A NEW PLATFORM [INTRO POST JANUARY]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

Despite whatever Voidtreckers may have learned or how they feel about those revelations - or reminders - of the precariousness of their situation, the train flies ever onward.

"Good morning Voidtreckers, it is day one of the month of Poi. 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. The weather is dry but there is a chill to the air and a strong breeze." 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. Dairine, Okada Izō, Rapunzel, Satoru and Siebren; 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 thirteen new faces. Wearing hoodies in all four colours and 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 long with a grassy mound behind them. It is blustery and the air is cold, they will be glad of those hoodies.

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, windy platform; then the fog begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

Thirteen figures, 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'). The store rooms have been restocked with fresh ingredients, with cans of corned beef lining the shelves.

For passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage in various suitcases and bags. Those from purple who go to find their prize will find a large box containing a gingerbread train for them to share. Plenty enough to go around, even for the largest team.

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.

Snow Time: Rock Garden

Winter seems to have followed from Osiga and nested in the rock garden. There's a chill that nips in the air and a light snow (real snow) fills the air. A thin cloudy haze at the top of the carriage seems the source. Yet the kaleidoscope of the void will assure that this is no timely world stop.

People might have seen it occurring the night before. Snow falling heavy before tapering off with an odd precision, leaving a heavy blanket over the carriage 'ground'. By morning of Platform Day, a miniature winter has descended, ripe for snowforts, snowballs, angels and snowmen.

It's not just the climate that's changed. Many statues and rock features are missing or moved. Digging below the snow reveals soil now frozen but providing a barrier between the bare floor of the carriage. Keen eyes will see changes are made with safety and available space in mind. The fountain has been emptied but the pond and streams are frozen solid, allowing intrepid spirits to try slide-skating over the surfaces without the risk of breaking through. The mosaics are still around, and enchantments are in place to protect paintings and paper decorations from damp. Any plants have been sent to sleep or taken to safety.

The benches are still around. Paths and bridges are covered with fresh snow, but, as the day goes on, it's trampled down and or scattered. Najaran's woodfolk may be glimpsed near Jingyi's shrine or hiding in the shadows of rocks and statues still present, perhaps even buried in the snow and peeking out. Shy around humans, though those with pointed ears or Hylian lineage may find an easier time interacting.

There are signs on both doors of the carriage warning of the change and mentioning the dressing carriage will have winter gear, and it does: with hats, scarves, gloves and ice skates in a variety of sizes. Dispensers with warm drinks such as coffee, hot chocolate and hot water for tea are available in the Games Carriage.

Early the next day, the snow will be gone and the gardens returned to how they once were.

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

ota

[asheaveniswide]

Platform

One of the new arrivals towers over the rest, purple hoodied and as bewildered as the others present.

For a time he's still and silent as the fog swirls about and others make their presences known, but they seem as lost as he is, and nothing about the situation or the people are familiar - he doesn't even recognize the species of a couple. It's reflexive, to exchange ordinary vision for aethersight and be certain none of the confused bodies are currently housing a shadowless monstrosity, and while he is immediately reassured that yes everyone on the platform is in fact a person and not an Ascian, there's ... other issues.

Ones he immediately puts aside for later, brow furrowed. That will be dealt with when he has more liesure to study it, for now..

For now there's a long whistle of a train and one very clearly not of Garlemald design tears through the fog, and Zenos turns his attention to the pack he's arrived with, crouching down to sit on his heels and begin to rummage through it. Apparently the biting chill in the air doesn't bother him at all, because it's being ignored -- well, almost; a moment of digging pulls out the waterproof coat in the bag, which is considered for a long moment, gaze turning skywards, before it's shrugged on. Surprisingly it actually fits, someone seems to have his size in mind. The rest of it seems ... normal enough, if odd in design and not his preferred colors; the leather notebook is studied and put away, the washing kit sniffed and found wanting of a better scent, his tomestone immediately pocketed..

Hm. Seems he's packed for a bit of a journey, presumably on this train.

Upper 3, Cabin D

What joy awaits, for Cabin D has a new roommate!

One who doesn't enter immediately, frowning at his ticket. This is all understandable enough, tickets work as keys, but if his glimpses of the other rooms suggested anything, he was going to be sharing space with others, and already this train felt cramped and small, clearly not designed for Garlean sizes in mind.

Eventually the door is opened, and immediately his concerns are rendered valid. This is a TINY SPACE. And he is emphatically not tiny.

