voidtreckermods: (voidtrain)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] voidtreckerexpress2022-01-01 05:21 am

A NEW PLATFORM [INTRO POST JANUARY]

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!
bakegarasu: (heroes rise again)

[personal profile] bakegarasu 2022-01-02 03:04 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah? This isn't any afterlife as far as I know. I was alive last I checked. ... Barely, but I was. And people here are as alive as you can get." He's not going to get into the nonsense that is tethers, because he doesn't understand it himself. "Some people here are dead, but for the most part? Alive."

They've been on missions together? Or... whatever the hell is going on in Emporio's world. He's never gotten the full story because he's never wanted to push. Either way, he's watching Jolene as closely as she's watching him.
strings_theory: (ida10)

[personal profile] strings_theory 2022-01-02 03:07 am (UTC)(link)
"Alive and dead..." She mutters to herself, how the fuck is she supposed to parse that? It sounds like utter bullshit, but if he was technically still alive and she... wasn't... then she can't really argue that particular point. Hopefully that means things didn't go as South as she'd initially thought.

"You know where he tends to hang out? I need to talk to him as soon as possible. It's... it's important." She doesn't seem to have ulterior motives in those words, even if it probably sounds evasive as fuck. She needs to know what happened, she needs to know if anything was successful. If she failed. If they failed.

Fuck, she hates it all.
seacub: (: O)

[personal profile] seacub 2022-01-02 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
There is muttering outside the door to the training room.

"I can walk I promise...you can put me down now?"

It's all strangely one-sided. As if someone were having a conversation with a wall, more than anything. It clears up a bit as the voice gains some definition. Some clarity, some recognizable traits.

The door opens. "S...seriously, I'm fi-"

...

Emporio trails off, still awkwardly stuffed in Weather's arms- one supporting his legs, the other across his front like some strange rollercoaster bar. His hat, still bearing his latest pin purchase, shifts.

"...ne...."

...

(Is what he's seeing...real?)
bakegarasu: (he's a cold hearted snake)

[personal profile] bakegarasu 2022-01-02 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
He looks over at the new person in the gym and - "Emporio!" He looks back over at JOlyne, gauging her reaction to the sudden appearance of the person they were just talking about.

"He's not normally in here, but he's here now." He steps to the side a little, the better to keep them both in his visual range for now.
strings_theory: (ida19)

[personal profile] strings_theory 2022-01-02 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
At first she's ecstatic to see him, but then she pauses as she examines the Stand with him. That's...

That's not his Stand, what the hell is going on. She raises a brow in question an slowly makes her way over, Stone Free casually following along as it's wont to do most of the time.

"Emporio. What the fuck is Weather Report doing here." Best get down to business, huh? Sorry, that's the first question on her mind and you got a lot of explaining to do, child.
seacub: (: O)

[personal profile] seacub 2022-01-02 03:41 am (UTC)(link)
Weather gently sets the boy down.

That's her. It has to be her. Weather, behind him, is more personable than she'll remember. A gentle hand, steadying his shoulder. Emporio's eyes don't leave Jolyne though. He can feel them watering, and he can feel his throat tighten, as his heart races.

"...Hermana?"

Is this Real?
bakegarasu: (once upon a midnight dreary)

[personal profile] bakegarasu 2022-01-02 03:44 am (UTC)(link)
"Emporio... is she someone you can trust?"

Look, he doesn't know a lick of Spanish, or... whatever it is he just said. "If not, I can get her out of the way."
strings_theory: (ida48)

[personal profile] strings_theory 2022-01-02 03:47 am (UTC)(link)
A lot more personable than she remembers, most of the Stands tended to be a little stand-offish, but Weather was a little weirder. She can ask more about that later. But, for now, she needs to act and she knows she needs to act.

Which means blatantly ignoring Otoha's everything and just scooping up a child for a proper hug, thank you very much. "Yeah, yeah it's me. Dunno how the fuck I ended up here, but I ain't complainin'." Yet.
seacub: (oh look rain on my face)

[personal profile] seacub 2022-01-02 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
It's a hug that he takes stiffly for a moment- as if he's not sure this is actually happening, that it's really happening, that it-

"Ngk...kgh...."

Emporio throws his arms around the other, and the dam finally breaks. "Y...You're here..! ...You're okay, you're here..! I thought...I thought I wouldn't....Kgh..."

Weather hovers, half cloud and mist, and does not move from where he set the boy down. The most he does is stare.
bakegarasu: (determination of the strong)

[personal profile] bakegarasu 2022-01-02 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
"I... okay." Well, Emporio seems to be taking it well, so he takes a step back and looks up at Weather Report.

