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!
flatteries: (the rubble or our sins)

[personal profile] flatteries 2021-03-10 07:48 pm (UTC)(link)
"Spoken like a true expert," he says. There's a teasing hint to it, but he mostly means it in a genuine way. Kitty truly does sound like she knows what she's talking about here.

"What does it look like? Maybe you could wear it under the blending-in outfit? Unless it's super bulky, I suppose."
goingthroughaphase: (pic#13971819)

[personal profile] goingthroughaphase 2021-03-11 09:37 am (UTC)(link)
"It's not really bulky," she said with a shrug. As they approach her cabin room, she glanced at him. "You wanna see it?"
flatteries: (yeah that's how it goes)

[personal profile] flatteries 2021-03-11 07:28 pm (UTC)(link)
He lets out a brief laugh.

"Of course!"

Come on, you can't tell him all about this mission suit and then not show him. Inigo is way too curious at this point.

"My only ideas about how those things might look is based on what we've been wearing during some train missions, after all. I'm fairly sure that most clothes from my world would be pretty different." Since he's very medieval at all. And Kitty - very obviously so - isn't.
goingthroughaphase: (pic#13971656)

[personal profile] goingthroughaphase 2021-03-12 10:20 am (UTC)(link)
With a soft laugh, she held her hands out for her packages. "Okay. Let me drop these off inside, and then I can change into the suit and show you."
flatteries: (the sun rises slowly as you walk)

[personal profile] flatteries 2021-03-12 09:58 pm (UTC)(link)
He hands her back the packages. Maybe a little bit too quickly once he hears the word 'change', that word is very, very deadly about Inigo.

"O-Okay!" He near-sputters. "That's good-- great! I will just.. erm. Wait here. Outside. Not watching." No one thought you were going to, Inigo. Please, boy.
goingthroughaphase: (pic#13971652)

[personal profile] goingthroughaphase 2021-03-15 06:23 am (UTC)(link)
She can't help raising a curious eyebrow, but doesn't comment on it as she phases through the door of her cabin (and that way, the door isn't even open for him to peek through). And a few minutes later, she returns dressed in her X-Man suit.

"Tadah! Whatcha think?"
flatteries: (but the red on the rest of)

[personal profile] flatteries 2021-03-16 10:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks, Kitty's ability, for preventing any total disaster here.

Instead Inigo can just take in the sight of her with the suit on once she returns. It would have been totally strange to him if he wasn't at least a little used to different things here, thanks to the train constantly giving them weird mission outfits - it's not medieval in any way, after all.

"Wow.. It really does look like the kind of mission suits the train gives us sometimes, doesn't it?"

Well, when they're not going off to medieval worlds, anyway. But Inigo has worn something vaguely similar before! Maybe there's some sort of multi-universal look to these.
goingthroughaphase: (pic#13971957)

[personal profile] goingthroughaphase 2021-03-17 05:57 am (UTC)(link)
She laughed a little. "Plus or minus the cargo pants. But yeah, a little bit. Though there's something about this one that I've kinda missed. It might just be the fact it's from home, though."
flatteries: (the rubble or our sins)

[personal profile] flatteries 2021-03-17 07:15 pm (UTC)(link)
"No, that makes sense."

He smiles a little as he says it. Of course something that comes from home is going to have a little extra to it. Sentimental value, for one, but it's also probably just nice to have something so familiar with you in an unfamiliar place like this. So far away from home.

"Have you bought anything else from home yet? Or just this? It could be fun to have more around."
goingthroughaphase: (pic#13971960)

[personal profile] goingthroughaphase 2021-03-18 07:38 am (UTC)(link)
"Actually, I did get some other clothes from home. Not as useful as the suit, but more comfortable than the clothes that the train gave us."

No offense to the train.
flatteries: (nobody here is perfectly fine)

[personal profile] flatteries 2021-03-18 10:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Inigo definitely isn't going to get offended on the train's behalf. Especially since he has no idea what modern clothes are like. He feels like he's learning by judging from the kind of clothes the train hands out, but it's giving him a very, very weird idea of what modern clothes are like..

Although he does seem a little curious.

"What, you don't like the hoodies? I think they're comfortable. Even though I've never worn one before I ended up here on the train!" .. hence why his standards may be.. let's say rather low.
goingthroughaphase: (pic#13971957)

[personal profile] goingthroughaphase 2021-03-19 07:51 am (UTC)(link)
She shrugged with a smile. "I mean, the hoodies are fine. I just wouldn't wear them all the time. And I do like having something other than cargo pants too."
flatteries: (but now is better than never)

[personal profile] flatteries 2021-03-19 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
"So you got the other clothes to wear around the train, and this one to wear for a mission?"

Sounds like Kitty got all her bases covered then!
goingthroughaphase: (pic#13971656)

[personal profile] goingthroughaphase 2021-03-23 07:15 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, pretty much. I find it helps keeping everyday outfits separate from mission wear."