"....I can see I won't be getting much actual rest any time soon," the blond man mutters, sounding distinctly displeased, and it's pretty easy to guess why.

Train Locations

Once his belongings are more or less settled and any greetings and or sudden conflicts therein handled, Zenos sets out to get the measure of the train ... and keep track of that little wisp of Ascian he keeps catching now and again. The walls of the train disrupt his Resonant sight, but he's certain there's one around. As he prowls from car to car, examining what it's for and what it contains, from one end to the other, occasionally his eyes are a perfectly ordinary human blue, other times they're reddish purple with black sclera, but that's easily enough missed if one isn't paying attention..

But Zenos is absolutely paying attention. To everyone and everything - this is a very cramped train with quite a few people onboard, and the little informational pamphlets did explain some things ... but not everything.

He's going to turn up in every car sooner or later, one by one, except for the rooms he cannot enter such as everyone else's rooms. Eventually, there's an alarmingly tall blond man scouring the location you're in with restrained curiosity, but no immediate greetings offered.

Platform [bad cat deserves the spray bottle]

[bitternessoflife]

There was a cat prowling closer, albeit one dressed like the other arrivals (his clothes came in orange), seemingly under the impression he could sneak over and peek into Zenos' bag.

Look, it was on the ground, he couldn't resist, even with its owner right there, he wasn't planning on running away with it or anything, just having a closer look at what's inside!

[asheaveniswide]

And ... Zenos ... doesn't actually do anything about the cat by way of trying to stop it.

That is not a miqo'te, nor an exceptionally tiny hrothgar, but it's wearing clothing (though that wasn't necessarily a measure of intelligence) and it's on the platform with the rest of them so perhaps it too is a kidnapping victim. Was there another tiny rucksack out there, cat sized and full of cat sized items?

"I'm afraid there's naught much of interest in there for cats," the Garlean murmurs. "Unless 'tis only a warm place to sleep you seek."

The only thing of value has been already removed. Letting other people, even kitties, get their hands on his tomestone wasn't going to happen.

[bitternessoflife]

"... huh, so there isn't," Yota said and resumed standing on his hind legs as he normally did, brushing dirt from his paws... rather closer to furry little hands!

Yota did, indeed, have his own little rucksack.
"Have you written anything in that yet? Is it important?" he asked, gesturing at the leather notebook. "Kinda barebones for a journey, huh?"

He hadn't looked through his own yet to find they mostly had the same amenities!

[asheaveniswide]

It's intelligent enough to speak, and Yota shifts a category over in Zenos' mind. There might be more bestial peoples he hadn't encountered or Imperial spies hadn't discovered, but that seemed... unlikely. What was the alternative?

"I have not." The journal is, almost as an afterthought, opened - it's in pristine shape, unmarked by thought or doodle. Were they meant to keep their own records? "There seems enough clothing, but naught of food, nor where the journey might be leading."

Honestly there should be a travel brochure at the very least. ..What WAS the alternative? There were more than a few species he didn't recognize. Not other worlds, surely. "Were you likewise supplied such things?"

Train Locations. No really. Teleportation Saves Lives. (And is really annoying to deal with.)

[wewillwewill]

Platform Day wore on. Elidibus didn't miss the tall form of the Garlean standing head and shoulders over the crowd on the platform. But there was something off about his aether. It was so completely different and yet similar. The Ascian was not about to prod a live wire then and there but he'd become watchful.

The roster later confirmed it. Zenos yae Galvus. One with strong.... discrepancies that caused a certain niggling dissatisfaction within Elidibus that he couldn't pinpoint; as if some item of a wonderfully decorated room to exacting tastes had been shifted and was no longer where it should be.

One of many mysteries to resolve later.

Without any untoward reactions or sudden murderous impulses on display, the Ascian saw no reason to reveal his identity. If this Zenos even knew it in the first place. But as the day went on, rosters could be checked and senses put to the test in the train's odd confines it became clear.

Elidibus was being hunted. So the young prince did know something.

To be clear it's not a game the Emissary then chooses to then play. It's a careful pacing of the hunt, canny and delicately handled. Letting the predator know the prey is on to him and seeking either de-escalation or a resolution where hunter and hunted are on far more equal grounds. Given the identity of the hunter however different to the senses, the Ascian aims for the latter. The former is likely not to happen.

