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

[stealsyourheart]

"I think she thinks it's funny." He says wryly - HE would find it funny. "She teleported almost on top of me once. Shoved a bag of clothes at me and teleported away. Although I guess she could just be shy?"

[stealsyourheart]

Kaito grins at him.

"I'm glad you thought so. It gets pretty boring on the train otherwise though, so I suppose almost anything is an improvement."

[rieper]

"It is monotonous." And rather repetitive. Which didn't so much bother him as prevent him from doing anything useful. He supposed he would have to agree then and call it boring, even for someone like him.

[luckybucky]

"Well... you can try asking me, but," he shrugs his shoulders. He isn't very good with technology, either, but certainly more familiar than Amery is. "Do they have running water in Volstov? We developed that after trains in my world," so he won't think Bucky's poking fun at him.

[hashtagparkerluck]

“Shit!” Peter lets out loudly as the needle sinks into his leg. He knew it was coming but now exactly when and damn does he not like needles. At least though, he can feel the relief almost immediately lets out a sigh. Thank god they don’t have to do that again.

He takes the cup of water and gulps it down quickly. “Oh my god, that sucks.” He coughs out. “I mean, the tea was really good at first but oh man.” He sighs again.

Re: Departure:

[blueberryprincess]

Evie wouldn't have flinched at the glare. She'd have kept smiling and continued on, as a girl from the Isle does. She's faced far worse. Maleficent, for starters. The bullies from Auradon.

"Let's just say...I just got here and didn't at all see anything one might consider embarrassing. You were sitting here, minding your own business, and I came over to introduce myself."

[luckybucky]

Bucky hasn't met Peter yet, but he nods anyway. "Unfortunately, I do," he agrees with a sigh. "He and I come from the same place, but he doesn't like me very much," and with good reason.

[luckybucky]

Bucky sighs heavily, but he doesn't try to interject, just takes a couple steps, putting more distance between himself and Tony. Guilt nibbles at him, for the way he treated Steve on the platform, but he says nothing -- better Steve be upset than dead, after all.

What he does do is watch Tony carefully. Looking more at body language than expression, trying to decide just how bad of an idea it is to try and get past him any time soon.

[luckybucky]

"Well, that's how family's supposed to be, right? Something holding you up as naturally as your own two legs," he agrees. "She must've been special, to put up with you," he hopes his grin is enough to show he's teasing.

[luckybucky]

"Yeah, or I've got an amazing head injury," he mutters under his breath. "So if you're some kind of powerful overlord, how come you don't have anything useful in there," he pokes the book on the edge of the pages. "It was all nonsense on the pages."

[signseeker]

"I have often been told that I am rather old for my age," Will says in a measured manner.

It was the truth. His human family had often told him so. But as the lastborn of the Old Ones, it was also the truth in another sense.

"And it seems to me that there is not much use in getting upset over something I can't do anything about," he adds pragmatically.

[signseeker]

"I see. That's a shame. I do like to read. Although I suppose I could add the book that came with me to the library."

[signseeker]

Will frowns at that. "If they are not stars, what are they? Do they have names?"

Because much of the magic of his kind came from knowing. In his own world he had known the name of every star, and spoken to them."

[signseeker]

"That is good. Do you need ice or anything? I think I saw a kitchen earlier."

None of Will's older brothers had been particularly inclined to fighting.... but he had grown up on a farm with five older brothers and three older sisters. First aid for bumps and bruises hadn't been particularly unusual.

[deductiongeek]

"There's a little more to it than that, but that's the general idea."

Especially because his skateboard happened to have a motor concealed in it.

[themasterthief]

"No idea," he replied. "I'll ask her when I run across her."

That was mostly facetious. He wasn't likely to outright ask her anything of the sort. But he was interested in meeting her and asking her some questions of a different sort. If/when he found her.

[runs_on_batteries]

"You don't know anything about this place. You don't know what we do on these missions. You don't know anything so you can take that 'holier than thou' crap and shove it up your ass." He shot another glare from Steve to Bucky and back. "For some of this, there is no surviving this. That ship has already sailed and this is all we have left."

He turned on his heels and stormed out of the room, feeling those old familiar hurts mixed with all the reminders of his death brought to the surface. What exactly had he done to deserve his old life being thrown back in his face now? Whatever it was, he was over it and over this argument.

[runs_on_batteries]

[He had to smile. He'd had that confirmation for a while now, but it felt really good to hear it again. Somehow hearing it from Steve made all the difference. With one affectionate pat on the shoulder, Tony stepped back.

His smile faltered at the question though. He couldn't help the slight haunted expression that passed over his face before he could push it away.]

Yes. Uh.. come on. We should talk and I just got sprayed by a fire extinguisher and it smells.

[He waved his ticket in front of one of the cabins they were standing close to. It opened up and the room was cramped like all the others, but it was at least private with no one in there at the moment.

Tony tossed his shirt and hoodie in a pile of laundry and went to the bathroom to get a washcloth to clean himself up with. The only odd thing about the room Steve might note is on one side there was a single pillow on both bunks and on the other side two pillows were on the bottom bunk. The top bunk on that side looked like it was being used for storage.

There was no easy way to start this conversation, so with a deep breath, he took the dive.]

I was taken a second before I snapped my fingers. I arrived here suffering from affects of just having that glove on my hand.

[stealsyourheart]

"Very." He sighs. "D'you play poker? If you want something to do, the detectives and I play - we cheat, but we can stop, if you'd prefer to play normally. We kinda know all each others tricks, by now anyway."

[stealsyourheart]

"If you've got a new book to add, the bookworms on board will be lining up to read it." He says dryly. "You can request books too, I think. You get points for the missions that we go on once a month, and you can... cash them in, basically. I've not done it yet, but I'll probably do so soon."

[marriedanidiot]

"That, I do not know. But my son says they do not sound like stars, and I believe him. "

[pleple]

That sounds like cheating! ...also like a good idea. "I don't suppose it would benefit me to learn, but I might watch you when you get the chance to use it sometime."

[luckybucky]

His grin widens a fraction. "Well, if he shows up I promise not to gossip, as long as you don't do the same with my Captain, Steve." God, it sounds weird, saying his name like that. Probably more weird to her, though, with how different their names are from each other.

[luckybucky]

Bucky hums softly, chewing on his lower lip for a few seconds before he decides that asking is really worth a shot. "Anyone on this train now how to... alter minds?" Look, he knows it's a weird and suspicious question, but he has to ask.

[luckybucky]

Bucky had meant it as a kindness, but he has no way of knowing that it pains her. He smiles softly when she steps away, and puts his hand on her head gently. "It's okay, if you're not, you know," he insists softly, finally pulling his hand away.

The way she speaks, though, that hurts his heart. "You're not responsible for that," he says firmly. "If she beats your friend, that's her fault, not yours," and he's not going to accept any argument on that point. "Not yours," he repeats.