A New Platform [Intro Post September]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

"Good morning Voidtreckers, it is day one of the month of Nebula. 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 doors open. As usual, those who leave first notice nothing, walking silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. A-Qing, Atem, Beauregard Lionett, Casper LeBlanc Jr, Donatello Versus, Frankie Bacon, Ichiban Kasuga, Kumoko, Lena Sabrewing, Mami Tomoe, Mono, Peter Parker, Reno, Shi Qingxuan, Tobari, Wen Ning; all pass across the platform, not looking back. And then they're gone, disappeared 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. The platform is open to a bright blue sky, speckled with a couple of clouds. It's very warm, enough that they will not want to stay in those hoodies for long. Behind them through the fogs is a set of barriers, set in a brick wall and in front of them is a single set of tracks extending both ways into that same 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 on the foggy, blistering hot platform; then the fog begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform isn't large, but it is enough to hold the 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, perhaps ten minutes or so, 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'). They will also find a bunch of posters around the train and might notice the new clock in the standard coach.

The store rooms have been restocked with fresh ingredients, the ingredient this month is a strange meat, yaddon tail.

For passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage in various suitcases and bags. There is a box labelled for purple team containing a stick of rock for each member of purple team, including those who are new. Join in your teams success!

New passengers will find their ticket allows them into their cabins. In most rooms, the occupied beds are obvious, leaving the spotless, empty spaces for the newcomers. 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 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!

Comments

purple kyoko | OTA

[wishalone]

[ platform / exposition ]
Kyoko might have made a bit of a scene today as she tried to stop Mami from leaving.

She might have spent the time on the platform searching the crowd for her, even if, deep down, she knew she wouldn't find her.

She might have stayed out there on the platform until the second horn sounded. And when it did --

When it did, she got back on the train. She stood with her back against the door, fists buried deep in her Ravager coat's pockets, head bowed, her bangs hanging over her eyes. Until, eventually and suddenly, she moves: slamming her fist against the wall beside her, and then stalking off down the passageway.

[ gym ]
Kyoko heads straight to the gym. She's simmering with restless, frustrated energy, and she can't tolerate the idea of sitting still anywhere right now. All around her, train life goes on as normal. Newcomers being greeted, friends calling out to each other, making food for one other, finding ways to pass the time. And she can't stomach it right now. She can't.

Part of her wants to pick a fight with someone -- a real fight, not just an argument. But at the same time, she doesn't want to talk to anyone. Doesn't want to be around anyone. She could go hole up in her bunk, but she's afraid of being left alone with her thoughts even more.

If we're supposed to go on like normal, then fine. I can do that, too.

Once arrived in the gym and securing a space for herself, Kyoko throws herself into her personal training. Uses her illusion magic to create a duplicate of herself to spar against. Long spears clash, sometimes breaking down into chains to catch the other in a trap. But every time one gets the chance to strike home, do some real damage, they stop. Reset. Start again.

It isn't until one of the Kyokos gets knocked into someone else's practice space that they stop. The one furthest away fizzles out, the magic dismissed, as the one who is now in another person's space -- your space -- picks herself up off the floor.

"Sorry 'bout that. Didn't brace for that hit as good as I thought I did."

[ kitchen ]
Eventually, she gets hungry. Of course she does. Sometimes, she thinks there's a part of her that will always be hungry, no matter how much or how often she eats. This is one of those times. But besides that, she was just off training. All that exercise put a dent in her energy reserves -- magical and physical, both. It's only natural she'd get hungry.

But as she meanders around the dining and kitchen cars, trying to think of what she wants to eat... She runs into a problem.

Around this time, normally, she'd be eating Mami's cooking. And what she wants most, more than anything else in the whole world right now... is to eat Mami's cooking.

