voidtreckermods: (sparkly train)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] voidtreckerexpress2021-05-01 07:50 am

A New Platform [Intro Post May]

On the Train

Like clockwork, the Voidtreckers are awoken by a familiar message this morning.

"Good morning Voidtreckers, it is day one of the month of Llama. Points have been updated on the system."

With points updated, everyone can spend the morning shopping. Most people will 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 air is sticky and warm, the windows almost immediately dewing over with the humidity outside.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing, walking silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Azula, Prisoner, Amery Vallet, Dyme Graydon, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Yoite, Piccolo, Bulla Brief, Xie Lian, Kurosaki Ichigo, Hua Cheng, Renee Corbin, and Ran Mouri; all pass through the platform, not looking back before they disappear through the barriers and into the fog beyond.

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 find themselves on a platform, rich wood and pale stone forming a natural, tree-like structure overhead. Behind them is a set of barriers, and in front of them is a single set of tracks extending both ways into thick fog. The air is rainforest-hot, and the sound of frogsong can be faintly heard over the drip of the artificial canopy.

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 fog begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform isn't large, and seems smaller with twenty-eight figures scattered around, all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. Then there is 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 pours a strange assortment of people, over a hundred at least. 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.

Behind them, the doors close, and the train is cloaked in the same fog that hides the world beyond the platform.

The Train

After a short time, the fog clears and 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 several crates of nori, the ingredient of the month of Llama, as well as all sundries.

For passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage in various suitcases and bags. For each member of Purple Team, a small silver box with their name on it contains a glittery cupcake.

New passengers will find their ticket allows them into their cabins. They may need to negotiate for beds, but at least they won't be alone in their confusion - since the sleeper carriages are now double-decker, and experience isn't going to avail the passengers in finding their rooms.

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.

The new double carriage's transfer ICP is active, allowing people to move to a double room should they meet the requirements with another person, though they'll have to move their belongings themselves.

Departure

A second horn sounds to encourage any stragglers taking advantage of the fresh air, and 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!
mtsilver_conquor: ('Nona - the fox)

[personal profile] mtsilver_conquor 2021-05-05 05:35 pm (UTC)(link)
There's a tail-flick as the pokemon continues to stare, even as his ears flick around, listening for any other yips, yaps or even growls from a mother coming to defend the kit. A kit that had good instincts already, but is very much a kit and a baby at that.

It's more cute than anything... but he doesn't know what to do. Well, he could scruff it and take it to Eva. But that means getting in the kit's range of attack.

He'll just sit here. Maybe if he doesn't move it'll calm down??
mtsilver_conquor: (On top of the world!)

[personal profile] mtsilver_conquor 2021-05-05 05:40 pm (UTC)(link)
"Thanks," the smiles still sheepish though, because while he's right, she still didn't think.

She can beat herself up for it later, though, given the suggestion. "Sure. I can tell you about him on the way?"

More like: let me talk your ears off about him.

There is also a chance she'll end up complaining about the lack of any feasible warping or teleporting stations.
labcatte: (alert)

[personal profile] labcatte 2021-05-05 05:43 pm (UTC)(link)

Bacon stares at Casper. "Yes," they say guardedly. "I've met a Vulpecian Invoker by that name. How do you know her?"

Edited 2021-05-05 17:44 (UTC)
sos_pilot: by <user name=noimpulsecontrol> (i'll be holding you so near)

[personal profile] sos_pilot 2021-05-05 05:55 pm (UTC)(link)
"Wait, F.O.W.L. is back in action?" Della asked in surprise, eyebrows raised. "Huh, I guess they went underground instead of dying off..." Half-shrug. No biggie. They won, so what did it matter? "Sounds like Launchpad to a T, though...but I hope Webby had a nice birthday anyway?"

Webby was a good kid, and deserved the world.
mtsilver_conquor: (casual)

[personal profile] mtsilver_conquor 2021-05-05 05:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, both Curufin and I are still Team Leads, though there's no longer any Council so to speak of. I think things are mostly left up to us Team Leads." Eva says and if he's not saying it right, well, it's not like she was any better at first. "I slacked a bit on keeping the guide updated."

More like the player's life got in the way. She does notice the pause and shrugs. "Sorta. Peter-kun's human. Don't ask me how that works- I'm half convinced he's actually an alien, you know? But like I said, he's a good kid."
helborn: (i'm not an anime protag i swear)

[personal profile] helborn 2021-05-05 06:27 pm (UTC)(link)
“I met her - or at least, a version of her - in the last place I was in.” He won’t talk about the others yet - that’s too complicated for now. One step at a time.
melodiouspacifist: (Let Me Play You A Song)

[personal profile] melodiouspacifist 2021-05-05 06:28 pm (UTC)(link)
"Ha thanks." Demyx grinned. "But if you come up with something let me know. Talking doesn't bother me when I'm playing."

It wasn't like he was thinking about the formation of the universe or something, Demyx was a simple guy.
labcatte: (alert)

[personal profile] labcatte 2021-05-05 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"Right," says Bacon, but they seem ill-at-ease. "And where was that again?"
achickenformylove: (mdzs 33)

[personal profile] achickenformylove 2021-05-05 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"I think it is fine. They should get used to the other animals on the train. Being small, they are easily concerned by new things, but will relax once they know they are safe."

But since WangJi was here, he could reassure them that they were safe. Little Radish still continued to be a good hider... in his opinion. Little Carrot had moved towards the fencing, sitting up on his hind legs to look out at the new arrivals to the carriage, nose wiggling as he sniffed the air.
gundamofthedesert: (it's amazing)

[personal profile] gundamofthedesert 2021-05-05 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Quatre smiled. "Yes, that's fine. He can come over. What's his name?"

