A New Platform [Intro Post February]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

"Good morning passengers, it is day sixteen of the month of Domino."

It has been three days since they had arrived back from their last mission. "Points have been updated on the system and the shop has new merchandise." The morning proceeds normally. But those who have been on the train a while will be expecting the notice that comes around midday.

"Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." A lurch and a jolt and they are soon surrounded by the fog that means they are at a platform. Rain can be heard, the windows soon obscured with water droplets.

The doors open and seven passengers disembark, waterproof coats on, hoods pulled up, rucksacks on their backs. Lan Wangji, Link and Clara in blue, Deadpool and Atem in red, Eva and Mako in orange. All walk silently, blank faced, to the barriers where they show their tickets and walk through, disappearing from sight.

On the platform as ever, figures in waterproof coats over their hoodies. Eighteen of them this time. Ten are in orange, four in purple and then two each of red and blue.

For New Passengers

At first all they can see is 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, rain falling down around them but then the steam begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform is not large and it holds eighteen figures all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers, hoodies and waterproofs. The rain is heavy, bouncing off the platform. 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!

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. Entering Voidspace in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

A shudder, a jolt, a lurch to the left, enough to throw someone off their feet if they are not ready. 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

Departure

[myblueskies]

Romeo had been very sad that his roommate had left without saying goodbye and then he had been trying to help Wei Wuxian because his friend had gone too. So he had managed to miss the floating orange sleeping bag.

But now, as they begin flying up to zoom back into the void he sees a goat! And not just any goat. He knows that goat.

"Mister goat!"

He jumps out of his chair to grab the goat, just as the train shudders and rolls. But goat is safe in Romeo's arms! Even if Romeo himself is bumped a bit as he crashes into a table leg.

"Mister goat! How did you get here?"

Also. If they are here. Does that mean?

note to self: maa-ke sure one of the other two goats *does* fall over when stressed

[priforprince]

Saa-fe! The stuffed goat does not quite wilt in relief in Romeo's arms - it is not a fainting goat - but it does maa-llow itself a moment to catch its own nonexistent breath. Then it wiggles in excitement, rotating in Romeo's hold to get a better look at him.

It even tries to jump up and down, clearly every bit as haa-ppy to see Romeo as he is to see it. Oh, it has to stare as much as possible, because Maa-ster will want to see this too!

After all:

It's Romaa-o!!!

[myblueskies]

Romeo is really glad to see it as well! But even more because. "Is miss Hibiki here? Did she come on the train this time?" How had he missed her?

The train had steadied itself out now that they were in the void and so Romeo gave the goat a hug and put it down on the floor. "Do you know where she is? Can we go and see her?"

i'll make this mission a running gag if it kills me

[priforprince]

Once back on the floor, the goat rocks forward and backwards in the only kind of nod it's capable of giving. Maa-ster is here! She's........The goat realizes it has lost track of Maa-ster, being sent instead on a mission to EXPLORE THE ENTIRE AREA. But there are several places where it believes she maa-y be!

It begins rolling in the direction whence it came, then turns around and toodles in a short loop and looks up at Romeo. Will he follow???

[myblueskies]

He knows that is a nod! He can read goat body language! He grins when he realises he is right, miss Hbiki is here!

He skips after the goat, following carefully!

[priforprince]

This is a maa-ntastic opportunity for the spygoat, it is realizing. Not only will it eventually reunite Romaa-o and Maa-ster, but it can also EXPLORE the parts of the ENTIRE AREA it missed while sliding. Therefore, a thorough search shall commence!

Hmm. Maa-ster is not in this car. She is not in the next one over, either. Or the next.

But....what can this be??? When the door to the quiet car opens: purple sparkles drift out on the wind, twinkling like diamaa-nds! Maa-ybe.....just maa-ybe.....

[myblueskies]

Romeo can be of help in this mission! He points things out as they go, the goats need to know all the fun things to do after all! Because then they can make sure miss Hibiki has a good time as well!

But where is she? "This next car is the quiet one, so we got to be quiet when we go through it!" He told the goat as he pressed the button to open the door.

His eyes widened at the purple sparkles. There's only one person he knows with purple sparkles. He grinned at the goat and ran into the carriage to look through the windows of the quiet car booths, to see if it is true!