He's about as clueless as you on this one, buddy.
strings_theory: (ida31)

[personal profile] strings_theory 2022-01-02 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, she didn't expect an entire dam to break on her. But she's not going to complain, just using that disgusting strength to make sure she's giving him a proper hug here. She's at least a little more restrained in all of this, even if she feels a lot more relieved about all of this than she did before. But tears are things she doesn't really like to use in public.

"Y-yeah, sure am. We got a lot to talk about, but that's later." Like what happened. But she'll let him get all of this out of his system.

Stone Free seems about as bland about this as Weather at this point, just chilling not that far away like the Stand tends to do. Sorry, Otoha, you're the only weirdo here.
seacub: (oh look rain on my face)

[personal profile] seacub 2022-01-02 04:09 am (UTC)(link)
It. Might take a bit. He has a lot to get out of his system, even if he thought it was out of his system by now. He's had how many talks, break downs, confessions, over how much time?

...

It wasn't Jolyne though. It wasn't...

"....I killed him."

Weather stares at Otoha.

There may in fact be two 'weirdos'.
bakegarasu: (i hear you)

[personal profile] bakegarasu 2022-01-02 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
"Emporio..." He takes a step closer, hovering a little bit at the edge of their personal space bubbles.

He knows that this girl, whoever she is, is important to Emporio. But it hurts to see the kid all broken up like this, whether it's for a good reason or a bad one.
strings_theory: (ida44)

[personal profile] strings_theory 2022-01-02 04:22 am (UTC)(link)
He killed him? She's quiet as she shifts him around a bit to have a better grip, this is... this is fine. He can let it all out and she's not about to stop him from doing it.

"Good." She gets out in a huff of breath, at least it ended up being worth it in the end. Even if she's sure the collateral damage probably did a number on him, it hadn't been remotely ideal...

"Sorry you had to go through all that, didn't... have much of a choice." She couldn't do it, in the end. She knows that. None of them were able to.

Unfortunately, for Otoha, he moves closer and Stone Free is moving to close the distance as a buffer. Not today, sir.
seacub: ('boy i sure hope nothin bad happens')

[personal profile] seacub 2022-01-02 04:33 am (UTC)(link)
Emporio nods against her, his eyes squeezed shut. As if opening them again will mean she disappears, and it's all a dream. In and out. In and out he breathes, and Weather seems to stare at the ceiling for a moment before it feels a little bit warmer. Like the sun is shining within the....r....

The boy blinks, and wipes his eyes. It's strangely grounding, to have someone he needs to tell off. "I... ...it's done though. E...even if everyone...if all of you..."

He swallows, and turns- looking at Otoha, Weather, and slowly the ceiling.

...

Yep. It's not quite the 'sun' but it feels like it's 'sunny'. "...Really...?"

Weather just stares, turning their gaze to Stone Free. You. You should move.

It's a motion Emporio recognizes at least, and he slowly comes more and more to his senses. "Ah...Otoha, you were in here already huh..." The boy wipes at his eyes with a sleeve, sniffing. "...s...sorry about this...I just..."

A swallow, and a look back to Jolyne. "...Weather, uh... ...stayed, I guess. ...and there's a ghost room on the train if we want to go sit somewhere. ...Uh...all of us I mean."
bakegarasu: (quietly listening)

[personal profile] bakegarasu 2022-01-02 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
He scowls at the Stand, not moving. Excuse you, this is also his charge. He looks over at Weather. ... Warmer, huh?

"No... it's okay. I can... leave, if you want. You two probably have a lot of things to catch up on. As long as you two are okay..."

He doesn't want to push Emporio, suspicious as he is of this girl.
strings_theory: (ida10)

[personal profile] strings_theory 2022-01-02 04:53 am (UTC)(link)
"Well, I'm here now and that's what matters, yeah?" Even if no one else is and it's just them. The pendant in her pocket already feels like a stone weighing her down, even if she isn't about to talk about it with someone else in the room. Not now, anyway.

Stone Free stares back at Weather, not moving what-so-ever. You are not its User and therefore it is not moving unless told otherwise or it senses there isn't a threat. As far as it's concerned, Otoha is still a threat.

Even if Jolyne is ignoring the fact Stone Free is even doing that, oops. Subconsciously it might just be her doing in general. "You got to keep two Stands," she muses quietly, good lord. "Though I guess he wouldn't have minded you keepin' it..."
seacub: (oh look rain on my face)

[personal profile] seacub 2022-01-02 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
"Y...yeah..." He can. Explain things later. Quietly. When he isn't trying not to tremble slightly, or...or-

"...Um.... ...you can move Stone Free, by the way. Otoha's one of my roommates, and...there's no one on the train that will hurt us anyway. It's safe here- I promise..!" he adds, half shouting.

