A New Platform [Intro Post January]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

After a very quiet latter half of the month of Catfish the calendar clicks over. Passengers wake up in their beds as usual to the passenger announcement. "Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of domino.".

Those that have been on board a while know that new months usually come with new people and so the message a few hours later will not be a surprise. "Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. Exit from void imminent." A lurch and a jolt and they are soon surrounded by the fog that means they are at a platform.

It will come as a relief that no one leaves this time, no one with packed bags to walk silently towards the barriers.

Added to that the platform itself holds more people then it ever has before. Twenty one figures, all the colours are represented. The ground is icy and their breath pools in white clouds around them.

For New Passengers

At first all they can see if steam. Billowing around them as they come to their senses. They are standing, in clothes that are not their own, styles they might not even recognise. They are carrying a rucksack on their back. For a moment it seems to just be them, alone in the white haze but then the steam begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform is not large and it holds twenty one figures all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. The air is cold, the ground icy beneath your feet. Both left and right the tracks disappear into the mist. 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 into the cold step a selection of people. Some are human, some are less so. They are wearing the same hoodie in one of the four colours, red, orange, blue and purple.

The Train

The doors hiss open. Those from the train may encourage those on the platform to board. It’s not like there is 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 not be a good thing also it’s very cold out on the platform. The train is warmer.

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. The store rooms have been restocked and it seems that water chestnuts are the month of Domino’s ingredient of choice! Any of orange team who who go to check the luggage cart will find a parcel containing gingerbread snowflakes, decorated with icing. One for each of the orange team, including new members, come share in the reward!

New passengers will find their tickets allow them into their cabins. They may need to negotiate for beds, especially if they want a top bunk!

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 and you will hopefully find a pillow for your bed if it has not been nabbed by a roommate, there are also spare blankets for if it gets cold.

Departure

A second horn sounds to encourage any stragglers and the doors slide shut. Veteran passengers know what will happen next, they may wish to brief their new companions.

The train sets off, the fog obscuring the view 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."

Hopefully someone warns you that you really want to heed that warning because a moment later there is 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. The fog from the windows is gone now, replaced with a kaleidoscope of ever changing colours.

Welcome to voidspace!

Comments

[flatteries]

"About a month or so now, I think?" He pulls a hand through his hair as he does have to seem to consider it for a moment. "It's easy to lose track of time with the way this place is, but that sounds about right."

Something else about what Bucky said makes him glance over to the other with a hint of surprise or curiosity in his eyes.

"Sergeant, though? Were you part of an army?"

[schrodingersghost]

A month really wasn't enough time for Danny to get over two years of trying to hide all of his ghostliness from just about everyone. At the sound of a voice his first thought is panic, his second is an impulse to hide the ghost energy and come up with some awful excuse, and his third is suddenly remembering that he didn't need to do that anymore.

What actually happens is that he looks up, sputters, and intangibly falls through the bed, hitting the ground below with a thump.

[flatteries]

"I could certainly save them for the next time." Of course she could have meant 'next person'. She probably did. But while Inigo realises that, he's also decided to just take it this way instead.

And at least he does seem to drop them at least for now, so.. that's a small victory for her, right? Maybe.

"My name is Inigo though. Pleased to meet you, milady. It must have been confusing to suddenly find yourself in this place."

The Train

[signseeker]

Will can be found in their assigned carriage, sitting against the wall on one of the bunks and curiously looking through his knapsack.

At least he had been until getting distracted by the thick leather-bound book he had found in it.

[happyends]

Her head slowly dips into a nod.

"Yes, there's more people with my haircolour where I'm from. It's all natural too.." And it's not even like pink is the only exception they have compared to what other worlds may consider 'normal' haircolours. Blue, green, they got the whole spread. "I think my haircolour comes from my mother, her hair is just a little bit darker than mine."

She wonders if maybe it's the same for bird people? It'd explain why colourful feathers are so rare, since you might need two bird parents with colourful feathers to create a child with them..

"I really like my hair though. So.. um, I'm glad to hear you like your own feathers too. I think their shade is pretty in its own way."