There is also the matter of bystanders. Other passengers, not even the Warriors of Light- perhaps especially not them- need not be part of this nor nearby when matters come to a head. So Elidibus had ducked in and out of the snow garden more than he'd intended. He couldn't stay but he could at least give the impression nothing was out of the ordinary to the others, other than the notion that Elidibus would in fact enjoy a snowy day. The luggage carriage after everyone had picked up their packages had certainly been considered, but a glimpse within had revealed the addition of a dragon and a very stoned Seto very much in need of peace and quiet.

And thus the chase will end in the open space of the music car's open recital hall. Peaceful and serene and more importantly right at this moment very empty.

[asheaveniswide]

Zenos is nothing if not patient. Stalking immortal mages of vast experience and skill was a risk without knowing which immortal mage it was. Some simply weren't suited at all to combat and were alarmingly easy prey. Others required a bit of backup. Which one was this?

There were other things to accomplish at the same time, such as getting a decent map in his mind as to the train's layout, what's where and the tone of the people currently onboard; the kitchen's found early in and a long utility knife picked up on the way back through various cars one by one, tucked against his forearm to allow a bit of concealment.

No Ascian yet, just traces of aether. Countless people are marked off as not current hosts or victims, the tell-tale mark of Shadowless presence absent in each strange soul.

What was the point? He lacked the aether or a proper way to contain whichever Ascian this was, and without Gaius there to bring Ultima's vast reservoirs to bear he could only hope to toy with the ancient creature a bit.. but after what had been done to Garlemald, perhaps that would be satisfaction enough.

It isn't all leading the patient Resonant about, not once he discovers the teleporters someone had built here and there in the train. He won't be baited about so easily and is hardly concerned about anyone else who might be caught in the crossfire, and more than once the noose suddenly closes before Elidibus reaches his goal of a distant and unoccupied car, forcing a hasty teleport away to avoid the silver flash of knife out in the open. Rapidly apparent is it that if Elidibus doesn't find a spot quickly, escape wasn't going to be possible for long.. somehow he's being tracked or outright predicted to a degree where the Garlean is turning up mere moments after the Ascian appears. Some strange skill of the Resonant, or merely learning terrifyingly quickly?

It's hard to tell, for the game does come to an abrupt end in the music car, a stand finally made, and once more the relentless pursuit follows even there, to stop a few steps in ... but as Elidibus doesn't immediately flee again, there's something like a gleam of satisfaction in strange, unnatural eyes.

"Elidibus. I hadn't dared hope it might be you." There's nothing welcoming in that tone. No friendliness, though if that sound had ever passed the lips of Zenos yae Galvus it would surely be a strange day indeed.

[wewillwewill]

Elidibus was the latter, yet he labored under the confines of train and innocents alike. Mortal life was always fleeting. Many on the train could hold their own or simply weren't mortal at all. Neither of these facts changed the Emissary's outlook on whom he'd taken into his care for the duration of the journey.

He knew the power inherent in a Zenos yae Galvus. He'd held that power as his own, a vessel suited for purpose when the Warrior of Light marched against Garlemald before a storm of blood and rebellion. Or had that been his wake? Elidibus had no time to focus on the minor philosophies now. All of his attention was needed to keep ahead of the hunter.

One thing that remains the same is Zenos's ability to learn and adapt with frightening clarity and speed. It's not just once in those near misses that the flash of knife nearly or literally trims even the short cropped hair of the Ascian's vessel before shadows and darkness swallow him away to safety. It seemed it wouldn't be very much longer before the Garlean arrived before Elidibus.

Or started taking the advantage of the strange reluctance to involve the passengers of the train. Such would be the actions of the Zenos he's familiar with, once the 'rabid dog' of the Empire had fixated on something. There's no reason not to at least consider it a strong possibility for this variation.

So they meet in the empty upper hall of the music car. Less instruments here, though more chairs, the stage, the piano. Elidibus places himself somewhere midway between an entrance and the stage. He waits and is granted the dubious reward of both Zenos's appearance and a tidbit of information. That by the phrasing alone, the prince may not have looked at the roster and its accompanying picture but recognized the Ascian by eyes and sense alone.

There was no intention of denying it. The red sigil of offer is conjured forth, though without an accompanying gesture of a hand which might have prompted an attack.

"Yes. I am Elidibus. And you... You are Zenos yae Galvus are you not?" The question has purpose in its seeming puzzled wonderment. Now with a chance to better observe the Resonant, there is little mistaking a startling difference as distinct as night and day between this man and the one of his star. Briefly the Emissary narrows his eyes. "I did not think I would hold such interest to you, given the presence of two Warriors of Light on this train."

