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!
luckydragonsfoot: (nyh-)

u0u

[personal profile] luckydragonsfoot 2021-05-15 03:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Zrrt! There's quite a few that could do that zrrt...

Man, here I used t' praise y' f'r multi-pur- Oh!

Cut out anythin' tha's bigger than like, a Furfrou! I think tha's abou' th' limit righ' now, 'big dogs'.

Gotcha!
happyends: (just about everything)

[personal profile] happyends 2021-05-16 08:35 am (UTC)(link)
[ She looks over at Katsuya. ]

Honestly, I'm pretty sure that's going to stay the limit.. [ They started out with only very small animals, after all, so they've already gained quite a bit there! ] If we get animals bigger than that on the train, I don't think they're going to fit.. Unless the train itself suddenly gets a lot bigger.
luckydragonsfoot: (nyh-)

[personal profile] luckydragonsfoot 2021-05-16 03:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Ehhhhh.... ...I dunno, if they like, made a carriage for 'm, like a stable type deal...

...Plus I mean, we've had passengers tha' big. [RIP Orisa...]
happyends: (songs of praise all very well)

[personal profile] happyends 2021-05-16 06:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, I actually heard of someone that big getting stuck in a doorway before though..

[ Indeed RIP Orisa. In so many ways. ]

B-Besides, wouldn't it be sad if they were stuck in a stable for that long? Without having the chance to run around? [ Like the saddest zoo ever. ]
luckydragonsfoot: (nyh-)

[personal profile] luckydragonsfoot 2021-05-18 01:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Hnnnn...

...Uh- I mean, ev'n then, I ain' sayin' we need anythin'...tha' big...

but like, some pokemon are more human-shaped, y'know? Or they're snakes, or like, really big ferret things. Th' kinda stuff tha' ain't act'lly tha' big, but they're technically not makin' th' height cut.
happyends: (disheartened)

[personal profile] happyends 2021-05-18 02:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Oh.

Oh no.

He has no idea of the impact of the news he's delivering right now. Because Madoka's pokemon exposure has so far been a sentient keyring, a cute hedgehog and a pony. (And, well, a few similar creatures.)

But now he's saying.. ]


There are human-shaped pokemon?! [ WHAT IS THIS, A HORROR MOVIE? Don't show her Mr. Mime. She'll cry. ]
luckydragonsfoot: (nyh-)

[personal profile] luckydragonsfoot 2021-05-18 02:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Huh?

Oh, yeah! Hang on uh....oh- hey, Rotom, pull up Steenee!

Zrrt! Got it!

Tadaaaah! See? She's all people shaped, walks on two legs. Mind y', I think Steenee matches th' size limit so uh....

Zrrt! For that matter, not all bipedal pokemon are considered 'human-like' zrt!

[Katsuya looks a bit embarassed at that announcement.] ...Ah, yeah...

Yeah, come t' think- Hey, pull up Zangoose, tha's a good 'xample righ'?

Zrrt! Here you go!

Yeah! Tha' one's about...four foot? Be smaller than some things y' can order righ' now, if it were on all fours though.
happyends: (to walk into the void again)

[personal profile] happyends 2021-05-18 03:20 pm (UTC)(link)
.. I didn't think this is what you meant when you said they were people shaped..

[ Not that she can't see why he'd imply that, since they stand like humans, compared to most of the pokemon she's seen around the train.

But Madoka was thinking more of an 'Invasion of the bodysnatchers' kind of deal. ]


They're just like animals who walk on two feet! I think bears can do that.. [ Her voice trails off, and Madoka instantly starts sounding more unsure of that fact. ] .. Sometimes..
luckydragonsfoot: (u done yet)

[personal profile] luckydragonsfoot 2021-05-18 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Nah? ...I mean, it seemed like th' righ' way t' put it at leas', 'specially since Steenee's a plant 'n all...

[Ahem.] Hah! Yeah! Yugi's ev'n got one like tha', though he's way smaller!

But yeah, I don' think I'd be able t' get someth'n like Zangoose here, not tha' I had one. But somethin' tha' big wouldn' do too bad righ'?

Nyhh, still, guess y' got a point...if they up th' size limit, they'd need somethin' more like th' box system back in Alola 'r somethin', where they got t' live it up on islands in some other...weird teleport space 'r somethin'.
happyends: (so i'm not scared)

[personal profile] happyends 2021-05-18 05:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[ She nods. ]

Or they'd need to make the train even longer.. [ .. but in that case, they might start to seriously suffer when wanting to go to a specific carriage, so it's not exactly ideal either.

Madoka seems to think about it for a moment longer, but then dismisses the thought. ]


Either way, it's not like that person would need a big pokemon to be protected, right? Klefki helps me out a bunch, and he's such a little guy!
luckydragonsfoot: (nyh-)

[personal profile] luckydragonsfoot 2021-05-19 01:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Huh, wonder if tha's th' reason they crunched th' sleepin' carriages tha' way...

Nyh-! Er, yeah! Like I said, th's helps narrow it down a hell of a lot honestly!

I jus' gotta make sure nothin' I look at has a big evolution 'r somethin'...wouldn' be able t' get t' full strength otherwise.
happyends: (no matter what happens)

[personal profile] happyends 2021-05-20 01:40 pm (UTC)(link)
.. Evolution?

[ This is a part of pokemon information Madoka apparently doesn't know about yet.. Good thing she has a Klefki, or she might have been very, very surprised by a pokemon suddenly changing forms out of nowhere. ]
luckydragonsfoot: (nyh-)

[personal profile] luckydragonsfoot 2021-05-21 09:57 am (UTC)(link)
Huh-

Oh, yeah! ...I don' think these guys are really gettin' tha' kinda experience, but normally they'd like, glow an' change form once they get strong enough. I think Eva's just kinda grow natr'lly instead. So...I dunno, guess it's like skippin' th' middle bit for growin' up? I dunno.

Yers wouldn't have done tha' r'gardless, klefki's single stage, but it was still somethin' I had t' think abou'.
happyends: (having the single)

[personal profile] happyends 2021-05-22 07:29 pm (UTC)(link)
They do it that quickly?

[ Madoka doesn't know all of the details about regular evolution. She's certainly not the best student in her class, after all.

But she is pretty sure that it's usually not supposed to be an instantenous thing.. ]


But.. what kind of form do they change into then..?
luckydragonsfoot: (nyh-)

[personal profile] luckydragonsfoot 2021-05-24 01:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Ehhh, d'pends honestly! F'r my guys though...well, if y' can imagine adult versions of th' sheep an' pony, y' basically got it. Maybe bigger horns an' such, but yeah.
happyends: (better than the rest)

[personal profile] happyends 2021-05-24 04:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Then it's not too different from regular animals.. I mean, they just grow bigger. [ That's something Madoka can wrap her head around. ]

It just sounds like they do it a lot.. quicker than normal animals.
luckydragonsfoot: (nyh-)

[personal profile] luckydragonsfoot 2021-05-26 01:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah! I mean some of 'm can look pr'tty different, but y' sorta get th' feelin' they just....skipped a few steps an' jumped there, in my case.

Somethin' seems t' be keepin' it from happenin' here, but I at least know it'll affect what they c'n do at full force.