It makes her feel like a little kid again, because there's a part of her that wants to throw a tantrum about it. I want Mami's cooking, or else! Except that "or else" wouldn't really get her anywhere. She isn't about to refuse to eat at all unless it's something Mami made for her. And who exactly would she make empty threats to? There's nothing to do but suck it up and figure something out.

Her mood is low, low, visibly low in the sag of her shoulders and the furrow of her brow. She ends up digging up some bread and cheese out of storage. She drops her ingredients on the little counter next to her stove, which happens to be next to an occupied one. She glances over at the person cooking next to her, and... before she even sets a pan on hers, she's leaning over into their space to take a look.

"Hey... What are you making?" There's distinctly less energy in her voice, making it fall flat and sound almost disinterested.

Gym

[redmeguca]

It's fine.

[The other person just so happened to be the other Kyoko, small wounds visibly sealing after training with Usagi.]

I see you're getting the hang of Rosso Fantasma again, but how about you try the real thing? I think we've both got some aggression to work out.

[wishalone]

[Great. Of all the people she could've run into like this...

But. This is also the one person who would understand, most intimately and without her having to say anything, what she's going through right now. She doesn't have to talk about it. She doesn't have to pretend like she's feeling anything other than what she is.

Kyoko stares at her mirror image, her older, other self as she talks, expression leaden. Part of her wants to rise up, snap at the use of the name of the move. At it even being mentioned. Rosso Fantasma. She never called it that out loud, but it's what she's called it in her head ever since Mami first suggested the name. And now...

... now, she doesn't even want to have the name in her thoughts. She can't handle it. It makes too many emotions well up in her chest, it sets her head buzzing.

She spins her spear, feet sliding apart to adopt a combat stance. With a smirk and a verbal cockiness she doesn't feel in her heart, because it's been replaced with a heavy weight,] You know what? Why the hell not. Give me all you've got.

[redmeguca]

Heh!

[Red energy flows over her body as she transforms, but it doesn't stop there. It continues past her body, shaping itself into a distinctly equine shape. The light bursts apart, Kyoko of Blue having become a centaur. She hefts her spear, now sized for her new form.]

I've got a year and extra powers on you. You couldn't handle everything I've got.

[wishalone]

[There it is again, that horse thing. It's just bizarre, and she really doesn't know what to make of it. She can't conceptualize using a power like that. She knows herself, knows she'd use any power that's hers, precisely because it's hers, but --

It's like a real, hardcore, unavoidable reminder that they're different. They might both be Kyoko, but this other one, this older one... Yeah. She's got a year of experience on her. A year of memories. Things she can never imagine. Things she probably wouldn't be able to understand.

Kyoko grits her teeth, but her smirk widens, canines showing.] Is that supposed to change my mind?

[She makes the first move -- launching herself forward, opening with a basic thrust. Just to get things started.] Not a chance!

Kitchen

[cureofmanyworlds]

“Cake.” Nozomi said. “Coconut cake. I… I need comfort food right now.”

Mami’s departure hit her hard as well. Things she wanted to say and do. She hated this train. Heck, she should be used to it with all of the worlds she had been to and yet…

[wishalone]

Cake...

For a second, Kyoko's expression stalls out. Just a second, and she looks completely gutted.

But then she closes off, the shutters snapping shut, and instead, she just looks annoyed. Winded, but annoyed.

"Mm." At first, it seems like that's her entire reply, a vague noise of confirmation as she draws back to her own cooking station. She gets a small frying pan out. "Yeah. Me, too." Comfort food. That's why she found herself reaching to make a grilled cheese, without really thinking about it. The sandwich Yondu made for her the day they met.

A(n admittedly awkward) beat of silence. Then, she thinks to add, "Too bad we don't have any tomato soup left." She doesn't really want to talk to anyone right now. She doesn't really want to be around anyone right now. But she invited herself into Nozomi's business anyway, and now she's continuing the conversation. It's the second betrayal of the other horrible feeling gnawing at her insides: She doesn't want to be alone.