[priforprince]

The correct booth will, presumably, not be difficult to find. For one thing, the sparkles are coming from it. For another, it is highly unlikely any other booths contain the Palps mountain range.

Grass blows in a nonexistent breeze and the sun shines down on freely-blooming daisies. Seated amidst this healing greenery is Shikyoin Hibiki, atop a couch that has absolutely no business being in this scene (but that happens to be right where there's a seat in the average quiet car booth). She's drinking tea, and an orange washcloth has been laid across her forehead.

The brilliance of the illusion here also happens to seem especially thick right where the window would be. Surely all of this is coincidence.

Hibiki exhales, too enthralled with the world she's created to have noticed she has company yet. Ah....

"A world without clamorous disharmony is beautiful."

The two spygoats maa-ccompanying her share a look. Um. They maa-y not be able to read, but hadn't they overheard earlier this was the quiet car.....?

[myblueskies]

Why were there mountains in the booth? Hibiki is the answer of course. He looked around the strange mountains, he's never seen mountains as pretty as these before! Are they from her world? He bets they are beautiful in real life! Even more than with Hibiki's magic!

But his eyes are soon torn away from the mountains and to the goddess who is sat on a couch. He knows they are still in the quiet car so he keeps his voice quiet when he speaks.

"Miss Hibiki! It is you!"

/liquid times this since she and elfnein haven't talked much yet

[priforprince]

"Nn?" Hibiki looks over, with a mouthful of tea. Ah, it's only Romeo. Nothing noteworthy about that---

----Wait.

The spittake is belated but heartfelt, and the washcloth drops her forehead as she pitches over only to be pressed against her mouth afterwards. Romeo's goat guide rolls over, wheels clipping through the grass illusion since Maa-ster is feeling a little distraa-cted, to see if it too can be of maa-ssistance. Since Maa-ster...is doubled over. Coughing.

With a vengeaa-nce.

[myblueskies]

He is stood there grinning at her, so glad to see her but his grin quickly fades into concern as she spits out her tea and starts to cough.

He rushes to her side to pat her back. "It's okay miss Hibiki? Are you alright?"

[priforprince]

Upon being patted - she's choking, not a burping baby (do not ask how she knows about burping babies)! - Hibiki turns to Romeo with a familiar Tired scowl. The surroundings flicker. "I can breathe."

To prove it, she sits up, takes a deep breath, cleans off her mouth, solidifies her illusion. "You'd best not be my printerdimensional tour's sole source of stage crew."

Her mind is catching up to the circumstances now, and not liking what she sees. Three maa-mbers members of staff and Romeo. No Wendy or D2 - her psyche is blissfully free of any emotions save her own. Hibiki is a solo god.

It doesn't make her feel empty. No. No, it most certainly does not.

[myblueskies]

"Good!" Breathing was very important! He skips back a bit and grins at her, very happy to see her.

"Elfnein's here too!" He told her with a grin, "So is mister Zetta and Joss but Joss isn't a shinki anymore and we don't know why! Also there's lots and lots of people who aren't from the heavens and are from lots of different places but they can all see us!"

It's a bit strange, but good. It would be lonely if everyone kept forgetting him!

[priforprince]

This is weird, Romeo. Hibiki is not choking any more, but she has gone blue in the face anyway! And just when she'd been doing better, too! It is almost as if the memory of past sentence ender onslaughts have all crowded their way into her mind at once, filling her with an indoodbitable terror!

"......Zetta."

[myblueskies]

"Yes... Mister Zetta. The grumpy book. Do you remember him?"

He doesn't think anyone would forget mister Zetta!

But why does miss Hibiki look so blue? Romeo looks at the nearest goat. Do they know what is going on?

[priforprince]

The goat knows what is maa-miss, yes. And it nudges Hibiki's backpack, which is sitting here in the now-flickering illusion. Please look through this? It laa-cks hands.

Hibiki puts a hand to her head. "This tour possesses inscrutable qualifications."

Elfnein (acceptable), Romeo (inevitable collateral), Joss (picked up her cat once), Zetta ([redacted]). On a train. Hurtling through the puniverse.

Hibiki is suddenly exceptionally relieved she has ascended to the true nature of godhood: the ability to conjure cups of tea. It may be the only top-class amenity at her disposal.