It suggests something more personal has drawn Zenos to him. But what is it?

[asheaveniswide]

"Do you think he will run to your defense?" There's two? Did Eorzea's champion have an unexpected sibling? It's interesting but ultimately pointless, the Warrior of Light tended to not meddle in external affairs he wasn't dragged into kicking and screaming, and a conflict between two foes was surely something to watch from the sidelines with interest, not intervene in favor of one or the other.. "I should think not, no more than he would come to my aid in turn."

But who knows what lies the Ascian might be using. What truths might simply be ... left out. He'd have to keep watch for this Warrior of Light and company, but there were more important matters at hand. The knife flashes and glitters as it's briefly spun between his fingers, his approach slow and measured. Patient even now, any and all flickers of ambient aether or Elidibus' own tracked and measured. The question as to who he is goes unanswered, he feels it's perfectly self evident. Who else could he be, but himself? It was his body and his soul, and although he's fairly sure he COULD take someone else's body ... why? His was infinitely superior than almost any option he could otherwise choose. "No, my ... 'interest', is with you. I wanted to thank you."

His tone changes by degrees, sliding from frostiness to gradual purring gentleness. Flash goes the knife. Over and over, it might be a bit hypnotic to watch too closely for long. "After all, without your aid, I would not stand at the precipice of the throne, soon to be named Emperor." Which he fully intended to abdicate regardless. "Without your exceptional hard work, my palace would still be inhabitable, not blighted by Black Rose. Any vermin who lingered there are sure to have been eradicated. That it cost my servants, my guardsmen and my companions is ... a minor price to pay in pursuit of my birthright, is it not?"

There's something not quite right with the storm of darkness that marks Elidibus' aether, or the mismatch color of his soul. He'd confronted the Emissary before, chased him out of the Empire and hunted him across a nation or two, he knew that particular Ascian's essence at vast distances. This was very nearly identical.

Very nearly. But not ... quite.

Did it matter? Whatever he did to himself, he's still Elidibus--

Cabin Friend :D

[dragoonrouge]

Q'uila likes to keep a careful track of the Passengers aether, you never knew when you might have to quickly hunt someone down, and she feels like she's acclimatised to Elidibus' constant presence like a burning itch between her shoulder blades. But it seems like this platform was sent to test her as a familiar aether seeps aboard the Train, catching her by surprise as it approaches the cabin she is currently in and setting her hackles up.

The sight the greets Zenos as he opens the door is a particularly furious Miqo'te, purple fur bristled to its fullest extent and ears plastered so far back they almost seem to meld with her head.

"You," There is enough venom in Q'uila's hiss to kill anyone else and her glare would be sharp enough to reslit Zenos' throat, "What are you doing here?!"

[asheaveniswide]

For her trouble and hostility, Q'uila gains ... a remarkably bland look in return; she's assessed and summarily dismissed as a threat worth worrying about.

No sudden excitement or interest, no, though her species is noted and the hostility quite frankly expected from any Eorzean. He hadn't caught echoes of the Ascian's presence in this car, however, so it was unlikely to be this miqo'te. In some other reality, finding his 'friend' here and waiting for him would be like all his nameday gifts all at once, but this one...

This one hasn't bothered to check to see if her aether matches up with any he's already familiar with. He will, that much is certain; so much could be read from another's soul. Instead he holds up the end of his ticket, the briefest twitched smiles crossing his lips. "This is where I have been directed."

Someone out there has a terrible sense of humor, at both their expense. "Mayhap words with the conductor will be warranted, for placing Eorzean and Garlean in the same small space."

[dragoonrouge]

Q'uila's eyes dart to the ticket and her lips curl back in a growl, one that is less like a miqo'te and a touch more draconic.

"Oschon's wrinkled bollocks, this is the stupidest thing this train has ever done!"

Her fingers twitch, Q'uila fights back the urge to draw a weapon, not only would he not die again but her preferred lance would be worse than useless.

"What is the last thing you remember before the train dragged your sorry arse here?"

[asheaveniswide]

And they wonder why Garlemald calls them barbarians. Zenos is reasonably sure they wouldn't know proper etiquette and civilized behavior if it popped up and hit them with a book on polite society.

The growl earns a long-suffering sigh.

"Come now. Enemies we may be, but there's no need to be boorish about it. Should you find a civil tongue somewhere in your head, mayhap your questions will be answered." Until then, he's... going to study the bunks with all evident dissatisfaction. He's not sure he trusted himself to either top bunk, whether or not they're claimed - they look flimsy to his eye.