And she knows... She knows Mami is friends with -- was? -- is friends... with Nozomi, too. And if Nozomi shares her need for comfort food, maybe she shares this feeling, too.

[cureofmanyworlds]

“Heh, I’m not a soup person…” Nozomi said. It was an awkward silence, alright. She met both Kyokos, so she knew both would be hurting. She didn’t think she would be hurting with them.

But, the other worlds she been to, Valkuntha and Equestria, the people just up and left. The train… the train was worse…

“I’m not sure I can handle all this…”

The cake or another person leaving?

[yondu]

Today had been a bad day for losses. But that didn't make Kyoko's any easier. She had made a scene, but he'd let her make it. Kyoko deserved that freedom. And as someone that constantly feared an ending that wasn't worthwhile, leaving no mark, he could see that Mami's parting was important.

She actually sneaks up on him in the kitchen later, 'cause he's in his own little world trying to find a storage container for what is basically chopped mystery fruit to stick in the freezer and hope someone knows what the fuck to do with it.

"Nothin'. Just choppin' stuff up to store." He sees what she has, and sees that he has some Almost Tomatoes with him.

He puts them on a cutting board. "Want me to make that for ya if you chop me up some tomatoes? ...I know they're purple but they're tomatoes. I just ain't good at that yet."

[wishalone]

She'd kind of been avoiding him since the platform. She'll admit that to herself. But when she found him in the kitchen with a bunch of weird-looking stuff, she couldn't resist. Her curiousity overrode her desire to... to, what? She doesn't know what to call it. How to categorize it. She just hadn't wanted to see him, that's all.

(That's a lie. She did. She did want to see him. She's just been scared of it, too. Scared of the safety. Scared of the acknowledgment. It feels like she's in a sinking boat, doing everything she can to patch the holes to keep the water from coming in, even as it's rising above her head. If she lets herself slow down, if she lets herself be complacent, even for a moment... The water will get in, and she'll drown.)

His offer to make her soup is exactly the kind of pierce in her hull that she's been trying to avoid. She's about to put the bread directly in the cold pan without any butter, and at his words, her hands falter with the first slice.

"So long's it tastes the same, it's fine." She can't look at him. She kind of wants to look at his purple tomatoes, just because it sounds funny. It also sounds like such a him thing to have. The blue man has purple tomatoes. "Yeah... It's fine." It's stupid that this makes her want to cry.

[yondu]

Yondu doesn't know that he lives in a world where someone messed with hue settings on his image filter. But he lines a few of the Mistake Tomatoes on the cutting board and takes her sandwich from her 'cause, while he's not great at cooking, he got that right. If only Soldat was here right now he could make something decent.

"We don't gotta talk about it," he says, addressing the elephant in the room before it can trumpet. But he gives her a pat on her back. "We'll just fill ya up."

It's then that he goes for the butter, because on platform day people leave all kinds of things from stores in the kitchen so he knows some is up here. He saw it earlier. It's probably funny, him sitting there prepping food, his gifted knife still tucked into the sheath on his arm, looking overly battle ready just to cook.

Except he seems to think about it. This coat is his armor, his protection. From the moment he arrived, as much as it's his identity, it's also kept him safe from anyone that might be unsavory. Now, he doesn't plan to make a habit of it (as, like said, it's a part of his identity), but for the sake of Kyoko maybe needing that softer part that he kept hid from his crew for so long, he takes off the coat and throws it over a chair by a prep station.

He comes back to continue helping her out.

(Probably still a little funny 'cause his flight harness is still on over the thin leather under-jacket.)

gym, with a daassshh of wildcard added, lmk if this is okay!

[happyends]

Of course Madoka saw what happened on the platform.

It was hard to miss it, especially with the scene Kyoko was causing - but at the same time, it wasn't like Madoka could blame the other girl for it. She knew exactly why the other was having that reaction, a reaction born from the same kind of feeling Madoka had as she was standing there too, watching the crowd of people who were leaving.

