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

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Hmmmm," Koumyou, of course, has to think about it for a minute. While he's thinking, he goes ahead and picks up the cat just like he'd done to Sir Beepers. Reverse simba! He stands up with her and contemplates her.

The demonic monster in the shape of a cat takes this in stride, dangling, tail flicking side to side at the end down at the bottom. Koumyou's a little relieved that she doesn't freak out like the bot did.

He holds her up and gives her a wiggle, which is only emphasized by how damn long she is.

"What about... Wiggles! No, it's missing something."

[subcircuits]

Devero cups his chin in his hand and considers the cat. Mostly he's admiring the slinky, boneless way she wiggles in Koumyou's hands. Somehow, she manages to make the reverse simba look almost dignified.

"Lady Wiggles?" he suggests.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou, still holding the cat up, gasps over at Devero, his eyes lighting up. "That's perfect!"

[subcircuits]

Koumyou's delight delights Devero, who flushes with pleasure. Then his own eyes light up. "Sir Beepers and Lady Wiggles!" His drone's name had surely been a subconscious inspiration, but he only consciously draws the connection now.

Hearing its name, Sir Beepers trills and scoots over to Devero. It pulls into position just above his shoulder, then cuts its lifter and drops down, landing in critter mode. Curious, it stretches its neck out towards the newly designated 'Lady Wiggles'.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"They match!"

Well, their names do. Past that, it's pretty much opposite land.

Koumyou changes how he's holding Lady Wiggles, bringing her to his shoulder like when he'd pulled her from the crate, and sitting down beside Devero. The demonic cat drapes a front paw on Koumyou's shoulder to hold on, and pokes curiously at Sir Beepers with the other.

Just gonna...

Just gonna poke it.

[subcircuits]

The drone's head swivels on the end of its neck to follow them as they sit. It turns on Devero's shoulder and meets Lady Wiggles' outstretched paw with one of its own tarsal points. Poke!

[its_dad_sanzo]

Poking time! The cat yanks her paw back and then...

Poke poke poke.

Bap.

"Well, at least they're getting along? I think?" Koumyou offers, watching this. "I don't really know kitties super well..."

[subcircuits]

"I don't either," Devero confesses. He watches just as closely, feeling Sir Beeper's tarsals dance a little tippy-tap dance on his shoulder. It waves the bapped point at Lady Wiggles, changing the game suddenly from poking to feints. Will she be fast enough to land another swat?

Devero glances away to check its app in his Interface. No alerts or errors. "Sir Beepers is having fun, at least," he reports.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Oh, oh Lady Wiggles can go fast! The problem with challenging her is that in her growing interest, her claws start to come out.

Koumyou only realizes the problem because her other front paw is poking him through both cloaks, and he leans away before she can potentially scratch the shit out of Sir Beepers.

"Ow ow ow! Put those claws away, please!"

And please don't aerate Koumyou, for that matter.

[subcircuits]

Sir Beepers is blissfully unconcerned with the claws, increasing its own reaction time and apparently relishing the rising difficulty of the challenge. But Devero isn't exactly looking to have the lovely rich purple finish on its tarsals damaged when it's still so new, and directs it away from its game with a flick of his fingers.

Sir Beepers registers its displeasure by resisting the command for a moment, but then it obediently folds up its tarsals and hovers over to Devero's other shoulder.

With it out of the way, Devero leans towards Koumyou with brows creased in concern. "Is she hurting you?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

"She's very pointy!" Koumyou whines, taking one 'wrist' in each hand and unhooking the cat from himself. She's all riled up now, irises round and tail lashing in the air, but she relents.

"I'm going to have to find her some toys, huh? Sturdy ones."

[subcircuits]

Devero grimaces, watching those sharp claws come out of Koumyou's cloaks. "And some scratching things, too, aren't those supposed to help with cats' claws?" he suggests.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Ohhh, I hadn't thought of that, either."

Really this whole thing hadn't been thought out much at all, other than 'kitty who won't be in danger just from being around a Sanzo'.

"So this is our room," Koumyou tells Lady Wiggles as he leans forward to set her down on the floor. "Shared with two other people and uh, one of them has lots of animals."

That's what pokemon are, right?

"Please don't beat any of them up."

Lady Wiggles sits very prim and proper on the floor, and licks the back of a front paw. Who, her?

"I know what you are, you know! So I know you understand me."

So yes, Devero, talking to the cat has a point to it after all.