He was really an interesting animal, Quatre thought, noticing that it had nine tails. Must have been something common in her world as it wasn't something he'd ever seen in his. Even though he hadn't spent much time on Earth, he was sure that if there had been one, he would have heard about it.
labcatte: (Default)

Wandering

[personal profile] labcatte 2021-05-05 07:01 pm (UTC)(link)
"Find anything interesting?" the orange and black striped tabaxi asks him. (Well, they look very close to a tabaxi, anyway. A fairly tigerish one.)
fivemilesdeep: (But if we try this)

[personal profile] fivemilesdeep 2021-05-05 07:04 pm (UTC)(link)
"Maybe so, but you're still acting like you're in pain." He doesn't move, hand still outstretched. "I'd rather be certain than let you be hurt even worse."
labcatte: (Default)

III

[personal profile] labcatte 2021-05-05 07:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Bacon takes a cookie, glad just now that OWTB had designed the Ubastim bodies to be more or less omnivorous, despite how they looked from the outside.

"Can't think of anything," they say. "Do you do this often?"
firewalled: (Slowly lapsing in depravity)

[personal profile] firewalled 2021-05-05 07:10 pm (UTC)(link)
"I... sorry. I didn't mean to say that she should be destroyed. I know... you're not like the people who made the SQUIP."

She seems to care more about helping people than making a profit, for sure.

"I can understand why you feel so passionate about them."
labcatte: (alert)

I

[personal profile] labcatte 2021-05-05 07:15 pm (UTC)(link)
"Do you know what's going on?" the anthropomorphic tiger person asks him during those minutes without his SCA. They're speaking in English, surprisingly enough, with an accent from the west coast of America. Like Senku they're wearing an orange hoodie.
sciencegirl: (018)

[personal profile] sciencegirl 2021-05-05 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'm not upset. A lot of people have been afraid because of their experiences. I've had more good experiences than bad ones, though. After I lost my parents, I had to rely on the robotic ones they left behind for me.

"I made myself a lot more friends, too, over time. Mine only went bad once, when I found an object that corrupted them. We fixed it within the day."

And Entrapta has seen way more people controlled than machines, that was much harder to deal with. In fact, seeing Rich that way was hard to deal with as well because now it's filling her with a ton of ethical debate.
labcatte: (Default)

III

[personal profile] labcatte 2021-05-05 07:24 pm (UTC)(link)
"I guess you're new too," an anthropomorphic tiger person comments in the games carriage, where they'd been examining a stack of board games. "I can't think anyone who's been here a while still has much to investigate."

As if to punctuate that statement, a tiny purple and red lizard crawls out of the front pocket of their hoodie and up their torso. The tiger person ignores this, as if it's something that just happens every day.
labcatte: (neutral)

Roommates

[personal profile] labcatte 2021-05-05 07:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"Sorry," Bacon says awkwardly once the woman releases their hand. "I just wanted to ask which bed is free. I just got here."
labcatte: (Default)

Out

[personal profile] labcatte 2021-05-05 07:32 pm (UTC)(link)
"A crocodile car? Really?" Despite their words, the anthropomorphic tiger person sounds more curious than anything. Maybe faintly intrigued.
deadwenwalking: (somber)

[personal profile] deadwenwalking 2021-05-05 07:34 pm (UTC)(link)
"M-my friend saved me." Wei Wuxian had ended up turning him into a puppet in the process, but his life had still been saved, more or less. He's grateful for it regardless. "Though it's a little complicated because he thought I actually was dead at the time."

He's glad he hadn't been. He didn't want the man to cross a line where he was raising the dead to fight for him. Manipulating resentful energy the way he did was the better option there. Though if anyone would have been okay with being brought back as a zombie to fight for his friend it would have been Wen Ning.

He's still not completely aware of the differences between him and an alternate self.
labcatte: (Default)

Platform

[personal profile] labcatte 2021-05-05 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Just as Q'uila is a purple cat person in a purple hoodie, so is this particular newcomer an orange cat person in an orange hoodie. Well, tiger person. They're a lot more overtly feline than Q'uila is too.

"Hello," they say, non-plussed. A little red and purple lizard crawls out of their hood.
Edited 2021-05-05 19:41 (UTC)
rejoicer: (hrm)

[personal profile] rejoicer 2021-05-05 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[Woz has already seen the passenger list. He knows that the community aboard the train is small enough that one would be able to keep tabs on who and who's not, so he's not surprised by the question.]

Yes, I'm new.

[He doesn't enjoy being the new one. He prefers being the one in the know.]

And it could be worse, though I would prefer my own room.
labcatte: (cynical)

Arriving

[personal profile] labcatte 2021-05-05 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)

This particular non-human, an anthropomorphic tiger person, is definitely staring back, their arms folded impatiently in front of them. After a few seconds of this, a tiny lizard crawls out of their hood and onto their shoulder.

labcatte: (alert)

Departure

[personal profile] labcatte 2021-05-05 07:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Bacon blinks. "A Cicaider...?" they say under their breath, staring at the person in the watch-themed suit in front of them, trying to place the particular suit in question. Their dad had been a casual tokusatsu fan. They'd seen bits of a lot of different Cicaider and ranger shows over the years.

Unfortunately it all comes up blank. The suit theme kind of reminds them of that anniversary show that had come after Cicaider Nano, but it's not quite any of the actual suits they remember.
labcatte: (alert)

Exploration

[personal profile] labcatte 2021-05-05 08:02 pm (UTC)(link)
"You okay?" the anthropomorphic tiger person asks as Hanuel turns away from the window. "You look a little nauseous."