And one among them in particular.

And while it almost feels wrong to have stopped Kyoko in the middle of her fit on the platform - maybe she should throw her emotions out there like that, maybe it's better than the way Madoka just sits with the sadness in her own stomach without doing anything about it - Madoka does quickly want to seek out the other girl once they're all back on the train. It doesn't feel right to leave either of the Kyokos alone in the face of what happened. And while she's not too sure where she can find the other girl - apparently not in the kitchen or the dining car, since Madoka's mind immediately goes to assume Kyoko may be eating away her trouble - she instead manages to spot the redhead once she enters the gym.

There's a brief moment of hesitation, basically meekness, before she raises her voice to try and draw the other's attention while Kyoko seems so caught up in a spar against her double.

"U.. Um, Kyoko-chan..!"

'sall good

[wishalone]

Madoka.

Kyoko knew she couldn't avoid this forever. She just -- hasn't figured out what she's gonna do. She doesn't want to talk about it. She really, really doesn't. And she doesn't know how she's going to comfort Madoka -- Mami was her senpai, too, after all. No... It's more accurate to say she doesn't know if she can comfort her. Especially not when she's barely holding herself together as it is.

Maybe she'll pretend she can't hear her call out. She's sparring right now, after all. It's a good excuse. But she doesn't think she could keep using it when Madoka keeps trying, and knows her well enough to know it wouldn't dissuade her. Even if she did leave, she'd just try again later, wouldn't she?

Kyoko grits her teeth and, after she finishes the current set of blows, stops. She backs away from her illusion, but doesn't dismiss it yet, and doesn't close to proper speaking distance with Madoka. "Hey. What is it?"

[happyends]

There's a slight moment of silence, even as Kyoko finally responds to her.

Maybe it's since Madoka isn't too sure what to even say in this situation - there's just never any right words for it. People leave here, and people don't get to say goodbye, and it's cruel. No matter how many times it happens.

But she knows she has to say something. So even as Kyoko keeps that distance between them, Madoka speaks up all the same.

".. I'm sorry, Kyoko-chan. I know that you must be having a hard time right now.. Since it sounded like you and Mami-san were very important to each other." .. even if it might have been in a way that could only be described as 'It's Complicated.' "But.. I just want you to know that you don't have to be alone with that feeling. You can talk to me whenever you need it, you know.."

Gym

[consider8]

For once, Eight isn't in the Gym to do any practice. She's feeling a bit more introspective today and is taking the moment to enjoy people's company and not feel quite so alone. She is especially taken in by Kyoko's spectacle. They fight with an intensity and frenzy that would make the Octarian elites jealous. There is a flow and purpose to each action cut short only by the resetting.

She had taken to start counting their number and was completely absorbed when one of the Kyokos plummeted towards her. Her eyes widen and she took the only evasive method she had available to her.

She fell into a puddle of goo and became an octopus in order to avoid the hit. Sadly, the trajectory was too sharp and instead of dodging a rather solid Kyoko body has further flattened the flailing mollusk.

"It'sfine!Getoff!It'sfine!Getoff!!"

this is SO funny

[wishalone]

Oops.

Kyoko quickly rolls off of her, and remains on the floor after. She's too surprised. And, yeah, she's gawking a bit. It's not every day you get thrown onto an octopus by your own magical clone.

"Uh... You okay?"

eee~ you could say the CR is starting with a big impact? :3c

[consider8]

Honestly, she is not. That amount of physical trauma is so severe that she almost became a goo puddle! Were Kyoko just a little bit heavier, she would probably be getting a one-way trip to the luggage car.

For a mercy, the one good thing about having an ink body was that anything that didn't kill her was pretty quick to recover. It takes a moment but the splayed out tentacles begin to take a solid form before shifting back into the girl she once was. The only trace that something had happened was a small puddle of magenta ink circling her on the floor.

