voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post July]

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A New Platform [Intro Post July]

PLATFORM STOP: MONTH 19
(SYMPHONY)

BEFORE ARRIVAL

"Good morning Voidtreckers, it is day one of the month of Symphony. Points have been updated on the system."
The voice of the Voidtrecker Express welcomes passengers at the same time as always, sometime after breakfast. With points updated, everyone can spend the morning shopping. Most people will be expecting the second announcement that comes a few hours later, as the colours of the void outside the windows blur more and more.

"Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. The Weather is cool with light rain. 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.

ON THE PLATFORM

1. THE ARRIVAL

At first, all your character can see is steam billowing around them as they come to their senses. But as their eyes adjust, they find themselves on a platform. It is a small platform, a dusty strip of concrete next to the tracks. The barrier is at the far end, housed in a brick shelter. The sky is dark with clouds and the air is damp. A fine drizzle falls, not heavy at all but they will find their clothes quickly become damp.

They stand in clothes not their own, in a style they might not even recognise. They're carrying a rucksack on their person, and for a moment it seems to just be them, alone on this platform. Before the fog starts to subside, and they'll see they are alone: facing the tracks.

But then there's a roaring sound to get their attention, and out from the fog arrives a train. A sleek black, it reads The Voidtrecker Express in gold lettering on the side. Every one of the doors hiss as they open automatically, and out pours a strange assortment of people. Some are human, some less so, with a majority wearing the same hoodie of four colours as they do, though some sport outfits in a variety of styles.

The train doors close behind them, and the vehicle is cloaked in the same fog that hides the world beyond the platform. A group of people head towards the gates of the platform, their expressions blank and unaffected by their surroundings. Altair Kallig, Aya Brea, Darth Nox, Eli Vanto, Elizabeth, Shen Qingqiu, Soma Cruz, Thrawn. They disappear through the barriers, but no one else can - all people can do is wait until the train re-emerges, finishing whatever changes it's making.

2. BOARDING THE TRAIN

After a short time, about ten minutes or so, the fog clears and the doors hiss open again. Everyone will feel a pull when they do, a need to board, and those from the train may encourage new arrivals to board. This feeling grows into one of apprehension and turns worse the longer they stay off-board.

For those that do board, they may find themselves in a few different carriages, but most likely the standard coach. A row of seats sit available, with a few tables between each. More likely than not, some cookies have been set out with jugs of drink, and cups available for pouring.

For those that don't, however, they're likely to attract attention if they're spotted. And if that fails... an unfortunate end will await them.

a. New arrivals will notice a screen and console in every carriage sharing the same message, and a stack of leaflets in holders by them offering further information to the curious (see 'Publications'). There are lavatories available on each carriage on one end, with another console with a deposit box under it at the other. This is the train shop.

b. It'll take some time for newbies to figure out the layout, even if there's only two directions to go in. Go one end, and you'll find the food stores and washing utilities. This month's key ingredient is broccoli, and you're sure to bump into others curious about what's in the stock.

c. Go to the other end, and you'll find the sleeper cabins. Plaques sit on the wall by each door with the names of their occupants, and one of these will be yours - hopefully, they'll figure out that swiping their ticket against the doorpad will open it up to them. 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.

d. At the farthest end in this direction is the luggage carriage, where passengers who have bought items from the train shop will find their purchases. These are scattered around the luggage carriage in various suitcases and bags, but there's also a small fridge and kettle here with bottled water, for those who want a quiet drink. For those curious about the reward for Purple Team they will find it here

SOME MISCHIEF

Those exploring the train will find that some passengers have been busy in the kitchens. Three bowls of hard candies are out for display, each labelled with a placard. All are free for the taking.

Energise! Provides an extra boost of energy.

Refresh! Like dipping tired feet into a cool spring.

Calm! Allowing you to start relaxing, like a prelude to meditation.

Energise is a red coloured candy that tastes faintly sweet. When eaten it provides about five hours worth of extra energy. This may lead to characters bouncing off walls, being easily distracted, being extra curious, or blurting out whatever comes to mind, including their feelings for other Voidtreckers. When combined with the Calm candy, a character's focus is increased, though they may feel more inclined to try new things or take new risks or chances.

Refresh is a green coloured candy that tastes faintly salty. With rivigourating divine energy within the candy, those who take it will feel mildly euphoric and floaty, bubbling, or otherwise happier. Literal floating of under a metre off the ground is possible while traveling the void, as well as having characters turn into small eastern styled dragons for about an hour. When combined with the Energise candy, characters may find they're capable of limited flight in the void. They may also find themselves as a tiny dragon with an obsessive focus on something small or silly, lasting as long as their dragon transformation, so about an hour.

Calm is a blue coloured candy that tastes faintly floral. This candy aids with rest and slowing down an overbusy mind. There's a side effect of grogginess after it wears off that grows proportionate to how many candies are consumed. Combined with Refresh candy, characters will find themselves more inclined toward open discussions, forgiveness and letting go, or engaging with people in ways they'd usually inhibit themselves from. So yes, a bit like being gently buzzed, with no hangovers.

