A New Platform [Intro Post March]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

Luckily there are no more crises after the strange dreaming, except the ones passengers created for themselves and soon the month is turning. "Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of Egret."

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 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. It will come as a relief that it is not raining this time. However it does seem to be quite blustery.

The doors open and the first few to disembark do so with rucksacks on, hoods pulled up against the wind. Amery Vallet, Steve Rogers, Darth Vader, Peggy Carter, Bran Corbie and Ash. They walk blank faced to the barriers, show their tickets and disappear.

But on the platform itself there are nineteen new faces, or rather seventeen new faces and two that some people have definitely seen before. All are stood, waiting for the train.

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 but then the steam begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform is not large and it holds ninteen figures all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. The air is cold and the wind is strong, blowing their hair, if they have hair, across their face. 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. If that is not enough, there are plenty of people on the platform now, to encourage them onto the train.

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 with an abundance of onions! Any of blue team who who go to check the luggage cart will find a parcel containing rainbow macroons. One for each of the blue team, including new members, come share in the reward!

Passengers who are not brand new will notice that the train has gotten yet longer again. A transparent domed carriage, with a grass aisle and soil beds, ready for the passengers to do with as they wish. Crates contain bulbs and seeds ready to be planted and there are all the tools a budding gardener would need for this task.

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. 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. The fog from the windows is gone now, replaced with a kaleidoscope of ever changing colours.

Welcome to the Void!

Comments

that night

[blue_ice]

Kaiba is having a really difficult time with the whole sleep thing. The cabins are far too cramped for him to be comfortable tucking himself into a tiny bed with three strangers only an arm's reach away. He'll have to go there eventually, he's already been told he'll be forced if he doesn't go on his own...but not yet.

He's changed into his pajamas, a hideous plaid number with a white tee, and he's projecting an aura that he very much wants to be left alone. But he can't calm down for sleep without a nice hot drink.

Unfortunately, he has to pass through every other car to get to the kitchen. Most are fairly quiet at this time of night, but in the gaming car he sees the probably-vampire he'd arranged rocks with earlier.

"...Daia. Guess I should've expected you to still be up," he muttered tiredly. "Might want to get to bed sometime soon. I've been told we'll be knocked out and sent to bed if we're not there by dawn."

Never mind that he's making no moves toward bed himself.

[diamondsfortears]

Daia's face lights up with a smile when he sees the semi-familiar face.

"Kaiba! Uhm… Kaiba-san? Kun?" He still can't tell he's not in Japan. The pamphlet is just a pile of confusion to him.

A thoughtful hmmm to Kaiba's statement. He's not sure how that would work, but it's been an eventful day, so he's not questioning it.

"But I'm not tired yet," said as a child would when he wanted to watch his favourite tv program before bed. And then a gasp of realization. "Hey, do you want to play with me? I found some card games!"

He holds up Uno, a childishly-decorated Go Fish and Old Maid, and Chrononauts.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba doesn't respond except with a nod. He honestly doesn't care how Daia chooses to address him---this bizarre situation has turned everything he knew upside down, so he's just rolling with it, too tired to protest anymore.

He sits beside him, looking over the card games. They're not Duel Monsters, but at least one of them looks interesting.

"I've never seen this one before."

He gravitates toward Chrononauts, obviously. "Do you know how to play?"

[diamondsfortears]

"I've never played it before, but I did find the instructions. There's a lot of interesting cards. Although, some of the events in them look strange."

Being from Victorian Era London makes time-forward things a little more than weird.

However, he displays the character cards in front of Kaiba, pointing out the things on each of them.

"It looks like pretend time travel! And you need to fix things in time to the character you want. It looks like items or a mission complete is the best way to win. I don't understand the power gaining one, yet. Oh! But you can explode the universe if you have too many time paradoxes! But then everyone loses."

A beat, then a nervous laugh.

"It seems a little complicated, right? But I bet it's still fun."

[blue_ice]

Kaiba takes the time to read over the rules, checking out a few cards to get a grasp of how it all works.

"Let's do it."

He's never played a game like this before. It's quaint, but exciting in a way. Soon, the cards are spread and they're ready to begin.

"...have you seen anything else of interest today?"

[diamondsfortears]

Daia looks absolutely overjoyed that Kaiba's joining him for a game before bed.

When it's his turn, he drops an Article card in front of himself, face up. He glances back at the board and his hand, before saying his turn is finished.

"I've never seen a train so big! There's even a greenhouse here! It's incredible. I've never seen anything like that in England or Japan. It's like it's own personal world here. The beds are nice, too. I got my very own! And I've met one of my new flatmates, too. He's nice."

He's beaming the whole way.

"What about you? Did you find anything good?"

[blue_ice]

Kaiba grasps the rules fairly quickly. He looks over his hand, plays a gadget to shift things a little, and continues on.

"...your cramped bunk is an improvement over your old sleeping arrangement?"

There's a flicker of sadness on his face at that.

"It looks like it's going to be a strange trip. I'm still not used to sleeping in such close quarters. That's why I've been wandering."

