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

[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."

[priforprince]

Hibiki sniffs. "The workings of an arbitrary, hole-spattered system hold no sway over me."

And they don't. That's absurd. Putting her and Elfnein in the same team is the only indication of any sense on the part of the assignations that she can discern - genius calls to genius.

BUT BESIDE THAT!

"In any case, any group to which I deigned to lend my assistance would be inevitably dyed in my color." The Palps are the wrong environment for this. Hibiki dismisses the illusion with a flick of her hand, replaces it with her temple's sitting room. Which is almost entirely done in shades of purple, white, and gold. "Persist in scattershot camaraderie all you please, but leave me out of it."

The goat nudges Romeo reaa-ssuringly. Don't worry. It knows how this goes. Maa-ster saying things like that just means the goats maa-y be ordered to do things in secret instead.

Don't tell maa-nybody.

[myblueskies]

He looked around as the room changed so now it looked like Hibiki's home back in heaven. She must miss it there. Especially since none of her shinki have come with her. He hopes Wendy is alright! She will be sad that Hibiki has gone... Maybe she will come next. It's all very confusing. He smiled down at the goat, understanding. What miss Hibiki says and what miss Hibiki does are two different things.

He finished putting the last things in her bag and stood up. "Have you seen Elfnein yet? She will be really happy to see you again!"

[priforprince]

"Our paths are bound to cross." This....yes. It may be a fluke that the child has hit upon a suitable topic for Shikyoin Hibiki to ponder, but hit upon it he has, so she'll grant this a moment of her focus.

But only a moment. She picks up her tablet, starts keying something in. "Genius calls to genius, after all."

The spygoat stands at attention as Hibiki hits "Enter" on the tablet, and nudges Romeo. Hey! It has just been told to LOCATE IDLE DIVERSIONS! Does Romaa-o want to come??

[myblueskies]

They would be! It's a big train but not that big and there's only one corridor that goes all the way through, so they were bound to see each other soon!

He looks down at the spy goat and grins. Adventure time with goats? Yes please!

"We'll see you later miss Hibiki!"

wrap, but decide ooc what they bring back to hibiki (for the lulz)?

[priforprince]

"Hmph." Hibiki crosses her legs, adjusts herself on her Sitting Area That Only LOOKS Like A Couch, But It's Better Than Nothing.

She will wait until Romeo is both out of eye- and earshot before having any further reactions to this encounter, and all she has learned. But that reaction shall remain a mystery here, as well.

It is her style.