A New Platform [Intro Post April]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

Once again passengers are awoken by the morning announcement.

"Good morning passengers, it is day Sixteen 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 after lunch. A lunch that may be a bit sparse: between the big eaters and the stress bakers, the stores have been stretched thin the last two weeks.

"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 steam is thin, with blue skies seen above. The sun shines brightly down, warm light pooling on the platform.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers: Cassie Lang, Glorfindel, Jessie Custer, Olivia, Paddra Nsu-Yeul, S’reee, Thea Queen, Wei Wuxian.

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, open, with a vine-covered wall stretching high either side of the barrier. 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 eighteen 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 doors close behind them.

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'). The store rooms have been restocked with fresh ingredients, including plenty more tomatoes.

For passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage in various suitcases and bags. There is a suitcase stocked with spare wash kit items, for those who are running low as well as a box labelled Do Not Use Yet that is full of small 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 who are making the most of the sunshine. 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

[thawed_pride]

He waves in return and walks to meet Ken halfway. There's a stiffness to his gait that suggests he's still sore from overexertion, but he somehow seems to have more energy than usual regardless.

"In a sense. This is the uniform I wore when I was human, studying under my lord, Ansem. I requested it bear the same enchantments as my coat, so that I can freely use the dark corridors while wearing it."

[miseris_socios]

"Oh, good. Are you going to chuck the old one at Demyx so he stops being stupid?"

Yes, they've met. And had that conversation, apparently. Also... hm.

"I met a few other people with Personas, too. But they're not from the same world... I think? They didn't seem to recognize stuff that I asked them about." Which is... odd.

[thawed_pride]

The question gets a laugh and a cross of his arms.

"I've already insisted he buy something of the sort for himself. He has his own that he simply never bothered to request the train import, so he really has little excuse. No, I intend to study my old coat to figure out how the enchantments work, then add one of my own to shrink it so that it will fit you better. In the meantime..." He reaches into his pocket and holds out a chain of dark purple beads, with edges that seem to blur and fade into shadow. "This is a form of magical armor that will help offset that weakness to darkness of yours.

"As for the others with Personas...is it possible they are simply from a different time? None of those I know on this train are from the exact same time as myself, and Demyx is from my future despite having been here longer than I."

[miseris_socios]

"I... oh." He takes the chain and... hm. How to wear this? He tucks it into his pocket, he'll figure it out later. "... Thank you..."

He knows they're 'family' now, but he's still not used to just being given things. "Um... thank you..." He flushes faintly before continuing on.

"They might be. I have no idea... one of them has the same kind of Persona as Chidori. Not like she has Medea or something? But it's a Persona that can detect other Persona users... and probably enemies and stuff like that if she's anything like Chidori." Chidori's better though, because obviously.

[thawed_pride]

The chain has a ring clasp on one end, evidently meant to be attached to a belt loop or something similar. If not for the strange blurring around the beads, it would look like ordinary jewelry.

"A sensory specialist, hmm? Interesting, I wonder how her abilities compare to my own. As skilled as I am in that area, it is not nearly so innate to me as ice magic is."

[miseris_socios]

He'll work on clipping that on later. "I don't know... Chidori's range was a few blocks, I think. Maybe a mile? I don't know... you'd have to ask her. Just... be prepared for her to be weird about it? Persona are supposed to be secret in my world. Maybe hers, too. Probably hers, too."

[thawed_pride]

"Much wider than my own. Ienzo's sense of smell may have that sort of range, but I am uncertain how, or even if, his regained humanity may affect that."

Nobodies, after all, are inherently supernatural. They don't necessarily follow the same rules as humans.

"Well, hopefully she grasps quickly that concealing her abilities here is both pointless and counterproductive. I had enough of that conversation when Demyx was regressed to soon after becoming a Nobody in the first place."

[miseris_socios]

"Hopefully... I probably would have kept it secret if I hadn't come here right after..." Yeah. "I'm sure she'll figure it out soon enough."

He's just... hoping it's not a long, weird process. More than Persona stuff is usually, at least.

"How long have you been at this, now?" Is it time to drag Vexen off for food?

[thawed_pride]

"Looking for you? Since shortly after we left the platform. I wanted to deliver the armor before I got involved in studying my old coat."

He's well aware that once he does that, he isn't likely to put his work down for a while.

[miseris_socios]

"Okay. I just wanted to make sure you weren't getting sucked into something. ... Did you eat lunch?"

Ken ate... some. He's been noticing how low the food supply has gotten in the past few weeks. It made his stomach hurt every time he went into the stores and guilty every time he'd taken food out of it.

[thawed_pride]

"Of a...sort. With how low we were running on supplies, I thought it best to limit myself to foods that would be more accurately considered snacks. But lest you worry, my nutritional needs don't work quite the same way as a human's. I need only the energy, and can subsist quite fine on starches alone."

Not that he considered it a good idea to eat only sweets, even for a Nobody. But he could, in fact, survive on bread and water alone.

[miseris_socios]

"... Yeah. I thought this might happen... I've... been keeping food in my bag and my room. Not that I think it'll last long, but it's better than nothing..."

He'd just gotten used to there being enough food, and now...

[thawed_pride]

He crosses his arms at that, and raises an eyebrow.

"I hope you mean to say that you have been squirreling away food that keeps. There is little point to hiding food that will not survive from one platform to the next, seeing as it won't change the overall amount of food available otherwise."

[miseris_socios]

He crosses his arms back. "I meant 'not last long' as in 'it's not enough food for more than probably a few days, a week at most'. I've had to hide food before, you know. Sometimes I couldn't circle back for a few days or a week, though I tried to go back faster in summer."

He's not dumb, Vexen. Just paranoid. "Roland's one of my roommates... the purple team leader? He got all worried about me storing food... I tried to hide it from him but he's spotted me a few times. But now look who's the one who was wrong." Even though he's been vindicated... it doesn't feel like a victory.

[thawed_pride]

"A better concern would be reigning in the stress bakers. Some people cook or eat as a form of stress relief, and our food stores clearly weren't filled with that in mind."

Both sides are understandable, though he can't help but wonder if the stress baking is common after missions.

[miseris_socios]

"Well, yeah. But I don't think they'll listen to me." 'Stop making food' isn't a request a lot of people would take well.

[thawed_pride]

"This incident can at least serve as evidence as to why they should at least keep their hobby cooking to the realm of actually nutritious fare."

After all, it wouldn't be a problem if there was just an abundance of already cooked meals sitting in the freezer.

[miseris_socios]

"Hopefully... I'm going to start keeping an eye on the food supply and we can work out if we need to bust people for it." He's just... afraid of losing food again. He really doesn't want to... going hungry is bad enough. Going hungry because of someone else's stupidity is way worse.