[flatteries]

He nods. "We're all in the same boat. .. Or, well, train." (That's a lame joke, but he's trying, okay.)

At least Inigo seems relatively relieved that the other is so willing to accept the explanation. Although his reason for it is slightly concerning, since things thought to be ridiculous that actually turn out real aren't always good things.

Case in point: them all being stuck here without any clear way out.

"None of us have been able to find a way to return to our own worlds either. Despite some people already having been here for what seems like a few months."

[signseeker]

"It's the same for me. It seems like rather a lot of people just arrived." And that was another curious difference for Will. He had been to other places and times before.

But almost always on his own, or with one other person.

[myblueskies]

"I think so, sir! We didn't get hurt yet so I think it's safe." It had gotten a little bit scary when the inspectors had boarded but that wasn't a problem with the train itself he didn't think!

[thebiggestguy]

The Echo helped, just that little bit. This wasn't the strangest conversation Dread had ever had.

"Worlds in some sort of trouble. One, we needed to help get people off before it died. Another, children were in danger while traveling."

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"I did see a hint of smile." Which was a start, wasn't it? Plus, in a situation like this, even a small smile was better than nothing at all.

He shifted onto one leg though, eyebrows lowering as he drummed his fingers on his biceps. "I won't argue your point though. On the other hand, most people here are the sort to help those in need regardless of whether they've been asked or not."

[democratically]

"Yes, I could see you being rather charming with young ladies," Padmé playfully retorts, turning his words around on him. After all, he does have that poise himself, an almost casual grace about him. She wouldn't guess a politician, but she could be wrong. Most look at her and don't see that anyway.

"Thank you. I will remember that, and hope that you will accept the same." She does have a knack for getting in, and out, of situations.

[luckybucky]

He chuckles at that. "I've never heard of a place called Gauig. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York City. It gets awfully cold there in winter, but I've never been a fan of it," especially not now, when it reminds him of Siberia and being frozen by the Soviets and Hydra. His smile doesn't quite reach his eyes at the moment, so he distracts himself by checking his ticket again. Yup. It still says he's in 3-E.

[luckybucky]

"What, did all the gangsters move to Queens while I was dead?" he snorts, and pours the now-hot water over the ginger and tea bag. He gives Peter the hot mug, and turns off the burner where the kettle still sits. "Here, drink. It'll help a little," he promises.

He has. No idea.

"And if I were you, I wouldn't tell Steve you were that young. He'd be pissed that you were even brought into that situation," and honestly, Bucky thinks it's pretty awful, too, but it hasn't even happened yet for him.

[luckybucky]

Bucky hums a little at the reply, and wonders just how much the time thing is going to bother him. Him, the guy who has nearly seventy years of memories that he can hardly place in order.

The question about the army, though, that gets a smile. One of the few things about himself that he's proud of. "Sure was. Sergeant James Barnes of the one-oh-seven. US Army," he agrees. "I kept the rank when I moved into the Howling Commandos unit, under my best friend, Steve Rogers," all very impressive... if you knew who Captain America was.

[luckybucky]

It's not the first time Bucky has visited the cabin today, but from the look on his face when he comes back -- tired, maybe a little angry, definitely more red on one side than the other -- he's maybe intending to stay here for a while. His backpack slides down his arms and he tosses it onto his bunk before stepping over to it and sitting with a heavy sigh.

He takes a minute to rub his face, gather his composure, before he looks over at Will. "Hi," he greets. "I'm James, but I go by Bucky. I'm not related to Amery," he points at the bunk above him.

[signseeker]

Will glances up from his book, which according to the cover was Gerard's Herbal, or The Generall Historie of Plantes, and blinks in mild surprise. At first glance he had mistaken him for Amery.

"Goodness, you do look rather alike. Almost as much as Robin and Paul do, and they're twins." He frowns. "Are you quite alright?"

[luckybucky]

He chuckles warmly at that, his smile widening into a playful grin. "Oh, you might regret that alarmingly soon," he teases back. "I've got a real knack for getting myself into trouble," or perhaps more accurately, joining his best friend in whatever trouble he'd cooked up.