A steadying hand was raised to her head as she finally responded to the query. "I... I will be okay. You... just caught me by surprise."

slams into you... finally... after us having plans for like three months... gym

[oncedriven]

Asch, for his part, is always sharply limited in the gym - having mostly big weapons and limited space doesn't work all that well for him - so he's been focusing on elemental manipulations instead. Still, he's at least aware enough of the other occupants that Kyoko's slide into his space isn't a slide directly into him.

It's a close call, though. He sidesteps and there's a distinct feeling of dampness in the air Kyoko's stepped into. Water magic is the order of the day, apparently.

"Don't worry about it. ...Hell of a trick, though." He honestly sounds a bit impressed as he turns, instinctively going to offer her a hand up but finding that she's already got it handled. The angle he turns to manages to make the core crystal set in his chest obvious enough, though, a square on its corners with one cut off set in the gap at the undone upper part of his coat. "Need someone to go a round with?"

reaches out and throttles life for getting in the way

[wishalone]

There's more than one thing to notice here at once. The air feels like it's been raining, even though that's obviously not the case. It wouldn't be something she'd immediately notice, she doesn't think, if it wasn't for her magic senses drawing her attention to it. Then, of course, there's the -- It isn't a Soul Gem, but Kyoko finds she can't draw her eyes away from it all the same. It's almost exactly in the place as her Soul Gem right now.

At least, not until he offers to spar with her. She leans her spear against her shoulder as she sizes him up. There isn't much about him that tells her what kind of a fighter he is. But, honestly... She doesn't care about that right now.

"Sure. Why not?" A turn of her wrist and her spear spins almost idly to her side, then she slides down into a basic combat stance. "Give me all you got!"

CRASHES IN LATE I'M SORRY-- (kitchen)

[runicfeathers]

Willow's mood, too, is a bit soured at Mami's departure; having enjoyed the blonde's company and friendship. But she's learned by now that people leave, and can only hope that she'll come back some day. Hopefully.

But for now she's taking a look at the strange looking tails that are the monthly ingredient and taking a crack at making the food she knows how to make without needing help: stews.

Though her focus is lost when Kyoko asks her.

"A stew, it looks like this odd meat is what's the main ingredient."

THIS IS LATE TOO WE'RE GOOD

[wishalone]

Kyoko looks over at the ingredients laid out and... yeah... yeah. That tail thing is...

"It's weird as hell." For sure. "D'you have any idea what it's supposed to be from?"

Bless <3 all the lateness sobs, but worth it

[runicfeathers]

There's a puzzled look at the question, picking up a piece of the tail to eye level and squinting at it. Maybe some of the creatures of her world were like this, but none she ever saw.

"I have no idea, maybe from one of our fellow passengers homes to make them feel a little closer to home?"

Gym

[obliviouspatriarch]

Wuxian himself is irritated with two of the departures, seeing A-Qing and Wen Ning both leave. His friend, and the girl he knows has no happy ends where she's returning to. It's enough to make his fur stand on end and need to let his frustration out in the gym on a dummy, and it doesn't help that the fox spirit has been agitated for some reason or another lately.

He's mid punch on a dummy when Kyoko gets thrown his way, looking down as he stops it and offers that hand to help her up.

"Don't worry, we all get hit harder than we think sometimes! Need some help?"

[wishalone]

Kyoko accepts the hand, but once she's on her feet, she's giving this guy a very skeptical and judging look.

"Are you seriously asking if I need help fighting my own illusion?" As if this is a great offense.

[obliviouspatriarch]

Her remark makes him chuckle just a bit. Before he arrived in Hakagemachi, or even in his previous life, he would have said the same thing. But after experiencing that kind of thing in that city? He's more willing to accept the help if offered.

"I've fought my own illusions before, and they would have won without some help from friends and family."

It's still weird for him to think he has friends, but they come from the strangest of places.