"And...you don't have to leave either, Otoha..! You were here first to begin with, weren't you...it's a public carriage, not like a Quiet Room..."

The boy trails off, and looks down- fiddling with his hat a bit as he nods. "....yeah. ...I... ....I guess he didn't mind at all."

Shoot. His eyes are watering again.
bakegarasu: (dream a little dream)

[personal profile] bakegarasu 2022-01-02 05:08 am (UTC)(link)
"You... sure." He shakes his head and doesn't move away. If Emporio says stay, then he'll stay.

"We were just going to spar. It's not a big deal, we can spar whenever." He's not sure what the rest of this is, but he can ask later. Right now he's just going to be here to support Emporio. There's not a lot he won't do for the kid.
strings_theory: (ida21)

[personal profile] strings_theory 2022-01-02 05:13 am (UTC)(link)
She huffs out a breath, clearly not pleased to be called off like that. But Stone Free's disappearing again, at least for the time being. It's better to keep the Stand close when she's not entirely sure about this whole thing, anyway. She's a lot more effective like that.

"Can't say I entirely believe that, but I guess if you say that one's fine..." She trails off, she's not about to let her guard down on the train until she determines that's the case herself. But can he really blame her for being like this after everything?

"You want me to put you down or nah? I don't mind either way." She'll let him choose since god knows if she's allowed she wouldn't be letting him down or out of her sight any time soon. "And yeah, I'm not in much of a mood to spar anymore, anyway. There'll be a next time or some shit."
seacub: (AnxietyBoy prevails)

[personal profile] seacub 2022-01-02 05:29 am (UTC)(link)
"....there's probably a mission in a few days, so there's definitely a 'next time'..." he nervously laughs. A deep breath though. A bit more confidence, just a little. "...But...yeah. I'm sure. I've been on the train for... ...a while," he admits with a small gulp.

"....a few months, actually."

...

"I'm okay like this." It's probably helping her at least right?
bakegarasu: (fire in your heart)

[personal profile] bakegarasu 2022-01-02 05:46 am (UTC)(link)
"That's right. And he's been here longer than I have..." He shakes his head a little bit. Man... he's been here for what feels like forever, even if he knows it's not. "We can spar later, yeah."

Hm. "Has anyone told you about the missions and shit that happens here? I should probably... do that, if they haven't. Red Team leader and all that."

Some days he wonders why he even stepped up for that.
strings_theory: (ida11)

[personal profile] strings_theory 2022-01-02 05:53 am (UTC)(link)
Emotional support child. It does help keep her mostly grounded in what's going on at the moment and keep her from lashing out at people. Luckily she's aware of her strength and to not accidentally crush him or something, because lord knows she probably could.

"A few months..." Jesus, that sounds horrid already. "Nah, no one's told me shit yet. I've just been hanging out here since this shit showed up. Guessin' these colors actually fuckin' mean something?" Says the one that's blue, but that's totally beside the point at this juncture. "What are these missions, some kinda team building horseshit or something?" If only she knew.
seacub: (: ' D)

[personal profile] seacub 2022-01-02 05:59 am (UTC)(link)
"Sort of? ...I don't actually normally go with the Orange Team...normally they handle technical things, and with Weather I can help with combat more so..."

Weather, impossibly, seems to be preening. He isn't- he's just standing there. But there's a sense of pride. "But, Hermana, you've been recruited by the train for rescue missions is what's happened. I actually..." ... "...I didn't think it would be possible to see you here, if I'm honest." The boy manages a smile all the same. "...I'm glad I was wrong. ...Donatello was here for a while, but I didn't think anyone who was already gone could..."

He doesn't clarify immediately what the difference is. How could one dead person return, while another couldn't? Regardless. "I used to go with the Red Team more, but right now I've been helping Purple, anyway...it's been kind of fun, actually. There's a lot of different planets out there..!"

And he gets to see them all. "...And I'm not sleeping in a piano, either!"

Don't worry about that one Otoha.-
bakegarasu: (i see you)

[personal profile] bakegarasu 2022-01-02 06:21 am (UTC)(link)
"Orange tends to be technical, blue tends to be protection, red tends to be pure combat, and purple tends to be everything else. We get a bunch of different sorts of missions. Usually we get sent to places that have serious trouble."

He nods at Emporio. "But you're not required to stick with your team. A lot of red team tends to stick with us just because of our personalities, but you really don't have to. We're pretty flexible with who goes where. But yeah, usually red team fights whatever there is to fight and blue tends to protect civilians. In general, though - we've had some switchups on missions before."

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