It's pretty obvious if nothing else that he doesn't recognize her, else surely his reactions would be very different.

Cabin

[averyusefultray]

Hera's small space within the cabin is extremely tidy. Whether that's a military thing or a mom thing is left as an exercise for the reader as not even her nearest and dearest are quite certain of the answer.

At least Nozomi is still on board, so a new roommate is quite as jarring as otherwise might be possible. She looks her new roommate over. Yes, she can see the potential issue. "For a train that travels between worlds, the standardization is surprisingly narrow."

[asheaveniswide]

There is apparently much he's going to have to learn about new species, he keeps coming across them. Hera's eyed speculatively; he can't even begin to guess, but she seems to be well spoken enough and her space was neat.

How much worse the potential issues if she'd been an aggressive slob? Happily, not a concern, it seems. "Ah, so it does travel the stars." Which ones? "In which case, limiting itself to one size seems unusually maladaptive to many species." Someone should really speak to the designers of these rooms!

He's not volunteering. Not for that at least. One hand rises, it's ... almost a greeting. "Zenos yae Galvus. I have been assigned to this ... little cabin for the forseeable future." Which is going to be a lot more cramped with him in it, and he seems a touch apologetic about that.

[averyusefultray]

"Not the stars, exactly. That I would be used to." Which is probably why she manages well enough in these quarters. "It's versions of reality, though many of the places we reach are spacefaring."

And yet she hardly ever gets to fly. Terrible.

She nods in response. "I'm Hera Syndulla. Most of the passengers are human but there are enough of us that aren't that it's strange the train hasn't accounted for it."

Upper 3D

[dyingpro]

Of course the train is designed for Garlean sizes! Just not Zenos' size of Garlean; more like Cid nan Garlond's size of Garlean. Speaking of Cid size, Zenos comes across a similarly sized humanoid sitting in one of the bottom bunks, brow furrowing in confusion at their newest bunkmate. Even without the Resonance active, it's clear that this being, though completely foreign to the world of Eorzea, is an Eikon. Without the control of an Ascian over the powers of the Echo, even mechanically given, the specifics of this one's eikonhood are fuzzy at best. But he's clearly got the physiology of one despite looking like a stereotypical Hyur, with his feet eternally burning and the laurel crown on his head similarly made of tongues of flame. He's pale, too, paler than a Hyur normally would be, and his eyes don't match - one green with white sclera, the other red with black sclera... interestingly enough, much like a Resonant's eyes might look.

"You must be the new roommate." Something about Zenos reminds him of someone he knows, but he's having a hard time figuring it out; he puzzles at it for a little while, examining Zenos with curious eyes, before realizing that his staring is probably considered rude. "Hi. I'm Zagreus. What should I call you?"

[asheaveniswide]

Even Nero would begin running into trouble with this sizing! At least Zenos isn't a roegadyn, they wouldn't even fit on the beds without toppling off.

But he's learned some measure of caution in assuming the nature of those he meets, even in the few hours of being on the train. There were species he'd never encountered or even heard of, and the makeup of their souls was peculiar and unfamiliar. That this small hyur is the wrong color and appears to at least be part ON FIRE does draw Zenos to a stop neatly midway through the door, brow furrowing slightly as the only indication of his puzzlement. Were this in Eorzean territories he'd assume some Eikon perhaps, or someone badly corrupted by the same, but here?

Fordola kept mismatched eyes through her grant of the Resonance. Surely this being was not one of their small number, he'd know, he hand picked every single one of them-

And Eikons are rarely so openly friendly to those they didn't intend to temper, yet he felt no such external pressure. There is a slow blink, a deliberate shift of focus, and the gaze that had been regarding Zagreus til now in ice blue is quite suddenly more ominously almost-red. But his exceptional vision through Resonance did not actually clarify anything, it just muddled the waters further. The furrow in his brow deepens.

"I am," he says at enough of a length to be outright awkward, as if that steady gaze probably already wasn't, "This is the room assigned to me. I am Zenos yae Galvus." And Zagreus ... is not a magical construct, even if in some ways he seems to be behaving as if he was. "...Ordinarily I would not risk souring relations with those I must share quarter with for the foreseeable future, but rudeness must needs be risked as you appear to be on fire without being consumed by it. What are you? You are not an Eikon, not ... precisely. And yet not man."