DEPARTURE

The train begins to rumble with activity, and the platform starts to disappear into a fog as the voidcraft moves. A female-coded artificial voice echoes throughout the train.

"Welcome aboard, passengers of the Voidtrecker Express. 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.

NAVIGATION ~ GAMEPLAY ~ SETTING ~ CHARACTER INITIATIVES ~ QUESTIONS

Thank you to Rakel (player of Lan Jingyi) for the enchanted candy mischief. Any questions about those should be directed to them.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Romeo knew none of those words. Well that was not true. He knew shooter and higher and levels and bullet and hell but putting them altogether was a harder thing.

But road to heroes sounded like a great name for a game and that was all that mattered!

"Oh. I guess I am a noob then because I never played before but I bet if I practice I'll be real good at it! Can I come over now! I want to learn, it sounds really fun. You must be really smart if you can make a game like that!"

Whoops. Well, Idia had said it at first as an insult, throwing it out there to drive some competition and get the gamers out there riled up in a way to have some fun between them, but when it's with someone who has no clue... "Newbie, you're a newbie, not a noob. I was insulting people with that." There, that's a bit nicer. Romeo didn't deserve that insult.

Then a confident chuckle, "Of course I am, I'm a genius." Idia's normally hidden ego about how brilliant he was coming through with no hesitation right now thanks to those candies. "I'll meet you in the Gaming Carriage. I'm sure you'll pick it up fast." The first levels were not that hard, they were designed to be learned and enjoyed.

A newbie? Was that a nicer word for it? Idia shouldn't use insult words! That's not very nice but he smiles when Idia says he is a genius. Romeo knows that. He has known Idia was very clever for a long time so it's good to hear Idia say it.

"Okay! I'll be there soon. I'll run really fast!"

Eh, about the same, but newbie seemed a bit more generous in someone new to it vs noob being someone who plays like they're new to a game. And it's a good thing Romeo has never heard Idia talk to others online then, he has little patience for those who get in his way during a game, and he lets them know it. Idia can't help it he's amazing at games! Others should get better.

"Yeah, I'm not running," Idia casually answered, "But I'll be there."

You know, after making himself a beaker of tea from the Lab Carriage and bringing it with him. No more red candies though, that was good, he really didn't need anymore, even if he totally would eat more of them. Someone has to restrict his access to them... However as he wanders into the Gaming Carriage, he heads towards where the video games were set up, including the new console he had recreated. It was rather retro, he loved it. "Have you started it up?" Idia asks between a sip of his tea to Romeo.

Well Romeo ran, so now he's in the games room, dancing around as he waits. He's got too much energy to sit still. He's humming a tune under his breath and practising some dance moves, there's space in here even if it's not the dancing carriage.

He can't wait to check out this game. He grins at Idia and bounces over. "Not yet. I wanted to make sure I got the right one. It's this one right?"

He gestured.

Wow, look at him, "You sure you don't wanna do DDR?" Idia teased him, watching the boy bounce about. "You think you'll be able to sit still enough to play?" DDR was good too, Idia enjoyed it, even if he tried to play it when no one else was around. No need to embarrass himself like that. Normally at least. On the red candy though... that was a future!Idia problem.

"Oh DDR is so much fun!"

But Idia's own game seemed really fun as well. "I can sit still! I promise! But after we play your game we should play DDR as well. I bet you are so good at it!"

Romeo was certain of it. Even if Idia sometimes had trouble having fun, he seemed in a very good mood today.

"I'll listen good though and sit really still."

Maybe. That was tricky at the best of times.

"It is," Idia agreed as he sat down and started fiddling with the console to get everything working, chuckling through his teeth as Romeo spoke. "And I am. It's a video game, so of course I'm good at it."

"Okay!" He declared, sitting back as he picked up the controller and moved to cross his legs in front of him, tapping through the opening screen he had made but pausing before starting the game itself and passing the controller towards Romeo. "Have a go. If you get stuck I'll help."

Of course he was! Idia had a lot of confidence today! That was good, he so often didn't have much. He bounced around as Idia set things up, trying not to distract him but just very excited!

"Thank you! Is it just a game for one player?"

The power of those red candies. No doubt Idia will hate this all when it wears off and regret everything he's just saying without any thought. But that's a problem for Future!Idia, not him right now.

"It can be co-op." Idia answered, "Did you want both of us to play? It'll be too easy for me, but I can turn my controller upside down or close my eyes." Idia knew this game off by heart, he knew how to avoid everything, and he certainly didn't need to even look at it with it set to beginner levels. Though that was the original game, he may be a bit off with his own version of it, so it would be a good test as well to see how close he was to replicating it.

"You can play with your eyes shut? That's so cool!"

He hopes he is as good as Idia one day! "It would be fun to play with you. It's always better to play with friends!"