[subcircuits]

"She does?" Color him surprised. It hadn't occurred to him that Koumyou's new cat, though demonic in nature, might be sapient...

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Most monsters use forms like hers to sneak around humans," Koumyou tells him, because this is very reassuring.

That lack of a normal baseline is showing, again...

"But I specifically asked for one that uses the shape because they like being a kitty. And it's pretty obvious she's not trying to be sneaky, with the eyes and all."

Lady Wiggles just continues to groom, moving on to swiping her licked paw over her head.

"I don't know if she could like, read or anything, but she definitely understands us."

[subcircuits]

"Oh." Devero sits back and considers that for a moment, then leans forward to address the cat directly. "I hope you'll bear with me if I stumble over that sometimes," he says. "We don't have anything like you in my world. Our other sapient species pretty much keep to themselves. But I'll try to remember!"

He sits back again, resting his hands in his lap and wiggling his fingers. Sir Beepers drifts down and lands in the bowl of his hands. It's warm and smooth and heavy enough to be a tangible weight, and he cups the drone gently.

"I think she's going to be a wonderful companion for you," he says, leaning to bump his shoulder against Koumyou's.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou beams, and bumps him right back.

"She's very different from the youkai in Shangri-La," Koumyou adds, "the rest of the world's demons are more like Lady Wiggles, and they usually don't get along with humans. But she just wants to be a kitty, so it's fine. She probably won't even eat anyone!"

Th..that's a joke, right?

"Though I didn't think about food, either. Uh. I'm very bad at this, aren't I?"

Koumyou is only half-joking, there, and then he turns back to the cat, "Um... I saw a bunch of fish in stores this month! And bacon!"

That, at least, gets a softly-trilling meow, like an audible question mark.

[subcircuits]

Devero would like to believe that's just a joke. Devero knows better. "Please don't eat any of the other passengers on the train," he says to Lady Wiggles directly. "Or any of their pets. In fact, if it's alive and on the train, please just-- don't. There's plenty of food to be had and you can have whatever you like of it. Like Koumyou said, there's some lovely things in stores right now, and folks are always in the kitchen cooking. We can even special-order you things if you want something in particular--

"Er, and can communicate that to us. Or want to...?"

He's trying.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Lady Wiggles hops up onto Devero's bunk, next to the empty crate, and flops dramatically onto her side.

"I think it'll be okay," Koumyou tells him, and leans against Devero's side a bit as he watches her. His exhaustion is coming back to focus now that some of the immediate excitement is wearing down.

[subcircuits]

Devero wraps an arm around his shoulder and hugs Koumyou close. "I have no doubt," Devero says, with slightly more confidence than he feels. But the train wouldn't bring on a companion animal that would truly be a danger to its crew, right? And even if it did, he knows Koumyou would be able to take care of it.

He just doesn't want him to have to 'take care of' anything.

He looks down at his Sanzo. "Do you want to have another nap?" he asks him quietly, feeling the fatigue in his wiry frame.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Before I leave the room again, definitely," Koumyou admits, "but it doesn't have to be right now."

He's enjoying Devero's company. And the new kitty, of course, who is now rolling around on Dev's bunk. Know what's going to smell like her? This bed!

And that bed, and that bed...

[subcircuits]

Devero watches her roll and writhe indulgently, turning to kiss Koumyou's hair briefly without even taking his eyes off of her. After the scare with Alice and then the bigger scare with Koumyou this morning, he's more than willing to sit and rest, especially given how much of the train he's hiked already today--

"Oh! I got us something!" He'd almost forgotten the two sacks sitting on Koumyou's bunk.

[its_dad_sanzo]

With all the hiking and carrying Dev's done today, he probably needs the rest.

"--You did?" Koumyou's immediately very curious!

[subcircuits]

Devero stands (yeah, with a bit of a groan) and reaches up to grab the pair of parcels. He sits again, sizing the two sacks up before handing Koumyou the marginally smaller one.

He holds his own in his lap, untying the top and revealing a pair of heavy boots with a lot of straps and buckles inside. They could just be chunky, thick-soled boots with straps as An Aesthetic-- but the fact that they come with a charging pad not unlike the one Sir Beepers 'sleeps' on seems to indicate otherwise.

There's an almost identical pair in Koumyou's sack. There's also a little handheld unit with a button on one end tucked in with his as well.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"...Shoes?" Koumyou asks, digging into the bag now on his lap. Wait, why'd his come with a little remote?

He's gonna push that button immediately.