[dyingpro]

Zagreus does note the sudden change in Zenos' eyes, though it warrants only a head tilt of curiosity. The silence is palpable, and it makes the prince wonder if he had actually been heard. But soon enough the man says his name, and Zagreus nods in acknowledgement. Zenos yae Galvus is quite a mouthful, so hopefully he can shorten it to something easier? Zenos, perhaps?

"Oh, that." He answers so casually, glancing down at his feet and wiggling his fiery toes for a moment. "I was born this way. The laurels, too." He motions up to his laurel crown, still happily burning away, the leaves that escape quickly fading into nothing before they can set fire to anything flammable. "I can turn them off if I concentrate, but it requires magic power, or mana, or whatever you want to call it, so I usually only do it when necessary, or for the comfort of the other passengers."

The use of the word eikon confuses Zagreus further; in the tongue he speaks naturally, it means... a semblance, a likeness? Perhaps his new roommate meant it in the literary sense, as in a reflection in a mirror, or in the philosophical sense of a picture of the mind's eye? Zagreus furrows his brow and answers, "I'm not sure what you mean by eikon, but I'm no mortal. I'm the Prince of the Underworld, where I come from."

train locations

[happyends]

Oh gosh.

Talk about intimidating.

Granted, it doesn't take a whole lot to be considered intimidating by Madoka of all people. She's intimidated by the most mild of things. But this very, very tall adult man going around, looking at everything like this..? It's definitely intimidating, especially since he doesn't even say hi as she's sitting there in the standard coach, in the middle of a drawing..

The drawing is totally forgotten for now though. Madoka is looking up for it, instead just staring at the person as he's walking around, looking at everything..

.. The girl stays quiet for a good few moments, wondering whether she should speak up or not. It's a little scary, but.. maybe she just should, or it's so awkward..

"Um.. sir, are you looking for something..?"

[asheaveniswide]

He absolutely has not said hi til now! In fact it's questionable how much the small pink haired girl has even registered beyond 'exists' and 'not an Ascian', the latter of which rendering Madoka a complete non-concern compared to whatever it is sending him prowling through car after car in a patient hunt for information.

Maybe it's better to go all but unnoticed!

Except Madoka does speak up and slowly the towering Garlean draws to a stop, still and silent for a long moment before turning to regard the magical girl almost expressionlessly. Weren't his eyes reddish a minute ago? They're blue now.

"... I am merely acquainting myself with the layout of this train." Some measure of life bleeds in when he speaks, his tone carefully measured to politeness though 'friendly' might be beyond him. "I have ... newly arrived, and what lies where is a mystery I seek to unravel before it becomes a needsome thing."

That might be reasonable enough! And totally not hunting potential prey in these long and narrow corridors!

[happyends]

Hey, it is very much an appropriate answer, which is why Madoka doesn't doubt it, not even for a moment. Partially since she's gullible, sure, and partially since this guy is kind of scary, sure, but it's also just a believable answer even beyond that. Isn't that what all new people do on their first day - wander the train, trying to find out where everything is on it?

And this person has to be new. For sure. Madoka doesn't think she wouldn't have spotted someone like this before during all her time on the train..

"Ah, I'm.. sorry that you got caught up in all of this as well, sir.." Something about her tone seems a little sad as she says it, but Madoka mostly just politely bows her head in sympathy and respect before her nervous gaze dares to be aimed at him once more.

"Have you been able to find everything so far..?"

Train Locations

[mynameisallen]

He did seem intimidating to an extent. Kinda reminded him of someone because of that fact, but Allen himself seemed perfectly okay with that. Plus he sort of knows ho to deal with that type of feeling in general because of said person.

"I guess I should first say welcome at least. This is the Training Carriage."

[asheaveniswide]

A poor idea of what someone might need for training, in Zenos' experienced opinion, but at least it wasn't completely empty. Allen earns an almost distracted nod of acknowledgment as the amenities are put to scrutiny (there's no Ascian here, so lingering isn't a problem, surely..) and found a bit pathetic.

Not one single drone with which to aid people in practicing their dodging with sudden gunfire. How did anyone work in such primitive conditions? "What is trained for, in this car?"

At least his tone is polite enough.

[mynameisallen]

"It depends. Like there are things we can't do of course, but we have the basics for sword training or hand to hand." That's pretty much all he uses it for, so he didn't know what others were able to do so he couldn't add to that.

"Might not have things that are from your world. If you want stuff like that it's something you have to buy."