"Anyone can play with their eyes closed, doesn't mean they can win though." Idia answered as he took up the other controller, thumbing away at the buttons so he could switch it to two players. "And it's only because I know this one so well." Though... he won't go there just yet, instead once everything was set up and ready to go, Idia turned the controller around in his hands so it was back to front for him. Even then it wouldn't be too much of a handicap for him, it was just a way to help even the field when he was playing against those who weren't as good at games as he was.

"I've only played this game with my brother before, it's the first time I've played it with anyone else." Ortho and him also had a certain sync to each other with Rogue Star, they knew it so well, so Idia will try and take it easy with someone else who was playing it for the first time.

That was true. But he bet Isia could win. Even with his eyes closed. So Romeo would have to try really really hard. This was going to be a lot of fun! A good competition.

"Oh?" He treads carefully, considering how sad Idia got last time they talked about his brother.

"Then I best make sure I'm a good opponent!"

Those thoughts had made him sad before, and would normally, but that red candy was making it so his comments were much more nonchalant, no real thought behind just saying them instead of censoring himself. "Yup, it's our favorite game."

Before Idia chuckling away, "We're going to be acting as a team, but if you want to compete, we could see who gets more points." That wasn't fair on Romeo though, but at the same time... Idia doesn't mind going easy on him for this. It wasn't about winning, it was about having fun. "Ready?" He asks, before hitting the start button to start up the game, but also, "'Aim for the glory beyond, run like a meteor shooting through the sky!'" He quoting the start of the game, something normally he and Ortho would do together.

"Oh!" Romeo grinned at him. "That's even better. I like games where you use teamwork the best!"

Playing in a team with people was much better than ones where you competed against each other.

"Run like a meteor shooting through the sky?"

Okay! He could do that! Time to begin.

"Ortho and I always say that when we start the game." Even as he speaks Idia's attention is fully on the screen in front of him, tapping away at the movement buttons on the old school controller to get the feel of them since he was playing it upside down, getting the feel of it pretty fast and easily moving his ship around in game as if he had no handicap at all.

"He would had liked it here. He always wanted to go on adventures. I think you and him would had got on well." Romeo had so much energy, he was such a normal kid considering, well, considering everything, all thoughts Idia would normally keep quiet on, not wanting to think about just what Romeo was or his situation. "You're so normal considering what you are, you're just like a normal kid. Ortho used to be that way too despite everything." Hmmm, "I should had brought us snacks." He didn't think this through, did he? Snacks would had made this all better.

"Of course I'm normal!" He thinks he is anyways. He's just Romeo, he's not sure how to be anything else. "I bet we would have got on good too. He sounds very fun and it would be nice to be friends with him."

But it was nice to be friends with Idia too so that was alright. "Snacks do make everything better. I can run and get some if you want?"

It wouldn't take him long!

Idia thinks for a moment, taking into consideration how far the carriages were apart and which was closer... "What about popcorn?" The cinema was closer than the kitchen, and he knows Romeo had a thing for popcorn thanks to the voting to get supplies for him awhile ago.

"Oh Popcorn would be good!"

It was easy to eat and also playing a game was very much like watching a movie but more fun because you got to move the figures.

"I'll go get it! What topping do you want?"

Or should he just bring a selection?

"I like sweet stuff." Idia answered, having paused the game as they started chatting about snacks. "But I also don't like my hands getting messy." Especially with handling a game controller, however he knows that is one of the side effects of snacks. But you know what, "Eh, I can just float it to me to keep my hands clean, I guess."

"I can..." He was going to say he could bring some spoons or chopsticks. But then Idia suggested floating and that was even better!

"That's good so then you don't even need to pause to eat!"

"Yeah," Despite solving the issue Idia doesn't sound pleased, more annoyed than anything. "Magic is so useless in the real world... but good for stuff like this. Nothing serious though." Really, sure, it might look cool to those who can't use it, but in reality it wasn't useful compared to technology. Magic would always have a hard cap to it, one way or another.

Hmmm, "I'm going to get drinks from the kitchen while you make popcorn." Despite his earlier thoughts on it being further away. Tea doesn't cut it for video gaming. Over a board game maybe, chess or similar, but not for video games. "What you want?"

"Magic is useless?" Was it? He had never thought so. It had always seemed really handy to be able to do magic! He didn't think it was useless at all, even making food float was pretty cool and helpful when you couldn't use hands!

"Okay!" Popcorn and a drink sounded good. "Some juice please!"

Any talk of magic can wait until they're back, Idia pushing himself to his feet after carefully placing the controllers back enough so they wouldn't be in the way and stood on by anyone. Sure, he could fix them easily, but it would be a pain for gaming right now. "Ok, I'll meet you back here."

"Okay!" He dashes off. It doesn't take him that long to get to the cinema carriage and set up the popcorn machine. He bounced around, still full of energy as he gathered toppings and then walked back, a bit more carefully, balancing bowls of popcorn.

He peeked in to see if he was first back, and then began setting everything out.

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