He tucks his metal arm into the small of his back, half because he's self-conscious about it, half because it's an old, comfortable way of holding himself. "Would you mind indulging me? I'd love to hear what a place called Naboo is like." He assumes, from how she spoke about it, that it's her homeland.

[runs_on_batteries]

The PTSD claws that had clutched his mind were slowly letting go. He was quiet for a while longer, but there weren't words for how grateful he was Ignis was there and doing all the right things. In the back of his mind, he felt guilty too. He shouldn't have gone off on Eva like that. She'd just been trying to help and it wasn't her fault he'd started to have a problem in such a public space. She hadn't picked it, though technically neither had he. It's simply when the demons had stirred and chosen to assault him.

It took a few moments longer than it should've for him to react Ignis but the first thing he did was raise his head and press a soft kiss on his neck- the closest skin to him from how he was being held. He hadn't resisted being tugged down, though from his lack of strength he wouldn't have been able to anyway. His tone was quiet, weak, and hollow. "I was doing it on the platform. Eva interrupted me. I'm okay. It's let me go." A pause. "But yes, that's the idea. It's Peter's. It's five things you see, four things you hear, etc. I get the categories confused but I don't think that's important anyway."

[azrthmtrnznthos]

"Oh I've dealt with worse, personality-wise. He's a good man, at least, if annoying." Raven agreed. Nothing she wouldn't say to Tony's face either.

"Not just him, as others suggest useful questions too. The sad fact is we have a lot more questions than answers, so anything might be helpful."

[azrthmtrnznthos]

"Sort of? We're all kind of one big 'adventuring group' on this train, although not by choice. The 'teams' are a way to help further group us all together. Beyond that, I haven't figured out if they have a purpose."

Okay, his manners were cute. "If Paper works, then I'll use that."

[knifewithnoname]

"Oh I do be knowing New York. That do be being where Peter do be being from. With lights so bright they do be drowning out the stars." Even though she has seen many worlds since coming to the train but that still strikes her as something fantastical.

[knifewithnoname]

"I did just be being."

She's not a hundred percent on how people were born with mothers, but she also doesn't want to come across as stupid so she doesn't ask.

"Lan Yuan. It do be being nice to be meeting you. You can be calling me Buttercup if you do be wanting. What do a courtesy name be being?"

[shouldertouching]

"It starts to seem a little more normal when you've been around a little while," Miles offers Happy once he makes sure that the other is alright, of course. By now he's already been introduced to Happy as another Spider kid.

[flatteries]

It'd probably be even more impressive if Inigo knew what the US was to begin with. But at least from context clues he can assume it's probably a country from whatever kind of world Bucky is from. And while his idea of an army is a little more.. old-fashioned than the one Bucky was actually part of, he can still kind of imagine it. He's a prince from a halidom that has an army, he knows what they're like.

"That's pretty impressive." He seems to mean it too, judging from the small smile on his face as he says it. "And I must commend your attitude even more in this case. I must say I'm used to high-ranked people in the army being fairly.."

He makes a bit of A Face.

".. stiff." (He's totally thinking of a specific person.) "But you seem very nice and friendly."

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter just shrugs as he takes the cup of tea. His spideysense is blaring like an alarm but it's been doing that all day so he doesn't think anything of it as he takes a sip. He makes a bit of a weird face because it tastes... odd. Like... spicy off. Is there such a thing as spicy tea? It's not bad, just odd.

"Aunt May was cool with it." He shrugs again, taking another sip of tea and neglecting to mention that May sort of yelled at Tony for two hours straight upon finding out about Spider-Man. "Besides-I was almost fifteen." He coughs again and takes a third sip. It's getting worse and now on top of everything his stomach doesn't feel right. His mouth is starting burn and it's not going away, He makes another face opening his mouth to maybe try and cool it down, it's not exactly that kind of burn-how does he get it off his tongue??

"Okay, what did you you put in this? Ghost Peppers!?"