[myblueskies]

Hibiki is talking in bigger words than usual, which means she has a headache. So Romeo leaves her for a second to pay attention to the goat. What is it trying to show him?

He looks at Hibiki and then at the bag before opening it. What are you looking for goat friend?

[priforprince]

Hibiki focuses on keeping her illusion intact, but balancing that with the damper her mood has just suffered upon learning of Zetta. Focus. She can do this. She mustn't dwell on it. If she dwells on it, she'll have to sit in....ugh....the train car instead....

Her expression is contorting a little in twitchy irritation, but she's at least self-contained enough that the goat and Romeo can perform a thorough baa-g search!

The goat rocks backwards, the better to pitch forwards and look inside the bag. Maa-ster is making the face she makes when she needs her special heaa-dphones! And if Zetta is here, she will need them more than ever! And this bag is full of things that are Maa-ster's. If the cutphones are anywhere, they will be in this bag.

Why do they not maa-ppear? And...oops...

The goat tips into the bag. Help.

[myblueskies]

The bag is open and the goat is looking for something! Something that will help miss Hibiki's spirits get lifted! He hovers, keeping one eye on the goat and one of miss Hibiki!

But then the goat tips! Oh no! Romeo rushes to help, picking the goat out of the bag and setting it safely on the floor. Maybe it will be better if Romeo looks. He begins unpacking the bag carefully. Taking out each item and putting it neatly on the ground. Orange hoodies and polo shirts in neat piles.

"What is it that you want mister goat?"

[priforprince]

"Leaving it is best." Hibiki sighs, correcting her posture. She passes a hand over her face, and just like that - ta-da, nothing up her sleeve - she's composed again. Take two. Action! "Being forced to bear witness to my assigned luggage depresses me."

The goat, who has gotten itself stuck in a hoodie while Romeo goes through Hibiki's baa-g, looks up maa-round the hood. Oh. Okaa-y!

Hibiki sniffs, waves a hand. A cup of tea appears. She grasps the stem with delicate grace. "Dear me. Is this prixpress a tour or a circus......?"

[myblueskies]

"It's not neither of those miss!"

He left the unpacking though and sat back, sighing as he saw the goat stuck in the hoodie. He reached out to pick it up and begin untangling it, poor goats. They got stuck a lot!

"It would be fun if it was a circus though! But we go to different worlds to help save them because bad people try and freeze them all, or volcanoes are going to explode everything or goblins are trying to eat them!"

[priforprince]

These particular goats are having an especially bad time with staying out of trouble, it's true. They carry the heaa-vy weight of maa-king up in quaa-lity what they lack in quaa-ntity when it comes to humor service. It's affecting their performance.

Hibiki's sip of tea pauses at the word "volcano", but she quickly convinces herself that if Romeo's saying such things, it's already happened and SHE won't have to put up with all that nonsense again. Besides, big picture:

"A new genre of prayer." Hibiki mulls the concept over. A printerdimensional express, racing to locations in need..... "Well, obtaining worship by descending as a savior doesn't displease me. I'll participate on the stops that most benefit me."

She punctuates this decision with a sip of her tea and a solidification of her Palps illusion (which had been flickering). Just because she's accepted her presence on the train doesn't mean she has to settle for seeming to be anywhere less than the best.

[myblueskies]

"You should participate in it all! We got to help people!" And Hibiki would be good at it, he thought. Even if she found friendship hard she was a good god.

"You're in orange team! I am sure they will want you to help everybody with them so you can do good teamwork altogether!"

[priforprince]

"I recall joining no such aggregation."

Hibiki is stubborn about group activities, unfortunately. She is hiding in the quiet car for a reason.

She even closes her eyes for effect, as if to drive home how very alone she stands, atop her pedestal. Yes, she is the high-flying genius. Soaring above all.

The spygoat rolls over and takes its place at her feet. It couldn't find what you waa-nted, Maa-ster; now whaa-t?

Hibiki doubles down on the solitary nobility she's radiating as if that will counteract the hit this image just took.

[myblueskies]

"You don't join it miss! You just are in the team. That's why all your things are orange and mine are blue! Because I'm in Blue team."

He began putting the things back in the rucksack again, it would be very tricky for the goats to do it after all.

"Elfnein is on the orange team too." That was good, that they would have each other to help with teamwork! "Joss in in purple and mister Zetta is in red."