[diamondsfortears]

Daia glances at his player card as he observes the gadget, then looks at the board again as he draws a card. He plays a paradox over one of the times that doesn't need any other time slots triggered.

Daia can't help but return a sad look to Kaiba.

"No. I had a whole room to myself, with a futon last time. It was nice! But... it was also a trap..."

Daia ponders it for a moment, trying to deflect this off of him.

"Well, if what you said a minute ago is true, then we can fall asleep anywhere we want right? We'll wake up in those beds anyway."

[blue_ice]

That didn't really alleviate Kaiba's concerns any. He looked at the board, considering his next move...but then back to Daia.

"A trap?"

He shook his head. "I'd rather not. I don't know what the side effects of being teleported are, or how that happens. I'm just trying to get myself tired enough to be willing to sleep."

Ah. There was a play he could make. He threw another card down.

[diamondsfortears]

Daia nods, and pauses. Then continues with a sigh.

"I was supposed to be sold into a human trafficking ring. I thought Shishou was protecting me, helping me... but he only wanted to make money off of me. Apparently, my kind is worth 'a lot'."

He bites his lower lip, trying to fight back tears. His cards look blurry in his hand for a moment, and he accidentally throws down a time reversal card into his Article pile, not even realizing anymore.

"I know not all humans are like that, I just... I really trusted him..."

[blue_ice]

Kaiba feels his heart clench even further at that. They might be very different, but he certainly understands the feeling of betrayal.

"He's scum," Kaiba answers, setting the game aside a moment to give his opponent a serious look.

"And you won't offend me by generalizing. Most of us are, in fact, scum. But you didn't deserve that, and...wherever else this train might be going, I'm glad you're out of there."

The words are awkward, he's not used to comforting...but he tries.

[diamondsfortears]

Daia stares wide-eyed at Kaiba for a moment, absorbing all that he says, slowly letting it sink in. But the part that gets him the most is that Kaiba says I'm glad you're out of there. It's... something he didn't realise he needed to hear. Especially not this badly. But someone is happy that he's safe. And it means so much to him in that moment.

He blushes, and then he smiles, looking away a bit as he tucks a strand of his own hair back. For the moment, he can admire how kind Kaiba is being to him.

"Thank you... I'm glad I got out, too. I'm glad I got to meet you, Kaiba."

[blue_ice]

He catches the expression, but he's not entirely sure what it all means.

"For all their faults, thus far the people I've met here don't seem to be like that. But it's worth being cautious...I'll keep an eye out too, though you don't have any special reason to trust me."

[diamondsfortears]

Kaiba says he'll look out for him, and Daia starts crying again - not out of sadness but because Kaiba's kindness is just so moving. It makes him so happy, so relieved.

Maybe I don't have to be alone anymore.

Yes, Kaiba is still a human. And yes, that probably means he'll pass away before Daia gets killed, if he ever does. But... That kindness. He's needed it for so long.

He smiles through his tears.

"Thank you, Kaiba. I'm really... really happy to hear that. And I do trust you. You've been so kind. You aren't scared of me."

What more of a special reason does he need than that?

[blue_ice]

Um. Well. This is awkward. Kaiba has never been the sort to be good at comforting anyone, so he quickly digs through his supplies. No tissues on hand...so he finds a spare bit of tablecloth and offers it.

"You are definitely not projecting a fearsome image."

He shifts awkwardly in place, scooting around their spread of cards to elbow nudge him. That's the most contact he'll initiate for now.

"If anyone tries to start something with you, tell me. I'll put an end to it."

[diamondsfortears]

Daia takes the tablecloth and rubs his eyes with it, nodding in thanks. Happy to hear he isn't scary; happy to hear that someone is on his side. And when Kaiba nudges him, he laughs a little, nudging him back.

"Thank you, Kaiba. You're the best friend I've ever had. I'll definitely come to you if anyone comes after me."

Then the question arises in him if anyone would. At home, sure. At this point, his secret would be out and he'd be running again. But the fact that Kaiba isn't afraid of him, that the others he's met so far have been so kind, that Joss speaks openly about his vampirism, he can't help but wonder.

"Uhm, Kaiba… Do you think I can tell others who I am? What I am? I've never been able to tell other people that I'm... a vampire… without the Hunters being sent after me. But here... it feels like I can breathe a little easier."

[blue_ice]

Kaiba is glad to hear it. He relaxes, looking at his new...ally...with something approaching contentment. But the question concerns him.

"Maybe it's just that I'm paranoid, but I wouldn't yet. I don't know enough about the others to be positive. There's a good chance you'll be able to, but let me find out first?"

[diamondsfortears]

Daia nods.

"Okay! Thank you. Again. I really appreciate you helping me."

He gives a bright smile, his sadness forgotten, having been replaced by Kaiba's kindness.

He looks at the cards on the table, remembering they have a game going on. He grins.

"Hey, just because you're nice to me, don't expect me to go easy on you."

It's playful, but he does plan to give it his all.