible question mark. After all, what does Alice know about music? Not much at all.

Rich doesn't have a lot of dignity left when it comes to Alice, so he's surprised he's getting this little bit of it, honestly. It does make him happy, though, his face maybe just a bit less red as he responds.

"No, he sounds nice. And you're totally right about that, getting to collaborate with people is awesome when it comes to music, like... no matter your differences, you can all read the same piece of sheet music and just get it. It's kind of cool, how music can unite us a little bit easier."

That's... maybe a little corny, but he does believe it. And besides, it's always been easier for him to communicate through other ways than words.

"You think so?"

She doesn't sound sceptical, just curious. After all, Alice isn't quite the musical wonder herself - especially not since she spent the majority of her life away from society, or.. well, away from being able to perform in any actual meaningful activity, really. Being stuck in the asylum sure didn't help her learn how to play any instrument or how to read music.

".. I do suppose they had music even in Wonderland." So if they could connect through music even in a place as odd and random as that, people could most likely do it anywhere. "I wonder if you two could recognize each other's music, despite being from different worlds."

She thinks Dyme is from a different world than Rich, anyway. If not just because he never mentioned a thing about computers being inserted into brains.

"Yeah! I mean, it doesn't matter what language you speak, really. If you read sheet music, then it's like, the same for everyone. And yeah! See, even weird worlds know what music is about!"

He is a little curious about the mention of Wonderland, especially considering her name, but he knows better than to just blurt something out.

"And hey, maybe we would! I recognized some of the stuff Soldat listened to, so there's definitely a possibility. So what was Wonderland all about?"

Alice doesn't even blink at the mention of 'weird worlds'. Because it's just what Wonderland is, even to her. It's exactly why she said that they had music even in Wonderland.

But it's the question at the end that makes her stop and think for a moment.

"Music-wise? Well, considering most of it was composed by teapots and giant fish, it most likely wasn't like anything you're used to."

"I meant, well, everything wise. Though I guess that gives me part of the answer, if inanimate dishware is suddenly Beethoven."

This is... definitely sounding like the classic tale, though Rich won't mention it aside from a casual:

"Sounds a little trippy."

"Ah. Yes, I do suppose everything is a little like that over there." Even if she doesn't know what the word trippy means, she can kind of figure it out from the rest of what he's saying.

"And the people there.. Well, I suppose there's better than regular humans, since most of them aren't absolutely awful, but they do love being cryptic a little too much. Especially the Caterpillar."

.. sure sounding even more like the classic tale now, huh, Rich.

"Yeah, I think the people would probably be the worst of it. Living there has to drive you a little batty, even if you are nice..."

This is. Yeah, this is definitely the story he's heard. He's trying not to let on about it, but there's definitely some more nerves in his expression, and who knows if he'll trip up and say too much.

"Well.." Her tone is rather airily as she talks about it, like all of this is the most normal matter in the world to her. "The Cat did say as much. That everyone there was at least a little bit mad."

Something slowly seems to snap her out of her thoughts though. It makes her look at Rich, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you alright? Something seems.. off about you."

Then again, it's not like it'd be the first time she has seen the guy looking nervous, so it's not too hard to write it off as him just being his usual self.

"Ah, sorry! I just... what you're talking about sounds pretty familiar, that's all. It's a feeling of deja vu, I guess?"

He doesn't want to say more. Being told her adventures were written down as a children's storybook can't be good for her mental state, and so he hopes that she'll just take his words for granted.

"Deja vu?"

What, does that mean he's ever experienced something similar to that? She imagined not - even with as strange as some of the worlds she's hearing about here are, they usually still don't come anywhere close to Wonderland. That place is just on its entire own level of weird.

Still, she won't dig into it too deep. If there's something he wanted to say, surely he would have done so, right? So Alice's head just dips into a nod, as if to nonverbally say 'sure'.

"I suppose I should leave so you can have some alone time with your guitar, huh."

"Yeah, I don't know. Maybe I had a crazy dream that kind of reminded me of Wonderland or something..."

He laughs nervously, trying his best to play off his slip up. He knows if he were in her position, he wouldn't want to be told. To have all your trauma and sorrows be mere words on a page, penned by a god called an author... he certainly wouldn't be happy about it.

"Ah, I mean, you're making it sound so dirty." He teases gently, before his expression softens. "If you'd rather be alone, that's fine, but if you want, I can always play a song or two just to see you off."

The gentle teasing works so well. If not just because Alice has no idea how to cope with anything even remotely dirty when it's coming from someone she's not super hostile towards. Hence why she quickly turns. She's totally trying to hide the blush on her cheeks, which Rich may have caught a glimpse of right before she turned.

"F-Fine, play a song if you want. I'll listen to it until I leave the carriage."

"You got it! Just make sure to go easy on me, alright?"

He grins at her softly. He knows she's blushing, but he's smart enough not to mention it, instead just starting to strum at his guitar again.

Should he know better than to play a love song? Probably, but it's what he picks anyways. At least it's not particularly graphic.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A New Platform [Intro Post March]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject